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. GolovA
    Aug 21, 2013
    7
    It is probably wise to formulate an opinion about a game after all the hype is gone, and mind is more or less free of enhanced commercialism and subjectively stereotypical advertisement which are hypocritically aimed at a “specific consumer group”. With this in mind, let me jump to my opinion of the game “XCOM Enemy Unknown”.
    THE BAD:
    1. I am playing Patch 3, and the game is very buggy    It is probably wise to formulate an opinion about a game after all the hype is gone, and mind is more or less free of enhanced commercialism and subjectively stereotypical advertisement which are hypocritically aimed at a “specific consumer group”. With this in mind, let me jump to my opinion of the game “XCOM Enemy Unknown”.
    THE BAD:
    1. I am playing Patch 3, and the game is very buggy still: sometimes the cinematic slow-motion slows down to such a crawling speed that a restart of the game is required (forced task end); when I change the Race of a soldier, the Hair style inevitably changes as well, and in a few clicks choses a Helmet, so the face of the soldier is not visible; when a Sniper is using a grappling hook, she can jump to unreachable places (going through the ceiling of the UFO, for example) and gets stock there; after reviving a critically wound soldier, my soldiers are unable to move (happens rarely, but still). I could go on listing minor bugs that plague this game, which at this point should really be a polished joy ride.
    2. The game is not polished (as stated above), and its sharp corners keep poking you while you are trying to dive into its atmosphere: the explanations of items (weapons, armor, vehicles, etc.) are very vague some of them being actually incorrect at all (for an example refer to Arc Weapon on XCOM WiKi); when selling items on Grey Market, you cannot input numbers and need to click (however many times) on the arrow, selling items one-by-one, which is a major turn down when you have 700 Elirium, and want to sell 300 (the math in clicks is obvious); when a Soldier levels up, his uniform color changes, resetting to some default; there is no random generator really (but mods do fix this nuance) which might or might not be a problem, but when you perform an action, and later Load a saved game that action will always-always-always yield the same result, even when approached with different strategy (so let’s say you want to capture an alien, and your Arc weapon misses if you Load a saved game, and try it with a different soldier, or both soldiers you will NOT subdue the Alien, because AI has decided that the Alien will not be paralyzed in this game); again, I can go on, but the point remains this is far from a polished game.
    3. Atmosphere and Mood of the XCOM Series: the atmosphere borders between a Serious Strategy and a Childish Hentai, and accomplished none in the end. Seems the game was designed in order to cover the widest playing group possible, and thus lacks essence, dedication, and a focused approached aimed at the unique quality of this series. There is no haunting mood, feeling of constant danger and glooming doom, smell of secret societies, spreading panic, mystery, and so on there is also an xBox-style button-presser, with soldiers in Pink Uniforms, cut scenes with energetic Anime aliens (Rated for Every one), and bulky, shapeless weapons. The game tries to make everyone happy (as, unfortunately, is the case with most titles today) and comes out a mediocre stereotypical improved clone of its own glorious original of the past.
    4. Random Soldier specialization: yeah. I think I know where the designers are coming from with this but I wish I could turn that feature off.
    THE GOOD:
