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. mess888
    Oct 27, 2012
    4
    There are good things and bad things in this game but bad things overwhelm the good ones:

    -the choice of reducing the party to 4 members at start is too much restrictive, this also aggravates another problem with the randomness of the game, losing a man is too easy in the early game with a lucky alien hit and with so few men, losing 1 is much much important -the choice of having so    There are good things and bad things in this game but bad things overwhelm the good ones:

    -the choice of reducing the party to 4 members at start is too much restrictive, this also aggravates another problem with the randomness of the game, losing a man is too easy in the early game with a lucky alien hit and with so few men, losing 1 is much much important

    -the choice of having so few hp on your men is very bad and makes the game less strategic and tactical since every situation is basically dead or alive, they should have implemented more partial hits, injuries to legs and arms and stuff like that, and less criticals and coma and instant death

    -maps are too small and linear and once you understand them you lose a lot of feeling of the old xcom, it seems all much scripted

    -the strategy and managerial part of the game is basically absent, once you figure out the 2 3 best moves to do the replayabilty is nearly 0, you have to manage your base in the same boring way, and also so many structures are useless

    -research is very boring and linear, and since its not balanced you basically can research everything without putting any effort into it

    So in the end the tactical combats are decent, and fun for a while but the lack of strategic elements makes the game fall down soon and there are really not many reason to play again like there were in the original xcom, it feels like it is a one time adventure.    … Expand
  2. xcomlite
    Oct 28, 2012
    6
    I'm a huge fan of the original game, and I just finished the Enemy Unknown campaign in about 40 hours of game play. I enjoyed one play through, but I probably won't replay it. As a stand-alone game, I would rate this as a solid 8, but as a continuation of the X-COM series, it's a 6 at best. For my money, this game is worth about $15-$20.

    "X-COM lite" is probably the best description I    I'm a huge fan of the original game, and I just finished the Enemy Unknown campaign in about 40 hours of game play. I enjoyed one play through, but I probably won't replay it. As a stand-alone game, I would rate this as a solid 8, but as a continuation of the X-COM series, it's a 6 at best. For my money, this game is worth about $15-$20.

    "X-COM lite" is probably the best description I could come up with. In 18 years (that's right, 1994 b**tches!!) since the original game was released, they've made no serious progress towards a better game mechanics. Other than the graphics, I can't find any aspect of this new X-COM game that is better than the original. Every aspect of the game has been dumbed down and hollowed out to the point of making it almost foolproof. Thanks for not letting me fail, my self esteem has never been better thanks to this game. But seriously, all the developers had to do was take the original game, add modern 3D graphics and they'd be done - instant classic reborn for the 21st century. Instead they had to tinker with the mechanics of the game in some serious ways to make it "easier" and more "accessible". I get it, the original X-COM was not the most user friendly game to play, but ultimately it's complexity was part of the reward of the game. It was a lot more fun to save the world when you were fighting as the underdog, and every little action made a difference when things were in the balance.

    You kiddies have fun with your little 6 person platoon. Back in my day, we'd regularly go into battle using this little craft called the "Avenger" that could shoot down the biggest ships and carried a 26 person platoon ready to deploy at the crash site. Now get off my lawn you kids!    … Expand
  3. smudgey
    Nov 20, 2012
    2
    Terrible game, full of glitches and annoying AI tactics. The main flaw being the "2 turn" system in battles. Because making any movement takes a full action, scouting is almost impossible without alerting whole squads of enemies unless you move forward 1 tile at a time. This means you do not get a chance to react to any enemies you encounter, in fact the enemies get a free turn when theyTerrible game, full of glitches and annoying AI tactics. The main flaw being the "2 turn" system in battles. Because making any movement takes a full action, scouting is almost impossible without alerting whole squads of enemies unless you move forward 1 tile at a time. This means you do not get a chance to react to any enemies you encounter, in fact the enemies get a free turn when they enter your vision resulting in unfair situations were they'll move TWICE as far as they should be able to, while you sit there unable to take shots until the aliens have spread out and disappeared. Worse yet is when the aliens scout for you, if they come across you on their own turn THEY GET TO GO AGAIN. This results in many ambush situations you could never predict. When a melee character can kill you in 1 or 2 hits, you'll be screaming as you watch him clear the entire map to walk right up and kill your men that are hiding behind useless cover. Speaking of cover, it's almost 90% destructible as well meaning even in well placed areas all they'll have to do is attack you once to destroy your protection and another for guaranteed hits leaving your only option to never use any area you think might break apart. This is an issue because the aliens have you greatly outnumbered and you can't have yourself wasting turns attacking walls while they can. The camera system is garbage too, walls are only see through while your mouse is over them and good luck grappling onto roof tops, the camera only elevates 3 levels so climbing inside ships results in the game being unable to tell where you want to go usually pointing you towards the floor below you (this isn't a problem in more open maps but very frustrating for snipers). All in all, this game would be so much better if the battle system wasn't so grossly in the enemies favor, even playing on normal mode expect to constantly lose men or be forced to quicksave every turn. (Speaking of saves, autosave doesn't save at mission start AND saves every time someone dies or takes damage. So when you want to avoid mistakes, you must make sure to reload IMMEDIATELY before it overwrites your auto save in 1 or 2 turns).… Expand
  4. apexearth
    Dec 27, 2012
    2
    After about 3 hours of my life into this game I cannot go on with it. The art, ridiculous. Who throws grenades the size of a mango? That's not practical. Who holds guns half the size of their body? These guys, apparently. I feel like I'm playing a child's game but filled with gore and guts. Perhaps they're only targeting child-like adults with this game, Even the dialogue was terrible andAfter about 3 hours of my life into this game I cannot go on with it. The art, ridiculous. Who throws grenades the size of a mango? That's not practical. Who holds guns half the size of their body? These guys, apparently. I feel like I'm playing a child's game but filled with gore and guts. Perhaps they're only targeting child-like adults with this game, Even the dialogue was terrible and made me want to vomit. I really did not like this game and I never really played the old XCOM series either so I'm not running any sort of comparison between them. I don't understand what other people see in this game. It may have been good for them, but I definitely don't plan on hanging around wasting my time... Perhaps I am too logical a person and have "been there" and "done that" far too much to enjoy this game.… Expand
  5. BeardtobeFeared
    Apr 3, 2013
    4
    Picking up weapons/medkits from fallen comrades, throwing weapons to eachother, psi abilities, crouching, different types of firing (scatter shot/aimed shot/burst fire), an inventory system for every player...

