The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 689 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 284 out of 689
  2. Mixed: 261 out of 689
  3. Negative: 144 out of 689
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  1. Brosman
    Aug 22, 2013
    6
    I was incredibly surprised by this game. Im a big fan of XCOM Enemy Unknown. I haven't played the originals but i could see why so many people were getting pissed at this game when it was first announced. Although they did knock XCOM to a subtitle, i feel that they should have kept it out of the games name entirely to get better PR with XCOM fans. Now that they didn't you get a bunch ofI was incredibly surprised by this game. Im a big fan of XCOM Enemy Unknown. I haven't played the originals but i could see why so many people were getting pissed at this game when it was first announced. Although they did knock XCOM to a subtitle, i feel that they should have kept it out of the games name entirely to get better PR with XCOM fans. Now that they didn't you get a bunch of people ranting on Metacritic and other websites with giant nostalgia boners saying this is the worst game ever made. Simply put, it is a refreshing surprise. If you get it in you mind that this game has nothing to do with XCOM and plays more like Mass Effect, its a solid game. Not great, but solid. The Bureau builds an incredible atmosphere right from the beginning. It has a great 50's Noire feel to it that carries this game. The combat is almost exactly like ME and works well. Although the Ai will have its "special" moments, it is a fun third person cover shooter where flanking and planning are actually needed. Its not XCOM, but thats really the point. Over all i had fun with it, i wouldn't reccomend it for $60 but pick it up on its first sale or price cut for 30 or 40 dollars.I think its worth giving the devs the money at that price.… Expand
  2. extremeasaur
    Aug 21, 2013
    6
    When I first got my hands on Xcom: Enemy Unknown I found it was a fun and interesting game. Since then I have always been interested in getting to know the other titles from the older series. Time passed and lets plays were watched but, I never bought the games (due to the lack of income...)
    Noticing the bundle that came with the new XCOM game The Bureau; I found this would be the perfect    When I first got my hands on Xcom: Enemy Unknown I found it was a fun and interesting game. Since then I have always been interested in getting to know the other titles from the older series. Time passed and lets plays were watched but, I never bought the games (due to the lack of income...)
    Noticing the bundle that came with the new XCOM game The Bureau; I found this would be the perfect time to get some games I really wanted( and spec ops too, cool!). So, I like to lie to myself and think I spent most of my $44 on those games.
    With that guff out of the way The Bureau's good, bad, and ugly.

    Good:
    I'm a sucker for the noir All the retro tech. and fedoras make me smile. The ability to rename and repaint my squaddies helps immerse me in the a world where every one is named Dick Swissknife.
    The guns are fun and diverse but, nothing new to xcom. Punching is hilarious, especially when your squaddies never see it coming.
    This game also implements Mass Effect style talking sequences. They don't bother me and help expand the lore. As well as the scattered notes and recordings that you will find along the linear levels. The story is something I'm not really good at judging so I won't be talking about it.

    Bad:
    For a tactical 3rd person shooter The Bureau's UI is really poor. Switching from teammate and ability to teammate and ability is simple and easy unless, your mouse is anywhere on the screen. The game will then proceed to see the mouse as priority control. Which will then lead you to select the wrong command. Yes, you can then press backspace to cancel but, I shouldn't have to. Plus, for those of us who do like to squint at the game and pretend I'm doing something tactical, the mistake can set me back and often get my men killed. If my intention was to move them but attack is accidentally selected. For a tactical UI please use either keyboard shortcuts OR mouse control, not both.
    Small side note. The options menu is fairly restricted but at least the option to play in DX9 or DX11 is presented right as you load up. Then you are just a fingers-crossed moment away from playing Xcom.

    Oh, and only two weapons, come on.

    Ugly:
    I truly believe all of my teammates would much rather be dead than stay under my command. They consantly move out of cover and into the fray, despite my insistance that they stay in the one, and there is only one, full cover area. The team AI is thick as bricks. Moving them from one point to another is a gamble to whether they will remain safe and go along cover to there destination. Or they run straight through to there inevitable deaths.
    Also, no coop! I know Xcom has long been a singleplayer adventure but this would have been a perfect way to fix the AI; by getting rid of it.

    Summary
    Good: Style, combat and lore.
    Bad: Tactical UI and options menu.
    Ugly: AI and lack of Coop.

    Do I recommend this. Yes! but on sale. $20 at most. Not full price release.    … Expand
  3. Malacki
    Aug 22, 2013
    6
    I was high on this game when it was in development, but upon playing it, I am left with a bad taste. The story is ok. A bit bland, but enjoyable and entertaining. The whole premise could have been turned into something huge, but is left lacking.
    The individuals themselves are somewhat bland and lifeless; again, more work could have been done.
    The controls are clunky, character movements    I was high on this game when it was in development, but upon playing it, I am left with a bad taste. The story is ok. A bit bland, but enjoyable and entertaining. The whole premise could have been turned into something huge, but is left lacking.
    The individuals themselves are somewhat bland and lifeless; again, more work could have been done.
    The controls are clunky, character movements appear as though they are running in mud. Not much of a difference between normal run and sprint. Not easy to enter and exit cover, or control your team mates. It would have been easier had they simply copied the mass effect controls, instead of trying something else, which seems similar to mass effect, but comes off as still needing work.
    The weapons and powers and backpacks are ok. Backpacks are variations of what might be thought of as armor: they provide you with perks like more ammo, greater defense for enemy fire, and the such. The weapons are pretty vanilla: Handgun, assault rifle, sniper rife, shotgun, and they come in either human variety, or the laser version of the aliens. Again, could have been better and appears rushed.
    The powers on the other hand are probably the best feature of the game. Depending on the class, every soldier has different powers that you can build a strategy around. You can get your soldier class to taunt an enemy, leaving an another for you to lift off the ground and finish off with a critical hit from your sniper/recon man. Got a bunch of them charging you, get your engineer class to throw out a turret. The main character is a healer class, but also has powers he can use to distract and immobilize enemies.
    Overall, the game is enjoyable at best, but could have been made a lot better had the developer taken more time to refine it and add to the content. It feels very abrasive while playing.    … Expand
  4. Sprogz
    Aug 25, 2013
    6
    tl;dr;
    Poor, shallow, tedious, rather boring game. My advice is not to buy unless it's in a very good sale deal.
    Regardless of whether other players defend it or slate it I can only say that I simply did not enjoy this game. I "get" that it's not XCOM: Enemy Unknown however that doesn't excuse the many bad points this game has. First, the good-ish news. Graphically, it's not bad. No    tl;dr;
    Poor, shallow, tedious, rather boring game. My advice is not to buy unless it's in a very good sale deal.

    Regardless of whether other players defend it or slate it I can only say that I simply did not enjoy this game. I "get" that it's not XCOM: Enemy Unknown however that doesn't excuse the many bad points this game has.

    First, the good-ish news. Graphically, it's not bad. No real complaints there.

    Game mechanic-wise The Bureau involves little more than story-telling cut-scenes, a lot of running around to get from point A to B to C and finally to some actual game play the "tactical" combat. Did I mention a lot of running from point A to point B?

    The combat is the best part of the game. In itself reasonably enjoyable. A hybrid shooter/strategy system but not enough to carry the entire game I'm afraid and certainly far from perfect.

    In The Bureau, your agents can level-up after gaining experience but this just doesn't seem to have the same relevance as it does for your squad in, say XCOM: Enemy Unknown where having a levelled-up squad seems to make a real difference and you strive to keep them alive. In The Bureau, it's like "he's leveled up meh."

    Equipping team members with new equipment is laborious and clunky; using a controller because the keyboard controls are just too much trouble involves lots of right button, right button, down, down, click, down, down, click, right trigger, repeat for each team member. Yawn.

    I've seen reviews here stating this game has high replay value. Seriously, I'm wondering if I can stomach playing it through to the end ONCE, let alone returning to it. There are far better games out there deserving of my time.

    It's awkward that The Bureau pre-order perk on Steam; receiving the other XCOM titles including Enemy Unknown are actually better games than The Bureau itself.    … Expand
  5. MrSubjective
    Aug 25, 2013
    6
    Stylization is nice, btw it is a pure console port 720p-ish, bloom is everywhere, poor tactics interface designed for gamepad, not for mouse. While storyline is quiet classic, there is still some spirit you felt so many times I know what can I expect next corner. It is not about tactics, because it has very limited usage, believe me. It is not about FPS, aiming system is so bad, like youStylization is nice, btw it is a pure console port 720p-ish, bloom is everywhere, poor tactics interface designed for gamepad, not for mouse. While storyline is quiet classic, there is still some spirit you felt so many times I know what can I expect next corner. It is not about tactics, because it has very limited usage, believe me. It is not about FPS, aiming system is so bad, like you hold your gun while being on some ship in the middle of ocean during storm. It is not about RPG, because your decisions are not taking you different ways and level system is just, erm, pathetic. And this is not about your base building, one of aspect X-COM series loved for. This is... I don't know. This is mediocre mix of genres, but nothing special in none of them. Really, nothing special. I know creating this game took a lot of time, nice ideas and money, but on the end it doesn't fit cost you pay for. Will you get your fun here? Sure, you will get a bit. Will this fun be enough to stay impressed? No. No. No.… Expand
  6. Alphabet
    Aug 27, 2013
    6
    A rating of 7 seems worthy of this edition to the Xcom series. For those who think it is low, it is just that for replay value.. complete the game on even the easiest mode and there is little need to play it again other than seeing other plot lines opened up by making different interaction choices. For those who think the rating is high- I am a Xcom fan. Many of the negative review's ofA rating of 7 seems worthy of this edition to the Xcom series. For those who think it is low, it is just that for replay value.. complete the game on even the easiest mode and there is little need to play it again other than seeing other plot lines opened up by making different interaction choices. For those who think the rating is high- I am a Xcom fan. Many of the negative review's of the game take into account aspects I do not feel the game creator's intended to approach in the first place. It is not a first person shooter, rather a tactical 3rd person that actually places a player in a good position of how it might feel to be a Xcom agent in the field (in a very much real time gameplay rather than turned based). Those who expected a first person shooter may be disappointed at not being able to run around shooting things and dodging incoming fire like a DOOM or Wolfenstein type game. Do remember, a enemy in cover in the turn based takes a 40% chance to hit... it seems fitting that in this game... taking the time to aim for a certain hit at an enemy behind cover is no easy feat... and may actually get you shot to pieces trying to do so. The storyline was appealing and fun, the choices given to advance certain plot lines entertaining.

