When comparing Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 vs XCOM 2, the Slant community recommends XCOM 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best singleplayer games on Steam?” XCOM 2 is ranked 25th while Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is ranked 88th. The most important reason people chose XCOM 2 is:
One of the main aspects of XCOM 2 is preparing your squad for each mission. You need to consider the terrain, objective, and enemy types. Based on these you'll select the appropriate soldiers, weapons, and gadgets. A lot of the missions have some leeway, so you'll be able to form a squad that fits your playstyle. It can either be a group of stealthy rangers, running in with machetes to surprise the enemy. Or it can be a group sharpshooters, allowing you to systematically clear the area from afar with sniper rifles. After each successful mission/kill your soldiers will earn experience. With enough experience you'll be able to promote them and earn learn new skills. You can also research new weapons and build them. A lot of it comes down to looting alien technology and reverse engineering it back at the base. All these things add up and it's really exciting watching your soldiers grow into unstoppable killing machines.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Good graphics and colorful visuals
Pro Fun campaigns for all three factions
There are three factions that the player can choose to play as (Allies, the Soviet Union, and the Empire of the Rising Sun), each with their own story which makes for plenty of gameplay and a different experience each.
Pro Has a co-op campaign
The main campaign was designed with co-op in mind which means you and a friend can play through the main story together.
Pro Long-lasting skirmish single player
Pro I still play this game due to the fun side game.
Pro It's fun to manage your squad
One of the main aspects of XCOM 2 is preparing your squad for each mission. You need to consider the terrain, objective, and enemy types. Based on these you'll select the appropriate soldiers, weapons, and gadgets. A lot of the missions have some leeway, so you'll be able to form a squad that fits your playstyle. It can either be a group of stealthy rangers, running in with machetes to surprise the enemy. Or it can be a group sharpshooters, allowing you to systematically clear the area from afar with sniper rifles.
After each successful mission/kill your soldiers will earn experience. With enough experience you'll be able to promote them and earn learn new skills. You can also research new weapons and build them. A lot of it comes down to looting alien technology and reverse engineering it back at the base.
All these things add up and it's really exciting watching your soldiers grow into unstoppable killing machines.
Pro Makes you feel more for your characters than most character driven games
One of the more fun parts about this game is managing your squad. You can customize the looks, voices, and even names of your soldiers. As you take your soldiers on missions you'll get attached to them. This will create a lot of tense moments when your soldiers are about to die and you desperately try to save them.
If you decide to input the names of your friends or family, multiply the tension by ten.
Pro Excellent suspense
Throughout the campaign you'll always be running against the clock. You have a limited window of time to save humanity before the aliens take over completely. Successful missions only set them back slightly. Unsuccessful missions set you back significantly. It always feels like you're in an uphill struggle and failing means the end. It always feels like you're not gaining an advantage and the aliens have something else in store. This is reinforced in the missions. You never know what type of aliens there will be or what their reinforcements will bring. Encountering new species makes you fear for the well-being of your squad. It's rare for a game to keep you feeling like this.
Cons
Con Game is FPS locked
Framerate locked to the engine at 30 FPS.
Con Occasional pathfinding issues complicate unit placement
Due to slight issues with pathfinding, player units can become stuck at certain parts of the map, causing frustrating situations when those units are needed to be in a particular placement but were unable to do so.
Con AI opponents possess few strategies allowing it to be easily manipulated
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3's AI reuses a limited selection of strategies, which therein allows the player to identify what actions the AI will most likely be performing next. With this knowledge of what the enemy AI will be doing, skirmish matches and campaign missions will be easily beaten, providing little to no challenge for experienced players.
Con Demanding on hardware
Will not run on low-end graphics cards like the GeForce GT 740M or the HD Graphics 4600 / 5600.
Con Complaints about the new launcher
Sadly the Steam rating has dropped because of the new launcher, problems can be solved however: XCOM 2 How to Bypass the 2k Launcher without External Files or Configuration Guide.
Con Steep learning curve
XCOM 2 is not just about managing a squad of soldiers, you also have to manage your base and operations on a global scale. This includes managing your resources, identifying which missions you should prioritize, and allocating research for new technologies. It might take a while to learn everything needed to fully enjoy this game, especially on higher difficulties.