    These are just a few of the things XCOM EU has left out of their game, and it seriously suffers from replayability for that. I about uninstalled the game when I found out I    Picking up weapons/medkits from fallen comrades, throwing weapons to eachother, psi abilities, crouching, different types of firing (scatter shot/aimed shot/burst fire), an inventory system for every player...

    These are just a few of the things XCOM EU has left out of their game, and it seriously suffers from replayability for that. I about uninstalled the game when I found out I couldn't take a medkit from my critically wounded medic to heal him.

    While the original was difficult and hard to get into, Enemy Unknown suffers from the opposite end of the spectrum endlessly 'streamlined' gameplay with very few paths or strategies to win the game    … Expand
  6. mrmaps
    Dec 17, 2012
    1
    A well polished turd.

    Just like Fallout 3, just like Civ V, XCom Enemy Unknown looks great with smooth gameplay, and is boring as hell. If you know the original , this lame copy of the truly great original Xcom is not worth a jewel case purchase next year. The scenarios are way too easy, the multiplayer system is a joke, there is just non of the startling surprises and sneaky tactics    A well polished turd.

    Just like Fallout 3, just like Civ V, XCom Enemy Unknown looks great with smooth gameplay, and is boring as hell. If you know the original , this lame copy of the truly great original Xcom is not worth a jewel case purchase next year. The scenarios are way too easy, the multiplayer system is a joke, there is just non of the startling surprises and sneaky tactics that made the original such a fun game. If this is what major game review sites rank in the upper 90%, I'm only buying used games from this point forwards.forwards.    … Expand
  7. Slackerboy
    Oct 22, 2012
    2
    Go in knowing that this game is designed to make you feel as much pain as they can, as a result the difficulty curve is nuts. You will go from all silly easy missions where you take almost no damage at all to an endless series of losing your whole team forcing you to reload saves over and over until you work out some way to beat the mission.

    If you are attracted to games that require    Go in knowing that this game is designed to make you feel as much pain as they can, as a result the difficulty curve is nuts. You will go from all silly easy missions where you take almost no damage at all to an endless series of losing your whole team forcing you to reload saves over and over until you work out some way to beat the mission.