    The real value of the game may well be in it's not yet applied applications. The Xcom series now has a lovely new turned based system reborn with XCOM-Enemy Unknown, as well as a boots on the ground tactical combat with The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. The mother of all XCOM games may still await... a combination of both games.. allowing users in the XCOM universe to choose between Turn Based missions, or Real time play along with all the base management/research applications of Enemy Unknown. As a avid fan of the series.. one can only hope.    … Expand
  7. orctown-troll
    Dec 14, 2013
    6
    Quite brilliant story and dialogues here. (10/10) Unfortunately they are stuck in another clunky console port. Even at the supposed correct resolution it is impossible to access some menus on a wide screen monitor. The game suffers from tedious, slow and clunky gameplay. Too plot bound and linear, getting around your base is a royal pain in the rear-end. So while the set pieces, and plotQuite brilliant story and dialogues here. (10/10) Unfortunately they are stuck in another clunky console port. Even at the supposed correct resolution it is impossible to access some menus on a wide screen monitor. The game suffers from tedious, slow and clunky gameplay. Too plot bound and linear, getting around your base is a royal pain in the rear-end. So while the set pieces, and plot lines, the voice acting and lighting are all FANTASTIC (Bravo) the GAME is terrible. This is a must buy for fans of UFO retro, not as a game but as a cultural artifact. Wait to get it on sale under $10. Play it to enjoy the story because you WILL NOT enjoy it as a 'game'.

    Orctowngrot.    … Expand
  8. Keychain
    Nov 1, 2013
    6
    Although mostly a generic thirdperson shooter, it adds some nice spice to the gameplay by having a strategic mode that allows you to command your squadmates. When you're in strategic mode, the gameplay is either paused or drastically slowed down, much like typical XCOM games. While in this mode you can command your squadmates to move about the map, set up flanking positions, and useAlthough mostly a generic thirdperson shooter, it adds some nice spice to the gameplay by having a strategic mode that allows you to command your squadmates. When you're in strategic mode, the gameplay is either paused or drastically slowed down, much like typical XCOM games. While in this mode you can command your squadmates to move about the map, set up flanking positions, and use multiple abilities that synergize very well with your own.

    For example, your commander can use a telekinesis ability that lifts the enemy in the air, pulling them out of cover, then you can order a Sniper squadmate to snipe them out of the air. It's very satisfying and very fun.

    Despite that, the game doesn't feel very loyal to the XCOM franchise. It has some nice things here and there and make you think, "Oh, this is from XCOM" but at the same time it lacks a lot of polish in other areas. The game feels as though it might have been a bit rushed to release. In my opinion this is worth checking out on a sale, you might have a bit of fun.    … Expand
  9. Liqutos
    Nov 6, 2013
    6
    This game isn't really X-com. It just doesn't fit the style, and the controls are just plain bad. It's half-finished and put together in a hurry. Remember the game just called XCOM? Well, it was first person shooter made by 2K and was scrapped and changed into this. The game is way to short for the heavy price tag of $80USD. I think everyone here wants classic Turn-Based Strategy back.
  10. bloodyshan
    Oct 17, 2014
    6
    A Mass Effect like tactical shooter based on the XCOM story background, this game inherited the "cover system" from XCOM and some similarities in skill trees, though I found it enjoyable at first few hours there's nothing particularly outstanding in this mediocre game.
    It's a mission-orientated FPS with the feature to control your squad (with two more soldiers) by pressing Space during    A Mass Effect like tactical shooter based on the XCOM story background, this game inherited the "cover system" from XCOM and some similarities in skill trees, though I found it enjoyable at first few hours there's nothing particularly outstanding in this mediocre game.
    It's a mission-orientated FPS with the feature to control your squad (with two more soldiers) by pressing Space during combat, you can feel the peculiar tempo this game delivered which I think is the reason why lots of people hate this game, but honestly it's quite novel and it requires more than aim and shoot to keep your squad alive.
    In conclusion I'd say the combat itself is too long and repetitive, and the story isn't compelling or even a bit boring, you can actually take down every tough aliens with heal (from lv1) and with the lengthy main quest scenarios there's no incentive to do those side quests which is a requirement of this game from time to time.    … Expand
  11. cylian3
    Jul 7, 2014
    6
    "X-com's style of strategy" my arse. It's nothing but an unnecessary and overcomplicated mess taken after Mass Effect's formula. Instead of having all abilities conveniently conveyed to you via HOTKEYS, WHICH YOU HAVE OVER 20+ OF ON A KEYBOARD, you have to clumsily jump through character to character in order to take use of them and adapt to swapping viewpoints like an indecisive CCTV"X-com's style of strategy" my arse. It's nothing but an unnecessary and overcomplicated mess taken after Mass Effect's formula. Instead of having all abilities conveniently conveyed to you via HOTKEYS, WHICH YOU HAVE OVER 20+ OF ON A KEYBOARD, you have to clumsily jump through character to character in order to take use of them and adapt to swapping viewpoints like an indecisive CCTV operator making the entire game scream "CONSOLE PORT" so badly, I cannot even begin to note it all. But what I can note is the painfully apparent rushing of this game. The character (whom is a skinny, malnourished and sleep-deprived 1960's human) pushes up 15+ ton vault doors like they're made out of styrofoam, REPEATEDLY as early as in the first 15 minutes of the game. Just cutscenes, right? Sadly, every other cutscene I've seen so far involving facial viewing has not only a downright wrong lipsynching but the developers also went that extra feet to feed every gamer uninspired dialoge through the "cake" system.

    But enough graphical. How are the controls for steering your character besides the moronic order-giving? They're horrible as well sadly. You sprint (shift) to take cover. You sprint (shift) to vault over things. You sprint (shift) to sprint. And only forward. How dare you presume that controls will be suited for an actual keyboard mouse whereas you can hold down sprint with one hand and perhaps press something else than forward as you just bought the game for 50€ to have it on a PERSONAL COMPUTER? But the controls aren't even the worst part though.

    The AI is the most rotten piece of this turd. I have lost count on how many times they flop behind you, dying repeatedly from not keeping up without your constant micromanagement (turning it into a put that foot infront of the other chore) just to keep them alive or how they are insanely eager to run into the middle of the battle-field at a moments notice when fighting breaks out. Even guys I have recruited with extra stamina (survival, more hp etc.) flops dead within split seconds of a mission if I don't pause every other second to give them non-braindead advice on where to be, run from grenades and not try to snipe enemies with shotguns and instead aim at the ones that are 2 feet to the left. Combine that with the extremely tedious combat of having to headshot most things 12 times, there's not much more that can be said about this embarassing flop of a title.

    Needless to say, this game is a shame and a surprising one at that considering the previous, excellent X-com release that integrated just fine onto a PC from a console even when the launch had a few bugs so I would whole-heartedly recommend everyone to stay away from this game unless you can get it for 10$ or less.    … Expand
  12. Pffff
    Sep 2, 2014
    6
    This game by itself is moderately good (or bad) because its story, sound, graphics and characters are not among the best or worst.
    1. Story: a bit simple and shallow but still make sense.
    2. Sound: 2.1. Musics: repetitive, flat, transition between musics is no good 2.2. Sound effect: adequate, vivid in its own way, only too much background noise, not exactly a good design. 2.3. Voice:    This game by itself is moderately good (or bad) because its story, sound, graphics and characters are not among the best or worst.
    1. Story: a bit simple and shallow but still make sense.
    2. Sound:
    2.1. Musics: repetitive, flat, transition between musics is no good
    2.2. Sound effect: adequate, vivid in its own way, only too much background noise, not exactly a good design.
    2.3. Voice: good, but listening to the voice of the main character for too long gave me headache, literally.
    3. Graphics: in terms of texture, detail, lighting and stuff, it is not the best but good enough.. However, the alien weapons could be a bit more stylish/alien.
    4. Characters: Mundane, sexist in terms of profession, conversations are not quite impressive.

    Interestingly, if you have played the Mass Effect series (especially 2&3) you would find a lot of similarities between them. Additionally, I sure don't hate the developers for experimenting on different game genre, especially when they did an rather adequate job, but it would be better if they considered adding certain profound philosophical standpoint/logic or futuristic prospects.

    In a nut shell, it is adequate and has quite a bit potentials.    … Expand
  13. PrincessRose
    Mar 21, 2021
    6
    It's an alright game, enjoyed playing it.
    I liked the story, though a bit disappointed that your choices don't affect much.
  14. Booliot
    Feb 26, 2015
    6
    The game is not bad, somehow it feels like it had the potential to be an unique breath taking game that set it apart from other games in the current market, it feels like just bone and skin no flesh between.

    Im simply disappointed, the game didn´t deliver as I thought it would do. The creators wanted to show a possibility how the Xcom organization was formed, I doesn´t really think    The game is not bad, somehow it feels like it had the potential to be an unique breath taking game that set it apart from other games in the current market, it feels like just bone and skin no flesh between.

    Im simply disappointed, the game didn´t deliver as I thought it would do.

    The creators wanted to show a possibility how the Xcom organization was formed, I doesn´t really think they said it was a prequel to the main remastered Xcom game that came out a while ago.

    Good features

    Nice strategy layout with awesome functionality
    interesting characters
    The game follow the red line
    The abilities for each class
    Dynamic field of battle ( victory seems close then the mutons suddenly show ups)

    Bad Features
    Very interesting characters but no depth to know them better ( the notes are not enough)
    Few missions (can be finished within 5 hours if you guys know what to do)
    Repetitive enemies (in the early game make the game dull)
    Dull interactions sometimes (finish a badass mission no mention of it later in conversations)
    No iconic stuff ( no base management, no economy, no gut mentioned decision( until late game), no research, no production)

    Final verdict

    An awsome third pirson strategy game hybrid, waste of potential and with Xcom theme on it like a label on the game, still worth buying if you are an Xcom fan but if not then let this game pass.

    Review is made by Zorg/Booliot
    The best player in the eternal silence game, sadly no one plays it any more ;_;    … Expand
  15. zimmer600
    Aug 19, 2017
    6
    A good and well-tailored tactical shooter, in the xcom universe. True tactics begin to work only at a high level of complexity (which is a minus of the game).
  16. RhodriM
    Mar 21, 2019
    6
    It's not terrible. It's just not... right.

