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.
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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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