    If you are attracted to games that require replaying the same level 10 times in a row, then this is your game. If however you do not like being hit in the face with a hammer this is not your game.    … Expand
  8. Gomez
    Jan 16, 2013
    4
    In the near future when aliens invade earth and start destroying everything they find you get put in charge of earths last stand; an organisation called Xcom. You get given a secret underground base which you are constantly expanding in order to combat the aliens from here you can send out satellites (which will track down enemy UFOs), build facilities, launch fighter planes (to take outIn the near future when aliens invade earth and start destroying everything they find you get put in charge of earths last stand; an organisation called Xcom. You get given a secret underground base which you are constantly expanding in order to combat the aliens from here you can send out satellites (which will track down enemy UFOs), build facilities, launch fighter planes (to take out UFOs) and send out troops to different parts of the world. As you progress further through the game you will find out more about the aliens and eventually travel to their mother ship and take out their leader.
    Xcom is a turn based strategy game in which you use guns to combat an alien threat which also includes blood so 12 is a pretty accurate rating for this game. The game can get very addictive when you play it and can leave you playing for hours but it can also be extremely frustrating at times for example if all your best troops get shot or if the games physics make no sense what so ever (unfortunately this happens quite a lot). Xcom can make you very angry at times but it can also improve your knowledge in strategic thinking over time.
    The gameplay of Xcom is a turn based strategy with simple movement and shooting based on chance the problem with the game is that there is so many glitches to do with the animations and objects in the world for example I have shot through solid objects way to many times to be just a glitch that they forgot about and the chances of shooting aliens make no sense whatsoever for example if you shoot at an alien behind heavy cover while standing right next to him you will not have as much chance as if you where shooting at him from behind while standing miles away
    My verdict on this is that it is a good game to play if you want to play for a long while if you don    … Expand
  9. omegaoftime
    Nov 6, 2012
    6
    Firaxis's reboot of X-COM streamlines much of the old mechanics in the original game, but the result is a mixed bag as it's plagued by many bugs that affect the overall enjoyability. Having clocked about 97 hours on the Steam version, what was an enjoyable experience starting from normal mode became frustration as I spent more time with the game. Some of the frustrations I've experiencedFiraxis's reboot of X-COM streamlines much of the old mechanics in the original game, but the result is a mixed bag as it's plagued by many bugs that affect the overall enjoyability. Having clocked about 97 hours on the Steam version, what was an enjoyable experience starting from normal mode became frustration as I spent more time with the game. Some of the frustrations I've experienced so far were enemies that teleported in and out of view at the end of a turn, SHIV (tank-like units) that get stuck or can't shoot, line of sight issues, and rocket launchers not hurting target is just a taste of the what's to come. Although not gaming breaking on easy and normal modes, these bug heavily affect game play on classic mode where you can lose entire squad due to any of the above. For example in my classic playthrough, I often get three or more enemy groups teleporting in front of my squad and wiping them out (this happens often).

    Also, the way the game decides on your chance of hitting is finicky and broken. You can miss often when your shot chance is 75%-100%. If your shot chance is 50%, don't expect to land any shots at all. Having an MBA and taking more than enough math courses (and statistics) for several lifetimes, it makes you scratch your head why you sometimes fail to connect on even 85% chance to hit shots. I've never had problems with other games that rely heavily on chance (like Final Fantasy Tactics) before until now. Even the original X-COM was fair in determining chance and probability.

    All in all, the game is enjoyable when the game engine decides to behave itself. However, I would not recommend paying full price for this game until Firaxis decides to patch up the bugs. You should be relatively fine if you play on easy or normal modes. But if you play on any other modes, expect to see severe bugs and broken game mechanics often.    … Expand
  10. Mohawkie
    Nov 29, 2012
    0
    At the time of submitting this review there was 629 positive reviews and 87 negative reviews, this will be the 88th negative review, I dont know how 629 positive reviews made it in here, probably newcomers that never experienced the pioneer legend that is the original XCOM. the xcom remake from Firaxis released in 2012 is an insult, it is a cash grab, it does not honor the originalAt the time of submitting this review there was 629 positive reviews and 87 negative reviews, this will be the 88th negative review, I dont know how 629 positive reviews made it in here, probably newcomers that never experienced the pioneer legend that is the original XCOM. the xcom remake from Firaxis released in 2012 is an insult, it is a cash grab, it does not honor the original game, is is a husk of the former game. In several interviews, dev blogs and news updates the devs clearly stated they were going to improve on the initial game, that they were fans of the original, they knew what fans wanted and had been listening to them for years etc, and bla bla bla their life was changed because of that XCOM original ALL LIES, all hype built to increase sales. Talk about apples, apples apples apples and more apples, and on the day of release they effin release an ORANGE. They exploited the XCOM name to make themselves rich, they simplified everything and took customization away from the original, this game was rushed to the market, and is not worth it, do not buy this game, replay value is nil, streamlined storyline, linear to the max, very very dissapointed, damn you greedy cash grabs STOP ruining legendary masterpieces, 629 positive reviews ? are you guys on crack ?… Expand
  11. Demonbox
    Nov 2, 2012
    5
    So (35 years old lover of the original here) how is this game?
    This game is not so bad as someone described it, still be assured, this is NOT your old XCOM.
    What i found very bad? The AI is more like an AS (Artificial Stupidity) and tries to compensate by cheating, hitting 100% and dealing tons of crits (not making the game harder btw, just annoying), is this THAT bad? Yes 'cause leaves    So (35 years old lover of the original here) how is this game?
    This game is not so bad as someone described it, still be assured, this is NOT your old XCOM.
    What i found very bad? The AI is more like an AS (Artificial Stupidity) and tries to compensate by cheating, hitting 100% and dealing tons of crits (not making the game harder btw, just annoying), is this THAT bad? Yes 'cause leaves no feeling of strategy... in a wannabe strategic game, the aliens will always behave like stupid, just they hit you more often and harder.
    You can ONLY equip 1 main weapon (only the one fitting for the class the game chose for yr soldiers), 1 side weapon and 1 (or 2 if you unlock certain perks) grenade/Medikit/Stunner/etc.
    The campaign is way too scripted, i tried as hard as i could to make it last longer (squeezed 70some hours out of 2 games classic+impossible) but that just means grinding mission after mission (after a while they start repeating).
    I only listed the bad aspects of the game, so why a 5? 'cause for a while you can have some fun with this alien game... For a while, then you will put it on yr shelves and leave it there forever and go back to the old (real) X-COM.    … Expand
  12. Triggerhappy
    Nov 22, 2012
    5
    A very mediocre turn-based console game. Read some of the negative reviews before purchasing, and take my word as a decade-long tactical games fan: this game offers NOTHING new. Nothing at all. There is absolutely NO reason to play it. Actually, I believe that even an RPG like Dragon Age: Origins had more of both strategic and tactical choices.
    Very dissapointing, unbelievably overpriced.    A very mediocre turn-based console game. Read some of the negative reviews before purchasing, and take my word as a decade-long tactical games fan: this game offers NOTHING new. Nothing at all. There is absolutely NO reason to play it. Actually, I believe that even an RPG like Dragon Age: Origins had more of both strategic and tactical choices.
    Very dissapointing, unbelievably overpriced. Oh, and the voice acting is atrocious. Borderline criminal.    … Expand
  13. xian
    Oct 31, 2012
    6
    A squad of soldiers in turn-based battles against evil aliens. This concept worked in 94/95 and still works today. I always liked the theme in XCOM. Defending against an alien invasion, doing autopsys, researching new weapons, equiping your soldiers, fly out into the night and show those alien greenheads out the door - it was fun in the old games and it's still fun in Enemy Unknown. TheA squad of soldiers in turn-based battles against evil aliens. This concept worked in 94/95 and still works today. I always liked the theme in XCOM. Defending against an alien invasion, doing autopsys, researching new weapons, equiping your soldiers, fly out into the night and show those alien greenheads out the door - it was fun in the old games and it's still fun in Enemy Unknown. The downsides: I don't want to give the narrative about console ports on pc again, but... here it is: mediocore graphics, simplified game mechanics, slowly responding interfaces, reduced tactical complexity tue to reduced control options, cheesy cut-scenes, railroaded storyline...