    Had a troubled development and it shows.
  17. Prometheus1241
    Feb 10, 2021
    6
    Quite decent third person tactics shooter, which occasionally breaks XCOM: Enemy Unknown's exposition.
  18. WellEvil
    Jan 8, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game with a huge focus on story, characters, and world-building. I don't remember the last time when the story absorbed me so much. Yes, there are a few bugs here are there, but nothing game-breaking. Usually minor visual glitches.… Expand
  19. napalm
    Aug 21, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game feels so rushed and I really, really wanted to enjoy it. Issuing orders to your team is cumbersome, the feel of the controls and gameplay needs a bunch of polish, a number of the gameplay elements do not flow correctly. For Example:
    - Characters talking but their lips are not moving.
    - You are in cut scene but yet your team in the middle of it start trying to engage enemies as if you were in an actual fight
    - The people you talk to know things they should not know yet (such as your situation and who you are with)
    - One part I was ask to pick up a radio "Over there" implying that where the NPC was looking when he said over there is were the radio was.... Nope it was literately beside him and not where he was implying it was.

    Any one of these issues (and there are many many more) are not a big deal, but when you have back to back quirks it really can ruin the flow of the game.

    In a nutshell the game needs work and it should have had another 6-12 months of development and polish.

    Save your money and wait for it to be on sale. The game as is is worth about $19 dollars.    … Expand
  20. MadclownJack
    Aug 23, 2013
    5
    This isn't an XCOM game per se, but that' ok. Still, even for a game in its own right it definitely has shortcomings. It feels bland, stiff, and cliche. Much alike most games of late, it's all style and explosions, but has no substance to speak of. The story is somewhat nice and engaging at times, yet I can't help but feel that this is a largely missed opportunity. With its setting andThis isn't an XCOM game per se, but that' ok. Still, even for a game in its own right it definitely has shortcomings. It feels bland, stiff, and cliche. Much alike most games of late, it's all style and explosions, but has no substance to speak of. The story is somewhat nice and engaging at times, yet I can't help but feel that this is a largely missed opportunity. With its setting and overall atmosphere it has the potential to make an awesome tactical strategy. It's saddening that it's become just a failed attempt to cater to a wider audience of gamers. Honestly, i can't see who wouldn't feel lost in this game.… Expand
  21. gvazdas
    Aug 25, 2013
    5
    When I first launched this game, I expected an xcom game reimagined as a third person shooter and also somewhat of a prequel.
    What I got was a horribly designed Mass Effect 3 combat game with cheesy but somewhat interesting storyline, horrible AI and even more horrible UI.
    The game clearly lacks polish as a lot of sounds appear to be missing. You can see that during some of the    When I first launched this game, I expected an xcom game reimagined as a third person shooter and also somewhat of a prequel.
    What I got was a horribly designed Mass Effect 3 combat game with cheesy but somewhat interesting storyline, horrible AI and even more horrible UI.
    The game clearly lacks polish as a lot of sounds appear to be missing. You can see that during some of the cutscenes. Sloppy sound design.
    Controls are horrible and unresponsive. This game is a horrible, half-assed console port. At least there are some graphics options to be had. Sadly, the game still looks really horrible, graphically.
    You can't configure it SHIFT is used to sprint, take cover and run out of cover. Not to mention that shooting from cover is a pain in the ass in certain positions.
    The UI is unresponsive and horribly designed. You can clearly experience the 'amazing' loading times when customizing your agents. When in-game in combat, you can see the console port. There are no use of hotkeys during combat.
    Luckily, the combat in this game is somewhat pleasant. The guns feel powerful enough and the enemies feel real and dangerous enough for a thrill while fighting.
    I have to admit, the plot twist caught me off guard. It's certainly interesting and makes your brain twist at times. Although the characters felt very shallow and boring, the story was solid enough to keep me going until the end.
    Don't drop the game if you get bored at the start play for a few hours. The story gets more interesting midway in the game. There are even some choices towards the end of the game that will give you an extra hour or two if you replay the game.
    The fact that the character animations and lipsync were half-assed made the whole experience worse.
    Overall, I honestly think the game would have been a lot better with more development time. The story was definitely unique and original, to say the least. However, the game lacks polish.
    This game is probably one of the main of examples of sloppy, underdone and mediocre developer work.
    Under the horrible graphics, AI, UI, design choices and character development lies an interesting, compelling and thought provoking story. Sadly, that 'interesting' part (the plot twist) is by the end of the game.    … Expand
  22. Yazah
    Aug 20, 2013
    5
    First, it's hard to separate this from the X-Com series since it has X-Com in the name. It is an FPS "in universe" so there's a lot of somewhat familiar characters, but the story makes no sense and is not at all related to other games in the series.

    As a stand-alone squad FPS it's fairly lacking. Squad controls are mediocre, and AI is terrible (running into walls, ignoring land mines,    First, it's hard to separate this from the X-Com series since it has X-Com in the name. It is an FPS "in universe" so there's a lot of somewhat familiar characters, but the story makes no sense and is not at all related to other games in the series.

    As a stand-alone squad FPS it's fairly lacking. Squad controls are mediocre, and AI is terrible (running into walls, ignoring land mines, running through open areas rather than using nearby cover, etc). It really has to be micromanaged which isn't fun in an action game, and will likely get your main character shot.

    The game also lacks a lot of polish The graphics are dated (even for the 1960's style) and framerates are slow on high-end machines unless you seriously turn down settings. The overall storyline is full of cliche moments, and the game just lacks an overall amount of completeness. This isn't something that's likely to be fixed through patches either, as the "core" game is done, but not all the little extra things that make it feel alive.

    It is an interesting take on the genre, overall, but I have buyers remorse and would not recommend it to others especially not at full price.    … Expand
  23. Banhammer0
    Feb 23, 2014
    5
    The problem this game has, it is trying to be all at once. It is trying to be an FPS (well in third person), but the guns feel so vanilla and unrealistic they feel like BB guns. Is is trying to be a tactical game, yet your teammates AI is so bad that it's a lottery whether they do what you want or do something silly to get them killed. It is trying to be an Xcom game it feels as such inThe problem this game has, it is trying to be all at once. It is trying to be an FPS (well in third person), but the guns feel so vanilla and unrealistic they feel like BB guns. Is is trying to be a tactical game, yet your teammates AI is so bad that it's a lottery whether they do what you want or do something silly to get them killed. It is trying to be an Xcom game it feels as such in the beginning but it lacks base building, researching technologies, basically everything that Xcom games are loved for.
    The plot is very poorly written, I expected a cheesy plot but this was far worse than I expected combined with boring cardboard characters. Levels are designed terribly, CoD level of linear gameplay yet far less epic action filling the screen. The best comparison here is probably to Mass Effect series gameplay-wise, with much worse level design but more tactical options (when it works Everything is the world is static, there is no destruction of environment. Enemies are your standard FPS baddies nothing unusual here (ME had it better).
    No multiplayer coop even though it would really fit.
    Badly designed UI designed for consoles.
    If this game was released 5-6 years ago it might stand a chance.
    Right now I don't recommend getting it unless it's in a humble bundle or something. Sure there is some fun but overall not much.    … Expand
  24. Echo9k
    Dec 16, 2013
    5
    A third personal shooter strategic like Mass Effect. Which, at the beginning, it's fun, amusing and worth to play; but its lack of tools, develop and some game's limitations makes the gameplay rough after a while. I'll give you a better critic but it seems like the guy of 2K keep doing the same that in XCOM: Enemy Unknown... "I"A, because it is not Intelligent; they (your team mates) rush,A third personal shooter strategic like Mass Effect. Which, at the beginning, it's fun, amusing and worth to play; but its lack of tools, develop and some game's limitations makes the gameplay rough after a while. I'll give you a better critic but it seems like the guy of 2K keep doing the same that in XCOM: Enemy Unknown... "I"A, because it is not Intelligent; they (your team mates) rush, leave positions and deform your orders pretty horrible and getting killed in the blink of an eye.

    Anyway, it's funny, if you can deal with that or you don't want to play too much... Go ahead and buy it, if not, go with a friend and play a while, just enough to know it    … Expand
  25. light487
    Aug 24, 2013
    5
    It's a shame this game was published by 2K Games. I have to take points off for this simply because they have decided to price gouge the Australian market yet again, pricing the game way above the worth of the title.

    The game itself feels uninspired with so many other squad based 3rd person shooters on the market already, I was hoping that they would create something a little more    It's a shame this game was published by 2K Games. I have to take points off for this simply because they have decided to price gouge the Australian market yet again, pricing the game way above the worth of the title.

    The game itself feels uninspired with so many other squad based 3rd person shooters on the market already, I was hoping that they would create something a little more unique than they did with this one. It just doesn't come across as a true X-COM title.. sure, it has that theme.. but so do other titles that have no affiliation with the X-COM series.

    I'm not a fanboi of the series.. I just would have preferred it to be more in-line with what X-COM has been about for generations. This would have been a great mod of the latest X-COM game.. or some indie spin-off.. but I can't endorse something like that this that comes off as feeling like a money grab and attention seeking from those who prefer 3rd person shooters rather than the core X-COM franchise.    … Expand
  26. Eyse
    Aug 20, 2013
    5
    Remember the original X-COM and the re-make by Firaxis that was almost (but not quite) as good? Yeah, well this game is nothing like those.

    It's not a bad third person shooter, but this game is definitely not X-COM.
  27. TheUnbeholden
    Aug 31, 2013
    5
    This is probably one of the most generic games I've ever played.

    +Guns work +60's style is somewhat realized here. +When you shoot at enemies from the side or from behind, it does bonus damage. -Graphics are really outdated, plastic looking faces, hair, and washed out textures. Except for the 2 main characters. -It has audiologs... in giant movie reels... kind of retarded way to    This is probably one of the most generic games I've ever played.

    +Guns work
    +60's style is somewhat realized here.
    +When you shoot at enemies from the side or from behind, it does bonus damage.

    -Graphics are really outdated, plastic looking faces, hair, and washed out textures. Except for the 2 main characters.
    -It has audiologs... in giant movie reels... kind of retarded way to add audio. How do common people record their thoughts with giant movie reels? It makes no sense. They threw it in because most FPS/TPS have it now. Suffice to say it's really boring dialogue. Nobody has anything interesting to say.
    -Characters are almost non-existent.
    -Story is the same story as every single sci-fi movie out there. Aliens attack, they have a hive mind and must attack this central point.
    -Reclaiming a nuclear missile silo is overtaken by aliens and it's listed as a "minor mission"?
    -AI is downright lazy, not just bad, they run into walls, move right into incoming fire, they will ignore you if you shoot at them from the side/behind,

    When ordering your squad mates to move to an area they either
    A. stay there whatever happens.. even if they are ambushed, they don't tell you that they are and they die.
    Or B. They move away from the position you told them to stay in for no apparent reason... even if that position is a good one.

