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. shotcaller1
    Dec 2, 2012
    5
    I purchased this game because I thought it would be FUN! I have now played this game for only approx. 60 -70 hours but I am getting the distinct impression that it is way to difficult to be simply a game. It isn't something that will keep the kids occupied . The AI has far too many advantages and the soldiers die way too easily even on the easy setting. The graphics and visuals are veryI purchased this game because I thought it would be FUN! I have now played this game for only approx. 60 -70 hours but I am getting the distinct impression that it is way to difficult to be simply a game. It isn't something that will keep the kids occupied . The AI has far too many advantages and the soldiers die way too easily even on the easy setting. The graphics and visuals are very well done and the game itself was well conceived, and it is playable except for the fact that the "easy" level means "expert". Obviously I am not a professional gamer and I think that is what the creators were targeting this game for. It's simply not that enjoyable as a "simple" gamer. I really like the tactical aspect but the enemy has too much firepower and the xcom soldiers are forced too move into untenable positions in order target the aliens even at low percentages. Its either take a bad shot and get killed or press overwatch and get killed. That's not very fun.… Expand
  2. ingreenblue
    May 1, 2014
    10
    Turn based strategy at its finest with a variety of gameplay options. Play it on ironman where every decision matters. Nothing beats the moment when your favorite Sniper (named after yourself, of course) is down to one health bar, low on ammo, Thin Men dropping in from everywhere, and your Support Class Girl sits on the other end of the map. Be sure to get the excellent Enemy Within as well.
  3. joeybear
    Dec 28, 2012
    9
    One of the best releases this year. A few minor complaints withstanding, the gameplay is addictive and fun. The missions do get a bit monotonous, they could have added some variety to the locations in game (every city looks the same). The permadeath mechanics add a great level of tension to each mission.The aliens are challenging, often to a frustrating degree, leading to suspense eachOne of the best releases this year. A few minor complaints withstanding, the gameplay is addictive and fun. The missions do get a bit monotonous, they could have added some variety to the locations in game (every city looks the same). The permadeath mechanics add a great level of tension to each mission.The aliens are challenging, often to a frustrating degree, leading to suspense each time you send a prized squad member to scout the fog of war. Well worth the money… Expand
  4. ericcoutinho
    Mar 8, 2014
    9
    X-COM: Enemy Unknown is high quality.
    It was a long time since i had a game with more than 50 hours of playing in a week.
    Since i never play the X-COM classics before, i'm not the one who gonna spit on that game because of some lack of fidelity from the original series, which seems to be what people was most criticizing about. Even the story is good, although is not the focus, and    X-COM: Enemy Unknown is high quality.
    It was a long time since i had a game with more than 50 hours of playing in a week.

    Since i never play the X-COM classics before, i'm not the one who gonna spit on that game because of some lack of fidelity from the original series, which seems to be what people was most criticizing about.

    Even the story is good, although is not the focus, and it's not so well explored. You'll have to manage resources, research alien materials, train and customize your soldiers, capture aliens alive to study them, build facilities, weapons, gadgets, robots, all kind of features to help you to deal with an unknown alien menace.

    The biggest part of this game is at turn-based strategy battles, with a third person point of view on shooting enemies or doing another actions.

