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. 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
  2. Tsorevitch
    Oct 14, 2012
    1
    This is not an X-com game at all - It is some strange table top wargame poorly translated to a video game.
    PC version is awful. Looks like the devs never even launched it on PC with a mouse+keyboard as a controller.
  3. 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
  4. splewk
    Oct 14, 2012
    10
    Love it, but you MUST play it in CLASSIC mode with IRONMAN mode checked (advanced options at start up of a new game). Although gone is inventory nightmare that we all came to love/hate, gone is picking up battlefield items, a story-line quest that one must follow, and less soldiers for missions. That being said, in the future I HOPE they expand on that, and give options to play the REALLove it, but you MUST play it in CLASSIC mode with IRONMAN mode checked (advanced options at start up of a new game). Although gone is inventory nightmare that we all came to love/hate, gone is picking up battlefield items, a story-line quest that one must follow, and less soldiers for missions. That being said, in the future I HOPE they expand on that, and give options to play the REAL classic mode. Great introduction though, to new gamers to the GENRE (i call it a genre because no other game comes close to what X-com left on the floor with it's turn based system). MUST OWN GAME OF 2012.… Expand
  5. macronus
    Oct 14, 2012
    0
    This game can be awesome if you console game and love gears of wars, halo, other similar games, but if you play original xcom, jagged alliance 1-2, you highly dissapointed what the hell is this.
  6. Coeco
    Oct 14, 2012
    3
    As much as I have fallen for this game, I cannot ignore the big throbbing acne problems it which is the combat system. The devs were clearly not ready to transact this game into full-blown 3D seeing how most of the time, my characters are being shot through 25 tons of concrete, behind 3 walls of cover while sucking their thumbs. It has also started to get repetitive very quickly once youAs much as I have fallen for this game, I cannot ignore the big throbbing acne problems it which is the combat system. The devs were clearly not ready to transact this game into full-blown 3D seeing how most of the time, my characters are being shot through 25 tons of concrete, behind 3 walls of cover while sucking their thumbs. It has also started to get repetitive very quickly once you realize on how linear it really is, all the alien invasions being one long sticky script. Customization and loadouts are fantastic with tons of options for armors and guns while feeding you new enemies every now and then but as far as strategy and tactics goes, this game really drops the ball.… Expand
  7. glock30owner
    Oct 14, 2012
    6
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown should never had been included in the XCOM franchise, its lack of tactical and strategic options available in the original 3 games (X-COM: UFO Defense, X-COM: Terror from the Deep, and X-COM: Apocalypse) is highly disappointing to X-COM fans.
  8. ltx
    Oct 14, 2012
    4
    This remake takes all the freedom and open-ended, multi-faceted strategic gameplay out of x-com and replaces it with a squad simulator on rails. Suspenseful atmosphere of X-Com isn't there. UI is clunky. I'm overall offended that this game was titled X-Com Enemy Unknown, implying it would be a faithful remake of the original game. Perhaps if you never played the original game, you might beThis remake takes all the freedom and open-ended, multi-faceted strategic gameplay out of x-com and replaces it with a squad simulator on rails. Suspenseful atmosphere of X-Com isn't there. UI is clunky. I'm overall offended that this game was titled X-Com Enemy Unknown, implying it would be a faithful remake of the original game. Perhaps if you never played the original game, you might be okay with this one. I seriously regret buying it though.… Expand
  9. Ixnatifual
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    An incredible reimagining of a classic. Firaxis have managed to identify all the things (with one exception) that made the old game great, while streamlining the tedious parts. What's particularly impressive is how they decided to make the tactical gameplay and soldier advancement DEEPER than the original game, rather than SHALLOWER, as is the tendency these days.

    I'd love to be able to    An incredible reimagining of a classic. Firaxis have managed to identify all the things (with one exception) that made the old game great, while streamlining the tedious parts. What's particularly impressive is how they decided to make the tactical gameplay and soldier advancement DEEPER than the original game, rather than SHALLOWER, as is the tendency these days.

