XCOM: Enemy Unknown

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2608 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,075 out of 2608
  2. Mixed: 329 out of 2608
  3. Negative: 204 out of 2608
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  1. apokalipto
    Aug 19, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  2. fishgameing
    Aug 14, 2023
    10
    **** amazing. first saw my dad playing it back in 2013 when i was still a little kid. nine years later, got the complete edition for like 30 or 40 bucks on christmas cause i wanted to see what it was all about. instantly **** hooked. i now have 155 hours and counting on steam and i might never stop. highly recommended for anyone who is even somewhat familiar with tacstrat games

    some    **** amazing. first saw my dad playing it back in 2013 when i was still a little kid. nine years later, got the complete edition for like 30 or 40 bucks on christmas cause i wanted to see what it was all about. instantly **** hooked. i now have 155 hours and counting on steam and i might never stop. highly recommended for anyone who is even somewhat familiar with tacstrat games

    some advice i have for new players:
    - normal mode, ironman. perfect balance of fun and challenge. ironman mode will keep you from ruining the fun for yourself. just take care to avoid softlocks, crashes or process terminations
    - buy the enemy within expansion and slingshot dlc. boot to enemy within. before starting the game, enable Operation Slingshot and Operation Progeny in the advanced settings. they add some very challenging side quest-style missions that provide substantial rewards if completed
    - avoid second wave options for your first playthrough, they make the game much more unpredictable and very different from the standard experience
    - smoke & mirrors, flush, battle scanner, and rapid reaction are the worst perks in each of their respective class training trees and are vastly outclassed by their alternatives. never **** pick them    … Expand
  3. PR9Gaming
    Aug 12, 2023
    10
    There's a reason every new turn-based shooter is called an XCOM game; this game basically hasn't been beat since.
  4. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Excellent turn based strategy. Tons of fun, good balance of reward and punishment, practical and aesthetic customization is really fun. Tons of fun, worth your time.
  5. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    6
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  6. Oshiri_Maeda
    Apr 10, 2023
    5
    It must have been amazing game back in 2012, but in 2023 it is just a famous name, nothing else. I'm glad they basically invented the genre - it spawned so many amazing games since then.
  7. Soullex
    Nov 29, 2022
    7
    Sonuna doğru biraz tekrara bağlıyor. Onun haricinde gerçekten çok iyi......
  8. Hyperfailure
    Nov 27, 2022
    8
    (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
    ┻━┻ ︵ ヽ(°□°ヽ)

    ┻━┻ ︵ ＼( °□° )／ ︵ ┻━┻

    ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ)

    (ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻

    ┬──┬ ¯_(ツ)

    ┻━┻ ︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻

    ┻━┻ ︵ ¯(ツ)/¯ ︵ ┻━┻

    (╯°Д°）╯︵ /(.□ . )

    ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻
  9. Gaming_Bear
    Oct 24, 2022
    10
    An amazing turn based strategy with perfect game play, great story full of twists and turns. I must have played through this game at least 5 times. If you are a fan of scifi and turn based strategy and have not played this you are doing life wrong.
  10. AJCk19
    Oct 5, 2022
    8
    Everything is great, but if you mess up something in early game, and you finally in late game. You just have to start all over, so make sure you plan accordingly or "scum save." Also, I shouldn't be missing a 90% chance shot so often.
  11. aecsuter
    Sep 8, 2022
    9
    It was my favorite game until Xcom 2 was released.
    Basic yet immersive story. You end up creating your own story with your own soldiers and missions.
    A good variety of enemies, maps and mission styles. The base management, research, resources, character evolution part is a separate game and it's wonderful. The graphics are nothing spectacular, but they are round, beautiful, I haven't    It was my favorite game until Xcom 2 was released.
    Basic yet immersive story. You end up creating your own story with your own soldiers and missions.
    A good variety of enemies, maps and mission styles.
    The base management, research, resources, character evolution part is a separate game and it's wonderful.
    The graphics are nothing spectacular, but they are round, beautiful, I haven't had any bugs in my 160 hours of play.
    Above all, the game is extremely fun, whether for those who have never played it, using the lowest difficulties, or for those who want to suffer.
    I highly recommend the game.    … Expand
  12. PapaJustifyTV
    Jun 11, 2022
    0
    Russian nazi language is there, but no Ukrainian. 0 from me. I'm so tired of this...
    Game is great tho.
  13. tontonac
    May 16, 2022
    9
    I prefer this one to the sequel, better pacing and campaign is more stressfull.
  14. AliceGross
    May 6, 2022
    8
    Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо
  15. Wrathzo
    Mar 21, 2022
    6
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a 2012 turn-based tactical video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. The game is a "reimagined" remake of the 1994 cult classic strategy game X-COM: UFO Defense (also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown) and a reboot of MicroProse's 1990s X-COM series. Set in an alternative version of the year 2015, the player controls an elite multinationalXCOM: Enemy Unknown is a 2012 turn-based tactical video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. The game is a "reimagined" remake of the 1994 cult classic strategy game X-COM: UFO Defense (also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown) and a reboot of MicroProse's 1990s X-COM series. Set in an alternative version of the year 2015, the player controls an elite multinational paramilitary organization called XCOM during an alien invasion of Earth. The player commands troops in the field in a series of turn-based tactical missions; between missions, the player directs the research and development of technologies from recovered alien technology and captured prisoners, expands XCOM's base of operations, manages finances, and monitors and responds to alien activity.… Expand
  16. Woolee
    Sep 29, 2021
    10
    I fell in love with this game when I first started playing it, but then something went horribly wrong. If you only intend on playing the game once or maybe twice then this game is a fantastic gem; a great experience. If you want to play more than that then it has some surprises in store. First of all the UI and controls are ok but they could be so much better on the PC. Every once in a
  17. CheetoPhingers
    Aug 18, 2021
    8
    Fun little game for people that like strategy games on a square grid with a little bit of bit of bean counting. Not without a challenge.
  18. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    9
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good
  19. FRIST_008
    Jun 14, 2021
    8
    Это свершилось, оно вышло, и даже не ударило в грязь лицом, это хорошая стратегия, которая продолжает UFO, с которым я познакомился в детстве
  20. dogeswillkill
    Apr 22, 2021
    7
    i liked it, honestly. i think it's an alright reboot - i love strategy so this was right up my alley
  21. Bellarmcsb
    Mar 7, 2021
    10
    The perfect, quintessential strategy game, and a classic favorite of mine. I still play this game every year.
  22. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    10
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  23. derek_
    Oct 29, 2020
    5
    Game is decent but with some hard flaws for me. After few missions combat starts to be extremely repetetive and uninteresting, even boring. Skill set of your characters is very limited, hate that move and shot once per round system.. and those misses.. those misses.. its practically rnJesus fest. move, fire, try if you hit, reload, repeat.. that's all what combat is about on higherGame is decent but with some hard flaws for me. After few missions combat starts to be extremely repetetive and uninteresting, even boring. Skill set of your characters is very limited, hate that move and shot once per round system.. and those misses.. those misses.. its practically rnJesus fest. move, fire, try if you hit, reload, repeat.. that's all what combat is about on higher difficulty. Another thing I really hate is that enemy spawning system. Its ridiculous. No more aliens roaming through map, clashing with your x-com fighters as they dig deeper on map. They just spawn when you move, which makes really stupid situations like when you move with your last guy when others already spend all their atcions and accidentaly trigger spawning of another cluster of 3 enemies. It just force you to minimalize your movevement during combat because no, you really dont wanna accidentally spawn another enemies :D And why the hell can't i escape to menu durring enemy turn, forcing me watch those slooow animations watch over and over even if I know its rnJesus reload time? Thats really grrr...… Expand
  24. watrfll
    Oct 19, 2020
    8
    Dynamic chess with plasma rifles and absurd randomness. The game has no analogues, tho.
  25. Sean-M
    Jul 24, 2020
    7
    Great game with an interesting story. Can spend hundreds of hours playing this game. But to be honest I prefer the second one.
  26. Nerevarinho
    Jul 4, 2020
    9
    Would reload savegame again.
    ..............................................
  27. Bigmano
    Jun 29, 2020
    10
    It's fantastic and highly tactical. The game runs well and the graphics are good.
  28. DoctorDeath
    Jun 29, 2020
    9
    Great turn-based strategy. Classic story in the new graphics. Interesting gameplay.
  29. ewenr
    Jun 29, 2020
    9
    This was my first XCom game and I loved it immensely. Sure, there are a few annoyances (I hate the base-building) but the character connections and situational gameplay is fantastic.
  30. jgeof
    Apr 24, 2020
    0
    Removed without notice from GeForce Now, I purchased a game I can no longer play.
  31. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    8
    Amazing game, so many great and different elements coming together.mit gets a bit boring thougn once you become really good at it.
  32. Shimmeywill
    Feb 20, 2020
    7
    A solid, tight tactical game. It's a little finicky with some of the UI elements and it was hard to stay motivated through the base building element. Still a quality game.
  33. 99dolar
    Jan 21, 2020
    1
    Sıra tabanlı oyunlardan keyif alan oyuncular için güzel bir oyun olabilir. Ancak oyundan hiç hoşlanmadım.
  34. RogueV
    Dec 5, 2019
    10
    Possibly the greatest strategy game of all time. The gameplay is intuitive and an absolute blast to play. It's intense, engaging, and results scale very much with skill. Anybody who likes chess or turn based combat in any form, this game is for you. Even if you have never tried a turn based game and don't have much interest in chess, I still recommend you try out XCOM.

    For anyone who    Possibly the greatest strategy game of all time. The gameplay is intuitive and an absolute blast to play. It's intense, engaging, and results scale very much with skill. Anybody who likes chess or turn based combat in any form, this game is for you. Even if you have never tried a turn based game and don't have much interest in chess, I still recommend you try out XCOM.

    For anyone who has played the Civilization series, this game takes that whole model and applies it to a tactical shooter, and it works brilliantly. There is research that takes a certain amount of days just like Civ, and the tile-based movement system in combat is also very familiar. It works brilliantly in this new setting, perhaps even better than in Civ itself.

    One of my favourite things about this game is how the story is created organically. This is not because of dialogue trees or any effort to make the campaign have branching paths (in fact, the campaign is quite linear). It is because the best parts in this story will be made in gameplay by you, the player. And to me this is the absolute peak of what a video game story can achieve. Your soldiers, who start off as homogenous uninteresting rookies, will quickly win a place in your hearts through their heroic feats and resulting promotions. At any point, you can mess up and a soldier can die, and that's it, they will be gone forever. A soldier who has been with you from the first day the aliens attacked, gone forever all because you were careless and put them in a position where they are exposed. I cannot even describe the anguish it is possible to experience from a moment like that. The emotions and attachment I built with my soldiers in this game surpasses my attachment to basically any other video game story I have experienced. I recommend not reloading old saves when a squad favourite is lost, but to roll with the punches, your experience will be all the richer.