    I got some minor bugs, mostly concerned the camera movement, which can be very annoying some times, but nothing truly deal breaker.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. Roeratt
    Dec 29, 2013
    5
    I never played the originals, so I was able to go into this game with no expectations. It could have been solid and entertaining, and was to a point, but it was crippled by RNG. Never apply RNG to accuracy in games. Never do it.
  7. 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.
  8. zecik
    Feb 14, 2014
    9
    I never played old xcom, but it don't regret that. This game has some bugs like shooting through walls, weird angles of shooting, very rare freeze after animations, but overall game is fantastic :) On the higher levels with second wave options game i really hard and requiring. Maybe there's not many options as it old xcom had, but in my opinion there's a lot of things and research to obtain :)
  9. 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!
  10. HansiHarris
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    I think XCOM is a great game. Multitude of campaigns, but above all the turn-based combat is the most successful game. In the negative section base management is improved. But the game is amazing in the playable section. Totally recommended.
  11. MJR
    Mar 29, 2013
    9
    Okay I guess I should should start by saying that I have never played any XCOM games before this one so I really have no idea how they relate. That being said I have found this game to be absolutely awesome! I received the game through Steam when I pre-ordered Bioshock: infinite, which worked for me since I had always been a touch curious about XCOM but never actually got around to lookingOkay I guess I should should start by saying that I have never played any XCOM games before this one so I really have no idea how they relate. That being said I have found this game to be absolutely awesome! I received the game through Steam when I pre-ordered Bioshock: infinite, which worked for me since I had always been a touch curious about XCOM but never actually got around to looking into the game. Needless to say, I downloaded the game and was treated to a very welcome surprise in the form of a thoughtful, fun, and interesting turn-based strategy game. Everything seemed to click with the controls and I found the premise to be quite fascinating. What is probably most impressive about the game is the fact that it is so complicated yet completely accessible. I don't know where I would start to try to explain how the game works between the home base and the battle field but it makes perfect sense when playing. While the graphics aren't that great the gameplay more than makes up for it. It has been a while since I actually jumped out of my chair in triumph following the successful conclusion of a mission. If you like strategy games then you should try to find a way to give this game a try it's a rewarding and fun experience.… Expand
  12. Burnee77
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    This game is simply awesome!
    As a fan of original series, I was a bit frightened when I first heard about remake of very classic of this genre. On the other hand, Firaxis proved couple times with Civilization franchise they know how to make turn-based strategy game fun, and they didn't fail.
    Although this game has some weaker points (like low variety of missions, no HQ defending missions    This game is simply awesome!
    As a fan of original series, I was a bit frightened when I first heard about remake of very classic of this genre. On the other hand, Firaxis proved couple times with Civilization franchise they know how to make turn-based strategy game fun, and they didn't fail.
    Although this game has some weaker points (like low variety of missions, no HQ defending missions etc. etc.), this is how remake of cult game should look!
    I am looking forward to another sequels of this franchise by Firaxis.    … Expand
  13. OneVoice
    Mar 18, 2013
    8
    This an excellent (and thoroughly addictive) game. The turn based strategy of the missions was great fun, and although there is some room for improvement in several areas, I still had a great time with this game. I do think the game could be improved with AI that was a bit more intelligent (enemies never seem to be very smart about where they choose to position themselves), with betterThis an excellent (and thoroughly addictive) game. The turn based strategy of the missions was great fun, and although there is some room for improvement in several areas, I still had a great time with this game. I do think the game could be improved with AI that was a bit more intelligent (enemies never seem to be very smart about where they choose to position themselves), with better character development of your soldiers (they're shallow, no personality traits, thus I have no real connection with them at all), and with a bit more variety of stuff you can do back at base (starts to get repetitive just doing the same few things in between missions). I also think that while the story-line is pretty good, there's room for some stronger storytelling elements to be brought into the mix. It's an immersive game as-is, but if the story was a bit deeper, it would add to the overall atmosphere/feeling the game brings. I have never played the original X-COM (though I think I'll have to try it), so my review here has no elements of comparison to that, but are just based on this game standing alone.… Expand
  14. Kirase
    Jan 27, 2013
    9
    Really been waiting for this game to be released and did not get disappointed. Just have to set the expectations right towards this one. It was not meant to be a 1:1 remake of "Ufo: Enemy Unknown". Yes it got a little different, but they've made a good job on it. Gameplay is fluent. Base building, researching, training soldiers, graphics, sounds, everything pretty well done, fun to playReally been waiting for this game to be released and did not get disappointed. Just have to set the expectations right towards this one. It was not meant to be a 1:1 remake of "Ufo: Enemy Unknown". Yes it got a little different, but they've made a good job on it. Gameplay is fluent. Base building, researching, training soldiers, graphics, sounds, everything pretty well done, fun to play and also having some replay value due to the different difficulties and game modes. So why not 10/10? For example cause of the way aliens are roaming and how they are getting triggered during missions. If you come in sight to discover some of them on the battlefield, the hole alien pack will always get a scripted free reaction movement allowing them to run away, take cover or do whatever. Such script makes combat feel a little less like actually fighting against aliens, but rather fighting scripts, damaging the atmosphere. Also as a dedicated player of "Ufo: Enemy Unknown" i really hoped for some more complexity in this game. Anyways this game is good and since it sold well there sure will be a second one that will most likely get even better. Hopefully also including some more complex game modes for hardcore players then.… Expand
  15. spampsz
    Mar 26, 2013
    7
    Unfortunately game is less complicated then it's precursor. It's also shorter, with less aircraft models and so on.... game play is the same with is big plus.
  16. magee
    Apr 6, 2013
    9
    when i watched gameplay my first impression was pretty meh.. i never played the ufo games before so i didnt know what to expect.. i ended up buying it because a lot of friends recommended it to me. I didnt regreat it this game was so much fun the tactical random aspect is very tense. though i dont think its too tactical for non strategy players to get into it. the emotional bindingwhen i watched gameplay my first impression was pretty meh.. i never played the ufo games before so i didnt know what to expect.. i ended up buying it because a lot of friends recommended it to me. I didnt regreat it this game was so much fun the tactical random aspect is very tense. though i dont think its too tactical for non strategy players to get into it. the emotional binding between you and your soldiers is very high, you will literally cry if your best soldier dies. i highly recommend playing this game on ironman mode because loading files over and over again wont give you the full experience.… Expand
  17. BalicanBreeze
    Jan 20, 2013
    8
    The game is fun and engaging, reminds me of the good old games of the 90s. There are however some issues. Cover is often ignored. It's quite glitchy. The UI could have been a lot better. And there should have been some logic behind what specialty the soldiers get. However, it's lots of fun. Just makes me wish syndicate would have been made a strategy game as well:p
  18. Unknows
    Feb 6, 2013
    9
    Me encanta el juego, es super entretenido, entre investigación, fabricación de armas y mejoras, entrenamiento de soldados y su estrategia, no te aburrres ni un segundo.
  19. Rodrrico
    Feb 16, 2013
    8
    A relaunch of a classic turn based strategy title, XCOM: Enemy unknown is a triumph of gaming for 2012. The game set out to reinvent the TBS (Turn Based Strategy) game market after years of development. I for one feel that it has done this with real fineness. XCOM EU, demonstrates the wonderfully high resourcefulness of the Unreal3 Engine, with great visuals and solid gameplay mechanics.A relaunch of a classic turn based strategy title, XCOM: Enemy unknown is a triumph of gaming for 2012. The game set out to reinvent the TBS (Turn Based Strategy) game market after years of development. I for one feel that it has done this with real fineness. XCOM EU, demonstrates the wonderfully high resourcefulness of the Unreal3 Engine, with great visuals and solid gameplay mechanics.