    I'd love to be able to rate this game a 10 out of 10, but two major things prevent me from giving it that perfect score. For one, the maps aren't procedurally generated as they were in the original. Rather, the game draws maps randomly from a large pool. Fortunately randomization of spawn points and other things as well as a large map pool to begin with prevents it from becoming boring. The second issue with the game is a bug where in some of the more vertically complex map, the ceiling flickers in and out, making it difficult to see what you're doing.    … Expand
  10. mishari26
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    The game is brilliant! it doesn't handle you with kiddie gloves. it roughs you up. til you man up.

    It strives to capture all the great things that nostalgic players wanted from the old XCOM. including the "this is not a cakewalk" feel. Ok ok so I was playing on "classic" difficulty level, which is one step higher than normal. But they got it right! Almost all the negative reviews    The game is brilliant! it doesn't handle you with kiddie gloves. it roughs you up. til you man up.

    It strives to capture all the great things that nostalgic players wanted from the old XCOM. including the "this is not a cakewalk" feel. Ok ok so I was playing on "classic" difficulty level, which is one step higher than normal. But they got it right!

    Almost all the negative reviews you'll see here are out of frustration from how to manage getting credits and not go overboard with accumulating upkeep costs for your facility. Admittedly if it's your first run through the game, you'll probably face this problem. Since you are faced with a wide array of things to upgrade and work on, and it's easy to overlook the main credits making path to keep things afloat, namely satellites.

    I've been playing this game 2 days straight now and I'm strongly attached to my squad members, and spend a few mins before every mission just to make sure they look right for their characters before they deploy.

    The tactical squad combat carries the whole title. It's lovely and its tense. which is not an easy thing to do on a turn-based game (think jagged alliance?). Admittedly the assault class seems to be overpowered next to others. But other classes are still very helpful as support. The cover system is very simple and clear enough.

    Managing resources is a tight rope, and being able to hold on to all countries is a challenge. Base facility management also adds the cool element of "adjacency bonuses", meaning if you cluster your power generators together you get more power.

    It's a rare gem that can't be missed!    … Expand
  11. DrNobody
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    I do miss some function that was in the original game, but I think Firaxis has made up for that with a few things I am really enjoying. They have somehow made me very protective of my few but effective soldiers. They made me actually WANT abductions to occur so I had a faster opportunity to obtain scientists, engineers, and money. The base interface is intuitive, looks great, and theyI do miss some function that was in the original game, but I think Firaxis has made up for that with a few things I am really enjoying. They have somehow made me very protective of my few but effective soldiers. They made me actually WANT abductions to occur so I had a faster opportunity to obtain scientists, engineers, and money. The base interface is intuitive, looks great, and they nixed the need for multiple capture rooms (huzzah!). In the original game, I can't tell you how many times I have tried to get soldiers to a good position and ran out of points to move them there, so I think the move/rush feature is awesome. I want to create multiple bases, but being able to cover the same areas with satellites is not a bad trade. Maybe we'll see it in a DLC, who knows. The half-cover/full-cover dynamic is simple to pick up and hard to master. A fantastic addition to the game. Frankly, I couldn't be happier about my decision to play this game. Never been happier to drop $50.… Expand
  12. Stealer
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    O_O
  13. AbeSolum
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    Love this game. True pinnacle of turn based gaming. Firaxis is to thank for that. Feel light and shallow at first until about 15 hours in. After that you are almost forced to restart on the basis that you've been playing the game all wrong. I felt the same way with Civ 5. Enough depth and entertainment to give me sleepless nights. Lots of ways to customize your play style. Great pacing.Love this game. True pinnacle of turn based gaming. Firaxis is to thank for that. Feel light and shallow at first until about 15 hours in. After that you are almost forced to restart on the basis that you've been playing the game all wrong. I felt the same way with Civ 5. Enough depth and entertainment to give me sleepless nights. Lots of ways to customize your play style. Great pacing. Sometimes wonky camera and movement , but that doesn't distract from the challenge the game offers even just playing on normal. It's a must play for any turn based fan.… Expand
  14. hb7phoenix
    Oct 13, 2012
    5
    To put it plainly - it's been watered down way too much. No soldier inventory, no turn units (which gave you so many more tactical options than here) - instead some arbitrary 2 move/shoot actions, no multiple base building, a stupid system that prevents you from actually helping every country (terror missions - in the original, you could actually do them all if you were smart with yourTo put it plainly - it's been watered down way too much. No soldier inventory, no turn units (which gave you so many more tactical options than here) - instead some arbitrary 2 move/shoot actions, no multiple base building, a stupid system that prevents you from actually helping every country (terror missions - in the original, you could actually do them all if you were smart with your base building/soldier management), no micro management of your base (I do like the ant farm view, just wish I could zoom in), a UI clearly made with consoles in mind.

