The game is set in 2047, during the invasion of Earth by alien creatures. The player commands a lone military base, the titular Phoenix Point . Their job is to lead the remnants of Earths defense force against the invaders. They must employ different tactics and develop new strategies against constantly evolving extraterrestrial threats. Gameplay Phoenix Point uses many gameplay solutions that X-COM was famous for but also introduces new ones. The first on the list of novelties is certainly the mutating alien force. The Earths invaders are procedurally created based on two aspects: the interchangeable pool of body parts and size, both of which make each alien unique. While seemingly random, the mutations will develop in a way to make the game more difficult, focusing on the ones that caused the player trouble and discarding those who proved to be unsuccessful. Other gameplay features include the faction system. Aside from the Phoenix Point, there are three other human enclaves, which