    The bright side: Only a few minor bugs at release (positive thing... I'm old...), no major balance problems. Nice story and technology concepts.

    Enemy Unknown is not a bad pc game and it's not one you will remember in two years either. But it's still a pleasant experience to play and probably worth your money.    … Expand
  14. DoctorFoxhound
    Nov 2, 2012
    6
    The game is gorgeous due to both exceptional graphics and design. I loved the turn-based combat and really enjoyed leveling up my crew with gear and skills.

    I'm giving this game a score of six mostly because of it's low replay value. I had a similar experience to some other reviewers in that I was obsessed with this game when I first got my hands on it, but after about 25-30 hours into    The game is gorgeous due to both exceptional graphics and design. I loved the turn-based combat and really enjoyed leveling up my crew with gear and skills.

    I'm giving this game a score of six mostly because of it's low replay value. I had a similar experience to some other reviewers in that I was obsessed with this game when I first got my hands on it, but after about 25-30 hours into it I got really sick of it... I no longer felt the need to upgrade my crew because they already felt maxed out, the environments and missions did start to feel repetitive, and pretty quickly I ran out of things that seemed worth researching in the lab. Despite having so much fun in the first days of owning it, I really can't see myself stomaching another playthrough.

    All of this being said, Xcom is a great game and for a lot of people, 25-30 hours of grade A, engaging game play is worth the price of admission. My only recommendation might be to wait until the game goes down in price if you are looking to pay 50 bucks for a game you can sink dozens and dozens of hours into.    … Expand
  15. antarem
    Nov 9, 2012
    6
    review for russian speakers people.
    Это хорошая игра, но XCOM 94го года в был в разы лучше. Все что    review for russian speakers people.
    Это хорошая игра, но XCOM 94го года в был в разы лучше. Все что разработчик смог улучшить это графику. Все остальное стало хуже. Что больше всего раздражает: теперь в игре нет такого понятия, как пуля - реального физического объекта; есть понятие попал - не попал.(никаких больше случайных убийств шальными пулями) Никакой разрушаемости в игре нет, пули пролетают сквозь двехметровые стены. Как вообще в ТАКТИЧЕСКОЙ игре можно было так наплевать на реализм. В общем кто не играл в первую xcom, советую это сделать, вы сами поймете, какая новая xcom получилась отвратная, благо что ее можно купить в steam, не заморачиваясь с dosbox'om.    … Expand
  16. Welgar
    Feb 8, 2013
    6
    You can't help but compare this game to the original two XCOMs. Pros:

    - Improved graphics with some nice visual effects (like over-the-shoulder view etc.) - Operatives' classes and special abilities - Innovative combat system (cover/flanking, two-stage movement) - Storyline of sorts Cons: - Strategic (globeview) part became silly and boring: you are limited to one base;    You can't help but compare this game to the original two XCOMs. Pros:

    - Improved graphics with some nice visual effects (like over-the-shoulder view etc.)