    If you're brand new to the series, you will most likely enjoy this game a lot. If you're a die-hard fan of the original like me, you will most likely be disappointed once the novelty of playing a new XCOM game has worn off.    … Expand
  15. AxeMan
    Oct 13, 2012
    6
    Good game but provides a lesser experience than the original. I wasn't expecting nor desiring just a re-skinning of the original, but I wanted something that would give me the same level of experience that I had playing back in 1995. Unfortunately, there is not the same level of tension and malice that was in the original. The music, fog of war("where did that shot come from?!"), dynamicGood game but provides a lesser experience than the original. I wasn't expecting nor desiring just a re-skinning of the original, but I wanted something that would give me the same level of experience that I had playing back in 1995. Unfortunately, there is not the same level of tension and malice that was in the original. The music, fog of war("where did that shot come from?!"), dynamic enemy placement and movement, dynamic battlefield inventory(" yes kiddies, when Bob went down, I ran through a hail of plasma bolts to pick up his medkit and heal the team."), aliens attacking your bases, soldier skill advancement, and other mechanics made me feel like the threats were everywhere and that I was in control to deal with the threats. With the current game, the removal of so many game mechanics for the sake of "streamlined gameplay" feels more constrained. I guess you can only make so many decisions on a gamepad controller...and continuing on this thought, this game, like many others, has been designed, primarily, for a console. It is an unfortunate truth, but most non-MMO games are oriented to consoles because that is where the money is, and console players are not seeking the same type of gaming experience as a PC player. I don't have a problem with the game itself, it is OK, not my bag, but it's OK. I pose to you if this game had not used the X-COM IP, what would you have thought of it? For me, I would have given it a pass, but since it had the name, I bought it,and with it some expectations. It's a shame. PC gaming reality has set in. Deep gameplay now goes no further than a console controller.… Expand
  16. McFinnegan
    Oct 13, 2012
    8
    Let me just start out by saying this game had me hooked. I lost track of time, and before I knew it, 6 hours had passed, and I was starving. This game was incredibly addictive and fun. The sense of urgency was there, along with the frantic drive to decide which research project will save more of your troops, and a new dependency on choosing which countries to help, and which ones you haveLet me just start out by saying this game had me hooked. I lost track of time, and before I knew it, 6 hours had passed, and I was starving. This game was incredibly addictive and fun. The sense of urgency was there, along with the frantic drive to decide which research project will save more of your troops, and a new dependency on choosing which countries to help, and which ones you have to let go. I loved the dependence on tactical positioning, with cover and height advantages, to get the most out of your troops, and the leveling system of the squad was excellent. Singleplayer is excellent.

    Now for what I didn't like as much. Multiplayer was weak at best. A fun distraction, but don't count on it being worth the purchase price. Singleplayer does have flaws as well. Not to get into spoiler territory, but I thought they could have done more work on the ending (more on the cinematic part/wrapping it up, as it ends rather abruptly IMO. Also, the enemies could have been more dynamic on the map. While they revealed themselves a good number of times, and that ruined my day on multiple occasions (when I was already fighting 2 cyberdisks, a pack of crysallids shows up), or I revealed a group of aliens while outflanking the group I was fighting, most of the time, it was a game of cat and mouse, with me being the cat. Not to say this wasn't like the original, but I just expected the aliens to be more dynamic, given the 18 year gap. This could be in part due to the small squad sizes, which, at the beginning is prohibitive, but by the time you have 6 colonels with plasma, 6 is all you really need.

