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. alllifeinfate
    Aug 27, 2013
    7
    Having to regroup after the rather surprising XCOM Enemy Unknown is a blessing in disguise and a touch of poison both at the same time. I gather from the behind-the-scenes that they're going for the third iteration of the Bureau's gameplay when the surprise hit...well, hit which sounds rather believable when you watch the video. I just can't grasp the ignorance that they totally copy MassHaving to regroup after the rather surprising XCOM Enemy Unknown is a blessing in disguise and a touch of poison both at the same time. I gather from the behind-the-scenes that they're going for the third iteration of the Bureau's gameplay when the surprise hit...well, hit which sounds rather believable when you watch the video. I just can't grasp the ignorance that they totally copy Mass Effect 3's gameplay and would not admit it....granted that it is not as smooth as and not as polished. It is not fair to compare the two games but the developer puts themselves in this position and the success of the turn based strategy rebirth certainly affects them the most, positively and negatively. The traces of Enemy Unknown can be seen throughout the game, as a true homage and also straight copycat. This review is written as I played only a few hours of the game and does not represents my final verdict of the Bureau. That is still to come but I will give my score nonetheless.… Expand
  2. Hermes_tri
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    I love the game so far. It is a really well done TBS, I really enjoy this mix of tactical planning with TBS, I like the scanning tactical layer, agent management and side missions(sending agents is fun too) and squaddies AI is solid as well i play on Veteran. Setting and level detailing is awesome, abilities feel diverse and fun to use.
    On the negative, the narrative is patchy, the    I love the game so far. It is a really well done TBS, I really enjoy this mix of tactical planning with TBS, I like the scanning tactical layer, agent management and side missions(sending agents is fun too) and squaddies AI is solid as well i play on Veteran. Setting and level detailing is awesome, abilities feel diverse and fun to use.
    On the negative, the narrative is patchy, the beginning lacks suspense and magnitude of you know, alien invasion, aliens feel not so alien. Laser turrets on level one? yes I know it has a somewhat plausible explanation and what not, but the could at least show Carter's shock at seeing these techs? And even then, it looks really strange all these all style computers and laser turrets projecting from nothing.. Carter throwing alien blobes and no one asking questions? Wierd..

    Overall, I'd give this game a solid 8 for uniqueness and gameplay.

    To elaborate a bit more on my impression:

    Things I Love:

    1. The setting is just awesome. Authentic 60s feel, all the decorations and dialogues are just full of 60's feel
    2. The graphics are very nice to look at, like someone else have said, well done on those alien animations, every enemy is really different and unique. Some environments look fantastic. Artstyle is unique
    3. Music is awesome, really spooky and thought-provoking.
    4. Mostly decent voiceovers.
    5. Gameplay is a blast. tactical mode is awesome. How do you use your valuable time in battle focus? Give orders straight away or firstly analyze the environment and enemies via scanning? Mix of different abilities really open up strategies and tactics. The gameplay is really awesome.
    6. I love the narrative overall. The storyline is solid so far with some twists, all little voice recording and notes found on the mission add to the experience, as do investigations in between the missions.
    7. Agent disposal missions add some depth to the game.

    Things I don't really like:

    1. Lack of build up and anticipation opening missions are lackluster.
    2. Technologies are not properly explained.
    3. Bonuses from backpacks are not properly explained.
    4. Usage of new weapons in mission straight after picking them up.
    5. Lack of real desicions early and in mid game.
    6. Classes are not clearly defined: why do commandos give protective shields to others?
    7. Narrative is somewhat patchy: some illogical decisions and dialogues in the game.
    8. Outsiders feel not alien enough.
    9. Sound effects are disappointing.
    10. Level designs are too linear, ME3-esque.

    Overall, the game is solid 8. However I gave it '10' here due to too negative unfair reviews here.    … Expand
  3. Babu-x
    Aug 27, 2013
    8
    Better than Mass Effect, which I never play again after a few hours. Tactic is everything not a run and gun game. I gave 8 because of squad edit menu can be done in a better way and a little graphic hungry. I was hoping they include research management and such. I'm playing this more than Enemy Unknown for now.
  4. 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...
  5. Eide
    Aug 26, 2013
    7
    The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is one of those games that oozes with potential but fails to quite get the most out of it. It's far from great but still has managed to hook me enough to keep me coming back to it

    The setting will feel instantly familiar to XCOM veterans with opponents are terrain features that appaer in earlier XCOM titles as well. As far as 3rd person shooters go it's    The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is one of those games that oozes with potential but fails to quite get the most out of it. It's far from great but still has managed to hook me enough to keep me coming back to it

    The setting will feel instantly familiar to XCOM veterans with opponents are terrain features that appaer in earlier XCOM titles as well. As far as 3rd person shooters go it's fairly ok. The game feels somewhat sluggish but offers enough tactical options to make combat interesting. It never evolves past interesting though since the AI leaves much to be desired making combat feel slowpaced and kinda dumbed down. Opponents are hardhitting and tough making combat challenging enough, although perhaps not in the way I would've hoped.