    Theres no hold position command, so when a squad mate gets shot down and cries for help.. all your men will run into enemy fire and die to try and save the man.. regardless of how insane that is.    … Expand
  28. Gnawer
    Aug 23, 2013
    5
    Mediocre Mass Effect clone. I am not a fan of Mass Effect combat system to begin with; in this game I liked it even less. They claimed the game is supposed to be as tactical as XCOM series. That is not so, it's a pretty standard squad shooter. Most tactics you will implement will be centered on keeping your idiot AI comrades alive, while your main guy shoots things. In many situations IMediocre Mass Effect clone. I am not a fan of Mass Effect combat system to begin with; in this game I liked it even less. They claimed the game is supposed to be as tactical as XCOM series. That is not so, it's a pretty standard squad shooter. Most tactics you will implement will be centered on keeping your idiot AI comrades alive, while your main guy shoots things. In many situations I felt that I'd much rather leave other agents on the base and just do the operation myself.… Expand
  29. resonansER
    Aug 23, 2013
    5
    Very nice! Traced connection with XCOM Enemy Unknown. And explain WHAT happened on Earth from the beginning. Cool! Graphics, styling, interface overall outstanding! Thank you SO MUCH, 2K Marin and 2K Games! Well DONE! Just keep going!
  30. Terrier
    Sep 26, 2013
    5
    The gameplay in a nut-shell:
    -The stage starts, there are some introduction but nothing so special.
    -Move to the first stage.
    -Kill some or all enemies, and yes, it is one of those games that sometimes you are deadlock until you kill all enemies (such Painkiller).
    -Move to the next stage, rinse and repeat.
  31. conserd
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    The Bureau could have been so much more considering it was made by the bioshock devs but the nice graphic style can not save this am from it's bland story and repetitive missions.
  32. lindowWicker
    Aug 22, 2013
    5
    I was looking forward to this and after a few hours of playing I really can't be bothered.
    Its not terrible but I've played a few 3rd person squad based shooters and this doesn't really deliver anything new or exciting.
    It feels like a console port (probably is) and it jsut doesn't feel as tight as previous xcom games. Which is a shame as I really wanted to enjoy this game. I think    I was looking forward to this and after a few hours of playing I really can't be bothered.
    Its not terrible but I've played a few 3rd person squad based shooters and this doesn't really deliver anything new or exciting.
    It feels like a console port (probably is) and it jsut doesn't feel as tight as previous xcom games.
    Which is a shame as I really wanted to enjoy this game.

    I think that a game should be entertaining, if it isn't surely its in breach of trade description act.
    I'm not saying this is the worst game in the wolrd but I think if you've got £29.99 to spend, you'd probably be better spending it on something else.

    Buyer beware :D    … Expand
  33. Pandakiller984
    Aug 24, 2013
    5
    Okay if you have never played an XCOM before then this game will be interesting and possibly fun, The game has a decent story and even though the firefights are repetitive they are still a little fun.....But if you have played XCOM before then this game is not what you want. It has ABSOLUTELY no relation to the events of the other games, the gameplay is different the story is completelyOkay if you have never played an XCOM before then this game will be interesting and possibly fun, The game has a decent story and even though the firefights are repetitive they are still a little fun.....But if you have played XCOM before then this game is not what you want. It has ABSOLUTELY no relation to the events of the other games, the gameplay is different the story is completely different and the only thing that this game and the others share is the XCOM… Expand
  34. greenbeard
    Aug 25, 2013
    5
    The plot of the story is not as bad as the reviews shows. What is annoying and boring is the management of the headquarters. I am not an expert on X-com games but I am quite experienced in shooters. I did not quite get the combat, and you should care for your partners every second before they need to be revived. I think the IA of the partner isn't enough for a game meant to be partiallyThe plot of the story is not as bad as the reviews shows. What is annoying and boring is the management of the headquarters. I am not an expert on X-com games but I am quite experienced in shooters. I did not quite get the combat, and you should care for your partners every second before they need to be revived. I think the IA of the partner isn't enough for a game meant to be partially played as a shooter.… Expand
  35. Penetranus
    Aug 25, 2013
    5
    As for me, I expected XCOM-like tactical shooter, where you can take part in action like one of your soldier in Enemy Unknown. Well, it is tactical and it is shooter. But not XCOM-like. There is no more feeling, like the whole Earth unites and rises against aliens. Now it's just another story where american soldiers save the world. Only weapon and aliens's names remind about original XCOM.As for me, I expected XCOM-like tactical shooter, where you can take part in action like one of your soldier in Enemy Unknown. Well, it is tactical and it is shooter. But not XCOM-like. There is no more feeling, like the whole Earth unites and rises against aliens. Now it's just another story where american soldiers save the world. Only weapon and aliens's names remind about original XCOM. What about gameplay? Well, nothing special. It is ordinary tactical TPS, where in most cases you will fight against AI of your stupid allies. All missions are the same. Also, there are problems with optimization.
    So, I will not repeat what was written before me many times, but the game is quite poor for such a big project. It is okay for a couple evenings, but no more. It'is not that bad, but do not expect much of it.
    P.S. There is a little hope, that developers will fix bugs and optimization problems with patches.    … Expand
  36. Malefic
    Aug 26, 2013
    5
    To be fair, I think if The Bureau was the first XCOM game out there it would be perceived very differently.
    Graphics were pretty decent and the gameplay wasn't all that bad for a port. By the end of it I was actually enjoying the command menu. Even the story, while a bit shallow and not very original, could be forgiven had it not been an almost exact copy of previous XCOM titles.
    If    To be fair, I think if The Bureau was the first XCOM game out there it would be perceived very differently.
    Graphics were pretty decent and the gameplay wasn't all that bad for a port. By the end of it I was actually enjoying the command menu. Even the story, while a bit shallow and not very original, could be forgiven had it not been an almost exact copy of previous XCOM titles.

    If I had to describe with one word what was wrong with this game is that it felt Recycled.

    And that goes for pretty much every aspect of the game. Storyline, environments, enemies, NPC's and even the gameplay. There was really nothing original about this game and unfortunately that realization comes pretty early in the game. Also what bothered me is that there seemed to be no logical connection from one even to another, which is most evident with the sleepwalkers.

    So to sum it up:
    - not enough story
    - not enough action missions
    - not enough unique mission objectives
    - not enough unique environments and/or enemies
    - too much pointless running around the base

