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. Cytokinesis
    Oct 27, 2012
    7
    I fell in love with this game when I first started playing it, but then something went horribly wrong. If you only intend on playing the game once or maybe twice then this game is a fantastic gem; a great experience. If you want to play more than that then it has some surprises in store. First of all the UI and controls are ok but they could be so much better on the PC. Every once in aI fell in love with this game when I first started playing it, but then something went horribly wrong. If you only intend on playing the game once or maybe twice then this game is a fantastic gem; a great experience. If you want to play more than that then it has some surprises in store. First of all the UI and controls are ok but they could be so much better on the PC. Every once in a while (rarely but it happens) you just get royally screwed by these forced camera angles. Also sometimes it just won't let you click on a space and the cursor doesn't even show up. This happens a ton when you use grappling hooks and it makes them unusable. At first the game seems like it has a lot of depth but you will exhaust it soon after a couple playthroughs. You will know where aliens are waiting for you on maps and the base building is really, really shallow. The lab is completely worthless and spamming workshops is the best strategy. Research is extremely shallow as well. There just simply aren't enough things you look forward to getting. All they needed to do is add completely random maps and balance the base building/satellites/research and this would have been an absolutely phenomenal game able to be enjoyed for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of hours. Right now you are probably looking at about 20-50 hours before you realize there is nothing more for you in the game. It's a real shame.… Expand
  2. oliver1h
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game had plenty of potential...Unfortunately they are mostly unexploited...My problems with the game boils down to these: 1. The maps are too small and repetitive (The makers of the game said the player will not see the same map during the campaign...Well that is not true) 2. The maps are too scripted (Enemies wait for the player to reach a trigger zone, than they start to move around and attack. They do not move around the map by themselves.)3. Weapon upgrades are too linear (Laser is better than simple projectile weapons, plasma is better than laser and projectile weapons etc.)4. The campaign is too short 5. Weak tactical layer (no stand, crouch, lay...) 6. Weak strategic layer (Build satellites, workshops, power generators, laboratories, and a few other building and that all...It is nothing like in the old UFO:EU) 7. You can't chose the nationality of your soldier (why can't we?) 8. You can't place your base where you want on the geospace (why can't we??)… Expand
  3. Lobotomius
    Oct 28, 2012
    3
    Quick summary (mostly for those who played original series):
    The good:
    - Interesting action and movement system. - Four operatives classes (Heavy, Assault, Sniper and Medic) and their little perk systems. - Money issues. Yes - that's good. Adds difficult choices into the game. New guns this month or new base facilities? In old UFO and XCOM you never had money problems (except first    Quick summary (mostly for those who played original series):
    The good:
    - Interesting action and movement system.
    - Four operatives classes (Heavy, Assault, Sniper and Medic) and their little perk systems.
    - Money issues. Yes - that's good. Adds difficult choices into the game. New guns this month or new base facilities? In old UFO and XCOM you never had money problems (except first month maybe, but mainly because of facilities constructions).
    - Everything that is researched gives some benefits.

    The bad:
    - World of Warcraft style aliens packs with "aggro" behaviour. For those who don't understand. Aliens stand in group and do nothing unless you (or civilians) are close enough to "activate" them. Even worse is that when you aggro them they have they own activation movement. It's most annoying on terror missions, when aliens are aggroed on civilians then they discover you and activate again to move closer or hide better.
    - Simplified old game. Only one base. Can send only one fighter at a time to intercept alien crafts. Only 4-6 agents during mission. Very little variety in fighters and fighter equipment.
    - Research goes to fast and easy (at least on Classic difficulty). I didn't even have to build a single research laboratory yet everything was going way to fast. I never had money to introduce most of my discoveries. Especially with certain alien interrogations.
    - Cover system is somewhat odd. Sometimes a soldier just hiding behind a wall is considered a target, because he can lean out of it to be a target o_O. Sometimes it is possible to hit someone through a solid wall. Sometimes (on destroyed packs of lorries, hiding behind driver's cabin for example) you can't shoot out of a cover, because game doesn't recognize destroyed walls.
    - Hit or miss shooting system. You either hit or you miss. Bullets that don't hit disappear and do no damage at all. Compare to old UFO and X-COM where astray bullets destroyed random stuff, sometimes hit further aliens/civilians/x-com operatives.
    - Awful voice acting. Especially the council... "Remember. We will be watching". Boo hoo.
    - Chrysalids are now laughable enemies.    … Expand
  4. 21-5-73
    Oct 9, 2012
    7
    Aaah, remakes. Many of those, lately. After the Jagged Alliance one (true mess), here it comes XCOM.
    Being an old XCOMJAFTSStorm veteran, i think i'm allowed to a little cynism. Well, let's recap the pros and cons, shall we?
    UP: -New Graphic Redone: after 18 years, it was expected. Visual glitches and cameras bugs? They were expected too. If we wait, the patch will come. -New Turn    Aaah, remakes. Many of those, lately. After the Jagged Alliance one (true mess), here it comes XCOM.
    Being an old XCOMJAFTSStorm veteran, i think i'm allowed to a little cynism. Well, let's recap the pros and cons, shall we?

