Phoenix Point hits Steam and GOG today after contentious Epic exclusivity
Time for a festive holiday mutant crab culling
You wanna murder some big ugly mutant crabs? Of course you do! It's a Christmas tradition that you cannot question me on because you don't know my life. We've done it for years - well, one year, at least, seeing as that's how long it's been since Phoenix Point launched. The XCOM-like post apocalyptic crab-shooting game sheds its Epic and Xbox Game Pass exclusivity today, and arrives on Steam and GOG with a couple of new expansions to boot.
Phoenix Point was one of the first games to announce it would be an Epic Games store exclusive, causing a lot of frustration from folks who had backed the game on Kickstarter with the promise of a Steam release. At the time, creative director (and former X-COM creator) Julian Gollop apologised to backers. "For those backers who are upset by our switch of delivery platform, we are truly sorry," he said in a statement to Eurogamer.
"It was not our intention to scam anyone. The best we can do is offer compensation in the form of free extra content, which we will deliver throughout the launch year. This will include at least three major DLC packs. They will also receive a Steam key or GOG key, in addition to their Epic key, at the end of the exclusivity period. If they are not happy with this, we will give a full refund."
The game hits Steam and GOG today as Phoenix Point: Year One Edition, which bundles its three DLCs in with the base game. Those are the story expansions, Legacy Of The Ancients and Blood And Titanium, and the Living Weapons pack as well (which adds a load of weapons, obvs).
Phoenix Point isn't just a turn-based strategy game headed up by X-COM's co-creator, it bears an uncanny resemblance to XCOM, too, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
"There’s slow-burn greatness in Phoenix Point," said Jeremy Peel in his Phoenix Point review. "It’s warmer, stranger, than its genremates. But it’s harder work to enjoy. Like its most outlandish guns and powerful armours, it takes a few hours’ research to get there."
You can grab Phoenix Point: Year One Edition on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store, when it launches at around 5pm GMT (9am PT) today.
If you do pick up the game today and need a little help, check out our Phoenix Point guides.