    1. Strategy and Tactics: are ok but very predictable and repetitive. The strategic overview of the Base and Earth is nicely executed, and all decisions are somewhat balanced. I say somewhat because that is what they are (remember unpolished?), but with some Mods the game becomes a very well thought-through strategy. Tactics are also improved with mods, but I like them as they are: you move your squad (of up to 6 people) in a turned-based combat, shooting or capturing aliens, saving civilians, destroying trees! Special abilities of soldiers make the approach of each unit and the team overall pretty unique to your playing style.
    2. A very nice game to play still. Don’t get me wrong there a good sides and bad sides, and this game is a good game, but definitely not a 9/10 as I see everywhere. Fun to play, fun to research, fun to make money, sad to lose good soldiers (even though random specialists they were!). Fun mediocre gam which lacks atmosphere.
    3. MODABLE! And that is very important: there are many good mods to XCOM Enemy Unknown, which improve it, rebalance it, and make it even prettier.
    OVERALL: Good game. 7/10. Wish it was not aimed at the AVERAGE GROUP but at the dedicated XCOM Gamers and people who respect a good tactical turn-based and appreciate the depth of UFO conspiracies.    … Expand
  2. notchedbandit
    Aug 19, 2013
    3
    All hype and no substance. First of all, I never played the previous XCOM games, so I am unable to compare it to them. XCOM:Enemy Unknown has one of the most boring game-play I've unfortunately had to experience. The battle system is all about random luck. Absolutely no skill required. The game has a great presentation, nice cut scenes, great graphics etc. etc. I was expecting a deepAll hype and no substance. First of all, I never played the previous XCOM games, so I am unable to compare it to them. XCOM:Enemy Unknown has one of the most boring game-play I've unfortunately had to experience. The battle system is all about random luck. Absolutely no skill required. The game has a great presentation, nice cut scenes, great graphics etc. etc. I was expecting a deep experience of building a base and send my troops to areas to combat aliens, but it ended up being a mindless tactical game. Absolutely horrible game.… Expand
  3. PeleTheS
    Aug 16, 2013
    8
    I like the idea of this remake well executed really good graphics, cover system works beautifully you feel really attached to your soldiers simply well done
    that being said ,as an XCOM fun I can say I really am missing the ability to send a group of 10 -15 soldiers to the battle
    or manage more then one base hopefully this features will be added in future XCOM games for now GREAT    I like the idea of this remake well executed really good graphics, cover system works beautifully you feel really attached to your soldiers simply well done
    that being said ,as an XCOM fun I can say I really am missing the ability to send a group of 10 -15 soldiers to the battle
    or manage more then one base
    hopefully this features will be added in future XCOM games
    for now GREAT FUN GAME
    if you're not playing it ,you are missing out    … Expand
  4. rcruk
    Aug 15, 2013
    8
    Feels like an old fashioned computer game from the era of the Commodore Amiga. Has pretty good cartoon style graphics which create a tangible, tense atmosphere with rain, smoke etc. The controls are fairly intuitive and orientating in the world easy once you get the hang of it. An addictive game play which you can save when you want, so can squeeze in a few turns when you have a spareFeels like an old fashioned computer game from the era of the Commodore Amiga. Has pretty good cartoon style graphics which create a tangible, tense atmosphere with rain, smoke etc. The controls are fairly intuitive and orientating in the world easy once you get the hang of it. An addictive game play which you can save when you want, so can squeeze in a few turns when you have a spare moment or play all evening.