    There's a lot of thought gone into this game to make this game engaging as a whole and to provide proper support for the innovative core gameplay mechanic. The base building aspects are satisfying and the perfect addition to the campaign, making you feel invested in what's to come as well as properly dealing with progression and time. The world map and councils offer impactful decisionmaking to be possible within the constraints of a fixed plot.

    Lastly, I should add that if you are a newcomer to the XCOM series, I recommend you first check out XCOM 2 and then XCOM 2's expansion War of the Chosen. This is because XCOM 2 does everything right in making XCOM even better and there's no reason to not start with the best the series has to offer. War of the Chosen is possibly the greatest video game expansion of all time. Anyone who has tried out XCOM 2 and is wondering whether the original is worth it or dated, look no further. Although the graphics are a bit weaker, the gameplay is equally stellar, and for XCOM 2 fans it is easily worth it for the plot alone.    … Expand
  35. cyberlaw4
    Dec 4, 2019
    3
    Please remove XCOM from the title, it's casual game with good graphics but not like original X-COMs from 90s. I've preordered it on Desura (RIP) and waited more than Second Coming but after release i was broken af. Absolutely linear and all **** with score 0-5 already said everything about this game and i can't add something new and original to it.
    PS:
    If you not familiar with old X-COMs    Please remove XCOM from the title, it's casual game with good graphics but not like original X-COMs from 90s. I've preordered it on Desura (RIP) and waited more than Second Coming but after release i was broken af. Absolutely linear and all **** with score 0-5 already said everything about this game and i can't add something new and original to it.
    PS:
    If you not familiar with old X-COMs from 90s i can recommed it, may be it'll be your favorit game.
    PPS:
    Now i'm happy with Xenonauts and Phoenix Point!=)
    Peace!    … Expand
  36. Genek13
    Nov 18, 2019
    9
    One of my favorite tactical strategy games.
    Very challenging in all good aspects. Lots to do in campaign which has a good story.
    Every lose of your teammate is painful :)
  37. Cougargames
    Nov 5, 2019
    9
    There is nothing more satisfying with creating the perfect attack againts your aliens opponents one soldier is obove hiding ready to use overwatch while you have 2 sodliers on the ground hiding ready to throe grenades on all the aliens taht stand togheter. This game can get super intersting and is a streategy game that does things right. This is definetly a must buy for everyone.
  38. Shockwave5
    Aug 7, 2019
    3
    Love tactical turn based strategy games but this game has serious issues. First of all there is nothing fair about the difficulty of this game. The aliens deal just as much damage as you but thats where the fairness stops. They are way more accurate than your soldiers, there's way more of them, they have more classes as well, and they can also shoot through (blow up) walls which only oneLove tactical turn based strategy games but this game has serious issues. First of all there is nothing fair about the difficulty of this game. The aliens deal just as much damage as you but thats where the fairness stops. They are way more accurate than your soldiers, there's way more of them, they have more classes as well, and they can also shoot through (blow up) walls which only one class in the game can do on the Xcom side. Your soldiers can't hit the broad side of a barn, theres just WAY too many misses in this game, even while flanking. Too many elements of random chance for a tactical strategy game. I tried really hard to like this game but the flaws inherent in the combat mechanics prevented me from doing so.… Expand
  39. dlcwolf
    Jun 14, 2019
    7
    I played both XCOM Enemy Unknown and XCOM Enemy Within. The games are 80% the same, same plot, same events, same actors, same stories, with the only difference in Enemy Within there are a bit more of new events, the human enemy Exalt, and few new enemies. There is no reason to play both since i see the second more complete and vast. If you want to play, just play the second. For the game,I played both XCOM Enemy Unknown and XCOM Enemy Within. The games are 80% the same, same plot, same events, same actors, same stories, with the only difference in Enemy Within there are a bit more of new events, the human enemy Exalt, and few new enemies. There is no reason to play both since i see the second more complete and vast. If you want to play, just play the second. For the game, i appreciated really, even if it is not at the high level of the original X-COM. But is well done and made modern. I had anyway the feeling that the authors tried to make more commercial and accepted by a wider range of gamers, exemplifying the gaming. For example, I found less researches es to do, and also the combats are made easier with less commands. So i say 7 for the first, and 8 for the second.… Expand
  40. Vanco
    Jun 4, 2019
    7
    Interesting additions to the original. Could not motivate me to complete another playthrough of the game though.
  41. Vectis99
    May 31, 2019
    6
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown fulfills a very specific niche with a very high production budget, but falls short in terms of mechanical and quality-of-life polishing. The game entails an extraordinary amount of downtime bundled up with arithmetic calculations on the RPG layer coupled with a plethora of lengthy, pointless animations; more than 50% of the experience is sitting back and watching theXCOM: Enemy Unknown fulfills a very specific niche with a very high production budget, but falls short in terms of mechanical and quality-of-life polishing. The game entails an extraordinary amount of downtime bundled up with arithmetic calculations on the RPG layer coupled with a plethora of lengthy, pointless animations; more than 50% of the experience is sitting back and watching the screen, worsened by the frequency the player must swap their attention between watching the individual unit animations execute and proceeding to issue new orders. This is worsened by the fact that for any given gameplay session, the frequency of meaningful decisions and risks is very low.
    The difficulty of the game does not scale well at all, scaling- for some reason- inversely with the player's performance. That is to say, if the game detects that you are doing well, it gets easier, whereas if you are struggling, it gets harder. This is especially frustrating due to the way the game recycles content; the main campaign can be "lost", which is especially cumbersome due to its immense length.
    I only ever played the game with the DLC "enemy within" so I cannot speak as to the quality of the base game.
    The game's storytelling leaves a lot to be desired. Whatever attempt this game makes at talking about transhumanism or whatnot falls entirely flat on its face. The aesthetic quality of the game is pleasant and refined, but it doesn't integrate with any sort of storytelling.
    For those interested in getting into the series for the first time, it would be a much better experience to play XCOM 2 twice instead of XCOM: Enemy Unknown once and XCOM 2 once. This games sequel practically resolves all of the issues with the original, save for the content recycling; and the quality of the content makes the recycling less aggravating.    … Expand
  42. brendo214
    May 22, 2019
    8
    XCOM Enemy Unknown is surprisingly addictive for a strategy game. The combat is super fun.
  43. CenkAlp
    May 6, 2019
    8
    Hikaye = 8
    Oynanış = 9
    Grafikler = 7
    Sesler =7
    Keyif = 8
    Atmosfer = 8
    Süre = 7
  44. Misza123
    Apr 12, 2019
    8
    X-COM was my first contact with based turn tactical games... and I'm delighted. Addictive gameplay, okay graphic and cool setting. Sure, game has, for me, some issues with RNG and moments when a soldier shoots through wall spoils immerse, but still I really like X-COM. Especially I'm a fan of large amount of customization options (like color of your soldiers armors or giving themX-COM was my first contact with based turn tactical games... and I'm delighted. Addictive gameplay, okay graphic and cool setting. Sure, game has, for me, some issues with RNG and moments when a soldier shoots through wall spoils immerse, but still I really like X-COM. Especially I'm a fan of large amount of customization options (like color of your soldiers armors or giving them nicknames). Game which lands on a shelf "Must Play".… Expand
  45. Ydun79
    Feb 11, 2019
    9
    Very enjoyable well paced game. Doesn't hold your hand all the time, actual mistakes can be made.
  46. jelikey
    Jan 18, 2019
    8
    This game is hard to review, mostly because it is a "re-imagining" of one of my favorite games. The short story is: I like it. I am playing it. So, it gets an 8. Could it have been better? Oh yes. As an X-Com remake, it falls a bit flat. Simplified is a commonly used description, "on rails" is how I'd describe it. It seems that somewhere out there in a secret gaming steering committee, an…
  47. HDT13
    Dec 16, 2018
    1
    It is a disgrace, not a tactical game. It is really difficult to comprehend how was it possible to create such a piece of crap having the initial xcom as an example. Even the game is called tactical, there is no tactics, it is just a turn based shooter with idiotic rules. For example - how do you like a door that can not be closed once opened in a TACTICAL game? The game is full of idiocyIt is a disgrace, not a tactical game. It is really difficult to comprehend how was it possible to create such a piece of crap having the initial xcom as an example. Even the game is called tactical, there is no tactics, it is just a turn based shooter with idiotic rules. For example - how do you like a door that can not be closed once opened in a TACTICAL game? The game is full of idiocy like that.
    The graphics are terrific, the research tree from the first game became better and all these cosmetic improvements make it even more difficult, it looks so good but plays so bad .
    Primitive, dull turn based shooter with good graphics. that's what it is    … Expand
  48. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    9
    When I first played Xcom 2, I instantly fell in love with the game. Then I quickly realized that a lot of people were saying the same thing about Xcom 2. That it’s not as good as the first one. Xcom: Enemy Unkown was a much better game so I knew that I had to give the game a shot.

    Enemy Unkown plays the exact same way as Xcom 2 and that made me very happy. If I could go back and redo    When I first played Xcom 2, I instantly fell in love with the game. Then I quickly realized that a lot of people were saying the same thing about Xcom 2. That it’s not as good as the first one. Xcom: Enemy Unkown was a much better game so I knew that I had to give the game a shot.

    Enemy Unkown plays the exact same way as Xcom 2 and that made me very happy. If I could go back and redo the 2016 Game of the Year then Xcom 2 would have been on it. Regardless Xcom: Enemy Unkown is a turn-based strategy game where you level up units and send them on missions. Its a very stressful game because on top of its difficulty and the random nature of the shots there is also permadeath. What I mean by “random nature of the shots” each shot taken by a unit has a percentage chance of hitting. It could be 62% chance, 83% or 99%. You never know for sure whether the shot is going to connect, I have had shots in 90’s miss but I’ve also had shots in the 20’s hit. That’s what I mean by random nature when you take essentially dice rolls and mix that with permadeath. Stress levels go up.