    The 1950's backdrop is cool, not something you see a whole lot, but as with the gameplay (and pretty much everything else in The Bureau) the full potential hasn't been unlocked. The towns and vehicles are 50's but never does the game feel convincingly set in the USA of the 50's. Walking around on linear maps from combat area to combat area there's the occasional vista which manages to impress but it's too little really.

    I could go on and on but the gist is clear. This game could've been great, instead it's just ok. Barely.    … Expand
  6. Zakk
    Aug 26, 2013
    8
    I don't understand the bad reviews this game has got, it's excellent. There might be few techncial glitches but the story and gameplay is pure solid gold! If you're into games like Mass Effect this one is just for you, It's tactical 3rd person shooter with a lot of story elements. Some people might play it without doing additional investigation quests and without reading notes and audioI don't understand the bad reviews this game has got, it's excellent. There might be few techncial glitches but the story and gameplay is pure solid gold! If you're into games like Mass Effect this one is just for you, It's tactical 3rd person shooter with a lot of story elements. Some people might play it without doing additional investigation quests and without reading notes and audio logs, then I understand why they don't like this. This is for patient players who like to read a good story while playing. Recommended!… Expand
  7. Ottomic
    Aug 26, 2013
    7
    Let me be perfectly clear: The Bureau is a third person alien shooter with sort-of turn based gameplay thrown in, some classes, and some XCOM lore thrown in. It's more of an X-COM: Enforcer than Enemy Unknown. It's very important for you to know this, and I'll discuss why later. For the time being, allow me to give you my impressions on it:

    This game is far from perfect. First off,    Let me be perfectly clear: The Bureau is a third person alien shooter with sort-of turn based gameplay thrown in, some classes, and some XCOM lore thrown in. It's more of an X-COM: Enforcer than Enemy Unknown. It's very important for you to know this, and I'll discuss why later. For the time being, allow me to give you my impressions on it:

    This game is far from perfect.

    First off, and despite the messages suggesting you to flank your enemies and remaining mobile, the Bureau is a pretty punishing game with aggressive tactics, and the player soon has to learn to to turtle up and play it safe unless he wants to risk two droids suddenly popping out of nowhere and pummeling your squad into dust. In some cases, your squadmates will continually get hit despite being behind cover. It doesn't help the fact that the AI will act up sometimes, exposing your allies to fire for no good reason.

    And it's not just the fact that your squadmates seem to have quite a bit of trouble aiming, but the aliens are able to take quite a lot of hits while able to dish out considerable amounts of damage in the process, especially if a Commander is on the field, which will shield allies and make them even hardier. The problem with this is not only the fact that you neeed to be constantly watching out for insta-outflanks, but having to spend almost an entire magazine per alien, you run the risk of running out of bullets pretty fast, and then you will be exposed to both enemy fire and maybe an even bigger hindrance: the controls.

    The Bureau's controls are one of the most indecisive and weird I've seen in some time. It seems a game designed with a controller in mind (you move markers along the ground to signal orders to your allies with WASD, as opposed to the mouse, for instance), but it really takes advantage of the keyboard and mouse layout for quick and efficient shootout control, and as a result you are constantly wondering if it wouldn't be better to switch from keyboard to gamepad and vice versa. Add to that a couple of bafflingly impractical actions (you do THE EXACT SAME THING -tapping "R"- to reload than to pick up ammo than to pick up weapons, which frequently can lead you to switch your empty sniper rifle for a shotgun and grab the ammo the shotgun instead for the rifle in just two presses of "R", leaving you utterly rifleless in a long-range battle, for instance), and a honestly weird menu layout, and you'll end up wondering how could 2K Marin seriously mess up such basic features so hard.

    Graphics are OK. For the most part, and for the scenario that the developers thought we would be looking at. Turn around somewhere you aren't expected to look at, though, and you might find some of the worst scenario filler I've seen in a while, and that's counting sandbox games such as Prototype 2: blank, ginormous sheets of metal, blank walls, lifeless environments; and the game needs a nice computer to run it all at a decent speed, too: my i7 3770 8GB DDR3 RAM Nvidia GTX650 2GB DDR5 couldn't handle it at max detail, having to turn off some of the subtler options.

    Characters are pretty unique, and in some cases they remind me a bit of L.A. Noire's cast. While not award-winning, one can be really entertained by the Dirty Harry-esque dialogue from the main character. There is a dialogue tree that really doesn't do much aside from giving you some extra info, there are a bunch of collectibles strewn about, and there are a couple of side missions that usually need you to go from point A to point B and then to point A again. Serviceable, if a bit lackluster. Soundtrack can be pretty inmersive, and voicework is pretty good too.