    Again, not a terrible game in it's own, but definitely not worth full price.    … Expand
  37. Vancrawn
    Aug 26, 2013
    5
    Had hoped this would be another great game in the Xcom-series, but alas... Poor steering and confusing combat... Story-telling ok and graphics are nice, but many questions to be answered and the intro to combat lags explanation... Can't bother completing the game because of the bad controls... Would recommend Mass Effect-series anytime...
  38. Evilcalyptic
    Aug 31, 2013
    5
    I have been watching this game since late 2009 waiting for its release. I have no prior exposure to any of the xcoms or anything from the series except for what I have read on the lore. Upon finally playing it what I will say is; it could have been so much more than it was. IT was a serious letdown in terms of the storyline. I could live with gameplay inconstancies which it has its fairI have been watching this game since late 2009 waiting for its release. I have no prior exposure to any of the xcoms or anything from the series except for what I have read on the lore. Upon finally playing it what I will say is; it could have been so much more than it was. IT was a serious letdown in terms of the storyline. I could live with gameplay inconstancies which it has its fair share of. Such as voices not matching characters later on in the story or unexplained lapses in time. The storyline just doesn't deliver and that is why this game gets such a low rating from me. It felt as though had they brought in good writers it could have excelled even having very little to do with the other xcoms and original lore. Not everything is gameplay as seen by games like Telltales walking dead and The last of us, Both stellar games with central focus on story. Xcom at time also feels like it tries to steel from bioware's mass effect series, which is the right direction if you want to implement intuitive character dialog and progression, but its only a shadow of what it is in dragon age/mass effect. This game was an alright play and I completed it all the way through, meaning to me it wasn't horrible. However the whole time I couldn't wait to complete it to free up the SSD space to play the next game. Don't expect too highly with this game.… Expand
  39. SoNick_RND
    Dec 21, 2013
    5
    Not a FPS as I know it, Not a XCOM as I know it, strange, completed once, feeling tricked. Glad that I got it discounted. Not my favorite game, bit dissapointed. Love first XCOM and OK with Firaxis's XCOM.
  40. Mobile
    Nov 22, 2017
    5
    ENG
    I guess this is the part of the series, which are suitable for those who have not tried or disliked the previous games. Because in this part all the games you will play in the usual shooting and hide behind cover all game. Despite the fact that shooting is not felt and is not interesting to shoot, no tactical raisins, and two morons teammates that all games will be setting you up.    ENG
    I guess this is the part of the series, which are suitable for those who have not tried or disliked the previous games. Because in this part all the games you will play in the usual shooting and hide behind cover all game. Despite the fact that shooting is not felt and is not interesting to shoot, no tactical raisins, and two morons teammates that all games will be setting you up. Don't know what inspired me to play on the highest difficulty level, but it was a mistake that cost not only nerves, but also a couple of extra hours to complete the passage. Fans of the series will surely pass by this game, but newcomers I can say that if was not playing in one part XCOM and would like to try and like the setting (1960, alien invasion, etc), you can try, but don't repeat my mistakes, I play on medium difficulty and do not bother at the expense of tactics - it's not here.
    RU
    Наверное эта та часть серии, которая подойдет для тех кто не пробовал или не недолюбливал прежние игры. Так как в этой части вы всю игры будете "играть" в обычный тир и прятаться за укрытиями и так всю игру. При том что стрельба здесь не чувствуется и стрелять не интересно, никакой тактической изюминки, так еще и двое дебилов напарников, которые все игру будут вас подставлять. Не знаю, что меня сподвигло играть на максимальном уровне сложности, но это было ошибкой, которая стоила не только нервов, но и пары лишних часов на полное прохождение. Фанаты серии наверняка пройдут мимо этой игры, а вот новичкам могу сказать, что если не играли не в одну часть XCOM и хотели бы попробовать и нравится подобный сеттинг (1960 года, вторжение инопланетян и т.д), то можете попробовать, но не повторяйте моей ошибки, играете на средней сложности и не заморачивайтесь на счет тактики - ее здесь нет.    … Expand
  41. hileger
    Oct 19, 2022
    5
    Донный Середняк Середняк Середняк Середняк Середняк Середняк Середняк Середняк Середняк
  42. Scritty
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    I wanted to give this 4, but not a "red" review. 4 should be amber...but 4 is all it's worth really.
    Ok the game is alright. The first couple of hours it seems like their is more depth, but that peters out pretty quickly to "not a lot". Gameplay is ok when you are on foot, and shallow when tactical (even more shallow than Firaxes..which itself was a helluva lot more shallow than the    I wanted to give this 4, but not a "red" review. 4 should be amber...but 4 is all it's worth really.
    Ok the game is alright. The first couple of hours it seems like their is more depth, but that peters out pretty quickly to "not a lot". Gameplay is ok when you are on foot, and shallow when tactical (even more shallow than Firaxes..which itself was a helluva lot more shallow than the original games). So yes like all games made now, it's dumbed down for idiots. But in an idiot modd I sort of enjoyed it...just    … Expand
  43. Newfr
    Aug 26, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, when i first heard about this "shooter with XCOM in it" i thought about another quick cash grab game like "X-COM: Enforcer".
    First of all as most of us (i hope so) thought this game has nothing to do with XCOM. Just some shooter with some mutons and sectoids in it.
    First of all i'm going to talk about plot. I don't like it. At all. At first it's ok: despair of losing war, some tension building with this sleepwalker disease. But around the mid game all that goes to hell and 2K start to feed you something that makes no sense at all as a plot. First mistake is that they tried to do some emotional things like agent Weaver's brother and agent DaSilva turning into sleepwalker. But they forgot to do anything to get you attached to any character in game. So you literally don't give a single f*ck. So then Carter let Weaver kill Axis after millions of warnings that everyone and their mothers want him ALIVE i was sitting in my chair with one thought "WTF??! Why?!" After that things goes completely nuts along with Carter himself. And suddenly scientists who's job before was primary to set silacoids inside the base on rampage or blow you up with new weapon prototype invented and constructed some flying sausage that (despite major advantage of aliens in technology) completely undetectable (even if it's clearly visible visually) by Outsiders. So all their military might doesn't matter any more, because XCOM can strike anywhere (for example at main ship surrounded my massive defensive fleet). 'Merica, f*ck yeah! Oh, btw, i wonder why "ruassians" in modern games mostly speak the same awful pseudo russian language as in old movies? Don't think it that hard to find decent russian voice actor now in America. So only thing i can say about plot is that they bite more than they can chew. In my opinion game should focus only on the earliest incursion, defeating expedition force at best and leaving main force for "Enemy Unknown".
    As for strategy TPS a have a mixed feallings. On one side this is the best incarnation of it so far. I found it much more interesting and tense than in Mass Effect. Only thing i wish is slow time effect while you targeting with grenade. At the same time this tactical combat became boring too quickly. Mostly because you doing same thing over and over again. You meet all aliens and all agents hit max level (except Carter) in about first third of the game. So there is nothing new to bring in, just variations for the same enemies but more bullet spongy. Add awful console controls to it. Just imagine sprint, stick to cover and jump over cover all this actions are on one button. And that not the worst thing. The worst is that you can't move cursor in tactical pause mode over obstacles. So you have to move it around but that's not always possible (because of placement radius limitation). To make thing even more frustrating there is an AI for you. You think about enemy AI that cheats or something? Nope, it's about your mates AI. They act like they know better what to do. So if you gave command to friendly agent to take cover behind this crate don't be surprised to find him somewhere on the other part of the map just some 20 seconds later.
    While graphics are good and probably the best part of this game it still have it share of problems. First of all lip sync. It doesn't sync at all. Also there are flame rate drops. There is nothing in this game that modern PC can't handle but from time to time frame rate drops under 20 fps.
    So there was a chance to make Bureau a good game. Despite technical problems first half of this game really trying to be decent while everything else have a "oh crap, lets quickly finish and sell it already" taste. But 2k wasted that chance. So if you want a XCOM go buy Xenonauts or Enemy Unknown at least. If you want a good TPS go buy new Splinter Cell. Or Saint Row IV if you want TPS with totally nuts story ("'Merica, f*ck yeah!" included).    … Expand
  44. GLaforte
    Sep 28, 2013
    4
    I enjoy the XCOM universe enough to despise this game. This is a team-based shooter, without an ounce of the strategy gameplay that I look forward to. The AI for your team mates and for the enemies is weak: you will have to constantly tell them what to do, while doing most of the killing yourself. You never get the feeling that time is not on your side...
  45. Pickle
    Jan 6, 2023
    4
    Recuerdo cuando supe de este juego; leí de él en una revista hace algunos años donde aún ni sabía de XCOM ni cuándo iba a salir. Después de un cierto tiempo fue como si este juego desapareciera y nunca volvía a saber de él, asumí que el juego había sido cancelado, hasta que recientemente leí nuevamente del juego.

    No fue bien recibido, tiene problemas, tiene demasiados problemas que se    Recuerdo cuando supe de este juego; leí de él en una revista hace algunos años donde aún ni sabía de XCOM ni cuándo iba a salir. Después de un cierto tiempo fue como si este juego desapareciera y nunca volvía a saber de él, asumí que el juego había sido cancelado, hasta que recientemente leí nuevamente del juego.

    No fue bien recibido, tiene problemas, tiene demasiados problemas que se han exacerbado con el tiempo.

    Técnicamente no tuve problemas con el juego, pero en términos de diseño, este es un juego que no sabe decidir si ser un juego de disparos en tercera persona o alternativamente un juego de estrategia similar al titular XCOM. Idealmente hubiesen separado este juego y se hubiese preservado esto como un juego aparte y único, en cambio, se intento mezclar la experiencia, pero de formas bastante poco constructivas.

    Entonces se tiene un juego que no tiene mecánicas bien implementadas o desarrollaras de juegos de acción de disparos en tercera persona, con un sistema extraño y confuso de estrategia que no se acerca a la calidad de los juegos de XCOM.

    Una pena por que el concepto del juego parece bastante bueno, es tan solo la ejecución lo que lo acabo.    … Expand
  46. TGAMCallahan
    Sep 2, 2013
    4
    Although by no means terrible, The Bureau does not feel like an XCOM game, and should not be considered as such. Extremely poor shooting mechanics, an excruciatingly boring storyline, vapid, uninteresting characters, truly terrible progression systems, and sub-par voice acting combine to create an uninteresting and lackluster game.

    You will not be surprised, or engaged while playing    Although by no means terrible, The Bureau does not feel like an XCOM game, and should not be considered as such. Extremely poor shooting mechanics, an excruciatingly boring storyline, vapid, uninteresting characters, truly terrible progression systems, and sub-par voice acting combine to create an uninteresting and lackluster game.

    You will not be surprised, or engaged while playing this game. You cannot customize your troops in any real way. You form no genuine connection with them. There is no large unit tactics. And in turn, it falls into all the same pitfalls that ME2/3 fell into in terms of the cover system, and it falls into them even worse.

    This game is clunky, frustrating, unforgiving, and boring. I would not advise anyone to purchase it under any circumstances. And I pity those who were foolish enough to pre-order it.    … Expand
  47. ragehavoc
    Aug 23, 2013
    4
    I don't know what worse the Story or the AI, but neither is complete without the horrible graphics, I give this game a 4/10 and that's being generous, this game is an atrocity not just for the game play but also for allowing itself to be called x-com.
  48. Xicronic
    Sep 28, 2013
    4
    The Bureau is a bad game. The levels are extremely linear, the controls are clunky, and the AI is subpar. The game has an interesting premise but is littered with an absurd amount of small mistakes which make the game unenjoyable. The story is hit and miss, with many cliches and plot holes but takes full advantage of being an XCOM game. This game isn't worth your time unless you're a bigThe Bureau is a bad game. The levels are extremely linear, the controls are clunky, and the AI is subpar. The game has an interesting premise but is littered with an absurd amount of small mistakes which make the game unenjoyable. The story is hit and miss, with many cliches and plot holes but takes full advantage of being an XCOM game. This game isn't worth your time unless you're a big fan of the series.… Expand
  49. kennypowers0815
    Mar 13, 2019
    4
    From a technical standpoint this game has some serious issues, because even in 2019 using an RTX 2060 you still get hard fps drops down to 15-20 fps when you play with activated PhysX. You also have to MANUALLY put an up-to-date PhysX runtime library into the game's working folder to stop it from crashing on Windows 10.

    The game itself has some interesting ideas to stand out from the    From a technical standpoint this game has some serious issues, because even in 2019 using an RTX 2060 you still get hard fps drops down to 15-20 fps when you play with activated PhysX. You also have to MANUALLY put an up-to-date PhysX runtime library into the game's working folder to stop it from crashing on Windows 10.

    The game itself has some interesting ideas to stand out from the classic Xcom games but everything is executed so mediocre that while I really tried to like it, I just didn't. Besides the really boring gunplay and imprecise movement controls it was mainly the absolutely awful character dialogue and childish storytelling that finally made me stop playing after about 3 hours. Wasted potential.    … Expand
  50. Davil
    Aug 25, 2013
    3
    I know it's not a strategy X-Com game and I know the other X-Com games weren't all strategy either, but this one really just missed the mark. From the start it just feels lack luster and uninspired as if the developers didn't even care about their own game. The combat feels clunky and unrealistic, for example you would think blasting away at an alien with a shotgun would make them duckI know it's not a strategy X-Com game and I know the other X-Com games weren't all strategy either, but this one really just missed the mark. From the start it just feels lack luster and uninspired as if the developers didn't even care about their own game. The combat feels clunky and unrealistic, for example you would think blasting away at an alien with a shotgun would make them duck back into cover, but instead they shoot back and often times do far more damage in less time. The problems with the weapons is that they do so little compared to the alien's weapons which would be fine since they have better technology but even using their own makes little difference. Most of the story is a drawn out sob story about an emo CIA agent seeking redemption and every turn and twist can be seen from a mile away. The side-quest system is a pain, the deployment system is atrocious, and the tactical game play is a joke. Stay away from this one.… Expand
  51. urieaal
    Aug 21, 2013
    3
    bought and played this just recently... Now as a fan of x-com games i have to honestly say the bureau fails miserably to recapture anything more then some run and gun alien killing...