    The strategic elements of how to manage Xcom interlock well with tactical phases of your squad. The tactical turn based activities are tense I've cursed an operative for missing a crucial shot or freaking out at the worst possible moment. The aliens are unpredictable enough. The game world builds up well. Each game turning out different enough, providing a good level of replay-ability.

    A solid, fairly unique game. Well worth under £10 on steam sale.    … Expand
  5. steamboat_willy
    Aug 5, 2013
    9
    Still probably the most enjoyable time-sink in my library. Not perfect, can be a little buggy, but the fun factor completely outweighs this fact. Tonnes of replay value too and the expansions add a bunch of new maps which is a nice touch
  6. Waclaw
    Aug 1, 2013
    7
    To make the story as short as possible: this game could have been great, but came out average. You get the impression that the game has been downsized in terms of complexity to fit as many people as you possibly can. So the agents modifications in terms of equipment is a laugh now, vehicle modifications are almost non existant, the amount of structures you can build in your base is aTo make the story as short as possible: this game could have been great, but came out average. You get the impression that the game has been downsized in terms of complexity to fit as many people as you possibly can. So the agents modifications in terms of equipment is a laugh now, vehicle modifications are almost non existant, the amount of structures you can build in your base is a shadow of what we saw in prevoius X-Coms, even the number of aliens ingame is reduced... Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad game and I do admit I enjoyed it, but it's still not what we were told we'd get and notr what was expected. Plus you have the feeling that the game overlay was made for touchscreen apps and the PC version is just a poor pott. I don't really understand why the game receives such high scores a decent piece of work, but nothing brilliant for both veterans of X-Coms and newcomers. 7/10 from me.… Expand
  7. AgentPothead
    Jul 28, 2013
    6
    The best xcom game you will get. Doesn't mean it's good, doesn't mean it's not consolized to high hell, doesn't mean the developers actually can do math and know what 93% chance to hit actually means. Honestly I'd rather play UFO: Extraterrestrials.
  8. m0skit0
    Jul 24, 2013
    8
    I played the original XCOMs and I am certainly happy with this remake. It's probably not as good or deep or engaging as the original ones, but it's engaging and upgraded visuals using Unreal engine give it an atmospheric plus. This probably isn't going to be remembered as the original series (just like XCOM 3 is gone in everyone's memories) but if you're a XCOM fan, like turn-basedI played the original XCOMs and I am certainly happy with this remake. It's probably not as good or deep or engaging as the original ones, but it's engaging and upgraded visuals using Unreal engine give it an atmospheric plus. This probably isn't going to be remembered as the original series (just like XCOM 3 is gone in everyone's memories) but if you're a XCOM fan, like turn-based strategy games and like tactical games, you MUST play this game.… Expand
  9. Likaru
    Jul 21, 2013
    8
    Xcom is a good experience if you played the original game. The game gives a good tutorial for new players. Do not expect much from the types of aliens you will be facing, as the game retains weaker aliens through the adventure (probably to increase your rookie soldier's experience). The game does suffer from awkward shooting angles and a few graphical bugs.

    I recommend playing the    Xcom is a good experience if you played the original game. The game gives a good tutorial for new players. Do not expect much from the types of aliens you will be facing, as the game retains weaker aliens through the adventure (probably to increase your rookie soldier's experience). The game does suffer from awkward shooting angles and a few graphical bugs.

    I recommend playing the original Xcom for new players. If you then enjoy the original game and want to experience something similar with updated graphics, play XCOM: Enemy Unknown.    … Expand
  10. Orctownorc
    Jul 18, 2013
    9
    Overall a very successful reboot of the X-COM franchise. The general tone of the game and mood of the turn-based combat are near perfect. The graphics are fine. Sound and voice work are solid. The divide between base management and tactical battles is also good. It is possible to knit-pick quite a few areas where the game is underwhelming: Tactical maps are too small and too similar. LOSOverall a very successful reboot of the X-COM franchise. The general tone of the game and mood of the turn-based combat are near perfect. The graphics are fine. Sound and voice work are solid. The divide between base management and tactical battles is also good. It is possible to knit-pick quite a few areas where the game is underwhelming: Tactical maps are too small and too similar. LOS is obscure. There is no tactical mini-map. The squad size is too small. These are all relatively minor points that could be addressed in an expansion or patch, though I doubt we will get one. The real key to enjoying this game is to do a first play through on easy and learn the mechanisms. When you understand how it works you can re-try on harder difficulty until you find the level of toughness which is personally most enjoyable. Overall this game is a definite buy at or under $20. With luck there may be future versions of this game which improve the tactical controls and increase the strategic complication! Let's hope so. Orctowngrot: timtimjp@yahoo.com… Expand
  11. Cailore
    Jul 17, 2013
    6
    It's not XCom, but it's pretty fun in its own right.

    Too dumbed down to live up to its potential and I still cringe every time the characters grab the carrying handle to fire the LMG. And don't get me started on the "international" team voice actors who all sound like the come from the same two block radius somewhere in middle America. Really, so many things in this game could have    It's not XCom, but it's pretty fun in its own right.