    All in all, The Bureau is not a perfect game, but it is not a BAD one: every aspect of it is unpolished and even weird sometimes, but it does its job without really failing at anything. It is a Rogue Trooper, or a Stubbs the Zombie, or any Red Faction game: bad enough to not be a classic, good enough to play, complete and forget about, and I think it deserves love despite its faults.

    A lot of people seem to hate the "XCOM" in the title, and it's probably the most main point of many people's about it. It's quite tragic, in my opinion, that someone would pre-order, buy and then complain about "their" turn-based strategy franchise being ruined by a Third Person Shooter when there's already been X-COM games that have deviated from the original formula (basically all of them between "terror of the deep" and "enemy unknown"), but then again, that shows you when people in the internet feel entitled to with franchises that are older than themselves.

    The game came with its DLC, plus all the X-COM collection and Spec Ops: The Line as pre-order bonuses for about 40€, which is an awesome deal. If you didn't get it then, you'd probably do better to wait for it to go on sale for Halloween or Christmas. If you like third person shooters get it, but maybe not at full price.

    7.5.    … Expand
  8. Kron604
    Aug 26, 2013
    7
    This game isn't a carbon copy of X-COM as most seemed to be expecting, but it does have elements of X-COM. This game is enjoyable, although a little frustrating at times... The squad AI is atrocious, and the fact that you have to babysit them every step of the way takes away from the overall feel of the game. With that being said, there's an immense amount of satisfaction when youThis game isn't a carbon copy of X-COM as most seemed to be expecting, but it does have elements of X-COM. This game is enjoyable, although a little frustrating at times... The squad AI is atrocious, and the fact that you have to babysit them every step of the way takes away from the overall feel of the game. With that being said, there's an immense amount of satisfaction when you complete a mission. I still enjoy the game, even with its short-comings.… Expand
  9. DarkHawkPro
    Aug 26, 2013
    8
    I'm a big XCOM fan and have been since i was a kid. I knew what i was getting into and i'm really happy with what i got. An OTS with strong tactical elements. It's not a turn based game, it's fast and intense and sometimes frustrating, but overall i am enjoying the hell out of it.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. Zutha
    Aug 26, 2013
    7
    I was apprehensive about buying XCOM, but I just had to in the end because well... it's XCOM.

    The strongest aspect about the game is the combat itself even with the annoying controls (mouse keyboard). You quickly get past this (learn to adapt people). The downfall of the game itself is two things: 1. Running about the base is boring as hell. 2 .It's far too short. Considering    I was apprehensive about buying XCOM, but I just had to in the end because well... it's XCOM.

    The strongest aspect about the game is the combat itself even with the annoying controls (mouse keyboard). You quickly get past this (learn to adapt people).

    The downfall of the game itself is two things:

    1. Running about the base is boring as hell.
    2 .It's far too short.

    Considering you are in story dialogue and running around the base for a large part of time (about a 3rd) and combat the rest it took under 12 hours total to complete on veteran. This is reading every item, listening to every recording and doing all side missions. I actually thought, "nah, this can't be it..." and was really disappointed when it ended. I feel i HAVE to go back and complete on Commander difficulty to make this purchase worth it.

    If this is another attempt at developers to cash in on DLC for more content at a later date I'll be quite pissed. It does feel like half a game.

    Overall it kept me playing to the end in a short space of time and that says a lot, as I rarely complete games these days.

    n.b. A note on character perma-death. It's a meaningless mechanic as I lost troops twice, but quickly died myself and just re spawned with them.    … Expand
  13. Bezzer
    Aug 26, 2013
    8
    I have been playing this for a day or so now and despite the meta-critic score it has been an enjoyable experience! The game kind of reminds me of playing Mass Effect but with the XCOM squad command features thrown in. A different take on the XCOM universe and playing from a first person perspective is different but good.
  14. 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
  15. Muf69
    Aug 25, 2013
    8
    Having not played the series I'll rate this as a stand alone game and tbh it's really pretty good.
    This is a solid 8/10 game though it does feel like a console to PC port which means it feels better played with the controller as the keyboard/mouse feels a little clunky
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. TomJ
    Aug 25, 2013
    8
    It's like a mass effect with XCOM story. They should increase the team number up to 5 same as XCOM:Enemy. and more base strategy. many aspect of the game are too simple. for example only two item a squad can equip. The strategy focus is funny but should add more command. for example hide, hold you ground. The technical item should be have more function. not just increase some kind ofIt's like a mass effect with XCOM story. They should increase the team number up to 5 same as XCOM:Enemy. and more base strategy. many aspect of the game are too simple. for example only two item a squad can equip. The strategy focus is funny but should add more command. for example hide, hold you ground. The technical item should be have more function. not just increase some kind of damage.This is not a really XCOM game should be.
    but whatever I play this game over 10 hours. and I enjoy the time. it's a good game but should be better    … Expand
  19. maximuskain
    Aug 25, 2013
    10
    Played the game to near completion and I must say this game does not deserve those low scores. Story is interesting, the shooter mechanic is fun and the premise of the game is amazing. Don't let the reviewers discourage you from getting this game. If you enjoy Mass Effect you'll enjoy this game tremendously.