    UP:
    -New Graphic Redone: after 18 years, it was expected. Visual glitches and cameras bugs? They were expected too. If we wait, the patch will come.
    -New Turn System: simpler, faster. Nothing to discuss about it.
    -RPG Characters Personalization: faces, voices, armour colors, perks, nicknames. Nice adds.
    -More Objectives: very limited(defuse bomb escort save), but always a plus.
    -PERMADEATH MODE: for serious gamers.

    DOWN
    -Inventory Is Gone: EH?! What the...? I cannot pick objects, i cannot use objects or weapons unless i equip them before mission? I cannot save my dying fella with a soldier who didn't start with a medi?Unrealistic at least. Dumbed down at worst.
    -Only One Base: HUH?!? No more transfers, no more base specializations, NO MORE BASE DEFENCE MISSIONS?? Guess the magichated words: dumbed down.
    -Enemies wait like morons until you see them: i didn't believe it, then i saw it. What the hell? You're the invaders, brainless idiots, just invade! You expect me to blast you, and only then you make your whole turn?!
    -DOOM3 Greatest Hits: exception to last rule, sometimes they appear FROM NOTHING, like teleported, in your line of sight. Alien Powers? Human Bugs?
    -All the World is country: you can kiss goodbye desert, arctic, farm scenarios. Gonna fight in Egypt? Pennsylvania market! Well, I was expecting way less from the guys who ruined the civ series with the V chapter.
    The game is fun, dynamic, entralling. But dumbed down. Don't compare to the original, and you've a good game. You DO compare, and you've some irrealistic, simplified remake that's better than others(after-series, extraterrestrials, ecc).
    I am an old player, the original was my life, yet I mantain an open mind.
    But I'm gonna beddy-bye with two night demons in my ears: Dumbed and Down.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. DonMike
    Oct 12, 2012
    1
    I'm very disappointed on how this game crashes and becomes unplayable when multiple interceptors are sent to deal with an alien aircraft. Didn't anyone test it?
  7. Ixam
    Oct 9, 2012
    7
    In short, good game, not great, probably worth $20-30. You have to ignore the payed reviewers, ie all the 10s that seem to think this game has nothing at all wrong with it. It is similar to the original in structure and gameplay, but in general it is highly simplified. Everything is simpler, this makes it less frustrating and tedious, but also means you have less control over pretty muchIn short, good game, not great, probably worth $20-30. You have to ignore the payed reviewers, ie all the 10s that seem to think this game has nothing at all wrong with it. It is similar to the original in structure and gameplay, but in general it is highly simplified. Everything is simpler, this makes it less frustrating and tedious, but also means you have less control over pretty much everything. For instance, in combat, there are no more TUs, no more saving TUs to look around the corner after your move, or saving TUs for reaction fire. There are no more individual stats, so you don't have to go through and sack half the soldiers you hire because they aren't brave enough. While this is pleasant in some respects, it does mean that any time things go wrong, it is almost always because of some random number generator in the game. There is no saying: "what could I have done differently?" It is just a matter of chance in combat. Honestly the worst thing in the game was that it lacks the tension and suspense of the original. I was never creeped out or put on edge by what is happening. It feels more like an action game than a game of suspense. This is mostly the result of the music and the alien appearance sequences. In the original, if your character moved somewhere bad, he just died, in this game, the aliens have a spawn cinematic and don't get reaction shots when you soldiers first appear. There is no concern about walking into a room and getting instantly killed. This makes the game much easier, but also makes the game much less suspenseful. Perhaps there could be a game mode where aliens don't have cinematic sequences, and also get overwatch shots immediately on spawning. So all in all, much much easier than the original, still quite fun, and not worth $50.… Expand
  8. gllq
    Oct 16, 2012
    2
    As below. Player who know only 'today' games, will be please. Player who remember 'old ones' will be displeased.
    New Xcom is primitive. Far less tactics options, clearly stupid inventory (only one granade per person, OR medipack, OR balistic shirt... so stupid). Small 'tunel' maps. Classic difficutly level is rather simple, coz maps and options are veeeery limited. Go forward, click on    As below. Player who know only 'today' games, will be please. Player who remember 'old ones' will be displeased.
    New Xcom is primitive. Far less tactics options, clearly stupid inventory (only one granade per person, OR medipack, OR balistic shirt... so stupid). Small 'tunel' maps. Classic difficutly level is rather simple, coz maps and options are veeeery limited. Go forward, click on 'wall' or smt, shoot. Thats all. In this case, simpliffying taking out a 2/3 tactical and strategic depths.