    Too dumbed down to live up to its potential and I still cringe every time the characters grab the carrying handle to fire the LMG. And don't get me started on the "international" team voice actors who all sound like the come from the same two block radius somewhere in middle America. Really, so many things in this game could have been better with just a little bit of thought or effort if only the developer gave a damn.    … Expand
  12. ChoicestGames
    Jul 14, 2013
    8
    While there have been quite a few changes made to the original game UFO: Enemy Unknown (besides the obvious such as graphics and audio) they aren't so severe as to distance the game from its core mechanics which involves building a base, intercepting UFOs, training up your team and turning alien technology against them. Veterans of the series should still find this game fun and theWhile there have been quite a few changes made to the original game UFO: Enemy Unknown (besides the obvious such as graphics and audio) they aren't so severe as to distance the game from its core mechanics which involves building a base, intercepting UFOs, training up your team and turning alien technology against them. Veterans of the series should still find this game fun and the streamlined gameplay will attract younger strategy gamers to the turn-based tactics genre.… Expand
  13. Scuzzinator
    Jul 10, 2013
    9
    This game is the game that got me into strategy games. I was always turned off by games like this, but watched someone playing it on youtube and I immediately picked it up. Overall, the game is really fun and I enjoyed the story it had going along with it. I would give it a 10, but the cover system they have going on and I guess the overall combat needs polish or an upgrade toThis game is the game that got me into strategy games. I was always turned off by games like this, but watched someone playing it on youtube and I immediately picked it up. Overall, the game is really fun and I enjoyed the story it had going along with it. I would give it a 10, but the cover system they have going on and I guess the overall combat needs polish or an upgrade to something less random. Even with the flaws this game has, it is a blast and I sunk over 90 hours into it. A must buy for turn-based strategy lovers.… Expand
  14. ultravincent
    Jul 9, 2013
    7
    It is a good game, with good structure and mechanics.
    The biggest issue: the level designers were LAZY.
    The levels start looking similar and being repetitive pretty soon. Too bad, it could have been a 9 game with decent storyline and creative levels. Hopefully that'll happen in an expansion.
  15. 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
  16. Wim
    Jul 2, 2013
    9
    It is true that it there could have been a little more options but honestly this is the best game in it's genre since Jagged Alliance 2. BY FAR. It is addictive, fun, frustration free and there's plenty of options to make it challenging if you want it to be. I've been waiting for this game for so long and I'm happy I finally found some time to play it. I only put it down today to eatIt is true that it there could have been a little more options but honestly this is the best game in it's genre since Jagged Alliance 2. BY FAR. It is addictive, fun, frustration free and there's plenty of options to make it challenging if you want it to be. I've been waiting for this game for so long and I'm happy I finally found some time to play it. I only put it down today to eat it's that addictive.… Expand
  17. Turk
    Jul 1, 2013
    6
    This game is what Duplo is to the Lego brand. Simple, simplistic and lacking almost any depth beyond choosing A, B or C. That it did so well despite all its manifest shortcomings shows just how very hungry the market is for games like these that we will devour this half-baked swill like caviar. That being said, there are moments of fun to be had.

    It was also very, very buggy on    This game is what Duplo is to the Lego brand. Simple, simplistic and lacking almost any depth beyond choosing A, B or C. That it did so well despite all its manifest shortcomings shows just how very hungry the market is for games like these that we will devour this half-baked swill like caviar. That being said, there are moments of fun to be had.

