XCOM 2 Console Impressions: How well does it run on PS4 and Xbox One?

Back in February we fell in love with the excellent work Firaxis Games did on XCOM 2. XCOM: Enemy Unknown was already a pretty incredible reboot of a classic franchise, but somehow they managed to actually best it in just about every way. There was only one little catch - Enemy Unknown came to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but XCOM 2 was a PC exclusive.

We still loved it on PC, giving it a whopping nine out of ten in our review and producing a video piece explaining just why RPG fans should give this strategy title the time of day. We're a few months removed from that now and we stand by those verdicts, but now at last console users can get in on the action with the release of a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of the game.

But how does it hold up? We took a look at the PS4 version in video form - see that for yourself below.

If videos are less your thing, let me give you a brief text-based run-down here: It runs pretty well. The video above is of the PS4, but we've tested the Xbox One version as well and found performance similar between the two. 

XCOM 2's console port doesn't look quite as nice as the PC version for obvious reason, but it doesn't feel like a compromised version of the game. Most important of all, the pad-based controls are tight and smooth to use. The controls are similar to those used in the console and Vita version of Enemy Unknown, which were also decent.

I personally prefer a keyboard and mouse, but for a turn-based game like this there are some who'd actually make the argument that a controller and a comfy couch are better, especially with a control scheme like this.

The one major catch for XCOM 2 comes with its load times. The game already suffered some pretty inexplicably long loads even loading off an SSD on PC, and so on console they're even longer still. Save-scumming certainly won't be nearly as popular a tactic in this version of XCOM - and some might consider that, at least, a bonus. For an idea of how long the load times take, there's an unedited one in the video above, but they're over the minute mark. They're significant.

XCOM 2 is such a good game that it's worth suffering through some bad load times for, though. This version of the game is pretty solid and well worth your attention if you don't have access to a gaming PC - it's one of the best games of the year. For more on that, hit the links to read the original review or watch our original video on why RPG fans should try out XCOM.