    For the first time in a perhaps many years, I felt compelled to tread lightly with my soldiers for if I make a stupid mistake, then they die and they are gone, no do overs, just gone. This was something I was apprehensive of at first, but found that it would brilliantly in TSB games. Building the base is something that also must be thought out carefully to take full advantage of the technologies you will use to combat an unknown enemy force.

    I will tell you know that the enemy's *spoiler alert* are aliens from another planet, so I don't know if the title works, but this is one of the few quips I have with the game. That, and the fact that you only have one base on one continent is a drawback to micro-managers such as myself. The AI can be brutal on the normal difficulty which makes me pensive before any high threat level mission. However over time I learnt to attempt flanking the enemy rather than running and gunning. Upgrading your base and soldiers is essential for survival beyond the first few hours of gameplay.

    I honestly enjoyed this game so much that I give it 8/10. The only draw backs are the lack of variety in missions and no ability to have multiple bases on other continents around the world. Excellent game all round.    … Expand
  20. rantingwaj
    Mar 23, 2013
    5
    I personally found this game to be very average. Though I did like the whole concept of the game, I was also very disappointed with this game for several reasons and I am not someone who has played the original xcom games!! I had played the demo for this game before preordering and because in the demo mission everything is scripted, I thought the cover system and flanking mechanics demoedI personally found this game to be very average. Though I did like the whole concept of the game, I was also very disappointed with this game for several reasons and I am not someone who has played the original xcom games!! I had played the demo for this game before preordering and because in the demo mission everything is scripted, I thought the cover system and flanking mechanics demoed in the demo will actually work like they showed. But it was a great disappointment when I came across situations where I had like 30% chance to hit at almost close to point blank range or at other times 75% or there abouts from a huge distance away. The flanking system is equally broken, several times, I got behind the the line of the enemies facing and with no cover between him and me but the game still wont understand that he's been flanked and I got like 55% chance to hit. It seems the devs thought that people who like challenging games will be pleased if they made the game artificially difficult by giving the enemies better aim and by making all that your guys do completely random!! On hard difficulty game felt very unplayable because of the broken cover/flanking system, essentially your skill doesn't really count for much in battles, getting good dice rolls however does. Now I know combat like this can be fun like it was in older rpgs like say fallout but there, as your character leveled up, you could give him perks to improve his aim and raise the skills you thought mattered. Here, not only is the weapon class being decided for you but also, all of the stats for each of your guys. Theres other things that is wrong with this game which relate to the story and the base building aspect of the game which are equally dissapointing and I dont need go into but as I said, even as someone who hasn't played the previous xcom games, I can see what all the 'hardcore' fans of the series are complaining about and I completely agree with them! Sadly once again the need (or the greedy desire) for companies to port games on to consoles has resulted in a very average dumbed down game which is pretty to look at!! (not that pretty mind you) and sadly that's pretty much all that this game really has… Expand
  21. zanz
    Apr 20, 2013
    7
    Simple, repetitive and boring... A lot less content than comparable turn based RPGs... Can be challenging on highest difficulty and it does have multiplayer, although there are much better and more fun multiplayer games around. I haven't played the old XCOM titles, but this game struck me as average at best...
  22. doktorwer
    May 10, 2013
    9
    I see a lot of hate on this game for being dumbed down. Some people tend to forget that the original XCOM was unforgivably hard.