    Compared to the original, this game weeds out a lot of the tediousness of the first, while maintaining the strategic pleasure of the first. The only thing I would add would be the ability to pick up the equipment of your fallen soldiers, as I found it annoying when my soldier carrying the item I needed kicked the bucket, leaving me without it. Multiple bases in the original were mainly to expand your interceptor coverage, as my main base could have housed all the necessary buildings for building and researching what I needed (along with psionics and all that jazz). Considering that, limited to one base with interceptor bases wasn't a bad thing IMO. The exclusion of time units similarly was not a problem, as the 2 action system actually makes your individual actions far more important. In the original, you could go into a room, see it's full of enemies, take a shot, and then run back out again. Also, stopping your unit when you saw an enemy was a crutch. The new game succeeds it's predecessor in that regard, by making each action a crucial choice.

    Overall, this game exceeds the original, which is to be expected of a game that comes out 18 years later. Multiplayer is fun, but not a reason to buy the game. Picking up dead soldiers equipment should certainly be added, but it was not a game breaker. More dynamic enemies would be appreciated, rather than knowing you're going to stumble upon enemies in this area, with little deviation (there was times they took me by surprise, but not many).    … Expand
  17. tsandl
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    I am an old school PC gamer. I have a shelf over my desk on which I display the original boxes of games that I consider truly great. The games are arranged more or less in chronological order, except that I have great games with great sequels grouped together (e.g. the SSI gold box games are all together, the two Starflight games are together, etc.) The original X-com, in it's ugly whiteI am an old school PC gamer. I have a shelf over my desk on which I display the original boxes of games that I consider truly great. The games are arranged more or less in chronological order, except that I have great games with great sequels grouped together (e.g. the SSI gold box games are all together, the two Starflight games are together, etc.) The original X-com, in it's ugly white corrugated cardboard box with the black printed sleeve, is sitting on that shelf immediately to the right of "Betrayal at Krondor". The game to the immediate right of X-com is Deus Ex… Expand
  18. purecharger
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    This game is everything I expected from a modern day remake of a classic. The best parts have been kept such as research, resource management, engineering and base building. Combat at first glance may appear to have been dumbed down by reducing your squad size and taking away movement points, but obvious thought and detail has been put into it and frankly, it works better than theThis game is everything I expected from a modern day remake of a classic. The best parts have been kept such as research, resource management, engineering and base building. Combat at first glance may appear to have been dumbed down by reducing your squad size and taking away movement points, but obvious thought and detail has been put into it and frankly, it works better than the original! As many others have stated, the promotions and advancement of your soldiers is greatly satisfying and makes you care about your guys. Great, great game. Well worth the purchase price.… Expand
  19. razoreqx
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Great fun. As an owner of the original title I was pretty happy with the outcome on the development of this game. All the features of a turn based combat game are there with a nice upgraded graphic and animation twist. Look forward to future DLC for this title. Great sound, great graphics. Good game!
  20. Lnzu
    Oct 13, 2012
    6
    The tactic is nice in this game, but the strategic level is broken. Unbalanced, user unfriendly -- the main problem is that the game won't allow you to act when you want, you can only react. Given that you can choose only one mission out of three each time, the panic level (the one that determine how well you do worldwide) will increase and increase, so you'll lose some countries anyway,The tactic is nice in this game, but the strategic level is broken. Unbalanced, user unfriendly -- the main problem is that the game won't allow you to act when you want, you can only react. Given that you can choose only one mission out of three each time, the panic level (the one that determine how well you do worldwide) will increase and increase, so you'll lose some countries anyway, you can do nothing about it. You can decrease their numbers (quiters), but you can't save all, even on normal. It's like every time three new fires starts and you can put only one out. And you can do nothing to prevent that. If you're lucky random missions and council orders will help you, but that's save&load game, which sucks. You don't have the power as a gamer to act when you want -- scan territories, put down alien infiltrations, you only react, and if you're not lucky with random events, you're screwed. I drop the game, as soon as I realised I can't be a commander, I can't sent several squads to investigate simultaniously different problem sites. WTF, I mean -- why I can use only one squad at a time, and on top of that I can't give'em order to go and survey the country I know being under threat. I can only react. With one squad. I say **** that **** I want to run an efficient organization, Xcom, not this crappy excuse for "last hope of humanity". **** it, it could be a great game if not for it's strategic component. Unless it's fixed, this game doesn't worth your money. It's frustrating all along, aside the tactical battles.… Expand
  21. MrZero
    Oct 13, 2012
    4
    An abortion of a classic. (FYI -- beat the game on normal within 2 days, straight A's on monthly reports)