    Theres NO base building or even upgrading your base its just a hub to create new recruits of which theres no female versions. its one big sausage fest here. theres no real threat looming you can do any    bought and played this just recently... Now as a fan of x-com games i have to honestly say the bureau fails miserably to recapture anything more then some run and gun alien killing...

    Theres NO base building or even upgrading your base its just a hub to create new recruits of which theres no female versions. its one big sausage fest here. theres no real threat looming you can do any mission in any order as you see fit..

    The voice acting is not terrible but its lacking considerably theres little to no life to the characters. lots of graphical clipping, mouths don't move very well and sometimes not at all while the "actors" are speaking.

    This game from my point of view seems incredibly dumbed down for an x-com game. every time you get a new ability it gos in to lengthy detail via a cinematic movie about how the ability works. which is helpful but should be a side thing not a requirement. it really detracts from the story which is'nt really all that great, with out going in to great detail, aliens invade "skins look ripped right out of the previous x-com game for the 360." you fight them blah blah blah boring...ZzzzzzZZzz

    you dont get to capture alien tech and research it, you just find it in the field and equip it once you've found one aliens just drop there guns which you couldn't get that way before hand because they would disintegrate...now there every where...

    TLDR:
    Nothing to do with an xcom game other then the title and aliens..
    No base building this is a big big NO NO imo.
    No tech capturing and research, you just find them and use them in the environment. once found you can equip them.
    No real looming threat, fills like no reason to continue playing, theres no real bad guy just a bunch of aliens to kill.
    No character creation, just minor customization.

    Doesn't fill like an x-com game at all really needs base building and character creation. In this day and age theres no excuse not to include a character creation with both male and female versions doesn't even have to be super in depth. Its just laziness to omit such things.

    You just don't make a new game and complexly leave out the major things that made up a big enjoyable part of previous incarnations. I have half a mind to go back to walmart and get a refund. they always take them back.    … Expand
  52. Silverqt
    Aug 20, 2013
    3
    Stupid port from consoles, playing on keyboard are horrible, every time wants to press esc. Framerate also big joke, I7 overclocked gtx 680 and 19 fps on 1080, and this stupid dialogs in mass effect style,everything stolen and made for stupid kids who wants to shot every time like no brains idiots and imbiciles, this game is totally garbage for me. I like xcom enemy unknown very much, but this
  53. Liteit
    Nov 17, 2013
    3
    The first impression the game made was really good. The plot and the gameplay seemed interesting. But after some time this impression was ruined. It's just really boring to play this game. It's really repetitive and dull. And the worst part is kilometres you went in your secret base, just to launch another boring mission.
  54. Juggler
    Aug 21, 2013
    3
    While the atmosphere of the game is quite good, and the graphics are highly detailed, The Bureau just fall terribly short in other areas.

    The plot line makes NO sense at all, if taken in the context of the XCOM cannon. There is no research to speak of, and no base management. Interaction with NPC's is limited to rather boring, decision driven conversation, and the decisions you make    While the atmosphere of the game is quite good, and the graphics are highly detailed, The Bureau just fall terribly short in other areas.

    The plot line makes NO sense at all, if taken in the context of the XCOM cannon. There is no research to speak of, and no base management. Interaction with NPC's is limited to rather boring, decision driven conversation, and the decisions you make in conversations have no repercussions of any kind.

    Movement in somewhat counter-intuitive, and the AI of squad members is laughable. Because of that terrible AI, you will find yourself hitting the space bar to issue orders so often, that the flow of the action as a shooter, is terrible.

    So basically, the strategic elements that we've come to love in the XCOM universe are non-existent, and the tactical interface is lackluster.

    Still, the eye candy is very good. The details to the environments are really nice. I just wish that the developers had put more depth into the game play.    … Expand
  55. piepgras
    Aug 22, 2013
    3
    I was excited when I saw footage of this new XCOM game, I thought it was a fresh idea to try and make XCOM a more streamlined (crowd friendly) experience, but boy was I wrong. I'm generally an "Any genre guy", I play it all, but this new hybrid take on turn based strategy and 3rd person shooting just doesn't work. Hell, it's even hard for me to put the words strategy and shooting in theI was excited when I saw footage of this new XCOM game, I thought it was a fresh idea to try and make XCOM a more streamlined (crowd friendly) experience, but boy was I wrong. I'm generally an "Any genre guy", I play it all, but this new hybrid take on turn based strategy and 3rd person shooting just doesn't work. Hell, it's even hard for me to put the words strategy and shooting in the previous sentence because the game misses both aspects by a mile.

    For a shooter to be enjoyable, you need to have comfortable shooting mechanics, nice gun feel and an overall sense of power when you hit an enemy, XCOM fail completely in this aspect. The gun feel is horrible, there's no feeling of "UMFFF!" when you fire any weapons or activate any abilities, it all seems completely static. Most fights feel like all I'm doing is transporting ammunition from my ammo counter to the faces of my opponents with little to no joy at all.

    This being an XCOM game it's no surprise that most of the game takes place in cover; behind walls, crates, vehicles and things of that nature, that's all fine and dandy, but it really shows how lackluster this game is when you realize there's no way of you to tell your teammates that "You have to STAY in cover!", no no, your teammates will keep blasting until they drop or get saved (And still you'll end up killing 90% of the aliens you encounter). Your teammates insist on being part of the mayhem and in many cases you either have to save them yourself or reposition them again and again using the slow-motion tactical view--- which leads me to the strategic part of the game:

    Everything strategic is done using a slow-motion spider sense that enables you to tell your teammates where to go and what to do, this feature is so slow to use considering the game is still "playing" while you're moving this huge marker across the battlefield to your desired location. Imagine a level where you have a lot of different elevations, high and low, for me to tell my teammate to "Get to high ground, Here!" I have to move my marker AROUND all the obstacles on its way and up the stairs, instead of this marker just floating up and over anything in its way. This may seem like a small issue, but considering when you've finally repositioned your team the enemies will have had enough slow-mo time to move to entirely new locations, which leads to a very vicious circle of constant slow-mo management (In many cases I found it easier to just let my teammates stay waaay behind in cover and then go and shoot the baddies myself, even later in the game). Well then, I just need to do it faster and better then... but isn't that exactly the opposite of what any fan would expect from these series? It rushes the decision making, it forces crude judgement and quick thinking. In the old games I could take a dump between each move and still come out on top, but if I misclicked once BAM, my team would be in trouble, but not doomed. Now you have to think on your feet, if you place a teammate in the wrong location once and he decides to play the hero and keep blasting, BAM down he goes, down forever.

    It may sound like I'm judging the game because of its difficulty, but I'm a very passionate gamer and love a serious challenge, but XCOM has simply taken a route I completely disagree with- the story and characters are all rather enjoyable (at least I enjoyed it) but I simply couldn't handle the simplistic strategy and boring shooting when I was expecting a sweet blend of XCOM mechanics and "Mass Effect"'ish firefights and storytelling.

    It's also plain to see as a mostly PC gamer (Is it possible to write this without sounding like a douche?) how this game was specifically designed to be played on a console, which leads me to the conclusion that this game was nothing but an attempt to use yet another great IP to do a quick hit and run cash-in by catering to the sheeple who can't stretch their minds around too many game elements at the same time.

    Call me a fanboy or whatever, but the changes done to this XCOM is the equivalent of adding shooter elements to Civilization V or changing zombies in Left 4 Dead to normal soldiers- it takes the CORE out the game. It's no longer what it was born as- It's simply not XCOM.    … Expand
  56. Lucky-Jinx
    Nov 14, 2013
    3
    This game is not worth it. The characters are bland, the plot is a thumb in the eye to the entire series, the gameplay is tedious, and customization is non-existent. There are much better tactical combat games on the market.
  57. Lotto74
    Dec 28, 2013
    3
    Another console port. Graphics is fine, the gameplay itself is terrible. Storyline and maps are straightforward. Attempts to copy Mass Effect interaction style failed utterly: the interaction wheel provides no choices affecting the storyline, it's just a set of boring recorded conversations. The combat engine sucks: little ammo, incredibly hard to unstuck your character from a cover (it'sAnother console port. Graphics is fine, the gameplay itself is terrible. Storyline and maps are straightforward. Attempts to copy Mass Effect interaction style failed utterly: the interaction wheel provides no choices affecting the storyline, it's just a set of boring recorded conversations. The combat engine sucks: little ammo, incredibly hard to unstuck your character from a cover (it's critical when you try to avoid a grenade blast or just change your position under heavy flanking fire), checkpoint save system (there is even no quicksaves), your computer-controlled partners are idiots, and so on. On Veteran difficulty, first missions are hard (especially when you fight tougher enemies with bullet weapons), but after you've developed your character and acquired plasma weapons, a combat drone, a silicoid and a mind control ability, combats become too easy and boring. Even shielded mutons are not a real threat anymore. Following the storyline, when you need to select who of your comrades must die, you make this choice indifferently it doesn't affect anything, and this is not ME1 choice where the emotional choice between Kaidan and Ashly was really difficult. In addition, this is NOT X-COM. At least, not that X-COM as in strategic games.

    And it's just 15 hours of gameplay.

    In short, this is one shooters which I'll never play again. There's only one bright spot: it was a sale, so it cost me just ten bucks. It doesn't cost even a cent more.    … Expand
  58. Nerevarinho
    Nov 6, 2020
    3
    Poorly cloned Gears of War gameplay (and it came out 7 years after Gears 1), in an XCOM setting.
  59. Morring
    Jul 28, 2014
    2
    It is obvious that whoever decided to port it to PC didn't care about the game being playable. The controls are simply baffling, one of the worse cover shooters I have ever played. Tries to copy mass effect in different areas, without improving anything and usually accomplishing much, much less, also thanks to the appalling AI. Your soldiers will jump to their deaths as often as they can,It is obvious that whoever decided to port it to PC didn't care about the game being playable. The controls are simply baffling, one of the worse cover shooters I have ever played. Tries to copy mass effect in different areas, without improving anything and usually accomplishing much, much less, also thanks to the appalling AI. Your soldiers will jump to their deaths as often as they can, forcing you to micromanage every second of a battle. Since the story is quite mediocre at best, this is a forgettable title I can't recommend to anyone. Also experienced a few annoying graphic glitches.… Expand
  60. keefbaker
    Oct 17, 2013
    2
    On paper this sounds like a winner. A game with a mechanism like Mass Effect with strong ties to the XCOM franchise but set in a stylized 50s. Shame its a massive bag of crap then, eh? That is, of course unless being trapped in constant revive loops sounds great. In fact there's more loops in here than the whole of the Venetian Snares backcatalogue, except of course that's actually good,On paper this sounds like a winner. A game with a mechanism like Mass Effect with strong ties to the XCOM franchise but set in a stylized 50s. Shame its a massive bag of crap then, eh? That is, of course unless being trapped in constant revive loops sounds great. In fact there's more loops in here than the whole of the Venetian Snares backcatalogue, except of course that's actually good, whereas this is like having your eyes fried in urine and then having to drink the resulting soup.… Expand
  61. Jeshua
    Aug 20, 2013
    2
    This shooter is in no way related to the XCOM series. It's extremely uninspired, devoid of substance or meaning. The trailers tried to sell something that seemed history-driven but the final product is, from start to finish, just a series of over-the-top explosions, random shooting and NPC babysitting.
    Avoid it like the plague if you don't love bland shooters; buy it if you love CoD or    This shooter is in no way related to the XCOM series. It's extremely uninspired, devoid of substance or meaning. The trailers tried to sell something that seemed history-driven but the final product is, from start to finish, just a series of over-the-top explosions, random shooting and NPC babysitting.
    Avoid it like the plague if you don't love bland shooters; buy it if you love CoD or BF.

