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. fanest
    Jul 3, 2013
    10
    Fantastic game 9.5/10.
    It has good story, great character progression, excellent gameplay and good replayability.
    Missions offer great tactical challenge to everybody who love to employ their tactics and strategy in approaching and eliminating enemies. Turn based system fits perfectly into this and never before have i played turn based game which offers so many smart tactical decisions    Fantastic game 9.5/10.
    It has good story, great character progression, excellent gameplay and good replayability.
    Missions offer great tactical challenge to everybody who love to employ their tactics and strategy in approaching and eliminating enemies. Turn based system fits perfectly into this and never before have i played turn based game which offers so many smart tactical decisions and i played many :D!
    When not on missions u are given control of XCOM base where u plan constructions, researches, craft items etc. all to help u in your fight against alien invaders. All this involves smart strategic approach for your enemy is strong and far more advanced than u.
    To those who like all mentioned above and are prepared to dig in recommend classic difficulty. Have FUN!    … Expand
  2. MorganFreeman
    Jan 28, 2013
    10
    While aliens invade the world, an organisation called XCom takes place to make a stand against them. You find yourself as the commander of Xcom. This organisation establishes a base on the earth wherever commander wants. At this base, there is a whole facility you are responsible of. It has almost every opportunity to produce newer technologies. Engineers, scientists, soldiers work by yourWhile aliens invade the world, an organisation called XCom takes place to make a stand against them. You find yourself as the commander of Xcom. This organisation establishes a base on the earth wherever commander wants. At this base, there is a whole facility you are responsible of. It has almost every opportunity to produce newer technologies. Engineers, scientists, soldiers work by your commands. You can enlarge the facility by making new rooms. And soldiers, the best part of game: You can even become their godfather. Name them, create their faces, hairs, their armors. Just like a Role-Play-Gaming. By every single killing of an alien, you collect their materials and by researching these materials your facility is able to produce alien technology. Yes! You can shoot aliens by their own weapons. Your scientists research alien technologies, your engineers produce your own weapons that developed by alien technology. You can give these expensive weapons to the soldiers you choose. With all these researches and RPG themes, you will feel there would be an invisible bond between you and your soldiers. Besides you try to save the world, you also try to save your soldiers' lifes on the battlefield by making smart moves every turn. The unique thing about the game is playing "turn by turn." Every single turn you have limited move changes. Each turn, first you make your moves and afterwards aliens (cpu) do. You can choose to make your soldiers move, shoot or use a special ability in every turn. About that special abilities, you can be sure Xcom has surprises for you! Walkthrough is not straight, It is all up to you. The places where are seen alien activity are random regions every time you play. Incidents occur randomly. Graphics are good, musics and sounds are fair. There are some little bugs i faced of. However they can be ignored. If you like both strategy and role-playing-games, Xcom: Enemy Unknown is for you.… Expand
  3. RottenRanger
    Feb 1, 2013
    10
    This game is awsesome! The best remake i´ve ever seen.
  4. adokretz
    May 17, 2013
    10
    Where to start.... First of all, don't let the fans of the old X-COM scare you away, they are just angry that this game isn't an exact remake of a game they remember from when they were young. This is a new generation and this game is MUCH more entertaining than the old game it is inspired by. X-COM: Enemy Unknown is incredibly various in gameplay, player choices and story progress. YouWhere to start.... First of all, don't let the fans of the old X-COM scare you away, they are just angry that this game isn't an exact remake of a game they remember from when they were young. This is a new generation and this game is MUCH more entertaining than the old game it is inspired by. X-COM: Enemy Unknown is incredibly various in gameplay, player choices and story progress. You instantly grow an attachment to the crew, and if your favorite soldier gets killed then you'll fi yourself yelling "WHYYYYY" out loud. It's *that* immersive. If you're expecting a copy of the old game from '93 with updated graphics then you'll be disappointed and will probably give this game a bad score and scare away people who would love the hell out of it like I do.… Expand
  5. Seryin
    Jun 6, 2013
    10
    This is the first strategy based game I have been able to enjoy in years. For those complaining about the game not being enough like the original; I dont understand it. This is, imo, the perfect modern incarnate of the old XCOM. We are talking about an 18 year gap between games, it needed the change and they did it very well.
    This game has extremely intuitive features and excellent story    This is the first strategy based game I have been able to enjoy in years. For those complaining about the game not being enough like the original; I dont understand it. This is, imo, the perfect modern incarnate of the old XCOM. We are talking about an 18 year gap between games, it needed the change and they did it very well.
    This game has extremely intuitive features and excellent story and gameplay for a strategy game. I felt involved and driven by the story, and I felt connected to and protective of my soldiers. Good character customization and development.
    The only complaint I can give about this game is that although you can change the skin color and general ethnicity of your characters, you cannot change their nationality and flag. Even though you can change a character from white, to Asian, to Mexican, to African, you cannot change the country he belongs to from, for example, Brazil. They say in the forums it is a prejudiced thing, but I believe the power to change skin color contradicts that claim horribly. This just seriously hinders the amazingly fun ability to create teams of your own imagination. Such as a team of you and your friends, however your best friend Tommy has to be from China, and your brother Chuck was secretly born over the border in Mexico.
    However, the game is an extremely solid 10 for a strategy game. I have never played one more interesting than this one. I must confess before I wrap up that this game possibly gets extra points from me purely based off the fun factor I experienced. It was just fun.    … Expand
  6. Tibster
    Jun 18, 2014
    10
    Loved the game. Just had to write a review to say i gave it a 10 because 2 many ppl give it 0 cus they have no clue about anything. For real its 9 in my eyes. Go play!
  7. JackLantern101
    Apr 12, 2013
    10
    Awesome game Firaxis! I cannot believe that you guys made a turn based strategy game that blows the doors off most of the games that have come out the last few years. Please don't stray from the original design you guys started here with this game and just MAKE MORE!!!
  8. dave-o99
    Apr 19, 2013
    10
    Great fun for X-Com old timers. OK it's not quite as in-depth as it was back in the day, but no games are these days!
    I really enjoyed building up my squad and researching new developments, and of course kicking alien arse in the field.
    We don't get many turn-based squad strategy games these days, so we have to take what we can get, and this is definitely a good effort. Recommended for    Great fun for X-Com old timers. OK it's not quite as in-depth as it was back in the day, but no games are these days!
    I really enjoyed building up my squad and researching new developments, and of course kicking alien arse in the field.
    We don't get many turn-based squad strategy games these days, so we have to take what we can get, and this is definitely a good effort.
    Recommended for old timers and for newbs who want a slower-paced, humorous and fun strategy game.    … Expand
  9. Carnegin
    May 16, 2013
    10
    While never having played any previous XCOM games I can say that this is a fantastic game. A great blend of action, tactics and strategy with some great cut-scenes and storyline thrown in. Is the game dumbed-down and shallow? Not in my opinion. It's got some simplistic elements in the same way that Civ 5 simplified the economy aspects of that series but this XCOM offering should giveWhile never having played any previous XCOM games I can say that this is a fantastic game. A great blend of action, tactics and strategy with some great cut-scenes and storyline thrown in. Is the game dumbed-down and shallow? Not in my opinion. It's got some simplistic elements in the same way that Civ 5 simplified the economy aspects of that series but this XCOM offering should give enough depth for all but the most ardent strategy fan. The combat system would become slightly repetitive but for the constant stream of new unlocks (both in terms of weaponry and abilities) and new enemies. There's also goals to aim towards that advance the storyline.