    - Operatives' classes and special abilities

    - Innovative combat system (cover/flanking, two-stage movement)

    - Storyline of sorts

    Cons:

    - Strategic (globeview) part became silly and boring: you are limited to one base; items are manufactured immediately; you can't sell what you've produced; moreover, many items are free and unlimited (like grenades or standard guns); basically you just assign research and build a few base facilities, the rest can be done right before a mission.

    - Few things to research and manufacture: only one advanced type of interceptors, several laser and plasma guns, a few armours, and some special items.

    - No inventory manipulation

    - Often unrealistic battle situations: e.g. chance of hitting an alien almost doesn't depend on distance, or you may stand just one step away from a high wall and be considered "exposed" from that side.

    - Overall, many things in the game don't seem logical/realistic. How is it possible that it takes 8 days for a few eggheads in my lab to research some mysterious crazy alien technology and immediately come up with blueprints for a new weapon (which the engineers will make for me in no time)? Or what is the connection between having satellites over three African countries and 33% increase in budget? And besides, where are all the other countries? Why don't I ever have missions there? It all makes role-playing quite difficult.

    - The game is short and not so replayable. It took me 28 hours of play to win the game while reading carefully every research report and being sometimes too strategic and cautious. And since you have a very linear story, you don't want to start over and hear all the same stuff again. I expected more.

    All in all, though the game, at least its tactical part, is still interesting and fun, it feels more like a simplified and cut-down version of the original XCOMs. Apparently, 2K will introduce more features as DLCs (something Microprose couldn't back in 1990s), which may be the reason for producing this game as it is.    … Expand
  17. Bolzen
    Dec 15, 2012
    0
    The game looks good. But that´s it. This is not a X-Com game at all. You can clearly see, that its made for console. Nearly every strategic element was erased. And to make it worst. The maps are not randomly generated. So you have to play the same maps again and again and again and again.... and again and again and again ... zzz ZZZ zzz ... and again and again and again and again...The game looks good. But that´s it. This is not a X-Com game at all. You can clearly see, that its made for console. Nearly every strategic element was erased. And to make it worst. The maps are not randomly generated. So you have to play the same maps again and again and again and again.... and again and again and again ... zzz ZZZ zzz ... and again and again and again and again... zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ... and again and again .... zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz .... and again .... zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZzzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZzzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZzzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZzzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZzzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz ZZZ...… Expand
  18. RadarE33
    Dec 5, 2012
    5
    A game with excellent potential... just poorly executed. Playing on normal difficulty is adequate enough for overlooking the mass majority of the issues that plague this game, but upping the difficulty makes its glaring flaws all the more apparent. First things first: This game is uses a combat system that is similar to Fallout 2, with the addition of a cover based system to help yourA game with excellent potential... just poorly executed. Playing on normal difficulty is adequate enough for overlooking the mass majority of the issues that plague this game, but upping the difficulty makes its glaring flaws all the more apparent. First things first: This game is uses a combat system that is similar to Fallout 2, with the addition of a cover based system to help your troops not get shot. Naturally this might sound awesome, right? Well... unfortunately Firaxas and 2K couldn't spring for half decent AI that seeks to employ superior tactics. They opted instead to give the AI bonuses to aim, health and critical hit chance on the higher difficulties. This turns the game from a test of intellect and tactics to seeing if you can avoid getting steamrolled by dimwitted, cheating AI that kills your soldiers from half way across the map, with full cover to boot. Get used to that cause its going to happen. A lot. And when it does, your dopey soldiers (the "best of the best", as the game describes them) will panic, freak out and either run into enemy fire, hunker down in front of enemies, wildly shoot at them, or my favorite, shoot at your guys with surprising accuracy; another thing that's lacking from the best and brightest the world has to offer, as they can't barely hit the broad side of a barn. Yet they can kill your own troops with ease when panicked. These two companies, having a vastly warped sense of "turn based combat" will ensure that two things happen if you go scouting. 1. Upon spotting an enemy group, the enemy will get a free turn to position themselves against your soldier, DURING your turn, or 2. Your soldier will idiotically charge to where ever he or she was told to go instead of pausing to ask for new orders. This ensures your troops get slaughtered pretty quick, even with hunker down/ overwatch combos. If that isn't bad enough, cover is as durable as wet toilet paper, meaning that when you get shot at your cover will either crumble or catch fire, exposing you to a follow up barrage or forcing you to high tail it away from the vehicle/whatever, leading to a storm of plasma fire. Don't get me wrong; I like the fact that the scenery is destructive and can blow up. Its more that the devs wanted to inflate the sense of "difficulty" by stacking the odds against the player, rather than taking time and effort to create an AI that gives the player pause when it humbles them with strategy and tactics. The strategy element has some good elements to it, having to manage panic, finances and supplies. The problem is that what could have been a great strategy element is is reduced to something much more simplified and dull. Countries will freak the hell out if you bungle a mission, regardless if you managed to put a huge dent in alien forces before dying or rescuing a VIP/butt load of civilians in the process; they'll count as dead if you die. Either you kill everything in sight or you fail the mission, period, despite the fact that your mission (in about half the cases) is to stop terror attacks or protect VIP's. Partial credit would be nice (as was evident in the old XCOM games) but has given way to that CoD mentality; everything has to die no matter what, even in the face of objectives or feasibility. When the **** hits the fan (and it will), nations in the same continent will start to panic big, even though they didn't get attacked. The funding (something that wasn't an issue in the old XCOM) is scarce and serves only to once again, inflate the difficulty, despite the fact that you are the "last, best hope of humanity" and would naturally get loads of cash to do your job (see: the old XCOM). Because of requirements for even the basic of facilities, you could find yourself crippled if you opt for cash missions to purchase satellites, weapons, armor, or new troopers, all because the Dev's were too lazy to include a "personnel requisition" option that was present in the old XCOM. Worse yet is the fact that you can't sell any weapons or items you craft to council members; you're stuck with them. If you're lucky, a nation may ask to get that tech off you, but instead of negotiation they just tell you what you'll get. Gone are the days of being a dealer of all things alien. The story itself is good in the beginning but starts to fall apart once you research Psionics. In regards to the setting and logic behind R&D, it is truly laughable. Instead of reverse engineering alien tech and creating weapons that use materials from your own damn planet, you're forced to rely on alien materials (of which don't exist on Earth) to construct alien weapons that rely on... alien power sources. Humanity is well and truly boned if this is how we'll fight the aliens; if XCOM dies, everyone's back at square one. I don't even like the old XCOM and regret it's purchase, but I saw the potential for a truly awesome game. Sadly, it looks as if we'll have to wait for the realization of that potential, cause it isn't here.… Expand
  19. fifty
    Dec 27, 2012
    3
    Funny thing this game. I've loved most of the franchise so far.. but thing is, this game feels updated in some ways (nice graphics), but the distinctly no-choice approach to many things makes it a bit difficult to feel engaged in and certainly feels like a step back from some of the previous outings.
    To pin down my gripes:
    1. The "hidden council" made me feel distinctly disassociated    Funny thing this game. I've loved most of the franchise so far.. but thing is, this game feels updated in some ways (nice graphics), but the distinctly no-choice approach to many things makes it a bit difficult to feel engaged in and certainly feels like a step back from some of the previous outings.
    To pin down my gripes:
    1. The "hidden council" made me feel distinctly disassociated from events.
    2. from my play throughs the plot is liner - it doesn't matter what you research or what order the end game is either win or lose. and your choices to that point make no difference.. moreover no 'prologue' endings.. what a missed opportunity to give you the illusion of having had choice and giving you replay incentive.
    3. the game chooses your characters classes for you! :(
    4.equipment and even research choices feel very limited.