    First off, all battles are pre-destined; no individual rolls per move. Example: 2012 Xcom: EU -- When the battle starts, the AI now knows and has determined (regardless of aim percentage) what will hit, and what will not hit. You can save a game during a battle and soldier one will    An abortion of a classic. (FYI -- beat the game on normal within 2 days, straight A's on monthly reports)
    First off, all battles are pre-destined; no individual rolls per move. Example: 2012 Xcom: EU -- When the battle starts, the AI now knows and has determined (regardless of aim percentage) what will hit, and what will not hit. You can save a game during a battle and soldier one will always make a shot, move soldier 2 to a particular grid square, he will make a shot and soldier three will miss. Re-load the game, and the EXACT same chain of events will happen! Then, depending on "AI difficulty," the aliens will then move in for the kill and miss or hit. Keep in mind, it already knows exactly what can and can't kill you, so depending on the difficulty setting ... it either misses or hits you as it sees fit.
    In the original, you could re-load the game, and have the same soldier shoot at an alien -- every time you re-loaded, it "re-rolled" the move, and depending on the shot percentage, you would either hit or miss. The same was true for the alien movement. If you had a 25% chance to hit, you actually hit your target once or twice out of four or five times.
    Anyone who's played games developed or associated with Sid Meier knows the AI is a HUGE cheat. Who here has ever played any Civilization game and attacked an AI opponent, who was still in the Stone Age, with tanks; only to find out that upon attacking, that same AI opponent has miraculously teched to modern weapons and tanks, too.
    So, regardless of how well you do with your tactics, it doesn't matter -- the AI "decides" when you win or lose, with the illusion you've somehow outsmarted it. Poor, poor AI design.
    Now onto the other horrible changes -- You can no longer customize your soldiers as you see fit. In the original XCOM, you had approx. 50 slot to place items on each soldier and it required a significant amount of micro-manage. This though was not a chore, but a pure charm, considering that what, how and how much weapons/items your soldier was carrying, determined speed, stamina, shot percentage, reload speed, etc. Every choice had its pros and cons. In 2012 XCOM -- you have 4 slots per soldier, and each slot only holds a certain type of weapon/item, i.e. slot 1 main weapons (a rifle or machine gun), slot 2 sidearm (pistol) slot 3 class specific item (rocket launcher, smoke grenade) slot 4 misc (medkit, grenade, ext.) That's right! Each soldier can only carry ONE!!! grenade now (unless you waste an xp upgrade on them so they carry two) You get one rocket, one grenade, one medpack with only one use.
    On top of that, you can only have four soldiers per mission (upgradable to 6), which makes the game unnecessarily hard in the beginning, considering there can be a dozen or so aliens (who NEVER miss, depending on difficulty), and your capped at 4. That's at least a dozen incoming alien grenades at a four-man squad, whose max aim parentage is capped at 25% (not that it matters) on higher difficulty.
    Is an alien behind a wall or a tree? Want to shoot that obstacle out of the way so another squad-member can have a clear shot? Well guess what? That ability is gone now, too. Unless you can see the alien, you can no longer shoot freely at random objects, unlike the original -- that's a HUGE removal of tactics.
    Remember, that means you    … Expand
  22. Atticas14
    Oct 13, 2012
    3
    I heard their goal was to streamline the experience but I personally think they just dumbed it down. The geoscape is now nothing more than a button to "scan" for UFO activity which advances the story. My main complaint is the elimination of the soldier inventory, there's no more interacting with the ground or worrying about overloading your soldier; I liked that extra depth. Also squadI heard their goal was to streamline the experience but I personally think they just dumbed it down. The geoscape is now nothing more than a button to "scan" for UFO activity which advances the story. My main complaint is the elimination of the soldier inventory, there's no more interacting with the ground or worrying about overloading your soldier; I liked that extra depth. Also squad size is now capped at 6, and the aliens aren't active on the field until you find them... If anyone is looking for a modern x-com rather than a x-com re-imagining, check out Xenonauts.… Expand
  23. guinevere2
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    An awesome game - difficult (on classic at least), complex and demanding. After terribly disappointing CIV V Firaxis finally released deep and fun TBS. There is a lot of decisions to be made and different setups to try out, but beware: the game will punish your severely for your mistakes - an approach that is the heart of old games from '90 and that is seldom found in modern titles. It isAn awesome game - difficult (on classic at least), complex and demanding. After terribly disappointing CIV V Firaxis finally released deep and fun TBS. There is a lot of decisions to be made and different setups to try out, but beware: the game will punish your severely for your mistakes - an approach that is the heart of old games from '90 and that is seldom found in modern titles. It is more in line with last UFO serie (Afterlight, Aftermath, Aftershock) than with the original, but that is not necessary a bad thing. The game is great, although not ideal - camera does not work well sometimes and is overall rather unresponsive. On top of that the variety of maps is poor and they become repetitive quite fast. Also I have no idea how moddable the game is and in the long run it is up to the mods to keep this game alive. This does not change the fact that XCOM is the best game of this year so far for me.… Expand
  24. Psymarine