    (sattelites cover only one country, no matter China or Rpa or France, Only ONE plane to use in action [Xcom is weird organization, they have only one combat pilot per world ;)])

    Ufos also are veeery respecting for human borders. Gemrany ufo is germany and thats is.    … Expand
  9. 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
  10. Bobwolf
    Oct 22, 2012
    3
    Where to start...

    1st of all this is not like the original game. Far from that. The game is now very simple and linear. You have the impression that the game force you to make some choice. You also have the impression that the game is holding your hand and tells you all the time what to do. Almost every feature of the OG has been remove. No more inventory, no more base defense/attack.    Where to start...

    1st of all this is not like the original game. Far from that. The game is now very simple and linear. You have the impression that the game force you to make some choice. You also have the impression that the game is holding your hand and tells you all the time what to do. Almost every feature of the OG has been remove. No more inventory, no more base defense/attack. You only have one base. The soldier management is bad. The tactical gameplay is also very simple. You have very few option.

    The only good about this game is graphic. They are very nice but that's it.    … Expand
  11. Zeusbot48
    Oct 12, 2012
    6
    This game could have very easily been a 9, but two things are holding it back, one is that it has been significantly simplified compared to it's predecessors. The game is still fun, but not quite as engaging or replayable as it's ancestors. The other serious negative is the incredible number of bugs. I don't think I have ever even played a beta build of a game that was this buggy. Line ofThis game could have very easily been a 9, but two things are holding it back, one is that it has been significantly simplified compared to it's predecessors. The game is still fun, but not quite as engaging or replayable as it's ancestors. The other serious negative is the incredible number of bugs. I don't think I have ever even played a beta build of a game that was this buggy. Line of sight bugs out fairly often, with soldiers unable to shoot on enemies that are clearly in sight, shots are frequently taken through walls, the camera on large ufo missions pops to the exterior view so you can't see your soldiers, bits of terrain flicker and move your soldier to the wrong position when you try to use them for cover, perks fail to trigger, denying your soldiers their benefit, unit's abilities disappear, meaning they cannot shoot and are useless, and the strategic objective has bugged, leaving me unable to advance the campaign and forcing me to restart. There is no excuse for releasing a game in this state. Especially when it has so much potential.… Expand
  12. Megatanis
    Oct 30, 2012
    3
    Aaaah yes..XCOM. So, are you seriously telling me Sid freaking Meier and Firaxis are redoing my favourite game ever? Wow, I thought at first, I'm in for a real treat. Not. To keep it simple, after more than 10 years(15?), I expected more. After civ5 one had to see this coming, since good old Sid seems to have a new philosophy: "streamlining". Oh you gotta learn to fear this word. ItAaaah yes..XCOM. So, are you seriously telling me Sid freaking Meier and Firaxis are redoing my favourite game ever? Wow, I thought at first, I'm in for a real treat. Not. To keep it simple, after more than 10 years(15?), I expected more. After civ5 one had to see this coming, since good old Sid seems to have a new philosophy: "streamlining". Oh you gotta learn to fear this word. It basically means they are taking a great game, stripping it of most of what today is apparently considered "complex" by the average gamer, and pumping it up with cool graphics. This new xcom is not a terrible game, to be honest. It is playable, it is also vaguely enjoyable for some time. But after you stop and think that the intro cutscene probably takes more space on your HD than the whole original game UFO defence, you start wondering. So, lets see. 1) No random maps. It does get old, fast. Aliens are placed in the exact same places. So, if you get the same map, it's a breeze to complete (and it's very boring). 