    It was also very, very buggy on release and I've not seen much in the way of improvement. God bless Firaxis for having what passes as innovation in this market but they have the development skill of an indie studio.    … Expand
  18. Dog4life
    Jul 1, 2013
    10
    This turn based strategy game is absolutely brilliant. Being a newcomer to Xcom, the learing curve is actually nice and enought gentle to teach you everything.
    Progression in game feels great, with enough effort you get more and more powerful weapons, skills and equipment.
    Graphic is functional with some nice effects. Nothing that will blast your mind, but appopriate for the genre. It    This turn based strategy game is absolutely brilliant. Being a newcomer to Xcom, the learing curve is actually nice and enought gentle to teach you everything.
    Progression in game feels great, with enough effort you get more and more powerful weapons, skills and equipment.
    Graphic is functional with some nice effects. Nothing that will blast your mind, but appopriate for the genre. It runs on max setting on my gaming laptop, non very demanding game.
    The Xbox controller support works great, and its a pleasure to play it on my big LCD TV screen.

    Tired of the usualy fps games and copycats, Xcom is a welcome game that offers many hours of fun.    … Expand
  19. LucasXplode
    Jun 25, 2013
    9
    I bought this game on Steam and i had no idea what i was going into. But when i started the game it was fantastic! The gameplay was really cool and i had alot of cool characters. Had is the keyword here because they all died The graphics was also pretty good. I didnt really listen to the story because im stupid. There is ALOT of replay value. And theres multiplayer. The multiplayer was ok,I bought this game on Steam and i had no idea what i was going into. But when i started the game it was fantastic! The gameplay was really cool and i had alot of cool characters. Had is the keyword here because they all died The graphics was also pretty good. I didnt really listen to the story because im stupid. There is ALOT of replay value. And theres multiplayer. The multiplayer was ok, but not as fantastic is the single player… Expand
  20. braeden
    Jun 25, 2013
    9
    Without a doubt XCOM: Enemy Unknown is one of the better games that have come out recently. It manages to create very athmospheric gaming experience. Especially during first play through, I was genuinely scared since I didn't know what to expect.

    One of the key aspects of the game is managing your base and soldiers, which is lots of fun. Soldiers are very customizable and gain    Without a doubt XCOM: Enemy Unknown is one of the better games that have come out recently. It manages to create very athmospheric gaming experience. Especially during first play through, I was genuinely scared since I didn't know what to expect.

    One of the key aspects of the game is managing your base and soldiers, which is lots of fun. Soldiers are very customizable and gain experience from missions so you can level them up. You get attached to them and it can be upsetting when you loose them in battle. The game very is streamlined and everything works intuitively. Item management is a bit cumbersome, but otherwise I had no issues with gaming interface.

    The alien design (although a bit cartoony) is also great. Almost all aliens can be devastating in their own way and you can rarely take any enemy troops lightly. Some aliens like cryssalids, berserkers and PSI-using aliens force you act quickly and can really bring panicky feeling to missions. After few missions, your really start to fear them.

    Main weak point of this game are special missions and maps that quickly become repetitive. Also the plot is rather irrelevant after one play through. Still the game has good replay value and gives lots of playtime compared many other titles.

    NOTE: I haven't played the original XCOM games (altough I've seen gameplay video etc.) so I reviewed this title as independent game.    … Expand
  21. Tricks
    Jun 23, 2013
    1
    Impossible to play a game with graphics that look like a game from 2001. It may seem good for a mobile device. Ridiculous. Do not waste your money, please.
  22. SoManyGoblins
    Jun 20, 2013
    5
    Too dumbed down for my taste. I'm an X-Com fan, but not a hardcore one, I'm not one of those guys who're still replaying the game every other weekend after some 20ish years, I'm just an average (more or less) gamer, and this felt like a seriously watered down version of a strategy game. It's not bad, but it's not good either, just average at most. The UI is a joke, clearly designed forToo dumbed down for my taste. I'm an X-Com fan, but not a hardcore one, I'm not one of those guys who're still replaying the game every other weekend after some 20ish years, I'm just an average (more or less) gamer, and this felt like a seriously watered down version of a strategy game. It's not bad, but it's not good either, just average at most. The UI is a joke, clearly designed for consoles. The battlescape is clearly designed for consoles, there is no free aiming, everything is constrained so the game works ok on a gamepad, in fact, now that I think about it, having used a mouse made everything so much cumbersome! Going through menuses, selecting soldiers abilities on battle, everything was tedious thanks to using a mouse. This is not a bad strategy game, it's just a lousy PC strategy game. Oh, and the plot sucks big time and boring.… Expand
  23. DrBoochie
    Jun 17, 2013
    8
    Firstly, I would like to say that I did not play the original XCOM, but after playing XCOM:EU I feel inclined to. Firaxis present an entertaining, aesthetically and challenging turn-based game. The game definitely has its faults, such as a main 'storyline' which feels a but lackluster at times but overall serves the purpose of directing players towards completetion. Players can also chooseFirstly, I would like to say that I did not play the original XCOM, but after playing XCOM:EU I feel inclined to. Firaxis present an entertaining, aesthetically and challenging turn-based game. The game definitely has its faults, such as a main 'storyline' which feels a but lackluster at times but overall serves the purpose of directing players towards completetion. Players can also choose to ignore the storyline objectives for as long as they please, meaning that they can continue once they feel ready to.