    If you've played XCOM previously then perhaps this is just not for you as nostalgia may get in the way. For everyone else, this is a fantastic game well worth the money.    … Expand
  10. maros
    Jun 10, 2013
    10
    I have never played any other XCOM game, but this game is fantastic. It is a surprisingly addicting turn-based strategy. Unlike other turn-based strategies, it has more modern graphics. I liked the mission variations, the upgrades system, the base, the action, everything. The game is the highlight of the year for me.
  11. lukemacu
    Aug 21, 2013
    10
    X-COM:Enemy Unknown is one of those really good turn based strategy. Half of the game is spent planning, researching and building in the X-COM HQ and the rest is spent out on the field. However neither fells like a gimmick on the other. In the base you'll feel either excited to use your new tech, or terrified that you could lose more soldiers. In the field you'll long for the time when youX-COM:Enemy Unknown is one of those really good turn based strategy. Half of the game is spent planning, researching and building in the X-COM HQ and the rest is spent out on the field. However neither fells like a gimmick on the other. In the base you'll feel either excited to use your new tech, or terrified that you could lose more soldiers. In the field you'll long for the time when you can get back to base hopefully with a full squad. Since mission are, for the most part randomly generated it has a huge replay value. While the story is a little lack luster there are some good moral moments and the gameplay makes up for it.… Expand
  12. Type4101
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    A wonderful resurrection of a neglected genre, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is simultaneously a breath of fresh air and a nod to a time when games were designed to be fun, not to extract money from customers in an endless parade of overpriced DLC. There are no horrible micro-transactions, no stupid online requirements...just good old-fashioned fun. A full game at a fair price, I can't say enoughA wonderful resurrection of a neglected genre, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is simultaneously a breath of fresh air and a nod to a time when games were designed to be fun, not to extract money from customers in an endless parade of overpriced DLC. There are no horrible micro-transactions, no stupid online requirements...just good old-fashioned fun. A full game at a fair price, I can't say enough about how refreshing that feels! The gameplay could be a bit more developed, XCOM could use more tactical options, and less streamlining....but given the shortage of good turn based games, this one is a true gem. I look forward to a full, robust sequel.… Expand
  13. i0n
    Sep 3, 2013
    10
    Quite simply one of the most engaging, well designed games I have played in years. Even those who don't usually play turn-based strategy games will get something from this. The graphics are slick, gameplay mechanics are polished, and there is nothing else in the genre as refined as this title right now. Outstanding game and I can't recommend it enough. Brilliant.
  14. RazvanClaudiu
    Jun 25, 2014
    10
    If you judge this by how well it is made, it is a complete ten. I've played the entire XCOM series except Terror From the Deep and the UFO Aftermath spinoff. This is the best XCOM game I've ever seen. Yes, it is simplified and streamlined but in a good way.