    The one thing that impressed me above all else is this is a good game. Its extremely well made and since its turn-based the game mechanics don’t feel out of date. It’s also important to note that this game can be played on the Xbox One so you don’t even have to bring out your old Xbox 360 to play it.    … Expand
  49. ave
    May 22, 2018
    8
    Even if I'm an "old gamer", I never had the chance to play the original XCOM. Nonetheless, this reboot entirely satisfied my preference for squad-based tactical turn-based games, like FallOut Tactics did in the past.

    Even in "easy" difficulty, the game is hard and may require a lot of strategy guides and videos to watch in order to grok how the game is supposed to be played, especially    Even if I'm an "old gamer", I never had the chance to play the original XCOM. Nonetheless, this reboot entirely satisfied my preference for squad-based tactical turn-based games, like FallOut Tactics did in the past.

    Even in "easy" difficulty, the game is hard and may require a lot of strategy guides and videos to watch in order to grok how the game is supposed to be played, especially how to deal with visibilty, pod triggering, cover and flanking ; and of course the details of base management.

    Even if I started many (many) campaigns, I actually finished only two, but they were very satisfying (except maybe for the last boss).

    I strongly recommend you to play Enemy Unknown before diving into Enemy Within.    … Expand
  50. Jaffar
    Feb 27, 2018
    8
    Great game with fantastic strategic gameplay in both the field missions and the base management. I recommend playing on at least normal with Ironman mode enabled to maximise the pressure of each mission and make each soldier count. Also the story has some great themes to it and I personally found it really thought provoking, and the voice acting is so bad it's good.
  51. Arquire
    Jan 16, 2018
    10
    This has remained my favourite game since its release putting several hundred hours into it. It is endlessly replayable, with its challenging difficulty settings and ironman mode as well as plenty of mod support.
  52. Horrux
    Oct 29, 2017
    8
    This game is awesome. It is fun, there is a lot of replay value (especially when adding Enemy Within) and it's engaging, but most importantly, it delivers feelings of ACCOMPLISHMENT when you execute a mission well. And real DISAPPOINTMENT when your beloved high ranking soldier dies. With such a potent psychological aspect to it, no wonder I give this game a high rating.

    However, there    This game is awesome. It is fun, there is a lot of replay value (especially when adding Enemy Within) and it's engaging, but most importantly, it delivers feelings of ACCOMPLISHMENT when you execute a mission well. And real DISAPPOINTMENT when your beloved high ranking soldier dies. With such a potent psychological aspect to it, no wonder I give this game a high rating.

    However, there are two significant downs, and I cannot ignore them. First is the price. At nearly $70 for the complete package, 5 years after release, after the sequel and its expansion are released? You would think pretty much ALL the bugs would be gone? NOPE!

    There are many mission-breaking bugs, and if you are playing ironman for a challenge, then you have extra-challenge in the form of bugs that will ruin turns, missions, and entire games.

    Also, the UI hinders good gameplay. In short: it will pan the map automatically, but allows you to click the destination WHILE it is panning. The result is that if your move is near the (invisible) auto-panning trigger zone, you will likely click just when the auto-pan starts, and the game will give you a move to the wrong tile.

    So this game might have been a 10. If at that 5-year price the bugs were almost all fixed, and if the UI worked well enough, I would have given it a 9. So it's an 8.    … Expand
  53. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    8
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  54. timhunt412
    Jun 19, 2017
    3
    this game has no excuse being as buggy as it is 5 years after launch.
    fix your game firaxis.
    _________________________________________________________
  55. Captain_Chaos
    Apr 17, 2017
    9
    I'd been aware of the XCOM series for some time, but it never interested me until I tried the demo for Enemy Unknown, but even that wasn't enough. It took a love for Darkest Dungeon and a realization that there were a number of turn-based games I'd enjoyed over the years, when I had previously just told people that I don't like them. So I waited for a sale and grabbed the complete pack.I'd been aware of the XCOM series for some time, but it never interested me until I tried the demo for Enemy Unknown, but even that wasn't enough. It took a love for Darkest Dungeon and a realization that there were a number of turn-based games I'd enjoyed over the years, when I had previously just told people that I don't like them. So I waited for a sale and grabbed the complete pack. Coming from DD, XCOM is both more forgiving (especially if you use the Save Scum modifier) and significantly more tactically complex. I had some experience with squad-based tactics from Dawn of War II, though this is on a smaller scale: You are limited to a single squad and control each soldier individually. It also uses small, often single digit numbers for damage and health, something it has in common with DD, combined with visual bar sections, making it very easy at a glance to see where you're at tactically. There are certain tactical shortcomings that I'm told are addressed in the sequel, such as not knowing wether a position you are moving a soldier to will give them a view on potential targets until they get there- but i've also heard its much harder to get a guarenteed hit in the sequel, even if your trooper is pressing a gun to an enemy's face. Ups and downs, I suppose.

    Enemy Unknown has layers of complexity that few other games have, though series veterans will still tell you its "dumbed down." Individual soldiers are highly customizable both in their abilities and appearance, especially if you have all the DLCs. You can name them, give them medals, and arm them with a variety of extra goodies. They start out as pathetic FNGs with the accuracy of the on-screen Stormtroopers of Star Wars, and dont even have a class, which they are assigned the first time they rank up: Assaults, Heavies, Snipers or Supports. These four classes are further split by players into two subclasses based on perk choices, though you may mix and match perks to your liking. However, you CANNOT respec your soldiers: choose perks carefully. With some planning, luck and maybe a few reloaded saves, they become apex examples of what human warriors can do- some of them may even become psychics. Then you can take them beyond that in Enemy Within, granting them genetic enhancements or cybernetic augmentation. XCOM resonated with me very strongly in this regard: Evolution is a powerful weapon indeed. One of my very first recruits from the post-tutorial mission, my first Support, went on to be my Volunteer. These are not just random grunts. They are your disciples. Their stories are yours.

    Combat can go very smoothly or completely sideways, and the difference can be as subtle as the positioning of a single trooper, or which soldier you place on "Overwatch" (Which causes them to fire upon the first enemy that moves within their vison during their turn) You must take into account flanking, elevation, line of sight and variety of other factors. This variety increases as you level your soldiers and their capabilities expand, as do the variety of enemies you face. One of the most useful such capabilities in my experience has been a perk for Snipers called Squadsight, which permits them to fire on any target visibile to another XCOM soldier, so long as they also would have line of sight to that enemy. Properly positioned, this enables the Sniper to hit targets from across the map: as my first Sniper did when he saved the afforementioned Support from a Chryssalid on the now-infamous "Site Recon" mission. When things go right in XCOM, it is immensly satisfying. When they don't... oh boy, do they not.

    XCOM is an incredible, in-depth experience and I enjoyed it from the first mission to the very last. It is easily one of the finest games of this decade. It permits you control of your characters in a manner that would be more common in a traditional RPG, and the random elements become less of a hassle as you progress, as the time and effort you put into your soldiers' development pays off as they become nigh-unstoppable post-human super-warriors that puts EDF's Storm Team to shame and would give Commander Shepard's crew a run for their money. I found myself with the same fondness for them that I had for my heroes in Darkest Dungeon. It is clear that an uncommon degree of care and respect went in to Enemy Unknown's creation, with its purely asthetic "highlight camera" when making a killing shot and its excellent soundtrack. More big-budget releases could benefit from its example, and it can be played as casually or as intensively as one prefers, thanks to its range of difficulties and modifiers. If you enjoy squad tactics games, turn-based RPGs, or strategy games of any kind, I encourage you to try the demo. I understand that it offends the sensibilities of XCOM purists, and as such a person as regards to other series I totally get where they're coming from: but Xenonauts exists, and from what I can tell they should just play that.    … Expand
  56. Ormegasm
    Mar 27, 2017
    10
    Coming back to this game after playing the second one, it is a tighter experience overall and does not need mods to give it a feel of pressure like in XCOM 2.
  57. Laer
    Mar 14, 2017
    7
    ¿Quieres un buen juego de estrategia, "difícil" y con una buena historia?, este es tu juego.

    Es complicado hacer un análisis de un juego de estrategia (sobre todo para un amante de este genero) ya que hay muchas cosas de las que hablar, pero intentare abreviar para no alargarme demasiado, pero siempre tocando cada uno de los puntos que considero esencial. Historia: Una historia, que    ¿Quieres un buen juego de estrategia, "difícil" y con una buena historia?, este es tu juego.

    Es complicado hacer un análisis de un juego de estrategia (sobre todo para un amante de este genero) ya que hay muchas cosas de las que hablar, pero intentare abreviar para no alargarme demasiado, pero siempre tocando cada uno de los puntos que considero esencial.

    Historia: Una historia, que sin ser muy original, cumple muy bien con su función.

    Control: Normalmente es excelente, pero tiene algún que otro problema cuando se trata de altura (quieres a un personaje arriba pero sin querer pulsas abajo...).

    Variedad: Hay bastantes unidades, tanto aliadas (humanos con diferentes clases, híbridos y robots) como alienígenas (tanques, voladores, guardianes, atacantes,etc), además de variedad de armas, armaduras y mapas.

    Dificultad: El comienzo es bastante complicado, las unidades mueren muy rápido, tienes malas armaduras y armas, por no decir que no tienes prácticamente opciones en cuanto a las habilidades de las unidades, y se hace bastante difícil que no mueran unidades en un comienzo, pero cuando consigues endurecerlas por los combates y por tener nuevo equipamiento, he de decir que en pocas ocasiones he tenido miedo de perder alguna unidad.

    Repetitividad: No nos vamos a engañar, es muy difícil camuflar la repetitividad en los juegos de estrategia, y aun mas difícil hacer que no sea repetitivo, y este juego... lamentablemente apenas consigue lo primero. Logra mantenerte enganchado durante bastante tiempo probando cada una de las cosas nuevas que consigues a medida que vas jugando, pero una vez que has visto todo te deja una sensación de "vacío", ya que siempre se juega de la misma manera, tener la mejor equipación posible y jugar lo mas defensivo que se pueda.

    Duración de la campaña: Yo he tardado 25 horas para ver y probar practicamente todo lo que ofrece el juego y terminando la historia, no obstante, se puede tardar menos si vas mas rapido, si simplemente te centras en la historia, o por el contario, puedes tardar aun mas que yo si quieres probar y hacer cada una de las cosas que ofrece.

    Multijugador: Esta parte suele ser "importante" en este genero (lo pongo entre comillas por que depende mucho del juego y de la persona que este jugando), y lamentablemente no os puedo decir nada de el, ya que no lo he probado.