    So to sum, whilst I don't want to say 'too simple'... that's what I was left feeling.. A good game in here if only they'd added a bit of plot, personality and detail of choice to it.    … Expand
  20. Iconoclast2112
    Nov 5, 2012
    0
    A dumbed down console version of one of the greatest games ever. And it fails to even come close to matching the original design with its shallow strategic layer, gimmicky and repetitive tacticals, and missing critical content that was a hallmark of the success of the original. How the developers could have missed the clue boat when the original was there to be studied is beyond me. IA dumbed down console version of one of the greatest games ever. And it fails to even come close to matching the original design with its shallow strategic layer, gimmicky and repetitive tacticals, and missing critical content that was a hallmark of the success of the original. How the developers could have missed the clue boat when the original was there to be studied is beyond me. I would be ashamed to have my name associated with this piece of fluff.… Expand
  21. Band33to
    Nov 7, 2012
    0
    No, no, no, no, NO! This game is terrible. 'Requires some brains and patience?!' said the USA Today. Hahaha This game is a very limp, vapid and pale imitation of the original. There is not depth, nor emotional connection to the characters and limited control akin to painting by numbers. This is a very real and very sad representation of what the games industry is all about today.No, no, no, no, NO! This game is terrible. 'Requires some brains and patience?!' said the USA Today. Hahaha This game is a very limp, vapid and pale imitation of the original. There is not depth, nor emotional connection to the characters and limited control akin to painting by numbers. This is a very real and very sad representation of what the games industry is all about today. Very similar to Hollywood. REBOOT! 'Hey what happened to the character development of the original?' 'Charawhat kid? Look at the explosions!!'
    'Yeah but the original had depth and a story line to it'
    'Depth? Look at the boobs on that generic female co-star' Pathetic.    … Expand
  22. suneater
    Nov 30, 2013
    5
    People who bash Dark Souls for its "Artificial Difficulty" haven't played Enemy Unknown. This game takes a well known PC series and consolifies it, dumbing down the base building to a single base, dumbing down the soldier customization into locked equipment slots with a shallow skill tree, and dumbing down the combat into praying you don't get flanked by enemies who get free turns and statPeople who bash Dark Souls for its "Artificial Difficulty" haven't played Enemy Unknown. This game takes a well known PC series and consolifies it, dumbing down the base building to a single base, dumbing down the soldier customization into locked equipment slots with a shallow skill tree, and dumbing down the combat into praying you don't get flanked by enemies who get free turns and stat bonuses. On Normal difficulty the game is too easy, with enemy AI being dumbed down... yet on Classic difficulty they get free accuracy and critical hit buffs. Ironman Mode is unplayable because one year after launch and there are still frequent bugs and crashes that will count your mission as a loss after you restart the game.