    XCOM EU is a fun romp down memory lane with a few flaws but so many goodies that far outweigh them. Its not the original, its a new game in its image and I think it does a good job.
  23. da040926
    Sep 24, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I spent a lot of happy time with XCOM:EU but truth is, most of it was due to learning how to mod the game without any modding support from the developer.
    This is one of those games you enjoy despite being annoyed by so many bugs or simply things which could have been done so better.
    I played all my games on Ironman being unable to reload wrong decisions or even bad luck situations created great suspension and emotional involvement for me. I recommend trying it for everyone as in my opinion it itself adds 1-2 point to my score.

    I would give it 6 for vanilla game, 8 with existing mods, so I make it 7.

    - absence of modding Support despite early promises
    This is really sad potential for modding improvements, tweaking and fixes is huge!

    - friendly panic fire is way over the board
    While a great idea, their implementation is terrible. The only thing deciding if you can beat high difficulties is if you can survive massive friendly fire during early missions.

    - research unbalanced
    Since one third (maybe one half) of the game, my scientists were just playing games 90% of time (and I even had no research lab built)

    - base management trivial and boring
    I never found reason to build expensive advanced buildings as basic ones were much cheaper and did the trick just as well and I never had issue with lack of space.

    - clumsy UI shameless and poorly done console port
    Equipping soldiers before mission disturbingly annoying as there was no un-equip all function and you need to select specific soldier, check his current equipment and change it one by one.

    - itemization trivial
    No need to think here as lasers are clear upgrade over default weaponry in all parameters and plasma is clear upgrade over lasers. Situation with armors is a little better as there are some choices to be made.

    - bag restriction to a single item
    Highly annoying artificial cover for bad game design instead of design proper balance for items, cost, power and consequences, they rather force us to use only single thing. Yes, I understand it is much easier for them but it is also dumbing the game down and if you look around reviews, it is highly resented.    … Expand
  24. MR67
    Apr 2, 2015
    6
    OK, I haven't played the original XCOM, so you at least won't get to read about me harping on and on about how great it was by comparison with this version. XCOM Enemy Unknown is a fairly enjoyable strategy game where you are in charge of an organization tasked with defending Earth from mysterious alien attacks. You'll be spending most of the game controlling a squad of hand-pickedOK, I haven't played the original XCOM, so you at least won't get to read about me harping on and on about how great it was by comparison with this version. XCOM Enemy Unknown is a fairly enjoyable strategy game where you are in charge of an organization tasked with defending Earth from mysterious alien attacks. You'll be spending most of the game controlling a squad of hand-picked soldiers in various missions where you respond to alien incursions, and amidst all of this, you'll also be trying to manage your HQ and building up your resources while trying to keep your member countries happy by keeping their panic levels from getting too high, as well as trying to find out the ultimate reasons for the alien invasion.