    Gráficos: Este apartado es el ultimo por que es el menos importante en un juego de estrategia, pero siempre hay un mínimo aunque este sea bajo. En este apartado el juego cumple, y mucho.

    Todo esto se junta y hace de este un juego de estrategia prácticamente obligatorio para todos los amantes de este genero, he inclusive, es un juego que puede gustar a aquellos que no se suelen acercar mucho a este genero.

    No obstante, considero prácticamente obligatoria la compra de la expansión, ya que si no el juego queda muy vacío.    … Expand
  58. veedub
    Dec 21, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game.
    Love the turn-based strategy.
    Love the strategically scarce resources -- can't buy the stuff you really want (i.e. what you need to build laser and plasma weapons), and can't harvest enough resources to build out everything you want/need all at once. Makes you feel on edge the entire time, unlike its namesake 1990's predecessor in which you could essentially run a    Fantastic game.
    Love the turn-based strategy.

    Love the strategically scarce resources -- can't buy the stuff you really want (i.e. what you need to build laser and plasma weapons), and can't harvest enough resources to build out everything you want/need all at once. Makes you feel on edge the entire time, unlike its namesake 1990's predecessor in which you could essentially run a money-printing manufacturing operation to buy everything you want.

    Love that it's not possible to handle every alien threat at the same time like you could in the game's predecessor. You make your decisions on how to handle what you can based on trying to manage the world's perception of you and what rewards are being offered. Again, puts you on edge the entire game. No sitting back and feeling comfortable.

    Love the story, learning about the aliens' motivation (hint: it's not the classic "harvest the planet" alien invasion story) which also explains why there's a progression of difficulty.

    Scalable difficulty makes the game more accessible, despite the fact that it can get pretty hard even on Easy mode.

    Love "Iron Man" mode -- makes it so you can't just save at good points and load when things go wrong, you have to live with your decisions. Playing that way, even on Easy the game gets really hard.

    Love the squad customization, rank advancement, abilities and team-building strategies.

    The only thing other than occasional glitches that I don't like about the game is that there aren't enough unique stages. Chances are you'll end up doing a mission on the same stage as one you did previously at some point in the game. The stage design is really good -- dispersion of cover, destructible objects, plenty of ground to cover and search for aliens -- but there aren't enough of them. The original XCOM: UFO Defense didn't have that problem, because stages were procedurally generated. I can imagine that would be possible to do while still maintaining the appearance of good stage design, but they chose not to do that. Makes the game feel stale on the second, third, nth run through it.    … Expand
  59. JustSomeGamer
    Oct 8, 2016
    7
    really cool and unique strategy game with a lot of depth. This is a must have for every fan of the strategy genre! It's really frustrating though when you lose that character that you had since the start of the game : (
    And sadly there are also some **** mechanics that can screw you over really easily : /
  60. chilleddragon
    Jul 30, 2016
    9
    My first game in the XCOM franchise and certainly hope it wont be my last. The difficulty can be harsh sometimes or maybe all the time, but that what makes the game better. All in all, a wonderful game.
  61. Skipp3rUA
    Jul 12, 2016
    8
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its addons are de facto re-issue the game UFO Defence game 1993 year edition. Established Firaxis Games and published by 2K new game turned out pretty not bad. The basic details and the scenario were simply transferred from the 1993 year game: as the war with the aliens, turn-based tactics, tactical role-playing elements.
    The mission of the player is protection the    XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its addons are de facto re-issue the game UFO Defence game 1993 year edition. Established Firaxis Games and published by 2K new game turned out pretty not bad. The basic details and the scenario were simply transferred from the 1993 year game: as the war with the aliens, turn-based tactics, tactical role-playing elements.
    The mission of the player is protection the planet from alien attacks, their operations on the ground and in the air. For ground operations under player control will be a special detachment. It is replenished by hiring for the money, so long as you have money and you will have recruits. But a large number of detachment on base senselessly because the operation can only use a limited number of soldiers 5 in the original game; 6 in addon Enemy Within. After successful operations soldiers who took part in the operation may be promoted in rank then become available new options and opportunities. The game has 4 classes of soldiers, -heavy infantry, support, assault, sniper and unique class - psionic - a soldier who has psionic abilities. The soldiers of different classes differently armed and have different skills. What classes to use depends on the player and his chosen tactics. Battle goes step by step: the player and the enemy take turns. During the battle each fighter can perform two actions (move / open fire / reload weapon / etc.). To win, the player has to fulfill the mission goal (to clean the area from aliens, rescue civilians or hostage). Enemy are various forms of aliens - their number, skills and capacity increases according to the game passage. To destroy alien aircraft, XCOM need to buy aircrafts, but unlike the recruits its construction takes time.
    The player has a secret base. In a bunker is a research center, engineering department, a command post, a hangar for XCOM aviation, satellite control center, barracks, etc. The player decides which conduct research, what structures build, what type of equipment use for soldiers who will took part in operation. Project XCOM financed by 16 countries. Due to aliens attack, if XCOM ignore countries request of help, country can leave project. If 8 countries leave project - player lose.
    Since the game is turn-based tactics not possible not to pay attention to the entourage of battles in XCOM. The battles with aliens take place throughout the planet and the question remains, why the location is almost indistinguishable from one another. The same cars, houses, people in Beijing, in London, in Cairo, in Lagos. This is pathetic, seems what game was created not a company with over 100 man crew, but several people who raised money on kickstarter.
    Despite some disadvantages, the game still came worthy sequel to the original game of 1993.

    8/10    … Expand
  62. Baluberda
    Jun 22, 2016
    9
    Long content, all customizable, multiple situations to explore and really well done. Cant raech 10 because it gets a bit repetitive after the hours. Go ahead g2a and try is 5 euros or download the demo
  63. Phabtar
    May 22, 2016
    9
    Just finished. Although must admit It took a while for me. Maybe because I didn't follow what I was supposed to do. Heck I build a foundry and uncovered a whole bunch of upgrades and units I could make only towards the end of the game. By then my soldiers were beefed up so I managed. Gotta give it credit because it was kind of addictive. Great ending too.
  64. gracjanski
    Apr 29, 2016
    8
    I didnt play the former XCOM before, so I came into the game without any previous impacts. But I can understand the critics: unfortunately the game was written for consoles and you can see it on 2 things: the graphics is really old, this is how games looked like in 2010, but not 2012 or 2013. In addition the controlling was not good enough for a PC game.
    If we stay in the negative    I didnt play the former XCOM before, so I came into the game without any previous impacts. But I can understand the critics: unfortunately the game was written for consoles and you can see it on 2 things: the graphics is really old, this is how games looked like in 2010, but not 2012 or 2013. In addition the controlling was not good enough for a PC game.
    If we stay in the negative aspects, I can add some more:
    What annoyed me, was the few informations you get to make decisions. As if the programmer didnt want to overinform us stupid gamers...I needed to look a lot in XCOM Wikia to understand, what effects my decisions will have. In addition you need to load often during a mission, because you never know, if your soldier will have vision after changing your position. This game means a lot of fun in the beginning, but after 15 hours, you see through many mechanism and the missions begin to look similar.

    But the game has some very good sides: The gameplay itself is complex and for me motivating. They present you the story very well und you really want to protect the earth because of the aliens.

    Result: A good game, but you need the addon, because it makes the main campaign much better    … Expand
  65. justanhonestguy
    Mar 29, 2016
    5
    I wanted to like this game but ended up uninstalling after a few missions. I was spoiled by the original. way back when, I suppose, and this game barely pays homage to the original. Yes, it's turn based. Yes, it involves aliens attacking Earth and you sending "custom" squads to defeat them in various locales. Yes, it has limited action/move points per turn and makes good use of "cover"I wanted to like this game but ended up uninstalling after a few missions. I was spoiled by the original. way back when, I suppose, and this game barely pays homage to the original. Yes, it's turn based. Yes, it involves aliens attacking Earth and you sending "custom" squads to defeat them in various locales. Yes, it has limited action/move points per turn and makes good use of "cover" and "oversight" mechanics to determine firefight outcomes. I liked the level design even if I didn't like the style of the graphics, which i admit is entirely subjective and not a big determinant of the real objective value of the game. Yes, the program ran fine on my modest system, and seemed to be technically "clean" in my case. That gets it up to about 40% in my books, but to get higher marks from me, the game has to be clever, engaging, challenging, and most of all fun . I didn't find these things like others did. I found that the game relied more on "cheating" to make the playstyle challenging, rather than a real intelligent A.I. I found it to be frustrating to use the best possible moves, mathematically speaking, only to be defeated at the goal line by unbelievable and "cruel" odds. The choice of "dice-roll" success/failure as opposed to a real feeling of skill impact was the single most frustrating thing for me. I soon found the game to be frustrating rather than fun and ragequit/uninstalled after a particularly unbelievable run of luck on the part of the a.i. destroyed my (better by far) strategy in seconds. It was almost as if the devs were saying "Here, we just rolled boxcars 6 times in a row, and you LOSE, Jack... it's called STRATEGY...." it sounds childish, I know, but my frustration was that personal. Maybe it was just my particular taste, or my gamer's need to feel a sense of fairness in a strategy game, but I didn't like this one too much. Sorry, folks, not quite a pass for me as pretty as the game is. I get the feeling that this is another one of those games that you either "get" or you don't, and I am sorry to say that I don't. I am giving it a revised score of 50% because when i look back on it now, the engine, level design, interface, and game mechanics were quite well done in my view, so there was some skill and effort put into the game for sure, it's just that the fun factor wasn't ever really there for me personally.… Expand
  66. psylife
    Mar 20, 2016
    6
    There is a good game somewhere in there, buried under a thick layer of incompetence. The developer clearly lacked the brain power to flesh out the tactical aspect of the game. They reducedthe tactical formula to a roll of the dice. From a technical standpoint, the game is glitchy, with enemies capable of shooting behind walls, which essentially renders what is left of the tactical aspectThere is a good game somewhere in there, buried under a thick layer of incompetence. The developer clearly lacked the brain power to flesh out the tactical aspect of the game. They reducedthe tactical formula to a roll of the dice. From a technical standpoint, the game is glitchy, with enemies capable of shooting behind walls, which essentially renders what is left of the tactical aspect useless.An embarrassing effort.… Expand
  67. djbarker
    Feb 24, 2016
    5
    Great game on normal difficulty, but at classic and above it's hideously broken and causes bitter anger!
    I've carefully inched my way through a building, clearing it totally, then positionto hit the next room....Then BOOM!!! 3 Thin Men materialise right behind my sniper and one shot him.
    I've thrown battle scanners and they reveal a clear area, with enemies at the far edge. So I advance,    Great game on normal difficulty, but at classic and above it's hideously broken and causes bitter anger!
    I've carefully inched my way through a building, clearing it totally, then positionto hit the next room....Then BOOM!!! 3 Thin Men materialise right behind my sniper and one shot him.
    I've thrown battle scanners and they reveal a clear area, with enemies at the far edge. So I advance, then BOOM, 3 mutons materialise right in the middle of my squad. Enemies shouldn't jump from position to position, it makes it impossible to come up with a battle plan and instead makes you set up a shooting gallery and hope you survive the waves of attack.
    I skillfully and precisely position myself so that a precision grenade opens a killer shot, then interface error makes me grenade my own troops.
    90% arc thrower failing 3 times in a row. The RNG is awful - it feels more like it had to pick every number 1-100 once before it resets. I play poker so I understand chance and this does not feel at all random.    … Expand
  68. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2016
    8
    This game is relly good and really fun. It is a bit different animal than the original from 90s'. But it is cool. It requires a brain. It looks good. It plays nicely. The downsides are a bit limited gameplay in comparison to the original and the need to finish the campaign soon. The game starts to get difficult quite fast, so you are pressed to progress fast. I am not so sure I liked that.This game is relly good and really fun. It is a bit different animal than the original from 90s'. But it is cool. It requires a brain. It looks good. It plays nicely. The downsides are a bit limited gameplay in comparison to the original and the need to finish the campaign soon. The game starts to get difficult quite fast, so you are pressed to progress fast. I am not so sure I liked that. Apart from that, very nice gaming experience. Firaxis made an excelent job in honoring the original classic.… Expand
  69. Tomle1202
    Feb 23, 2016
    9
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown starts like how a good strategy game should start, and thankfully, it ends like how a good strategy game should end. Or at least, some parts of it.
  70. Businessman
    Jan 16, 2016
    6
    This game is decent as a whole, but suffers from hastly development and flaws such as dumbed down mechanics as well as limited options on the RPG side of things. The exciting part comes when you discover your new, good weapons, such as the laser ones and plasma, which are miles ahead your standard balistic weapons as well as leveling your classes for the first time and exploring the newThis game is decent as a whole, but suffers from hastly development and flaws such as dumbed down mechanics as well as limited options on the RPG side of things. The exciting part comes when you discover your new, good weapons, such as the laser ones and plasma, which are miles ahead your standard balistic weapons as well as leveling your classes for the first time and exploring the new skills makes you keep playing it.

