Shovel Knight should work more than well enough to stay you until Xcom 2. Alternatively, Nier: Automata is fine. If you need backstory, just watch "What you missed from Nier" from superbunnyhop, which fills you in.
Please try Shovel Knight Jo, even if it's not your cup of tea (which I would wager it most certainly is), you'd probably come up with an interesting comic for it.
Do you own the Treasure Trove pack (Shovel Knight + DLC), or would you just buy Vanilla?
@Shellhit: I'm sure the original Nier provides some context, but Automata is perfectly enjoyable without having played it. Source: I didn't play the original but love Automata.