    (and yes: this game would get a 7 from me if not for the XCOM "bait" on the title.)    … Expand
  62. EpicNarwhals
    Aug 21, 2013
    2
    Terrible story, clunky controls, AI with the approximate intelligence as a log, as well as levels that have about as much effort put into them as the concept of the game, for example: Being able to see the entire battlefield. This is a disappointment, and doesn't deserve to bear the XCOM title.
  63. eponymous
    Jun 29, 2014
    2
    Great game and unique gameplay. Would score much higher except I encountered the common 'war factory door' bug in Mission 4 'Not of this Earth' and was unable to progress further. No patch for this to date. Also squad members frustratingly only follow orders briefly before wandering off to do their own thing. Often walking right out into the open to get gunned down. Stupid. ResolveGreat game and unique gameplay. Would score much higher except I encountered the common 'war factory door' bug in Mission 4 'Not of this Earth' and was unable to progress further. No patch for this to date. Also squad members frustratingly only follow orders briefly before wandering off to do their own thing. Often walking right out into the open to get gunned down. Stupid. Resolve these 2 issues and the game would be significantly better.… Expand
  64. CWM
    Aug 24, 2013
    2
    This Game is very disappointing! Forget the X-Com Label. Its not X-com anyway and not even close to it.
    Basically its a 3rd Person shooter vs Aliens. Beeing no X-Com at all doesnt mean it has to be Bad. What Bad about this is that everyone expecting at least "some X-Com flavor". And you wont get anything... no research, no mission-planing, completly NON-interaktiv base..... and so on.    This Game is very disappointing! Forget the X-Com Label. Its not X-com anyway and not even close to it.
    Basically its a 3rd Person shooter vs Aliens. Beeing no X-Com at all doesnt mean it has to be Bad. What Bad about this is that everyone expecting at least "some X-Com flavor". And you wont get anything... no research, no mission-planing, completly NON-interaktiv base..... and so on.

    So how is the shooter? Well Graphics are BAD as well as the Controls. Its a simple Console-Port. From a shooter i dont expect a deep strategic gameplay! But i expect good graphics and Animations on the PC.
    The AI is Horrible! Your guys are hoping out of cover for no reason dying in the Bulletstorm. Or even worse staying in cover but standing up while all enemys firing on them.
    But you can work around this if you permanently micro them.
    But the enemys....... "invasion my arse".... they would have trouble invading a theme park cause the Kids would slaughter them. They are ALWAYS standing behind a cover but showing their head permanently over the cover. Headshot-Time! NONSTOP! EVERY shooter-fan will more likely die of laughing at them.

    So its a "Tactic shooter"?! Well you give your guys commands where they should go and where they should die.... ehh fight i mean. Using their abilitys is fun for like 2 minutes then you realize that skills are either completly OVERPOWERD killing all enemys with 1 Mousklick (Artilery barrage) or entirely useless and your better off using that second to kill 3 Aliens with Headshots.

    I preordered on steam and got the free copy of "Spec Ops The Line". Actualy THIS was a awesome shooter! I played it through in 1 Day! Realy Take your money and buy SPEC OPS instead! WAAAAAYYYY better!    … Expand
  65. Fredownsyou
    Sep 2, 2013
    2
    One word Disappointing.

    Squad based shooter with poor AI and even worse execution. The action is frantic and hectic, but lacks any of the XCOM charm or draw except for the possibility of the 'powers'. Locking weapons to squad class sucks. The engineer is hampered throughout most of the game because they're bringing a shotgun to a sniper fight. Its somewhat demoralizing to run up    One word Disappointing.

    Squad based shooter with poor AI and even worse execution. The action is frantic and hectic, but lacks any of the XCOM charm or draw except for the possibility of the 'powers'.

    Locking weapons to squad class sucks. The engineer is hampered throughout most of the game because they're bringing a shotgun to a sniper fight. Its somewhat demoralizing to run up close on an exposed and flanked enemy for a single digit damage projection.

    Lack of vertical movement also sucks. The recon, a sniper class, seems like it would do best perched atop a high post so they can look down and lay some good fire. Instead, the squad AI gets antsy if you move too far and even if they have the perfect sniper's nest your squadie will run out of cover and straight to you across open ground because of fear they are being left behind. Your perfect sniper is now screaming for assistance in an open field within the perfect alien killzone because they didn't want to sit still. Directing things like mine and turret deployment is also a pain because it has to follow a footpath so you can't just throw a mine into an alien sniper nest simply because you can't walk there.

    Aliens have grenades and your squad doesn't. This means the enemy always, and I mean ALWAYS, has something to flush your squad out of cover to be gunned down. On the flip side no one had the foresight to give your squad anything perhaps out of the fear that if explosives are not in your hands the AI would start chewing on them or something.

    The entire 'research and build' aspect of XCOM has been gutted and thrown away. You unlock new weapons by finding them in the field and once you pick up your first new toy everyone can have one. The same can be said for backpacks and grenades and a lot of those upgrades are given far too late to make a difference. Oooh...laser backpack? Awesome! That'll help my plasma weapons a lot! Oh...wait...it won't.

    Decisions? Pfft! Who needs to make decisions? The choices during conversations provide some neat flavor, but have no impact on the game whatsoever. Missions and dispatch? Send everyone on everything! No time limitations or choices in the side missions means you have ample time to do everything and you'll be going into the 2nd act of the game with a roster filled with 'senior' agents. The actual dialogue itself is somewhat stilted and disconnected. Several times you would get a response because the game was expecting you to say something different so the NPC would wax on about some story they haven't mentioned yet because it was part of the other decision dialogue.

    A decent third person shooter with a load of 'XCOM juice' sprayed over it, but otherwise a very disappointing pickup. Lacks any hint of tactics or weight that a title with the XCOM brand should hold. Just you gunning down aliens while you escort tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber with you.    … Expand
  66. MyNameIsHuman
    May 13, 2014
    2
    Bad. Bad. Bad. What the hell 2K?! I always liked you and your games but no this THING if you can call it a thing is just horrible. I've played it for about 10 hrs and now it doesn't even turn on. Please everyone who reads this and if you're planning to buy this game the fricking don't because it is a piece of crap. That's all I can say. Sorry 2K but it is just HORRIBLE.
  67. SRKNZ
    May 26, 2014
    2
    THE WINDOWS 8 OF COMPUTER GAMES. I only paid $3 for this title on EBAY and now I know why. Utterly horrible usability with an command interface that looks like it was designed by aliens for aliens.

    If you enjoy frustration and swearing at your computer this is the title for you. If by contrast you are a normal person with better things to do with your life then give this big budget    THE WINDOWS 8 OF COMPUTER GAMES. I only paid $3 for this title on EBAY and now I know why. Utterly horrible usability with an command interface that looks like it was designed by aliens for aliens.

    If you enjoy frustration and swearing at your computer this is the title for you. If by contrast you are a normal person with better things to do with your life then give this big budget lemon a wide birth.

    A REAL STINKER.....    … Expand
  68. JamesBondX
    Jan 26, 2015
    1
    This game is terrible, it leeches off the name of XCOM, it could be named the bureau: aliens invade. But no, the devs wanted to make money off of XCOM and their fans. It's not particularly tactical, flanking is about as far as you get. Initially the game was buggy and the AI was literally miserable.

    In my opinion the setting doesn't work either.
  69. DRiVER_helsinki
    Jan 24, 2014
    1
    Really the hype made me do it buy it . but as i got deeper into this one i felt more and more frustrated about the slobby controls, and many things felt like amateurs built this, started to feel like a port. omg i checked , it was a port . no wonder it unrespects gamers so much. heres cool looking game sold for kids. that will disappoint most of the heavy gamers.
  70. TeeJaxOff
    Aug 23, 2013
    1
    If you like XCOM, do not buy. Seriously. This is the single most important review I will ever write.

    XCOM: Enemy Unknown (And MOST XCOMs prior to this) are amazing. Fantastic interface, brilliant storylines and immerse gameplay. This is shallow and pathetic. Imagine XCOM yeah? Now imagine a game NOTHING like that, yeah? That is this. A weird hybrid game that wants to be Call Of Duty so    If you like XCOM, do not buy. Seriously. This is the single most important review I will ever write.