    More specifically, some of the features I found sad were, having only 4 classes that are random while only 2-rows of skills to choose from when you levels up. Where's the variety in that if I can't have more stuff to choose for my specialists? After the initial 4 guys that are all scripted to have a different class each, your next rookies are sooner or later gonna receive a class you already got accustomed to. In addition to that, the story is something you expect and not anything different that older alien-related titles.

    Overall an okay experience if you're playing it for the first time, but gets quite boring as you advance on the story as well as on the next playthroughs.    … Expand
  71. anotherplayer
    Jan 8, 2016
    10
    Having played the original UFO, this is like a remake but with much better graphics and gameplay. In my view, this is the best game I have ever played. Really enjoyed the turn-based battle and management aspects of your base.
  72. ComandanteCobra
    Jan 7, 2016
    8
    (English and Italian Review)
    Good strategic game. I played ufo: enemy unknown back in the day and this game is a good successor.
    The fighting system is turn based but is not too deep and runs quite fast. Recomended for anyone not only strategy lovers because the strategy part of the game is not too deep. Nowadays i find it quite cheap for less than 15 Euros or less. Un buon gioco di    (English and Italian Review)
    Good strategic game. I played ufo: enemy unknown back in the day and this game is a good successor.
    The fighting system is turn based but is not too deep and runs quite fast.
    Recomended for anyone not only strategy lovers because the strategy part of the game is not too deep. Nowadays i find it quite cheap for less than 15 Euros or less.

    Un buon gioco di strategia. Ho giocato al vecchio Ufo anni fa e questo capitolo è un degno successore. Il sistema di combattimento è strategico (a turni) ma non troppo complesso...il che permette combattimenti veloci e non appesantisce troppo le partite. Lo raccomando anche a chi non è un patito degli strategici perchè non risulta troppo complesso per i neofiti ma offre comunque soddisfazione a chi mastica pane e giochi a turni. Compratelo: si trova nei negozi ed in rete a prezzi bassi sotto i 15 euro.    … Expand
  73. BinaryRunner
    Dec 29, 2015
    6
    The game feels as "almost finished" - buttons for soldier commands change their position after a command is issued, positioning of camera is sometimes ridiculous even in static moments and nauseating when you try to point with mouse where you want to throw grenade or fire rocket - the viewport moves rapidly and the size of transition seems kind of random.

    The game does not push you to    The game feels as "almost finished" - buttons for soldier commands change their position after a command is issued, positioning of camera is sometimes ridiculous even in static moments and nauseating when you try to point with mouse where you want to throw grenade or fire rocket - the viewport moves rapidly and the size of transition seems kind of random.

    The game does not push you to use all possible technology advances to keep up with aliens, not at the normal level. You're constantly running out of resources and the scientists had nothing to research for about half and a month. The advantage from capturing live alines was quite limited.

    The visual style from research reports is shoddy - no alien picture, no details, no fun.

    The number of equipment slots for soldires is too low - why I shoud choose between a vest (worn on body) a scope (mounted on firearm) and grenade ? Does not make any sense.

    ...    … Expand
  74. pokrishka
    Dec 24, 2015
    8
    Solid tactical game with a strong feeling of retro inspired mechanics. Simple but pretty addictive, this game has brought some emotions up that other games of this generation lack ability of.
  75. iseeall
    Dec 14, 2015
    7
    This is a remake of 1993 XCOM UFO Defense which is very well done yet lacks some strategic depth of the original.

    The good: - in many things, the game tries to stay very close to the original - more alient types, including heavily armored robots - all aliens and your soldiers have new special abilities - more weapon types, including shotguns - great music, some tracks remind Deus    This is a remake of 1993 XCOM UFO Defense which is very well done yet lacks some strategic depth of the original.

    The good:
    - in many things, the game tries to stay very close to the original
    - more alient types, including heavily armored robots
    - all aliens and your soldiers have new special abilities
    - more weapon types, including shotguns
    - great music, some tracks remind Deus Ex Human Revolution
    - great graphics
    - the story is accompanied with many cutscenes and voiced comments from your staff, which helps build drama
    - great detailed tutorial
    - mind control requires the target to be in sight (no more mind controls at the very first turn)
    - you can research additional upgrades to weapons and other things in the Foundry building

    The so-so:
    - 2 action points instead of 50-70 like in the original, soldiers normally just walk once and shoot once. This takes away some depth yet makes you camp less
    - can only take 6 soldiers in a mission instead of 14 -> faster turns but fewer tactical options
    - night missions have the same visibility as daytime ones, no flares -> easier, but micromanaging flares was fun and night missions used to be real challenge
    - a strange cover system: when a mob is behind an edge of a wall, it still can be shot at, yet with a high penalty. Most battlefields are filled with tree logs, groups of stones, stairs-like elevation levels which makes the battles mostly about running from cover to cover and staying on Overwatch
    - critical hits are important -> more randomness
    - soldiers have no stats (which grew from "usage"), instead the game randomly assigns them to specializations (sniper, heavy, assault, support). Specializations offer a few special abilities though
    - after getting max rank ("Colonel"), soldiers won't improve anymore (only psi abilities, if they have psionic powers), which doesn't let you train super-ninzas and forces you to send new soldiers to let them train as well
    - a few new types of missions which are heavily scripted and linear, usually with a turn limit
    - can only build facilities in one base, no storage limit, no ammo -> less micromanagement but feels too casual
    - mobs' facing doesn't play any role: they see equally well all around them, and attacks from behind don't inflict more damage (though usually a mob won't have a covering object behind it and will be considered "flanked")
    - no arctic/desert/jungle maps but many varied urban maps
    - a soldier can take just 1 extra item (e.g.1 grenade) in addition to main weapon and pistol

    The bad:
    - most battles are scripted and not randomly generated. Enemies appear when you pass trigger tiles and take a free move to get behind cover right after they appeared. Some fall directly from above (out of thin air) behind your troops, switching to Overwatch and pinning all your soldiers down. Some will run very close to you, all while you're waiting for their animation to finish. This takes away much strategic feeling as all your battle plans are trampled by script. Worse, it makes playing on higher difficulty or iron man mode pointless, as it feels unfair to lose when you didn't know in advance a scripted situation
    - camera always tries to zoom in on the next selected soldiers which is very annoying if you want to keep camera zoomed out for a tactical overwiev
    - camera sometimes fails to correctly detect the tile under the cursor -> it may take many attempts to open a door with V key (and rotate the camera for that a lot), or sometimes the solder will run to a wrong tile which is on a different floor and visually behind the one you wish to go to
    - if a soldier sees an enemy during movement he doesn't stop and can even lose sight of the enemy by the end of the move (it was the same in the original XCOM but there you could walk tile-by-tile, and in JA2 soldiers stopped when seeing a new enemy)
    - no base defense missions
    - although everything is destructible you can't shoot at objects, except if your weapon misses an alien and hits an object instead, or you throw a grenade or fire a rocket launcher    … Expand
  76. IQDecIined
    Dec 9, 2015
    9
    This is one of my favorite pc titles in years. Mercilessly difficult on higher settings, especially with the Ironman setting (No save-loading).

    Never played the previouits X-Coms, so this one was a surprise. Easy to get wrapped up in this one. Invariably you'll be faced with difficult choices, you may have to sacrifice a soldier for the team, leave one behind in a hasty retreat, or    This is one of my favorite pc titles in years. Mercilessly difficult on higher settings, especially with the Ironman setting (No save-loading).

    Never played the previouits X-Coms, so this one was a surprise. Easy to get wrapped up in this one. Invariably you'll be faced with difficult choices, you may have to sacrifice a soldier for the team, leave one behind in a hasty retreat, or choose which country to abandon to alien abduction and invasion.

    Can be frustrating. You will learn to hate Thin Men if you don't already.

