In case you forgot, War of the Chosen comes to XCOM 2 later tonight

PC/Mac/Linux •

While there have been some fantastic PC ports showing up on our iPads over the past few years–including Firaxis‘ own XCOM: Enemy Unknown–the chances of us seeing XCOM 2 on our tablets is hovering right around 0%. So, you’ll need a PC or Mac to delve back into the XCOM world, but it’s more than worth it. XCOM 2 was one of the best experiences I ever had on my laptop and, later today, it’s slated to get even better. The first major add-on for XCOM 2, War of the Chosen, is unlocking tonight and everything about it sounds amazing.

War of the Chosen is less of an expansion pack and more of a new way to play XCOM 2. Yes, you’re still humans fighting against your alien overlords, but now there are The Chosen, special aliens specifically trained to kick your team’s ass. These are aliens on the hunt for your in-game persona and have powers and abilities that shift throughout the campaign. They will appear without warning on maps, forcing you to deduce their strengths and weaknesses and take them out, all while still trying to complete the mission.

There are also new alien types, the Spectres. No, they aren’t angry Turians and none of them are named Shepard. Instead, they’re able to scan XCOM soldiers and create shadow copies to plague you on the battlefield. There are also new ADVENT soldiers, the priest and purifier, so even your human enemies are more dickish.

While it sounds like the folks at Firaxis have some sort of alien fetish, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are three new Resistance factions that offer you three new classes to play: Reapers, Skirmishers, and Templars. What do any of these guys actually do? Who knows, but the artwork makes them all look pretty badass with new explosives and a chain that lets you pull enemies into melee range (although why you’d want to do that when you have big ass guns is still a mystery to me).

There are also new mission objectives, new maps, an enhanced strategy layer and more. If you’re a fan of XCOM 2, I’m guessing you’ve already pre-ordered and are simply waiting until the doors are opened. If you haven’t played before, hop on the bandwagon now. XCOM 2 is the kind of game that Stately Play readers should (and will) love, and it’s currently on sale for 60% off. Get on that.

• XCOM 2 for PC/Mac/Linux via Steam, $24 (on sale)
• XCOM 2 War of the Chosen for PC/Mac/Linux via Steam, $40

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