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    As a hardcore XCom fan i have to say im very impressed with this, not sure what people are saying that if you have played the original it wont be as fun? im having lots of fun? im "probably" about halfway through it and have enjoyed every moment of it. No, its not the original but it wasnt set out to be. I find it much more tactical then the first game as in this one the AI is quiteAs a hardcore XCom fan i have to say im very impressed with this, not sure what people are saying that if you have played the original it wont be as fun? im having lots of fun? im "probably" about halfway through it and have enjoyed every moment of it. No, its not the original but it wasnt set out to be. I find it much more tactical then the first game as in this one the AI is quite intelligent and you have to use the cover system and back each of your squad members up and think of every possibiltiy, which is nice. the graphics are great and give a good "personal" feeling to the game with the dynamic camera. The ant farm style base is great and gives a different feel to the game as you can see what is going on in your base like recently captured aliens being held in the containment etc, I rated this a 9 as no game is perfect in my view, it is a very good game but i would like to see certain functions be in there like someone has said when your troops initially upgrade from rookie to select which paths they take as i had 6 snipers in a group of about 12 soldiers and without hiring more soldiers i could not get the other classes which were needed, even then wasnt always certain. Also found the interface when i move my soldiers in a ufo tends to not zoom inside the ufo as id like and alot of the time see the roof when i go to move, which is a pain sometimes but its very minor. All in all from what i have played so far about 16 hours worth its a very impressive game and appeals not just to fans of the series but new ones alike. Id recommend it to anyone.… Expand
  25. fastestlouigie
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    This is a commendable imagining of the XCom universe for the 21st century. It's definitely not a remake (check out the nearly ready Xenonauts for that!) but a great T.B. squad tactics/base management game. Support the makers and lose days by repelling the alien menace.
  26. Miskin
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Well done Firaxis! Amazing work. I would have rated with 95%, however rounding gives a 10. I have over 20hours of gameplay and haven't encountered a single bug. I don't know, since when I had to see something like this. 1990s or when? My only point of criticism or better nostalgia is the ability of the aliens to invade your base... Most of the concept has been reworked and overall improvedWell done Firaxis! Amazing work. I would have rated with 95%, however rounding gives a 10. I have over 20hours of gameplay and haven't encountered a single bug. I don't know, since when I had to see something like this. 1990s or when? My only point of criticism or better nostalgia is the ability of the aliens to invade your base... Most of the concept has been reworked and overall improved e.g. no more insane macromanagement is needed. Micromanagement is a lot more tactical and action orientated and a lot less logistic. It is definitely the best turn based strategy of the decade. Keep up the good work Mr. Solomon! You managed to revive Microprose from its ashes. I gave you a 10, but now we are expecting to see XCOM: Terror from the Deep. ;-) Long live turn-based strategy games! Long live XCOM series!… Expand
  27. cajun67
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    This is a wonderful update of the old classic. While the old game had so many management options as to bog down the pace of the game, the new XCOM takes much of the tedium away. For example, in the old game, as you hired soldiers you would have to look at their randomly-generated stats individually to determine who should be carrying which weapons, and then work on increasing their bestThis is a wonderful update of the old classic. While the old game had so many management options as to bog down the pace of the game, the new XCOM takes much of the tedium away. For example, in the old game, as you hired soldiers you would have to look at their randomly-generated stats individually to determine who should be carrying which weapons, and then work on increasing their best stats during missions; in the new XCOM, soldiers are automatically assigned weapons and classes, and as they gain experience on the battlefield, they level up, granting them a new class ability each time. Not everything is perfect, however. The camera can only turn in 90 degree increments; not a problem outside, but indoor missions can be hell. Also, you'll find yourself fighting with the scenery at some of the worst times, trying to get the camera to hide it. Despite such minor flaws, this is a truly great game and a worthy successor to the franchise.… Expand
  28. Christian_Skott
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    As an old fan of the original XCOM game Im very pleased to see that this game brings the heart of the original into a real smooth and fun new game. That being said, its not the original game with new graphics, its a new game. That aside its just as captivating and time absorbing as the original. My guess is that there is over a hundred hours of fun in this game, so I see my money wellAs an old fan of the original XCOM game Im very pleased to see that this game brings the heart of the original into a real smooth and fun new game. That being said, its not the original game with new graphics, its a new game. That aside its just as captivating and time absorbing as the original. My guess is that there is over a hundred hours of fun in this game, so I see my money well spend. - My wife and job disagrees of cause. A solid 10 from me to a game that shows, that a good idea don't always involve MMO to become a great game. Sometimes the idea is so good that it can carry itself for over 18 years ;)… Expand
  29. bluejay3463
    Oct 13, 2012
    6
    The game is heavily story based, and the story is completely linear and very short. After a couple of playthroughs you get pretty sick of the exact same story points occurring at the exact same. I have only played a few days and I have already memorized the exact course of actions needed to complete the story, because there are just not that many steps.