    Some missed opportunities and bugs but the pluses are too numerous to list and outway the detractors.    … Expand
  77. AnnatarYoung
    Dec 2, 2015
    10
    It has been a great many years since I have been so compelled and drawn in to an IP as deeply as I have been with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

    A re-imagining of the classic if infamously counter-intuitive XCOM series, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a highly interactive, highly immersive and surprisingly replayable game with hundreds of hours of gameplay to be had. The story is interesting and    It has been a great many years since I have been so compelled and drawn in to an IP as deeply as I have been with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

    A re-imagining of the classic if infamously counter-intuitive XCOM series, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a highly interactive, highly immersive and surprisingly replayable game with hundreds of hours of gameplay to be had.

    The story is interesting and well-told enough for you to really be drawn in without becoming overbearing or cripplingly long-winded or cryptic.

    Perhaps one of the strangest things about this game though is how strongly you as a player become attached to your troops. Even to the most unimaginative of folks, players can't help but form little backstories and personalities to their characters and care about them as a Commander most likely would.

    The expansion pack also adds a significant amount of content, both in terms of story and in terms of new units and upgrades.

    All in all, this game has done a great job of reviving the dying genre of turn-based strategy and has quickly become not only my favourite game of 2012 but one of my favourite games of all time.

    If you've been curious about the upcoming sequel and wonder if the first game is worth giving a go, I would wholeheartedly shout YES!    … Expand
  78. Magnethead
    Oct 11, 2015
    6
    SO GOOD!...SO TERRIBLE! SO FRUSTRATING!

    The thing about Xcom is that the mechanics themselves are fantastic, they really are. The turn based squad strategy is fun, the overall research/building strategy is fine. The problem lies only in two elements: 1. Difficulty settings. 2. Random Number Generators. Let it be said, if you're fairly casual with strategy and you play this game    SO GOOD!...SO TERRIBLE! SO FRUSTRATING!

    The thing about Xcom is that the mechanics themselves are fantastic, they really are. The turn based squad strategy is fun, the overall research/building strategy is fine. The problem lies only in two elements:

    1. Difficulty settings.
    2. Random Number Generators.

    Let it be said, if you're fairly casual with strategy and you play this game casually on "normal" setting, the game is absolutely fine. No problems there. This review is not for you then, just ignore. That's just not for me.

    If you're very serious about strategy, you'll almost certainly find "Normal" difficulty too easy and "Classic" fitting in general (at least if you're only planning one playthrough). Sounds great, right? Could have been except for one thing: the variance on Classic. Everything is a roll of the dice, which is fine, but the variance is insane. You can do everything right and still lose the game in one brief moment of bad luck. I'll illustrate the problem with this one scenario that actually took place for me:

    Turn 1. Your squad arrives in the woods. You move them into defensive positions just in case you're being charged right off the bat. They're all in cover, they're all in Overwatch (guarding). Three aliens attack, the squad takes down the first one. The second one uses a skill that automatically deals 1 damage, it hits one guy.
    *BREAK* Let me here say that one damage is nothing, it really is nothing.
    So, the guy who got hit with the whopping 1 damage rolls a dice and panics. He panics by turning to his right and trying to execute his friend standing right next to him because... well, who knows. It's the standard panic reaction in this game. He rolls another dice and misses from point blank range. Just can't hit. Well, fine you think, but alas. Behind him is a seasoned veteran, a captain who has seen many battles. He rolls a dice too, he also panics. Now, he has taken 0 damage, he has merely seen one dude take one damage. Well, he handles panic in the same way and decides to execute one of his friends. He chooses your best solider (and medic) and nails her right in the back of the head with a critical hit, killing her instantly. End turn one.
    Turn 2. Bring up menu, quit game.

    Things like this just happen, they just do. You can restart the mission whenever they do, but it wears you out. Or it did with me. Worst thing is, they could fix everything wrong with this game so easily.

    1. rebalance panic.
    2. remove critical hits.

    Just those two things would limit the variance to a degree where the game would feel hard but fair. It's really all they needed to do and then the game would probably be a 10.    … Expand
  79. jetSetWilly
    Sep 22, 2015
    1
    Glad I waited till this game came down to $10. The problem I have with it is that it takes control of my computer, I can't leave the game when I want to. These developers must be complete control freaks. I'm not really seeing anything that hasn't been done and there's just running around the base zooming in and out of crap which could have easily have been done with a simple menuGlad I waited till this game came down to $10. The problem I have with it is that it takes control of my computer, I can't leave the game when I want to. These developers must be complete control freaks. I'm not really seeing anything that hasn't been done and there's just running around the base zooming in and out of crap which could have easily have been done with a simple menu interface. The gameplay itself is ordinary, it only rates well because of the lack of games in this genre. It would be good free but at $10 I feel ripped off because I'm just not enjoying it.… Expand
  80. steddye
    Aug 10, 2015
    8
    Loved this game but:
    enemies do not move until you approach them
    Inventory is gone
    missing some rpg elements
    missions are too similar

    Overall the game is fun and enjoyable
  81. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    9
    A fantastic game, that puts the strategy from Civilization series and management from any type of tycoon game, put in some aliens and the world to take over and eliminate the world, and you've got a fantastic and hard game, I have been waiting to buy this game and I must say it is the best strategy game I've played, although the game does encounter bugs and glitches which may bother youA fantastic game, that puts the strategy from Civilization series and management from any type of tycoon game, put in some aliens and the world to take over and eliminate the world, and you've got a fantastic and hard game, I have been waiting to buy this game and I must say it is the best strategy game I've played, although the game does encounter bugs and glitches which may bother you while playing, its a good game to play… Expand
  82. Luskack
    Jun 4, 2015
    5
    I just wanted to address this, that this game when ever I went into soldier loadout or customisation I could get out of it and had to quit my game. Even if I got sent there to promote the soldier I couldn't get out. I tried every button but it didn't work. I still loved the game but this just makes it "sad" since I want to customise my characters. It's sad. I hope I'm not the only oneI just wanted to address this, that this game when ever I went into soldier loadout or customisation I could get out of it and had to quit my game. Even if I got sent there to promote the soldier I couldn't get out. I tried every button but it didn't work. I still loved the game but this just makes it "sad" since I want to customise my characters. It's sad. I hope I'm not the only one that has experienced this.… Expand
  83. ireviewthings1
    May 19, 2015
    8
    A squad-based tactical game that makes the most out of it's quite simple mechanics. Outside of combat you manage the overseeing operation - a nice peace of micro management between combat missions. Combat is basically cover-based, turn-based and probability-based gameplay. Easy to understand mechanics but the AI will challange you with tactics and numbers. The special thing about XCOM isA squad-based tactical game that makes the most out of it's quite simple mechanics. Outside of combat you manage the overseeing operation - a nice peace of micro management between combat missions. Combat is basically cover-based, turn-based and probability-based gameplay. Easy to understand mechanics but the AI will challange you with tactics and numbers. The special thing about XCOM is the way the game promotes a feeling of significance for every single action you take. whether you move a highly trained veteran soldier from cover to cover while enemies take potshots or choosing the next facility to build or research to undertake.
    Graphics are in a somewhat cellshading style and will age well, though lacking any amazement factor. Sounds are solid and underline the "enemy unknown" atmosphere well.    … Expand
  84. Sinatra
    May 19, 2015
    10
    As a fan of the xcom games I was a bit scared, when I read that the game should become "more accessible" to a larger audience. But what a great job the developers did!!! Still has a lot of depth and is a lot of fun to play. One of the best turn-based-strategy games I know.
    But after playing this game twice, unfortunately there is not much replayabillity
  85. daanelf
    May 1, 2015
    10
    I`ve never spend more hours on a game then xcom on my steam library. This game with the long war mod makes for the best game i have ever played. It is unforgiving and at the same time really enjoyable. I love turn based games and this one is one of the best.

    Reviewers who give this game lower then a 7 should spend some more time with it. Or it might just not be for you. I would suggest    I`ve never spend more hours on a game then xcom on my steam library. This game with the long war mod makes for the best game i have ever played. It is unforgiving and at the same time really enjoyable. I love turn based games and this one is one of the best.

    Reviewers who give this game lower then a 7 should spend some more time with it. Or it might just not be for you. I would suggest playing a game that is less demanding and more forgiving.    … Expand
  86. MR67
    Apr 2, 2015
    6
    OK, I haven't played the original XCOM, so you at least won't get to read about me harping on and on about how great it was by comparison with this version. XCOM Enemy Unknown is a fairly enjoyable strategy game where you are in charge of an organization tasked with defending Earth from mysterious alien attacks. You'll be spending most of the game controlling a squad of hand-pickedOK, I haven't played the original XCOM, so you at least won't get to read about me harping on and on about how great it was by comparison with this version. XCOM Enemy Unknown is a fairly enjoyable strategy game where you are in charge of an organization tasked with defending Earth from mysterious alien attacks. You'll be spending most of the game controlling a squad of hand-picked soldiers in various missions where you respond to alien incursions, and amidst all of this, you'll also be trying to manage your HQ and building up your resources while trying to keep your member countries happy by keeping their panic levels from getting too high, as well as trying to find out the ultimate reasons for the alien invasion.

    Pros:
    - Game plays smoothly and has been entirely bug-free for me over about 40 combined hours of gameplay or so. Not a single crash that I can remember.
    - Fun building up and developing a squad of soldiers with specific skills to suit your strategy. Fancy playing with two support soldiers, one a dedicated medic and the other a rifle jockey? Or a tank type assault soldier with 3 long range snipers backing him up? Go ahead!
    - Ironman mode is a nice extra challenge for people like me who don't believe in reloading from a previous save when a mission fails. This allows you only 1 saved game slot which automatically updates during the game and only allows you to save when exiting the game.