    While you definitely get your money's worth with EU's lengthy campaign, be prepared for a lot of frustration due to your troops getting one-shotted regularly in the early missions, 3 marines missing their overwatch shot in the same turn on the same enemy, your troops shooting each other while panicked (in cover!), and not being able to hit the broad side of a barn until your unit is so kitted out they look like a Space Marine from W40k.    … Expand
  23. demongoat
    Oct 27, 2013
    6
    tl;dr good game built on bad foundations, possibly wrong devs lots of bugs, heavily simplified, base game mechanics broken, but still a lot of fun

    XCOM is a series known for its difficulty, encouraging players to use tactics to defeat a considerably more powerful force. Though it's had some 'rocky' games in the past, the original was met with critical acclaim for breaking a lot of    tl;dr good game built on bad foundations, possibly wrong devs lots of bugs, heavily simplified, base game mechanics broken, but still a lot of fun

    XCOM is a series known for its difficulty, encouraging players to use tactics to defeat a considerably more powerful force. Though it's had some 'rocky' games in the past, the original was met with critical acclaim for breaking a lot of ground in the Turn-Based Tactics genre. For its time, UFO Defense: Enemy Unknown was very well developed, with cover mechanics bringing a whole new level of tactics.

    Since the release of UFO Defense, there have been a total of 9 games released to the series, with XCOM: Enemy Unknown being the 8th. One would think it safe to assume that great strides have been made to the gameplay since 1994, a grand 18 years ago at time of release. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

    XCOM: EU's improvements are decent updated graphics bring the immersion up noticeably, nice customization options to personalize your troops plus gameplay has been streamlined to accommodate for console releases.
    However, the issues are also numerous. Poor QA testing has left many bugs even a year after its release, a large number of features were removed for 'streamlining' (I assume), and the continuation of relying on RNG to decide the outcome of a match flying in the face of 'tactics'. Cover has little effectiveness, accuracy issues meaning a point-blank shot can display a 20% chance to hit, repetitive mission mean a player can lose interest quickly and a lack of randomly-generated maps removes a whole level of dynamic gameplay.

    What is interesting is that, despite these glaring issues, XCOM: EU is still a lot of fun to play. For that I have to give it merit it's clearly a very good game, but I wonder how much that has to do with it being part of the series.

    On my Realistic Review Scale it gets a 4, slightly below being an average game due to some glaring faults.
    However, on the Metacritic Scale where an 8.5 is average, I'll have to give it a 6.

    A very good game marred by poor design decisions and QA but isn't that the tune of strategy these days?    … Expand
  24. Gixian82
    Jun 22, 2014
    6
    While nice looking and shiny on the first look and obviously fun for a lot of today's players, for anyone who grew on the old 1994, the new one is flat, shallow, repetitive and soon boring. I know the old game was not perfect, and a lot of micromanagement there was unnecessary, but still the remake is far too simplified and streamlined. While it looks like a strategy game, beside theWhile nice looking and shiny on the first look and obviously fun for a lot of today's players, for anyone who grew on the old 1994, the new one is flat, shallow, repetitive and soon boring. I know the old game was not perfect, and a lot of micromanagement there was unnecessary, but still the remake is far too simplified and streamlined. While it looks like a strategy game, beside the tactical combat (which may or may not suite you), there is no strategy involved in the game at all, as outside the tactical missions the game is fully scripted and ignores how good or bad you do. Anyone looking for a true XCOM game have much better choices around than this one.… Expand
  25. truthmonger
    Oct 22, 2012
    2
    Firaxis really dropped the ball, even more than they did on Civ V. The NPC dialog is like a bad 80's cartoon, the game is unbelievably limited - I've played free games that had more options, more realism and more depth. The alien designs are either stolen from other games or are just plain stupid. Seriously, wait till you see the ravagers...you'll think you're back in Dranei land! AndFiraxis really dropped the ball, even more than they did on Civ V. The NPC dialog is like a bad 80's cartoon, the game is unbelievably limited - I've played free games that had more options, more realism and more depth. The alien designs are either stolen from other games or are just plain stupid. Seriously, wait till you see the ravagers...you'll think you're back in Dranei land! And you'll learn to hate those f*#kers because until you develop the most powerful armor there is no defense against their TWO instant kill attacks. Oh and did I mention that its impossible to get the jump on enemies because they dont roam around..they just wait like land mines till you find them. Then they just keep flanking you, and if they cant they hide and wait for you. There's no stealth abilities. Hell you can't even carry multiple grenades until you've gottten 3 or 4 promotions!! This game is beyond stupid, its NOTHING like XCOM. The graphics look like something from 2003, the controls are flaky and the camera will make you wanna kill yourself. And if by some miracle you can actually win against the uber-cheating AI, you'll get the weakest ending since ME3. DO NOT BUY.… Expand
  26. N8_2
    Jan 22, 2013
    8
    Having played the original XCOM when it was first released, in my opinion this new version has ironed out the annoying and unnecessary aspects of the original. Does anyone else remember how irritating and buggy the original was? My only protests: the absence of HQ invasions, the low variety of missions, and the level of creepiness and fear that an alien-themed game should have is lowerHaving played the original XCOM when it was first released, in my opinion this new version has ironed out the annoying and unnecessary aspects of the original. Does anyone else remember how irritating and buggy the original was? My only protests: the absence of HQ invasions, the low variety of missions, and the level of creepiness and fear that an alien-themed game should have is lower than I would like.… Expand
  27. greenpLayer
    Oct 27, 2012
    1
    I was looking pretty much forward into playing this game as it woke memories from the past. I pre-purchased from Steam and went on to play as soon as it was launched.