    XCOM: Enemy Unknown (And MOST XCOMs prior to this) are amazing. Fantastic interface, brilliant storylines and immerse gameplay. This is shallow and pathetic. Imagine XCOM yeah? Now imagine a game NOTHING like that, yeah? That is this. A weird hybrid game that wants to be Call Of Duty so badly it's shameful.
    How can you take a strategy series and make it action without any reasoning behind it?
    The game doesn't work and it never ever will.
    Your squad literally have to be babysat. They are useless on their own and will go down consistently. There is no RTS/TBS element to the game anymore and everything is down to luck. It is chaotic in the battlefield, cutscenes are long, boring and repetitive and there is no real storyline, just people talking at each other.
    Save yourself money, never ever buy this game.
    Seriously. Not even if it goes on sale. You will get way more enjoyment out of a new pair of socks.    … Expand
  71. C3ntauR
    Dec 29, 2013
    1
    This is XCOD really, nothing to do with XCOM. No way to do any proper tactics, with 10:1 enemy fights, as they overrun you and overpower you at all times. Boss fights is another stupid addition, which makes it like quake, with the exception that you're running out of ammo on every single occasion. Freedom of movement doesn't exist, as there's always only one way in/out and around. YourThis is XCOD really, nothing to do with XCOM. No way to do any proper tactics, with 10:1 enemy fights, as they overrun you and overpower you at all times. Boss fights is another stupid addition, which makes it like quake, with the exception that you're running out of ammo on every single occasion. Freedom of movement doesn't exist, as there's always only one way in/out and around. Your team is getting shot at all the times, because they have to be standing in order to shoot. There's no stand down order, so they will force you to keep moving them back, otherwise they will get killed quickly. Your healing power is useless, in those situations, as they get shot down again very quickly, and it only regenerates every minute or so. Enemy AI is always pushing forward, and you'll get 6 8 enemies shooting from around you in very short time.
    Ammo limit seems the worst choice here, as who wouldn't want to be well stocked when fighting hordes of 10 enemies at every single time, which take minimum 4 headshots to get killed,
    Some boss fights are ridiculous, i.e. against some flying crafts, where you have no choice of any heavy weaponry what happened to Heavy MG class, or grenadier? You fight flying crafts with hand guns instead how ridiculous is that! Conversations are boring and meaningless. Running around to find tapes with recordings or notes with general info, is also not needed, as there are no added benefits for doing that.
    All in all, game feels like an arcade semi-shooter with Crysis like colors, and loads of BS put into it, which makes it a boring gameplay.    … Expand
  72. MadDavid
    Jan 11, 2015
    1
    I'm a big fan of the shooter genres, and I usually dive straight into them on the hardest difficulty. Understand that when I say, this is the single most difficult, frustrating, and poorly designed shooter I have ever come across. And in "Poorly designed," I'm including "XCOM Enforcer." Most games try to make the *process* of playing fun and easy. This is the only "game" I've playedI'm a big fan of the shooter genres, and I usually dive straight into them on the hardest difficulty. Understand that when I say, this is the single most difficult, frustrating, and poorly designed shooter I have ever come across. And in "Poorly designed," I'm including "XCOM Enforcer." Most games try to make the *process* of playing fun and easy. This is the only "game" I've played where if feels like the developers set out to make the game unintuitive and difficult to master.
    I'm writing this review, because after several tries, I'm unable to get past the first part of the first actual mission (after the tutorial level) on Veteran.

    2K Games has no concept of "Learning Curve." The most basic enemies (sectoids) in the game take eight hits from the M-14 or multiple hits from the friggen shotgun to down (at close range). Meanwhile, your entire team goes down in seconds.

    The choice of having a way-point save system is mind-boggling in this day and age. Way-point saves were a product of the limitations of early console systems. "It's fun to have the developers choose exactly where my game saves," said no gamer ever. The actual choice of where the game saves leaves a lot to be desired. For example it saves after you choose your team and personal equipment, after which you can't go back. Having trouble and want to try different team members or weapons? Tough. Go back to the beginning of the level and watch all the cut-scenes again.

    Your squad's AI is actually worse than nothing. The squad members don't start the battle by rushing to the nearest cover and opening fire. They don't start the battle by standing in place and opening fire. They start the battle by rushing across the battle-field to your side while not opening fire. You have to baby-sit all of their actions from the battle-commander view to get even remotely competent performance out of them, a big problem when you want to be getting to cover and opening fire yourself. This is something you can't do from the group coordination screen. I would much prefer if you could give orders to your own character and treat the game as a real-time squad combat game instead of a shooter. Or if I could give generic orders a-la Unreal Tournament and have the squad carry them out competently. As it is, you can choose to get perforated while trying to manage your squad, or have your squad go down, and then get perforated.

    As far as shooters go, it's just not very good. Aside from everything mentioned above, there are problems such as requiring you to press an "aim" button to see a reticle of where you're aiming at, and grenades that work--well, I don't know. There was no explanation of how to throw a grenade, so I assumed it was simple. I pressed the grenade button, and nothing happened. (Meanwhile, time's ticking down.) I hold down the grenade button and see a grenade aiming curve, so I place it on my enemy and release. Nothing happened. (Meanwhile, time's ticking down.) Am I supposed to hold down the grenade button and then press "fire?" Maybe. That was my next thought. I don't know, because by that time I was dead. Which sums up much of the problem with this game. You die and get a TPK before you can actually figure out the mechanics of how to play it.    … Expand
  73. midwinter
    Sep 21, 2013
    0
    the worst game i have ever pre-ordered (i have over 300 on my steam library and have been gaming for A LONG time) what to say it runs with terrible fps drops (on a top of the range pc) the gameplay is old enough to be in the mid 2005 budget games, the gaphics can be somewhat okay but they didnt take the 40's look to heart. also the controls are clunky, the movement system is terrible andthe worst game i have ever pre-ordered (i have over 300 on my steam library and have been gaming for A LONG time) what to say it runs with terrible fps drops (on a top of the range pc) the gameplay is old enough to be in the mid 2005 budget games, the gaphics can be somewhat okay but they didnt take the 40's look to heart. also the controls are clunky, the movement system is terrible and after 4 hours of trying to like this game i cant find one thing i enjoy in this sad state of a money grab (towards xcom fans). to date the worst game i have ever pre-ordered (and possibly that i own)… Expand
  74. Jabbernec
    Aug 25, 2013
    0
    boring, seems 30$ of the pricetag went to the Xcom label and the leftover was put into dev. Halfassed Mass Effect clone with bad controls, stiff character control, and bad performance
  75. HexDoctor
    Aug 26, 2013
    0
    the "series" has 20 years behind it creating good games with good stories, good interfaces, stretching from stragety to fightsimulators, and then this pops up...
    i feel robbed, this game suffers from console-syndrome, i don't believe i'm ever going to play this through
  76. Usser
    Aug 21, 2013
    0
    This game could be a great horror that would have great ratings and was one of the best horror this year
    but no
    We got another boring and repetitive shooter
  77. cwestpha
    Sep 2, 2013
    0
    This is one of the worst games I have played this year and it all comes down to one thing: Controls. I pre-ordered this game on steam seeing the XCOM name and how they were going to make a strategic shooter that has had some great entries in its genre in the past (ie Republic Commando). The Bureau has a downright lazy control system that is more likely to get you killed. Pressing space mayThis is one of the worst games I have played this year and it all comes down to one thing: Controls. I pre-ordered this game on steam seeing the XCOM name and how they were going to make a strategic shooter that has had some great entries in its genre in the past (ie Republic Commando). The Bureau has a downright lazy control system that is more likely to get you killed. Pressing space may be fine, but since its a 10% real time speed strategic mode you MUST nail the control scheme or your squad will be slaughtered... something 2K Games failed to do. Issuing commands are only taken as vague suggestions by the engines, your squad constantly goes to illogical cover only to be shot up. So you overide and by the time you plot out a path and execute the order they are down to half health (about 20 of our seconds plotting the move, issuing cover, and then designating a target). By the time you have one position designated and in proper cover there is already a grenade hurled towards you that the broken cover system wont let you clear in the 5 seconds it takes to pop. Now your allies break cover trying to rez you resulting in a team wipe. Rinse and repeat for perhaps 13 hours of some otherwise good story telling and interesting back-story on how XCOM originally came to exist... though this seems to be quite alternative universe.

    This game isn't to bad other then that, but it still is unplayable and 2K clearly designed this game to be unplayable despite otherwise decent to excellent content. So go ahead and get a game that has a better day 1 experience... like the new SimCity. :p    … Expand
  78. MaestroVolpe
    Aug 8, 2014
    0
    I have never seen such an elegant cross between action and strategy, fun and playability, be so quickly ruined by taking everything you ever remotely thought you loved about XCOM and throwing it down the drain. Everything you could possibly love about this game is instantly ruined by the awful story, the dialogue that's so crappy it's not even fun to make fun of, or the weird, sexist twistI have never seen such an elegant cross between action and strategy, fun and playability, be so quickly ruined by taking everything you ever remotely thought you loved about XCOM and throwing it down the drain. Everything you could possibly love about this game is instantly ruined by the awful story, the dialogue that's so crappy it's not even fun to make fun of, or the weird, sexist twist the developers made by deciding that this should be the only XCOM game that only lets male soldiers on your squad.

    If you're a fan of having your favorite things destroyed for no good reason (or if you just love awful writing), grab this game.    … Expand
  79. Deadmeat553
    Jul 19, 2014
    0
    Major texture bugs EVERYWHERE! I was standing on clear ground, letting me see through the entire world, the entire world is flashing wildly with weird static effects on all the walls, and many of the textures stretched randomly through the world! Completely unplayable!

    Even if you somehow manage to make the game playable, the guns feel like BB-guns and your AI team-mates are all idiots    Major texture bugs EVERYWHERE! I was standing on clear ground, letting me see through the entire world, the entire world is flashing wildly with weird static effects on all the walls, and many of the textures stretched randomly through the world! Completely unplayable!

    Even if you somehow manage to make the game playable, the guns feel like BB-guns and your AI team-mates are all idiots who never shutup.

    0/10 DO NOT BUY.    … Expand
  80. kappapi99
    Feb 11, 2015
    0
    This is not XCOM. It tries to mix XCOM and Mass Effect, taking the best from both genres, but it falls horribly short. The developers relied on the XCOM name to sell a game that is poorly designed. You cannot save at all. The plot destroys the XCOM universe. The gameplay is clumsy. The graphics are decent for an FPS, but that is the only thing going for it. If you are an XCOM fan,This is not XCOM. It tries to mix XCOM and Mass Effect, taking the best from both genres, but it falls horribly short. The developers relied on the XCOM name to sell a game that is poorly designed. You cannot save at all. The plot destroys the XCOM universe. The gameplay is clumsy. The graphics are decent for an FPS, but that is the only thing going for it. If you are an XCOM fan, then this game is not for you. Worst game to bear the name XCOM since Apocalypse.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
51
#51 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 45
  3. Negative: 2 out of 45
  1. PCGamesN
    Nov 6, 2013
    60
    For all that The Bureau get’s wrong, it is at least a passable tactical shooter with a novel, well-realised setting. If you love the golden age of science-fiction, there’s something here for you. Just don’t expect it to ever get truly interesting, because XCOM Declassified never captures what XCOM is all about.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 5, 2013
    73
    The Bureau: XCOM Declassified does not deliver. It is not bad, but rather depressingly average. [Sept 2013]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Sep 25, 2013
    70
    A competent tactical shooter that doesn't push any boundaries and is only peripherally related to XCOM. [Oct 2013, p.96]
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