    Cons:
    - Limited number of maps for missions. There are a couple of forest areas, city areas, spaceship areas, factory areas, and that is about it. Maybe about a dozen different maps in total. No map randomization. Gameplay tends to get quite repetitive after a while, primarily for this reason.
    - Tedious movement in some areas. Some maps, like the inside of large alien spacecraft, have long empty corridors which can be an absolute pain in the butt to move all 6 of your soldiers along turn by turn. Some areas also have multiple levels which mean your soldiers are obscured by the floor from the level above until you scroll the mouse down to their map level to view them properly. When your soldiers get their next turn, the display has reset itself, meaning you have to scroll your mouse to view the level your soldiers are on again. Aarrrghhh!
    - Little freedom to play as you choose, as you have to advance the current date in the game and wait for events to happen first before responding to them. Panic levels high in the UK and you need to do something to reduce them? Tough. You can do squat about that unless you happen to get a specific mission there, such as an alien abduction to respond to. The game also forces you to follow the main storyline as soon as possible as the missions start to get more difficult (and repetitive) fairly quickly, so you are often left feeling a bit rushed throughout the game.
    - Limited soldier development and loadout options. Apart from cosmetic appearances where you can change the colour of their outfits and their haircuts etc, there is little to distinguish one Colonel-ranked sniper from another. Soldiers can be from a number of different countries yet all speak perfect English with a nice American accent (I believe this was addressed in the DLC XCOM Enemy Within though).There are only 2 skills you can generally choose each rank (sometimes just 1) and inventory is ridiculously limited to just a few slots, mostly for weapons and 1 extra slot for the backpack, which will typically be for a grenade, medkit or protective vest. A couple of the soldier classes grant an extra backpack slot at higher levels but that's about it. What makes it more frustrating is that the game mechanics do not allow you to retrieve gear from any fallen soldiers during a mission. Urgently need an extra grenade or medkit and your dead buddy just happened to have both in his backpack? Tough.
    - Unbalanced difficulty levels. The game has 4 difficulty levels - easy, normal, classic and impossible. Most people will play on normal or classic. The problem is that normal gets too easy after playing for a little while and classic is too difficult. All the aliens get bonuses to their aim and critical hit chances in classic mode and tend to one-shot your soldiers, especially in the early part of the game.    … Expand
  87. amontillado
    Feb 22, 2015
    7
    Overall: a good game but certain core mechanics stop it from being a great game. It is repetitive and in the late game it can become monotonous fending off an easy alien attack while waiting for a research project to get done.

    At times glitchy, the pacing is affected in both tactical and combat situations when short cut scenes play everytime your character misses or scores a critical    Overall: a good game but certain core mechanics stop it from being a great game. It is repetitive and in the late game it can become monotonous fending off an easy alien attack while waiting for a research project to get done.

    At times glitchy, the pacing is affected in both tactical and combat situations when short cut scenes play everytime your character misses or scores a critical hit. It's good for when you're in between games or want to do a casual tactical game. Otherwise, it doesn't present enough challenge, variety, or smooth gameplay flow to make it a strong, day in, day out game.    … Expand
  88. dj_cole
    Feb 19, 2015
    7
    Xcom enemy unknown is the newest addition in the Xcom series. While it remains a solid tactical squad based strategy game, it does not live up to the lofty presence of the original Xcom.

    The series, for those unfamiliar with it, is based on leading a secret covert operations group, known as Xcom, as it attempts to secretly defend earth from an alien invasion. The game does allude to all    Xcom enemy unknown is the newest addition in the Xcom series. While it remains a solid tactical squad based strategy game, it does not live up to the lofty presence of the original Xcom.

    The series, for those unfamiliar with it, is based on leading a secret covert operations group, known as Xcom, as it attempts to secretly defend earth from an alien invasion. The game does allude to all of this being top secret, which seems a bit ridiculous as you play through the game, but that doesn't really matter to the gameplay. You act as supreme commander of the Xcom project, managing and building up a base of operations, sending out satellites to detect alien presence, managing the happiness of funding countries, researching and leading squads of up to six soldiers into battle that can then be leveled up as they gain experience.

    The game, like any other game, has evolved with its modern iteration. It is a sharp, fun and responsive squad based strategy game that has streamlined a lot of the annoying micromanagement features of past games, but has also simplified things and put a cap on squad member leveling up. It is a more accessible, but simpler game than past generations. That is good for the casual player, new to the genre but a detractor to seasoned players who enjoy the complexity.

    The game, in the most basic sense, plays like this. You have a base that you expand with various modules that you can build into your secret mountain hideaway. As you research new technologies new modules open up for upgrades or more efficient research. You launch satellites to gain funding from the various nation groups across the globe and to spot alien incursions. When incursions happen you deploy a squad of soldiers into a tactical, squad based "seek cover and advance" type gameplay that dictates a methodical approach to combat. As missions are failed or ignored panic will rise. Victories reduce panic. There are a handful of main story missions for advancing the game that are unlocked by certain milestones in the game, but the vast majority of missions are procedurally generated battles with aliens. There are basic research items, but as you kill aliens and do autopsies, capture and interrogate aliens, or shoot down and capture alien ships more research items are unlocked to gain better weapon and armor and new gadgets.

    There are four basic classes. Assault, heavy (machine gunners), snipers and support (medics) which each have their own skill trees that you can utilize as they level up. All four classes are needed across the game to face different situations. Medics to stabilize downed squad members, snipers to provide cover, heavies to deal huge damage in short bursts and assault troops to act as front line combat soldiers.. Later in the game psionic abilities are added which add some more variety to your soldiers, but psionic abilities are rare and only have three tiers.

    The aliens you face are variations on a few base models, but the variations offer enough change that the game continually changes and evolves as you proceed. New challenges are thrown at you every few missions that force you to think more carefully about how you combat the alien menace.

    The game looks good. It won't blow anyone away. It has its own style, but nothing that really sticks out as uniquely distinct. The technical side of the graphics are good enough and slightly better than your run of the mill top down game. Sound effects are well done and add to the experience and the voice acting is well done with squad members reacting to the battle.

    The controls on the PC are very easy to work with. Consoles are also surprisingly good, though moving the cursor around with the joysticks can be slow. The iPad controls are cumbersome and you can end up moving soldiers to areas you don't mean to because you have to press an area twice to move there.

    If you like squad based strategy games you I would highly recommend Xcom, even in its simplified version. If you don't like strategy games I would say Xcom probably isn't for you. The game can be pretty brutal, and may frustrate you as your favorite squad members are killed. Overall, a good game for strategy fans that may fall a bit on the simple side for veterans of the genre.    … Expand
  89. wishanem
    Feb 18, 2015
    9
    If you've never played a turn-based tactics game, this is the one to pick up. The difficulty options allow for anybody from a total amateur to a hardcore expert to have a well-balanced experience. It isn't too short or long either, and has enough randomization that someone who loved it could replay the game and love it all over again.

    The story isn't much to write home about, and the    If you've never played a turn-based tactics game, this is the one to pick up. The difficulty options allow for anybody from a total amateur to a hardcore expert to have a well-balanced experience. It isn't too short or long either, and has enough randomization that someone who loved it could replay the game and love it all over again.

    The story isn't much to write home about, and the characters are little more than sketches, but there's enough game here to please anyway. I also with there had been a bit more variety in the units (both friendly and hostile) as well as the mission types, but I'm sure that the inevitable sequel will have those things.    … Expand
  90. Wazzles
    Feb 5, 2015
    9
    To put it succinctly, PLAY THIS GAME. I came into this game not knowing exactly what to expect, and I was absolutely blown away. this game is incredibly fun and addictive, with excellently nuanced gameplay. If you mess up in this game, it is your fault. The game almost never cheats you out of a victory. I can't say it enough: play it. Play it. PLAY IT.
  91. praXis
    Feb 2, 2015
    6
    Constant crashing to desktop, a nonsensical save game order, uselessly fast and clunky mouse wheel scrolling, a WAY overcomplicated menu traversing process to obtain one simple piece of information, and occasionally glitchy camera spoil what is still a decently fun turn-based strategy game. Great quality models, animations, maps, music, and gameplay mashed together into somethingConstant crashing to desktop, a nonsensical save game order, uselessly fast and clunky mouse wheel scrolling, a WAY overcomplicated menu traversing process to obtain one simple piece of information, and occasionally glitchy camera spoil what is still a decently fun turn-based strategy game. Great quality models, animations, maps, music, and gameplay mashed together into something resembling a playable game by confused utter incompetents that obviously struggle with basic logic and the simplest fundamentals of interface design make scoring this game very challenging.
    The elements that are great are really impressive, but the stupidly bad elements are tooth-grindingly frustrating. Whoever supervised and approved the incredibly clunky HQ UI and obviously piss-poor coding that causes persistent grief throughout needs to be removed from the video game industry immediately and forever.    … Expand
  92. sanremo
    Dec 5, 2014
    8
    Great game EXCEPT that in making strategically planned moves, the percentage calculator seems waaay off.. do these guys know what 65 or 75% actually means? almost all the time my guys (professionally trained soilders) can't hit the broad side of a barn to save their lives. I consistently see 6 of them miss a target at near point blank range. this happens far too often.. only to see themGreat game EXCEPT that in making strategically planned moves, the percentage calculator seems waaay off.. do these guys know what 65 or 75% actually means? almost all the time my guys (professionally trained soilders) can't hit the broad side of a barn to save their lives. I consistently see 6 of them miss a target at near point blank range. this happens far too often.. only to see them killed because you had expected and planned on the fact that they could hit at least some of the time.. my only gripe about this game, the rest is good… Expand
  93. NecroMnemic
    Dec 4, 2014
    2
    Okay... really fast review, because there is no point in investing any more time in anything related to that game.

    The game just plain sucks. The combat is trivial and boring, there is no depth to it at all. Whoever designed the enemies and the overall combat system should stick to coloring books. The UI feels like some bad console port and is miles behind... hm.. let's say Chaos Gate -    Okay... really fast review, because there is no point in investing any more time in anything related to that game.

    The game just plain sucks. The combat is trivial and boring, there is no depth to it at all. Whoever designed the enemies and the overall combat system should stick to coloring books. The UI feels like some bad console port and is miles behind... hm.. let's say Chaos Gate - a game nearly 15years older. You are constantly bothered with - rather ugly looking - cut-scenes, that only deliver no real information - or information that could've the player in a much better way.

    Seriously, combat - **** building a base - boring, cut-scenes - annoying, graphics - okay-ish at best... the overall design of the game is just plain bad.

    Oh and btw. I am not familiar with the previous games of the xcom series, so this is not a disappointed fan boy rant, but I genuinely rate this game 2/10, because it sucks.    … Expand
  94. BioAlchemist
    Nov 24, 2014
    8
    A solid turn based strategy game that i am glad to see/play. Solid customization features. You definitely get attached to your squad so you definitely get upset when they get killed which is how it should be. Not overly complex which some may like and others not, but you can definitely ramp the difficulty up until it is painful.
  95. ratface
    Nov 21, 2014
    6
    It's an OK game. I guess it's the modern, console version of a great game. As such it's limited by the user interface and the attention span of its target market. Squad size is maxed out at six, and that feels difficult to manage with the 'click x to select next soldier', instead of clicking on his portrait. Research is very limited compared to the original. You are stuck with one baseIt's an OK game. I guess it's the modern, console version of a great game. As such it's limited by the user interface and the attention span of its target market. Squad size is maxed out at six, and that feels difficult to manage with the 'click x to select next soldier', instead of clicking on his portrait. Research is very limited compared to the original. You are stuck with one base and it does not get attacked.