    There were a few other things that disappointed me, and prevented me from giving this game a 9/10 or 10/10. While XCOM:EU places emphasis on an international council and soldiers from a plethora of countries, the voices for soldiers (which are customisable) are all American. In a similar sense, the mission sites for terror attacks and abductions, while fun, were fairly generic and interchangeable; it would've been nice to see specific mission sites for specific countries (perhaps a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in France or Big Ben in London, for example). While these criticisms don't necessarily detract from the core mechanics of the game, they would've made it a more immerse experience for players.

    Other than these criticisms, XCOM:EU is superb turn-based strategy game. The graphics are nice to look at, the combat mechanics have some bugs but are mostly avoidable or rectifiable, and it is definitely one of the more difficult games I've played, perhaps only coming 2nd place to Dark Souls in terms of difficulty and ruthlessness. And, despite the criticisms made, I would happily say that XCOM:EU is one of the most enjoyable games to come out of 2012, and is definitely worth looking into further if you're considering buying it.    … Expand
  24. 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.
  25. xephnid
    Jun 10, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a great game. It really is. But there are a few caveats you should consider before buying it.

    Most importantly: You *will* have to helplessly watch some of the soldiers you lovingly named, outfitted and leveled die. And it's even more likely you will watch innocent civilians die on your watch. The latter are nameless and you may not find yourself caring about them as much, but still...

    Another thing I found... unusual... is that the developers did their utmost to make gaming the outcome of random rolls impossible. All shots fired are based on pre-rolled seeds, so quick-loading wouldn't change the outcome. If there was quick-loading. But there isn't. There's quick-saving, yes, but there's no quick-loading. You will have to go to the menu to load a game. And the menu isn't available while there's alien activity or a cut-scene. And did I mention that higher difficulties cause the game to continuously save every little thing, so loading a save won't revert to an earlier state anyway? That's even more... um... unusual. The developers said they wanted players to commit to their actions. I say it discourages experimentation. You cannot simply try things out, because it may cost you soldiers.

    Speaking of cut-scenes: Every time a group of aliens spots you, there's a cut-scene. Every time one of your base team members makes a remark, there's a cut-scene. Every time your troops leave the base or return to it, there's a cut-scene. And so on. While all of these cut-scenes are short, they will most definitely become aggravating over time and reduce the fun of a second play-through.

    I would have given this game a rating of nine, because I enjoyed it an awful lot, but the reduced replay value made me subtract a point. The number of paid shills on this board cost it another. I've read quite a few of those ten reviews and they all smell funny. That kind of behaviour mustn't be rewarded.    … Expand
  26. LoneDutyer
    Jun 9, 2013
    5
    Enjoyable experience and a solid purchase, but felt just a TAD too casualised to really be 'X-Com' to me. Late to the party, just logged onto MC for the first time in ages and thought I'd go through some of my purchases for posterity's sake.