2) more or less the same tech tree as in the original UFO. Now this was a letdown. So you have the usual laser techs, autopsies, some fighter techs. There are two more armors (which you will never use if you know whats good for planet earth) compared to the original, and that's as "modern" as it gets. Oh yeah and plasma, the mid-late game uber tech. I remember not developing plasma in the old Ufo just because I liked the idea of human soldiers in their blue personal armors and armed with mankind's best laser wapons, so yeah, I'm doing the same in this one. Game is easy anyway. 3) No inventory for soldiers. I'll pause a sec here. So now you may equip one main weapon, one secondary weapon, and ONE extra item. One. Extra. Item. Next time you have to decide if you want to bring ONE grenade OR wear a nanofiber vest under your armor, just remember the magic word: streamlining. It's not b******t, it's streamlined. See how easier it is to accept. Streamlined, I'm starting to like the sound of this. 4) No more Time Units. Now, this is sort of a meh. It's different from the original, not necessarily worst. It makes the game VERY boardgamish, like I don't know, bloodbowl, or necromunda. I like bloodbowl and necromunda. Actually, one of the games that comes to my mind A LOT while playing this XCOM is the pc version of bloodbowl. THe game also plays a lot like a blood bowl game, including the "hmm should I or should I not blitz that guy" feeling (if you played bloodbowl then you now what I mean. If not, well go play bloodbowl! Now!).
    5) Only one base. Very streamlined. 6) max of 6 squad members at a time. Oh now this is SO streamlined! Old XCOM was like 14? 16? and NO, it was not tedious, it was damn fun. It's a war, you are saving earth from an alien invasion! and you get a plane that can carry only six men?? 7) overall tactical combat is faster and cooler (cooler, not better..),and, yes you guessed it, streamlined! no more crouching, aim or snap shots (or auto), you got cameras following your dudes all over the place, cutscenes when you get out of the skyranger, cutscenes when you first meet a group of aliens, cutscenes when you leave the mission, cutscenes when you RETURN TO BASE after the aforementioned mission..no, I'm not kidding, there is a cutscene for almost every tech, autopsy, live alien interrogation. Only cutscenes in this game probably take more space on my HD than all the games I played in the 1990-2000 period. 8) soldier promotion. A random class is awarded to your soldiers upon completing their first level. Cool, I though at first. So if my rookie kills his first alien from a distance, he'll become a sniper for having demonstrated his particular aptitude with long range etc etc.. no, not at all. It's random. So no more "this guy is a sniper because you decide his stats are good for a sniper class. No, he IS a sniper, he can only use a sniper rifle. Also, when soldiers level they increase their 4 stats (old ufo were like 8 but hey! streamlined!).
    So bottom line, not an awful game, it has it's moments. As a successor of the greatest classic series of all times, it fails. Some would say miserably. Will be all but forgotten in a few months, while UFO and Terror from the deep will proudly sit in my pc forever, reminding me of how scary and hard and awesome saving earth in 640x480 may be. So tell you what Firaxis, I wanted to be wise and analyze and examine and think this out before voting. But then I decided to streamline my thoughts, so you get a 3 (because I played it a bit and it's not total crap)
    When in a tactical simulation you may choose between 15 hairstyles for your soldiers but you can't crouch, something's terribly wrong. Or streamlined.

    p.s. Firaxis is paying royalties to the Warhammer 40k brand I hope. ALL your soldiers and equipment look like space marine stuff. Even in their light beginner crappy armor and armed with a lousy assault gun, they look like uber cool Ultramarines with bolters blazing    … Expand
  13. mauvix
    Oct 12, 2012
    3
    You probably wont like it if you played the original one.

