Firaxis' eagerly anticipated follow-up to XCOM is set for release on February 5 (that's Friday, for those lost in the time stream). Ahead of its release XCOM 2 reviews have started to appear online and, as always, we've gathered them up for your consideration.

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　　XCOM 2 Video Review

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　　Below you'll find a list of review from various gaming publications, along with their scores and a short excerpt from the piece. By the time you reach the bottom you should have a good idea of its critical reception and, more importantly, whether you want to pick it up.

　　For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

　　Game: XCOM 2Developer: Firaxis GamesPlatform: PCRelease Date: February 2Price: $60/£49.99

GameSpot -- 9/10

"XCOM 2 imparts the weight of [its] decisions, and that's what makes it extraordinary. It's mathematical, emotional, and thoughtful all at once. It's exhilarating, even in the face of failure. It's compelling, even though we often lose. Victory is the goal, but that's just an afterthought here--it's the complex journey that counts." -- Mike Mahardy [Full review]

　　

IGN -- 9.3/10

"With a focus on variety and replayability, this sequel has an answer to most of my complaints about 2012's excellent XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and aside from some mostly cosmetic bugs, it comes together brilliantly. Thanks to a new spin on the same great tactical combat, plus unpredictable maps and randomized objectives and loot, XCOM 2 is an amazing game I'll easily put hundreds of hours into." -- Dan Stapleton [Full review]

　　

PC Gamer -- 94/100

"Exceptionally tough, rewarding strategy and a masterful reworking of the XCOM formula. We'll play this forever." -- Tom Senior [Full review]

　　

Polygon -- 9/10

"In spite of a few glaring technical issues, XCOM 2 represents a high water mark for the entire franchise. Firaxis successfully tells an evocative story. It treats players with respect and includes so many small quality of life improvements over the original they are simply too numerous to mention. It is challenging enough at its basic difficulty level to feel like a complete experience. Despite the bugs, it's still the best-looking, most exciting turn-based tactical game I've ever played." -- Charlie Hall [Full review]

　　

Eurogamer -- Essential

"Moment to moment, the thing that makes this astonishing game truly sing is the way in which it's managed to respond to the bad habits we picked up last time around. Move faster, it urges. Take more risks. Become a more interesting player. XCOM 2 isn't a reworking of the original game, then - it's a genuine response to it. A response to us. Turns out Firaxis was on overwatch all along." -- Chris Bratt [Full review]

　　

GameInformer -- 9.5/10

"You're constantly under the gun in XCOM 2, and the deck is often stacked against you. Firaxis' masterclass in strategy design has you second-guessing all your choices and analyzing your smallest decisions. It might sound stressful, and at times it is, but XCOM 2's battles are so compelling that it's easy to pick yourself up after defeat and jump back into the fray. Successfully navigating XCOM 2's storm of difficult choices is enough to make you feel like a true legend." -- Ben Reeves [Full review]