    TACTICAL +Feels frantic and tense, at least in the early-mid game before your dudes get bulk health. +Looks nice. A good visual update to the    Enjoyable experience and a solid purchase, but felt just a TAD too casualised to really be 'X-Com' to me. Late to the party, just logged onto MC for the first time in ages and thought I'd go through some of my purchases for posterity's sake.

    TACTICAL
    +Feels frantic and tense, at least in the early-mid game before your dudes get bulk health.
    +Looks nice. A good visual update to the series.
    +Options you didn't have in the original, like suppressing enemy units and flanking. In some respects combat more tactical.
    -Heavy class becomes more or less useless except for suppression and rocket-launcher by the mid-late game.
    -Squads felt too small and made losing a unit even more crippling than the original.
    -Inventory dumbed down ridiculously: Why can't my soldier in powered jetpack armour carry more than one grenade or rocket?
    -Dumbed down targeting in the original, blowing open a wall with your plasma rifle was a viable tactical option, for example
    -Action system abstraction can sometimes be grating.
    -NO RANDOMISED MAPS. This was probably my biggest gripe. Cripples replayability, criminal lack of effort. This would've been a 7 for me otherwise.

    GLOBAL
    +Looks shiny, sounds cool. Very atmospheric, and the cutscenes/lore for everything is generally pretty good, even if they do recycle some templates.
    +Progression felt very rewarding, expanding options tactically by where you decide to expand and establish satellites.
    -Arbitrary dichotomy where you always have to choose one nation to ignore. Can we seriously not just buy a second skyranger?
    -Only one base no base defense? That was a vital part of the original game.
    -Randomised classes for recruits could mean highly unbalanced teams enjoy your four useless Heavies who will just take up space.

    That's all I can remember from playing this last year. Decent purchase, but nothing special and a lot of design decisions which seem highly questionable. It would've been nice to maybe have a more modular version of the game where you could get more strategic depth by enabling old-school options at the start of the campaign, to appeal to both audiences.    … Expand
  27. drSpockwa
    Jun 7, 2013
    9
    It brings back a lot of memories from the original XCOM, but so much better. Turn based strategy has always been my favorite type of game. They did a wonderful job updating the game play with an easy to understand and use interface. The graphics look good, not the greatest but sufficient. I had two occurrences of crash to desktop in my 40 hour play through. I'd suggest turning on autoIt brings back a lot of memories from the original XCOM, but so much better. Turn based strategy has always been my favorite type of game. They did a wonderful job updating the game play with an easy to understand and use interface. The graphics look good, not the greatest but sufficient. I had two occurrences of crash to desktop in my 40 hour play through. I'd suggest turning on auto saves, but you'll want that anyway for when you make a poor decision and send a soldier too far ahead and he gets killed. The ending was good, the cut scenes were well done. The only thing I missed from the original was that you can't pick up equipment from fallen/incapped soldiers. So if your guy with the health kit goes down, he's gonna die unless you finish the mission quick. Well done Firaxis! I enjoyed this a lot.… Expand
  28. 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
  29. Sargongamer
    May 30, 2013
    2
    Man I wish I would have played the Demo before buying this game. Got sucked into the hype big time. This game has the most cumbersome interface I've even encountered in a PC game. Just don't get what all the X-com fuss is about. The game is totally boring and after playing it for about 45 minutes I couldn't delete off my computer fast enough. Like other folks have said, this game is reallyMan I wish I would have played the Demo before buying this game. Got sucked into the hype big time. This game has the most cumbersome interface I've even encountered in a PC game. Just don't get what all the X-com fuss is about. The game is totally boring and after playing it for about 45 minutes I couldn't delete off my computer fast enough. Like other folks have said, this game is really dumbed down, it has a feel of an old 1980 or 90's game, perhaps that's what the designers wanted but it's not my cup of tea.… Expand
  30. BAPACop
    May 27, 2013
    7
    This is the first and only X-COM game I've ever played, so I'm not rating it down because it isn't the same. I'm rating it so low because it is not a strategy game as it is billed. There are several major reasons for this.