    Also, its not creepy. It has good graphics and animations, but IMHO it lacks the creepy sounds and music from the original. In the old one you even had to throw ligh rods to be able to see in some areas, that doesnt happen in the new. So, overall, the whole atmosphere of fear is out, still your soldiers keep dying a lot. The    You probably wont like it if you played the original one.

    Also, its not creepy. It has good graphics and animations, but IMHO it lacks the creepy sounds and music from the original. In the old one you even had to throw ligh rods to be able to see in some areas, that doesnt happen in the new. So, overall, the whole atmosphere of fear is out, still your soldiers keep dying a lot.

    The original one also gave you a lot of more options, although I liked SOME of the solutions they used to accelerate the game´s pace. However, it could have been more tactical.

    Its cool to customize your soldiers, but you should be able to choose the path for each of your soldiers to follow (to become a sniper for example) but you cant. The game does that automatically for you.

    Some say it was dumbed down. It was, it doesnt matter how many people denied it. It was marketed as a remake but its a new (and simpler) game. I would have loved to see the old xcom reffited to allow for a faster pace (the old missions could take hours), but in the process too much flavor was left out.

    Sorry, but in the end, old midi music was creepier than this Final Fantasy Tactics with aliens.    … Expand
  14. AtoningUnifex
    Oct 14, 2012
    5
    Ignoring the whole XCOM remake comparison (this is jist a different game with a similar story) and looking at the gameplay itself... it's annoying. I started off playing it and was instantly struck by the very limited number of equipment slots, the forced nature of having to choose from simultaneous attacks, only being able to attack UFOs with a single interceptor (which if that fails youIgnoring the whole XCOM remake comparison (this is jist a different game with a similar story) and looking at the gameplay itself... it's annoying. I started off playing it and was instantly struck by the very limited number of equipment slots, the forced nature of having to choose from simultaneous attacks, only being able to attack UFOs with a single interceptor (which if that fails you can't send another). It seems unrealistically limiting.

    Fighting past these initial impressions i got on with playing and for a while really got into the fast paced action style of play, would have probably given this a 7 at that time. Then i got further into it and realised that actually the controls are awkward and clearly converted from concole, rather than designed for PC, and they can be unsresponsiv too. Numerous times I've been unable to move or select things and even the wrong thing has been activated. The most damning thing, in my opinion though, is the game cheats - I know that's a stupid thing to say but it actually really does. I was having significant difficulty on a mission and decided to cheat myself - play a move, save after success etc. What i discovered is that even though the chance to hit may say 66% (which it did in my case) no matter how many times i replayed a particular shot, with the same soldier in the same position it missed every time. Must have retried about 20 times. So now I'm left wondering what exactly IS deciding whether shots hit or not, because it doesn't appear to be chance!! This on top of all the other little niggling bugs, glitches, limitations has really damaged my enjoyment of the game and left me feeling very mediocre about the whole thing.    … Expand
  15. Devalinor
    Oct 10, 2012
    7
    Good game, but too much dumbed down.
    No inventory
    No crouching
    No more ammo needed
    Not a real X-Com game
    If you have ever played X-Com Ufo defense you would know what i mean.
  16. Nesterhews
    Oct 12, 2012
    5
    Take Xcom and remove all the unique strategy elements that made it popular. Replace those with pretty graphics and quality voice effects, add in a poor ending and you have a fairly mediocre game. Not as bad as apocalypse but not worth 50 dollars.
  17. Kalous
    Oct 16, 2012
    4
    It's a simple fact if you've played the original X-COM UFO Defense this game will be a disappointment. While not a bad game in its self, the visual effects and game play can be considered enticing it is in no way a faithful recreation. The main reason is that they have stream lined the game for the average gamer in today's age. For example, maps are no longer randomly generated and inIt's a simple fact if you've played the original X-COM UFO Defense this game will be a disappointment. While not a bad game in its self, the visual effects and game play can be considered enticing it is in no way a faithful recreation. The main reason is that they have stream lined the game for the average gamer in today's age. For example, maps are no longer randomly generated and in comparison very small. Each town map will only consist of 1-3 enter-able buildings and there is no longer the heart-stopping event of walking down your own ships ramp. To compensate for this they have lowered the amount of enemies you will encounter, and the amount of troops you can field. Also the "LOS" system is completely different then the original game as well, its been reduced to a "gears of war" style based combat that will have your units being able to shoot through walls, trucks, and the occasional entire building to hit an enemy on the other side that is only 'visible' to 1 of your squad members. In tandem with this aliens them selves are no longer random as well, they are strategically placed in groups around the map and will not ACT in any way until one of your units spots the group, giving the aliens a free 'ACTION' move. Therefore if you come across a map you've already played you are able to take strategic positions against a group of aliens you haven't even discovered. Further limitations occur within the base, currency is never a problem even when they removed Construction times on items, and the ability to sell what you make. Only one base is available and it will never come under attack. Also the game is incredibly rushed the larger alien ships seem to appear almost instantly and can be shot down by normal-human aircraft. After you clear just a single of these vessels you get the ability to trace the UFO back to where they come from, and develop powers for your units. The only reason they say this game can provide "Hundreds of hours of game play" is because they Expect multiple play throughs, which again is a contradiction to the original where 100 hours may not finish even one.