    This is made even worse by the    The game is heavily story based, and the story is completely linear and very short. After a couple of playthroughs you get pretty sick of the exact same story points occurring at the exact same. I have only played a few days and I have already memorized the exact course of actions needed to complete the story, because there are just not that many steps.

    This is made even worse by the fact that the story is heavily dependent on a sense of mystery, which is completely gone after the first playthrough.

    To add insult to injury, the line of site mechanics are junk, the enemies are omniscient and get a free turn when you get within about a mile of them, and both the enemies and your team can often shoot through several feet thick walls of alien alloy. Even the tactical combat aspect is not great.

    This game doesn't have the variety of game play mechanics that the first XCOM did, or that games like Civilization have. And the main story is much shorter than many of the good tactical RPG's like Final Fantasy Tactics or Valkyria Chronicles (much less variety in gear and abilities as well). The meta game is completely dumbed down. The entire thing plays like a tablet game.

    If the game had great tactical combat, a deep tech tree, a greater variety of abilities and gear, and more sophisticated finance / base management mechanics, you could ignore the repetitive story from game to game. But without those components story is too much a part of what value this game delivers and that is burnt out in the first playthrough. Overall its was not a bad attempt, but this is a mediocre game and definitely not the successor to the original XCOM.    … Expand
  30. HARALD
    Oct 13, 2012
    6
    This is a ok action game but its a poor xcom game.I played the game for many hours and felt that i never got to enjoy the game play, most of the reason was the camera whiche was very poorly implemented. But my biggest problem with this game was that combat got boaring the more i played. The maps where not scary, and lacked soul. If you are a pereson who like action i can recomend thisThis is a ok action game but its a poor xcom game.I played the game for many hours and felt that i never got to enjoy the game play, most of the reason was the camera whiche was very poorly implemented. But my biggest problem with this game was that combat got boaring the more i played. The maps where not scary, and lacked soul. If you are a pereson who like action i can recomend this game. But if you are looking for a grate turened based game, you will be very disappointed in this game.

    The constant chattering of the units get boring fast. The units dont represent the contry they are from. My chinees sniper is american im think og sending him on a solo misson to get rid of him. And that is also som of the problem for this game. Its to muche like an american action movie, and not a realy good one at that. If you are ufo fan youll need to play this game only to find out you dont like it. If you dont know xcom this might be a very good game for you.

    I am a huge x xom fan so xcom:enemy unkown gets 6/10    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

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