    First, the "random" aspects are not actually random. I'm not talking about how savescumming is prevented due to the random seed. I'm talking about how the computer is    This is the first and only X-COM game I've ever played, so I'm not rating it down because it isn't the same. I'm rating it so low because it is not a strategy game as it is billed. There are several major reasons for this.

    First, the "random" aspects are not actually random. I'm not talking about how savescumming is prevented due to the random seed. I'm talking about how the computer is a cheating bastard. I had a mission once where the first enemy to fire scored a critical hit every time. It didn't matter which enemy was shooting, where they were shooting from, who their target was, where their target was, the cover their target was in, or if the enemy that was shooting took their shot before or after another enemy moved. I tested this by retreating continually and forcing the enemy to follow me to take their shot. I crossed the entire map back to the start point, and without fail the first shot taken by the AI every turn resulted in a critical hit.

    Second, the cover system is absolutely horrendous. There are four levels of cover. 0 is no cover. 1 is "half" cover. 2 is "full" cover. 3 is "full" cover with the Hunkered Down ability active. These aren't the actual numerical values as the game uses them to calculate anything, they're just my observation. Okay, now that I've explained that, forget about it, because the game will. Enemies can and will shoot you through walls. The shots will visibly pass right through them. They will shoot you through floors. They will shoot you through bus stops. They will shoot you from fifty feet into the adjacent room behind a solid wall where the only way you can see them is from their red outline because even the camera can't see them. A car provides the exact same amount of cover when it's intact as it does when it is a smoldering wreck. It's very annoying to get hit by an enemy who is making a shot that is simply not physically possible.

    Third, the computer is a cheating bastard. Yes, again. They don't follow any movement rules, it seems. When you encounter enemies they immediately interrupt your turn to move into cover. Floaters can teleport onto your flanks at will. Berserkers can interrupt your turn to move. Thin Men will literally drop from the sky on your flanks. Sectopods can take three actions per turn. Enemies will spawn right in the middle of your squad. Groups of enemies will teleport around the map if you lose sight of them. In other words, there is no strategy involved in placing your units, you just need to hope the game decides to be nice.

    Fourth, squad panic is simply awful. XCOM is supposed to be the world's most elite military force. So why do they act like they've never been in a firefight before? One of your units takes a hit, and your other members of the world's most elite military force turn all the way around, take aim on the person beside them, yell "HELP ME!" and shoot them in the face. Losing a squad member because they got shot through a wall is bad enough, now you're just rubbing it in for no good reason.

    Fifth, global panic. The first thing I want to point out is how incredibly stupid this sort of conversation must sound. "Hello, is this XCOM, the world's most elite military force focused on fighting the alien invasion? This is the President of the United States. We have decided we are being invaded by too many aliens to require the help of the world's most elite military force focused on fighting the alien invasion. Please stop saving our citizen's lives." The second thing is that the system is simply broken. Not taking a mission in a country increases the panic levels of all the countries on that continent for some reason, not just the one being attacked by aliens. This means that no matter how well you are playing the game, you will eventually lose. A game where you are guaranteed to lose is a very badly designed game.

    Sixth, I have an underground complex filled with advanced technology, soldiers who can practically blow things up with their minds, multiple satellites over every continent, multiple heavily armed interceptors stationed on every continent, but when three cities get attacked by aliens at once I can only send one group of six people while the other ninety-three soldiers twiddle their thumbs in the Barracks.

    To summarize, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is not a strategy game. It fails at the most important element of a strategy game: Rewarding strategy. It would get a 0 for that reason, but it's actually quite entertaining once you realize it's not a strategy game and start to play accordingly. That, and it changes the lights on my keyboard to coincide with the enemy turns and I think that's neat.    … 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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