    The game has really nice graphics, only it has so many bugs I am currently stuck at the base after playing the tutorial. Reading 2k games forums, I am not alone. Its a big bummer to pay 50 EUR for a game and not get past    I was looking pretty much forward into playing this game as it woke memories from the past. I pre-purchased from Steam and went on to play as soon as it was launched.

    The game has really nice graphics, only it has so many bugs I am currently stuck at the base after playing the tutorial. Reading 2k games forums, I am not alone. Its a big bummer to pay 50 EUR for a game and not get past the tutorial.

    I have emailed steam, notified 2k games and never got a reply. Well my friendly suggestion to anyone is wait until price drops to 5.99 or the game is fixed because if you are unlucky enough to run into a bug your game is over.    … Expand
  28. Diablo3sux
    Oct 20, 2012
    2
    They turned the franchise into a boring action-only game for consoles. No more strategic decision, game is dumbed down. If you liked the two predecessors do not even give it a try, you would be disappointed.
  29. SittinginBasket
    Oct 23, 2012
    5
    A fair game, with interesting gameplay and visuals. However, the game lacks in story-depth and suffers from the lack of attention and story-telling after the first half of the game. The game has extremely little variety in choices and missions. Research and interrogation is extremely simple and short-lived, without adding much to the story, and is quickly forgotten. The best items can beA fair game, with interesting gameplay and visuals. However, the game lacks in story-depth and suffers from the lack of attention and story-telling after the first half of the game. The game has extremely little variety in choices and missions. Research and interrogation is extremely simple and short-lived, without adding much to the story, and is quickly forgotten. The best items can be attained early in the game, and research and production no longer have a function in the late game. Missions are extremely repetitive, and will force you into completing the same missions over and over again with absolutely no variety. Ending is extremely disappointing, and again drops the ball with story-telling when compared to the first half of the game.… Expand
  30. teh_pastor
    Nov 6, 2012
    0
    This game makes a point of everything that is wrong in the current game industry today. You create game and for maximum revenue the game is created for multiple platforms, thus the game are limited to the limitations of the poorest platform. Yes the beloved Xbox or Playstation. XCOM deserves so much more that XBOX and Playstation.

    Yes the name is almost the same, graphics are nice,    This game makes a point of everything that is wrong in the current game industry today. You create game and for maximum revenue the game is created for multiple platforms, thus the game are limited to the limitations of the poorest platform. Yes the beloved Xbox or Playstation. XCOM deserves so much more that XBOX and Playstation.

    Yes the name is almost the same, graphics are nice, sound is nice but the nice things stop there. The rest of the game is poor at best, but utter **** is a more suiting word for it. Back in the good old days, a company name MicroProse released a tactical strategy game that was challenging on every department. The game play was way before it's time, and like Doom it was responsible countless clones that never actually could compete. There was only one Xcom, the rest of the clones, although some were quite enjoyable, none of the could ever compete with XCOM: UFO Defense.

    This "new" XCOM lacks everything the old game had. From tactical movement, to base building, to interactions. In short almost everything XCOM was, except for the name is lacking in this release. My recommendation, if you enjoyed XCOM: UFO Defense and spent countless hours replaying the game stay away. If you haven't played XCOM: UFO Defense before, don't even bother. This game is nerfed down to the limitations of the XBOX and Playstation. In short, this game rates as close to zero as one can get.

    Nerefed down review: STAY AWAY! Firaxis and 2k games don't deserve our hard earned cash for this crap.    … 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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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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