    The tactical game is fun. Stances are gone and cover is much more important. Much better here than the likes of Aftershock. The balance is poor. On normal difficulty it's much too easy. On classic it's too hard.

    Not terrible but not great. Worth getting if it's on sale and you are bored.    … Expand
  96. Klewer
    Nov 17, 2014
    8
    A highly enjoyable and strategically strong game borders on being perfect aside from some annoying glitches and bugs. Fans of the turn based action games will enjoy and those looking for a challenge will love it.
  97. sinadoom
    Nov 13, 2014
    6
    Having never played a turn-based game, I decided to take the plunge into XCOM after seeing so many positive reviews for it. At first, the experience was ecstatic. I clocked in over 20 hours' playtime in a weekend! I was expecting the gameplay to be very dull, not accessible and for all the base management to be confusing and overly complex. But I was wrong - this game couldn't be any moreHaving never played a turn-based game, I decided to take the plunge into XCOM after seeing so many positive reviews for it. At first, the experience was ecstatic. I clocked in over 20 hours' playtime in a weekend! I was expecting the gameplay to be very dull, not accessible and for all the base management to be confusing and overly complex. But I was wrong - this game couldn't be any more accessible and easy to get into. I loved the simplicity of the mechanics but the depth that it could present the player with. In terms of combat and variety in soldiers, aliens, customisation, level design etc. Enemy Unknown is fantastic. You will never play the same map twice, which is highly impressive - especially given the variety of areas. You really feel a sense of control and importance - the theme of being a commander during a time of crisis is portrayed nicely without being mundane. Every action, every turn, every decision feels meaningful. And that's perhaps the best thing one can say about this game. Later on however, you realise the flaws in its design.

    Now, I'm the kind of gamer that likes perfection - I will restart until I get the result I want. Naturally, this isn't well-suited to turn-based games. Although I highly enjoyed the concept of XCOM and its gameplay, some design decisions and bugs make the game unplayable without the so called "save-scumming" tactic. The most noticeable issue is that of finding the aliens. The fog of war is so thick, your soldiers have to practically walk within a few tiles of the enemy to see them. But this is the real kicker: THEY GET TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THEIR TURN! So many times I have been cheated by the game because I spent about 3 turns dashing forward not finding any enemies, and all of a sudden I move ONE TILE forward and a bunch of them appear out of nowhere and surround me DURING MY TURN! This is clearly unfair and really takes away from the tactical element. It's just plain cheap and bad design; although it's not game-breaking most of the time so I can cope with it. The second major issue I have is line of sight and chance to hit. I find that the percentage you see is almost compeltely random and counter-intuitive. So many times I have moved my soldier to a tactically better spot to increase my chances of hitting the enemy, only to lose sight of them or to lower my chances. Whoever did the calculations for hit percents clearly didn't test it in practice - there are so many ridiculous examples where you're next to the enemy and miss yet can have a high chance of hitting them from obscure angles and, in rare cases, through walls! Having played fast-paced action games for so long, the idea of turn-based combat did seem ridiculously novel at times. I mean, you can target an enemy that's directly behind another enemy but not hit the one shielding your target. The visual representation of the combat is horrific at best. Oftentimes, the games will show plasma on your character even if the alien missed you but it shows that it hit, and vice-versa. It's as if the graphics/UI team had no communication with the gameplay designers and those that code the mechanics. The camera issues in this game are inexcsuable. Especially for levels with verticality and those inside buildings, the isometric design really exposes how bad of a job the developers did of using Unreal Engine 3. First of all, framerate drops. Then, when you try to select your units or point to where you want them to go, it keeps moving about or there is so little consistency between what you see on screen and what's actually going on. It's kinda hard to describe, but once you play the game you'll see plenty of minor bugs and the occasional major one (e.g. my Hover SHIV got stuck in a wall and couldn't move). I have read reports of corrupted saves and problems with the autosave feature too.

    Although XCOM is an unpredictable game, it is still linear in progression. It also has some scaling issues with the campaign; where you get all the awesome gear and have a kick-♥♥♥ base with the best weapons, jets, armour, research etc. only to be able to use them for a couple of missions before the end. In the latter half of the game, I had full satellite coverage and was drowning in money I might as well have wasted it. In early game, resource management feels really important and meaningful. Towards the end, you just sit on your wealth and can't really use your resources to help you further in combat. Although I think that's my playstyle. Indeed, XCOM is perhaps the best attempt I have encountered when it comes to balancing progression rewards with length of game.

    Overall, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a game which convincingly sells the concept of Turn-Based strategy to those unfamiliar with the genre. However, the quality of its in-engine execution is shody and at the micro-mechanical level, it's almost broken. In terms of design and its vision, XCOM EU is ingenius. It definitely has replay value.    … Expand
  98. rajdeepslather
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    This is a brilliant strategy game that no fan of the genre, especially fans of turn based games, should pass up. The easy and normal difficulties make the single player portion of the game new-player friendly, while the classic and impossible difficulties, combined in the Ironman (autosave only) option transform this game into one of the most tactical and challenging experiences everThis is a brilliant strategy game that no fan of the genre, especially fans of turn based games, should pass up. The easy and normal difficulties make the single player portion of the game new-player friendly, while the classic and impossible difficulties, combined in the Ironman (autosave only) option transform this game into one of the most tactical and challenging experiences ever created.

    But i dont like that they dont support mods very well and force you to play the game their way    … Expand
  99. Mosstromo
    Nov 9, 2014
    9
    Review of the "Elite Edition" (MacOSX)
    Turn-based strategy games are something of an outcast class in the present game developing environment. No publisher seems keen on investing in these. Firaxis, with their well known pedigree of impecable and all-consuming strategical games, changed the "Outcast" part for "Outclass" in this wonderful modernization of the future (of a past game).
    THE    Review of the "Elite Edition" (MacOSX)
    Turn-based strategy games are something of an outcast class in the present game developing environment. No publisher seems keen on investing in these. Firaxis, with their well known pedigree of impecable and all-consuming strategical games, changed the "Outcast" part for "Outclass" in this wonderful modernization of the future (of a past game).
    THE GOODNESS GALORE
    They managed 3 things I think vital: There is no need to be a fan or have played XCOM to like this game; if you are an XCOM fan you will recognize and understand the changes made to this game; and they adapted TBS to be a heart-thumping bonanza of action kickasserie! (without sacrificing any of the methodical rhythm needed and cherished by fans of the genre, such as myself).
    All-around graphics are of a very high calibre. Detailed environments and creature models bring the world to life, ample customization make your troops feel unique in a way even more profound I have found on some (pseudo) RPG games, a well set tone and story development more than submerge you totally integrate you with the plight of a world facing a patently undefeatable enemy, unless you organize your meager initial resources (men and women, tech, money and time) to mount the best counterattack Earth are capable of, and give humanity at least a fighting chance.
    The game has been streamlined in the right places, such as merging facilities, limiting the size of your team to a 6-man squad more than the sometimes unwhieldy 20-unit troops, but vital aspects such as difficulty, strategy requirements and complex interactions between your resources are still gratifyingly intricate.
    Replayability is enormous, with 4 different levels of difficulty and the discenrning-masochist prefered choice: Iron Man. Which means you have nothing but the game's AutoSave to finish the campaign, therefore every choice you take is uncheangeable, so the stakes get so high they're airplane hazards.
    Best thing about the Mac version? The game is a stand-alone unit, so no need for any Steam nonsense (although you will get all the usual iTunes or AppShop foolishness if you buy the app or iOS version.)
    The game is fortunatelly very stable, so don't worry too much about crashes or glitches since there are only a few, but, as with any game, it's not free of issues...
    THE NAUGHTY BITS
    The environments will get "samey" on further playthroughs since maps will be re-used. There are no attacks on the XCOM base, which would have given Enemy Unknown such a thrilling level of added desperation to your already fragile situation. Some clipping will take place generating cheap deads on your team (or on aliens too for that matter, devaluing your efforts a bit) when they get detected, thus shot, through roofs or sturdy walls, which is not a big deal on most cases except on "Iron Man" where you depend so highly on not screwing up. The aircombat is primitive and uninvolving, and would've benefited the experience (and maybe the story) if it included more than basically just wishing your pilots well by clicking one button at a certain moment.
    CONCLUSION
    But these grievances have no real impact on wheather you should buy or not this game. You MUST. Earth and the TBS market demands it that you do... to give them a chance to survive.    … Expand
  100. Amiga1200
    Nov 7, 2014
    10
    The first time I tried this game I couldn't understand the way the combat worked and that was because I looked at the game the same way I looked at the classic. My second attempt was much better as I finally grasped what was going on. The game is very good and climatic. The combat system is somewhat simplified in comparison with the classic but it came out as an advantage. What I dislikedThe first time I tried this game I couldn't understand the way the combat worked and that was because I looked at the game the same way I looked at the classic. My second attempt was much better as I finally grasped what was going on. The game is very good and climatic. The combat system is somewhat simplified in comparison with the classic but it came out as an advantage. What I disliked in the classic was looking for the last alien that hid somewhere on the map. Here you do not have to do that. Game progression is fantastic. Besides random maps you got fixed missions, which makes game more attractive - you did not have this choise in classic. You can make your soldiers to become cyborgs or enchance them biologically. Each soldiers class is needed and this is a great improvement over the classic title where you could get ultimate killers good at everything. Here you got soldiers that can be achieved only at their profession, which is sensible attitutude. Graphics and animations are quite pretty. I beat the game and I feel like coming back once again to this title to play the campgain once more. I hope they will make another title in the franchise. I am really looking forward to it.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PC Game of 2012
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    88
    Is it better than the original? No. One can’t imagine X-Com 2012 being an all-time-classic and people still playing with it, months from now (let alone, years). Is it a ‘true’ X-Com game, however? Definitely. Remorseless geeks are in for shivers and swoons when they meet their beloved foes: mind-controlling sectoids, zombifying Chrysalids, Cyberdisks, Ethereals… [December 2012]
  2. Armchair Empire
    Dec 18, 2012
    95
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a worthy tribute to its progenitor and hopefully the start of something brand new for players who've been dying to get a good squad-based strategy game that lets them not only think, but feel as well.
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  3. Hyper Magazine
    Nov 14, 2012
    90
    Amazing tactical complexity, satisfying strategic depth; slightly dodgy ending, but your own stories are more important anyway. A modern classic.
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