    However, this game follows the World of Warcraft formula. There is no real end in mind. The game has an ending but you level up to    If you judge this by how well it is made, it is a complete ten. I've played the entire XCOM series except Terror From the Deep and the UFO Aftermath spinoff. This is the best XCOM game I've ever seen. Yes, it is simplified and streamlined but in a good way.

    However, this game follows the World of Warcraft formula. There is no real end in mind. The game has an ending but you level up to level up to get better gear to level up to level up. This creates addiction. The first time I've played it, I've did it for six hours straight and then deleted the game. I've installed it a second time and played eight hours in a day.

    Since then I gave up on it. If you have a lot of time on your hands, it is worth it. It has enough variety to keep you surprised, the level up system is extremely addicting and the story is very good. It combines a techno-military-thriller feel with hunting aliens. Even if the graphics are not that realistic (by design), it has a very strong military vibe to it.

    I wish I had the 50 - 100 hours to finish it (with Enemy Within). However, the second time I've woke up at 02:00 AM in my bed, with my girlfriend sleeping still playing this game, I've realized I've gone too far and deleted it right away.

    As a bonus though, it works great on integrated graphics. Since it is turn base you don't need big FPS but even on an Intel HD 4000 I can play it on low with decent graphics. If you tweak the ini file a bit, you'll gain 15 - 30 FPS right of the bat.

    So it is hard not to give this a 10 / 10 but since there is no end in mind to it, I won't play it. It follows the same formula as Call of Duty, as World of Warcraft, as Civilization 5. And it works. If only this game was released 10 years ago when I had the time for it.

    One last thing, the action is not that hard.

    As long as you equip your soldiers with the right weapons (or better yet, the MEC suits in the expansion which are way overpowered in the early stages) and place them in cover, that's about the entire strategy you are going to get.

    I could place my sniper high or throw a flashbang or ruin their cover with a rocket but why do so?

    It is enough to place three MEC suits in front, three people in cover, preferably the support class that can fire twice after the upgrade and press "1" and "space" for every single one of them. It works for a large section of the game.

    If you follow the instructions, capture the aliens, do the right research, it is hard not to overpower every alien you meet.    … Expand
  15. Serenth
    Dec 1, 2013
    10
    I LOVE THIS GAME.
    I've never played any of the predecessors prior to XCOM Enemy Unknown and this game straight injected addiction into my ready and open veins.
    After I downloaded and started playing..... I.... could.....not.....get off of it. If you like tactical turn based strategy. THIS GAME IS A MUST!!! Only thing I didn't like about it... was there is no auto save feature....    I LOVE THIS GAME.
    I've never played any of the predecessors prior to XCOM Enemy Unknown and this game straight injected addiction into my ready and open veins.
    After I downloaded and started playing..... I.... could.....not.....get off of it.

    If you like tactical turn based strategy. THIS GAME IS A MUST!!!

    Only thing I didn't like about it... was there is no auto save feature.... so pro tip: SAVE OFTEN.
    it'll prevent headaches lol

    GREAT GAME    … Expand
  16. 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
  17. Gamec0re
    Jan 8, 2014
    10
    Just finished my first play through of this game and I have to say it was well worth the money. I picked it up for 10 dollars during the Steam Xmas sale and after finishing it, I would say it's worth full price. If you like turn based tactical games then buy this game. You get to build your force as you like, recruiting your troops, upgrading them through combat and upgrading theirJust finished my first play through of this game and I have to say it was well worth the money. I picked it up for 10 dollars during the Steam Xmas sale and after finishing it, I would say it's worth full price. If you like turn based tactical games then buy this game. You get to build your force as you like, recruiting your troops, upgrading them through combat and upgrading their weapons and armor through research/capturing/killing the enemies. I found the game play on the challenging side, but I enjoy that in turn based tactical games.… Expand
  18. Frost_
    Jan 23, 2014
    10
    I personally didn't like strategy games until i played Xcom:Enemy Unknown.With updated graphic and a nice gameplay.even though it's not a 100% remake of the UFO:EU,It's still fantastic.With improve combat system and tactical system.
  19. Will3700
    Feb 14, 2014
    10
    I love this game, every character you make gets you attached to them, i already have completed it, and its just... BEYOND amazing! I love all the different alien types and i would not be playing it if it weren't for a youtuber!
  20. Jochokilla
    Oct 15, 2014
    10
    Incredible game, I have spent at least 120 hours playing this, people saying it´s "dumbed down" Its because they have not even tried it in impossible with iron man mode enabled, buy this game, I asure you wont regret it.
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    10
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. Bigmano
    Jun 29, 2020
    10
    It's fantastic and highly tactical. The game runs well and the graphics are good.
  30. Bellarmcsb
    Mar 7, 2021
    10
    The perfect, quintessential strategy game, and a classic favorite of mine. I still play this game every year.
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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.
    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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