    AI is dumb at the beginning and needs a lot of micro management but as you go    Played the game to near completion and I must say this game does not deserve those low scores. Story is interesting, the shooter mechanic is fun and the premise of the game is amazing. Don't let the reviewers discourage you from getting this game. If you enjoy Mass Effect you'll enjoy this game tremendously.

    AI is dumb at the beginning and needs a lot of micro management but as you go up in level they grow smarter as well, as it should be. Fiddle with the customizable control if you find the PC settings to be a bit challenging. It will grow on you after awhile. If you are used to playing ME then you'd know how to play this game, you have to keep using your Battle Focus to be effective, always go for the recon NPC as they have the critical strike which is a very powerful attack.

    PC is still the way to go I guess. Turn off the PhysX and Screen Decal settings if you experience slowdown, just some tip for PC users who finds this game to be a resource hog. This is my first time in metacritic but I really have to write because of all those negative reviews out there have to put in something positive. There are tons of good game releases this week but I find it that this is the game I'm putting my time on. Love this game!    … Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. Ineluki
    Aug 25, 2013
    8
    First thing is to accept, YES its a console port, if you are not "Ok" with that, don't bother.
    Second, not worth without a controller, playing with keyboard and mouse is too painful.
    Took me about 25h to finish the game with all side quests (Must say I'm not a hardcore gamer) The bads, the first missions (tutorials) felt too long and the learning curve was too high, characters are    First thing is to accept, YES its a console port, if you are not "Ok" with that, don't bother.
    Second, not worth without a controller, playing with keyboard and mouse is too painful.

    Took me about 25h to finish the game with all side quests (Must say I'm not a hardcore gamer)

    The bads, the first missions (tutorials) felt too long and the learning curve was too high, characters are stereotyped and there are some ridiculous bugs, friendly AI teleporting, physics and camera issues, and some objects and textures popping.

    Besides that I like the game, was sceptical about the game play, not being able to build and manage my base, investigate new tech and so on, but after playing few missions I stop caring about that and focus on squad skills and perks, story and character customization, still got the feeling of "what next" that I love form the xcom games, even if was in lesser degree.

    The encounters are nicely done, the variety of enemies is good, I found myself asking, "what are they going to throw at me next" multiple times, still has a lot of room for improvement but I enjoyed the experience.

    Will rated a 70-75 but will give it a 8 for trying to do something different from the typical Xcom games (nothing against them) maybe someday we see a more dynamic combat in XCom: Enemy    … Expand
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. DhogonX
    Aug 24, 2013
    8
    This game is very decent. People complain and ALWAYS want to compare to ME. When this game is its own. This game is no different than Xcom: EU, other than you move about "realtime", you aim-n-shoot "real-time", and the obvious its in 3d person. You unlock parts of the base and new technology (same as before). The cover system is there (full, lite), give your agents orders to attack,This game is very decent. People complain and ALWAYS want to compare to ME. When this game is its own. This game is no different than Xcom: EU, other than you move about "realtime", you aim-n-shoot "real-time", and the obvious its in 3d person. You unlock parts of the base and new technology (same as before). The cover system is there (full, lite), give your agents orders to attack, depending on the enemies position and type of cover affects damage (same as before), flanking, expose, etc..

    You build your team skills by picking paths of perks (same as before)....I swear I don't see how some are complaining, if you like waiting 4 turns before your turn come around to shoot then turn base is for you and maybe you might be disappointed. But if you like the best of both worlds Xcom has to offer, tactical strategy and realtime combat, then get this game, I like this game    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. lukemacu
    Aug 24, 2013
    9
    Let me get this out of the way: The Bureau is not XCOM:EU or any other previous XCOM game; if you expected it to be then just leave. The Bureau is an interesting concept with some interesting mechanics, it's difficult but not overly. It feels a little clunky at times and has a HUGE learning curve: you're looking at about 2-3 hours before you even get close to the actual game. But none theLet me get this out of the way: The Bureau is not XCOM:EU or any other previous XCOM game; if you expected it to be then just leave. The Bureau is an interesting concept with some interesting mechanics, it's difficult but not overly. It feels a little clunky at times and has a HUGE learning curve: you're looking at about 2-3 hours before you even get close to the actual game. But none the less it is worth the money.… 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

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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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