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

    Cons:
    - Limited number of maps for missions. There are a couple of forest areas, city areas, spaceship areas, factory areas, and that is about it. Maybe about a dozen different maps in total. No map randomization. Gameplay tends to get quite repetitive after a while, primarily for this reason.
    - Tedious movement in some areas. Some maps, like the inside of large alien spacecraft, have long empty corridors which can be an absolute pain in the butt to move all 6 of your soldiers along turn by turn. Some areas also have multiple levels which mean your soldiers are obscured by the floor from the level above until you scroll the mouse down to their map level to view them properly. When your soldiers get their next turn, the display has reset itself, meaning you have to scroll your mouse to view the level your soldiers are on again. Aarrrghhh!
    - Little freedom to play as you choose, as you have to advance the current date in the game and wait for events to happen first before responding to them. Panic levels high in the UK and you need to do something to reduce them? Tough. You can do squat about that unless you happen to get a specific mission there, such as an alien abduction to respond to. The game also forces you to follow the main storyline as soon as possible as the missions start to get more difficult (and repetitive) fairly quickly, so you are often left feeling a bit rushed throughout the game.
    - Limited soldier development and loadout options. Apart from cosmetic appearances where you can change the colour of their outfits and their haircuts etc, there is little to distinguish one Colonel-ranked sniper from another. Soldiers can be from a number of different countries yet all speak perfect English with a nice American accent (I believe this was addressed in the DLC XCOM Enemy Within though).There are only 2 skills you can generally choose each rank (sometimes just 1) and inventory is ridiculously limited to just a few slots, mostly for weapons and 1 extra slot for the backpack, which will typically be for a grenade, medkit or protective vest. A couple of the soldier classes grant an extra backpack slot at higher levels but that's about it. What makes it more frustrating is that the game mechanics do not allow you to retrieve gear from any fallen soldiers during a mission. Urgently need an extra grenade or medkit and your dead buddy just happened to have both in his backpack? Tough.
    - Unbalanced difficulty levels. The game has 4 difficulty levels - easy, normal, classic and impossible. Most people will play on normal or classic. The problem is that normal gets too easy after playing for a little while and classic is too difficult. All the aliens get bonuses to their aim and critical hit chances in classic mode and tend to one-shot your soldiers, especially in the early part of the game.    … Expand
  25. Zerilos
    Nov 19, 2012
    8
    I gave this game a pretty bad review earlier, and I agree with everything I said...but I can't stop playing this game. It's the best bad game or the worst good game ever (I can't decide).
  26. SPACED2020
    Oct 14, 2012
    9
    This is an excellent game for both fans of the original and newcomers to the series. Please don't be put off by the fanatic 1 in 10 minority who are so blinded in loyalty to the orginal that they can't accept change and would preffer the in-penetrable tedium of counting out pistol clips for half an hour before every mission. The game has been streamlined from the originals and almostThis is an excellent game for both fans of the original and newcomers to the series. Please don't be put off by the fanatic 1 in 10 minority who are so blinded in loyalty to the orginal that they can't accept change and would preffer the in-penetrable tedium of counting out pistol clips for half an hour before every mission. The game has been streamlined from the originals and almost entirely for the better, there is enough tactical and stategic depth in both combat and base mangement to satisfy almost all without boggin you down with overly excessive micro-management elements. The gameplay is intuitive and to my supprise works incredibly well on console given the PC heritage of the game. Action is a joy and provides a good challenge provoking you to think before clicking, it will punish the rash and impatient and reward those that have a considered approach. This is simply the best game of it kind in the genre over the last few years; gameplay, depth, accessbility - They really have got the balance just right. It's monstrously addictive and most of all it's fun. I had a slight gripe with the graphics not being quite top end up but in hindsight it's perfectly presentable and I'm probably being harsh to an otherwise excellent game. It's a bit annoying that the game has got lost amongst the big realeases over the last week (I had to hunt around several stores in order to find a copy) as it really deserves to be played by as bigger audience as possible, those who don't are missing out. An exceptional game and a perfectly executed re-imagining of the original that does justice to it's ancestry in the modern gaming era.… Expand
  27. Backslider
    Oct 14, 2012
    6
    As a turn-based game, it's an enjoyable if simple title. As an installment in the XCOM series, it's a dumbed-down disappointment that tries too hard to be action-packed and cinematic over offering a deep and rewarding tactical experience with much replay value. If you' don't know what XCOM is, or can forget you know what XCOM is, you stand a decent chance of having fun during at leastAs a turn-based game, it's an enjoyable if simple title. As an installment in the XCOM series, it's a dumbed-down disappointment that tries too hard to be action-packed and cinematic over offering a deep and rewarding tactical experience with much replay value. If you' don't know what XCOM is, or can forget you know what XCOM is, you stand a decent chance of having fun during at least your first playthrough. If you're an oldschool XCOM fan that can't forget this is supposed to be an XCOM game, you're going to be disappointed unless you're really good at lying to yourself. Things like the Inventory are a joke (go ahead and choose between a scope on your rifle or ONE grenade) as is the aircraft "inventory" system, which consists of picking which gun a jet flies with, and then using silly 1-shot consumables during an engagement to give the aircraft buffs. The game plays like it's on rails as well, limiting what you can do like no XCOM game before and putting more emphasis on the storyline and cutscenes, which lowers the replay value. Would you like to sell your outdated weaponry when you're done with it? You can't. Would you like to put in the time, effort and resources to field another skyranger so you can respond to TWO threats in a reasonable amount of time instead of one? Can't. Would you like to tell your heavy to bring a plasma rifle instead of his crummy default LMG? Can't.
    Despite neutering your options and creativity, the game can be enjoyable, just don't go in expecting it to be XCOM, no matter what the title says. Go in with zero expectations, and you can only be pleasantly surprised.    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. giskard
    Oct 15, 2012
    8
    Don't you hate first day of release 10 scores, I mean how can they ever be accurate. Anyway, this is a very good squad based tactical shooter, but that is all it is. All the other xcom features are gone or simplified to the point they no longer matter. The base is just 5 menus, the whole Ant Farm Idea is just eye candy, very pretty eye candy but you never have to use it and even if you do,Don't you hate first day of release 10 scores, I mean how can they ever be accurate. Anyway, this is a very good squad based tactical shooter, but that is all it is. All the other xcom features are gone or simplified to the point they no longer matter. The base is just 5 menus, the whole Ant Farm Idea is just eye candy, very pretty eye candy but you never have to use it and even if you do, only the main ops section does anything. They gave up aliens invading your base for a pretty backdrop. UFOs are rare, which is strange for a game about UFOs because shooting them down in large numbers was kind of the whole point of these games. There is only 1 Alien base in the entire game, aliens do not establish bases in areas you failed to defend, you just get this one base and this is part of the main plot anyway. EG part of the story and not at all random in anyway. Cover in battles is so messed up you can be hit through solid walls without the wall being damaged or have zero percent chance of hitting an alien that is stood right next to you. Despite this, the battles are still very good. Aliens do not move around, they spawn when triggered, either by the player walking through invisible triggers that makes them suddenly appear, or by dropping out of the sky like magic or by just popping in to existence in front of your very eyes. Not very convincing. Again, despite this, the battles are still very good. You can play game without any fighters are all, some of my fighters have never been used or only used once after over 20 hours of game play. Unlike the original game where you had a lot of UFOs to shoot down and needed those fighters, that is just not the case here. Most of the time your dealing with UFO landings, but you never see the UFO fly to the spot and land, it just happens. Terror attacks on cities, abductions and a host of other missions make up the core squad based game play, this is what makes the game worth an 8 score on its own. Worth buying just for this if you like Squad based combat. As for the title making it sound like a UFO Enemy Unknown game, that is just a way to sell a Squad based game to an audience that may not have brought it if it was called ET Invasion or something. It may look like an UFO game but its not, there is no RPG elements in this worth speaking off, no strategy worth talking about. Just Squad based tactics, 1 out of the 3 elements that made the original game a classic is all that is left.

    My advice to those considering buying is this, if your looking for a Warhammer 40k style table top battle system for the PC then this game rates an 8 out of 10 and you will love it. But if your buying this game because you want a modern UFO Enemy Unknown (UFO Defence in the USA), dont bother, your wasting your money. I am going to score this game based on its squad gameplay and give it an 8, if I was to score it based on what it should have been as a UFO clone, it would only have gotten a 4. So if you want UFO Enemy Unknown DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, but if you like squad combat and thats all you care about, you will love this.    … Expand
  30. rant
    Oct 15, 2012
    8
    A fun game that might have been a classic if it was a little deeper in the tactical combat and if the base command segments got some extra development time. Despite this, it's still a great, well-made--but light-- version of the original. There are noticeable though mostly trivial bugs and the UI is a little rough, but it still creates that "just one more turn" feeling. Definitely worthA fun game that might have been a classic if it was a little deeper in the tactical combat and if the base command segments got some extra development time. Despite this, it's still a great, well-made--but light-- version of the original. There are noticeable though mostly trivial bugs and the UI is a little rough, but it still creates that "just one more turn" feeling. Definitely worth playing, but it probably won't be a game you think about 5 years from now.… 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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