    The final result is, if you haven't played the originals in an extremely long time or at all you will have an extremely fun time as it is a successful game (even if it is extremely easy unless on the hardest difficulty). Although if like me, and you have the DOS version installed on your computer which you boot up now and then, this game will feel like a disappointment and I would not recommend the purchase at 50$    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. Luukdeman111
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Let me just start this review of by saying: This game is fantastic... It is, however, not 1993 XCOM with updated graphics. If that's what you wanted, don't buy this game and please don't bother us by giving 0 point reviews here.

    As I said, this game is different from UFO: EU(X-com: UFO Defence in america) it is however not worse or dumbed down. They may have simplified the tactical    Let me just start this review of by saying: This game is fantastic... It is, however, not 1993 XCOM with updated graphics. If that's what you wanted, don't buy this game and please don't bother us by giving 0 point reviews here.

    As I said, this game is different from UFO: EU(X-com: UFO Defence in america) it is however not worse or dumbed down. They may have simplified the tactical combat, but simplifying is not the same as dumbing down. Dumbing down is making the game easier and losing strategic depth in the process, simpifying is making a game easier to understand while trying to maintain or improve strategical depth.

    And XCOM: EU does the latter. The strategic base management is probably even more complicated than it was in the original and the tactical combat is, while streamlined and symplified, just as deep or even deeper than the original game.
    It now involves units working together instead of having 14 nearly identical soldiers just scouting if every direction. Ammo is now more important unlike what many 1993 fanboys are saying. Guns still need reloading you just don't need to equip your soldiers with ammo anymore. And most of all there's the completely new cover system. Now, when you move your soldiers, you actually need to think about flanking aliens, because shooting aliens in full cover isn't going to kill them. I've come across a situation where my assault soldier tried to flank an alien but revealed another alien in the process which left him exposed. I then moved my support soldier in to throw a smoke grenade to protect my assault and used my heavy to suppress the flanking alien to avoid him shooting at my assault... Tactical situations like that would almost never occur in the original X-com so i completely disagree wit people who say this game is dumbed down.

    The things that were simplified are mainly things like Time Units and i think the new system is actually better. It might kill the nostalgia a bit but this system is faster, easier and makes every decision more important and rewarding.

    So, to come to a conclusion: I think this game is absolutely brilliant! I normally wouldn't give a 10 to a game. But I'm sorta doing this to cancel out the zeros that were given. Because even if you preferred the old X-com, it's ridiculous to say this game is worth a 0...    … Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. JanGodwod
    Oct 15, 2012
    4
    For today standards this game is very neat. Of course, PC version is bugged as hell - but I've managed to get through the game even with the glitches (2 interceptors stuck screen, ufo roof, bad controls for walking inside ufo, impossible targeting with rocket launcher/grenades, over 100 saves etc.).

    Old version is still better for me. The new one lacks: - equipment managing (picking    For today standards this game is very neat. Of course, PC version is bugged as hell - but I've managed to get through the game even with the glitches (2 interceptors stuck screen, ufo roof, bad controls for walking inside ufo, impossible targeting with rocket launcher/grenades, over 100 saves etc.).

    Old version is still better for me. The new one lacks:
    - equipment managing (picking up, leaving behind etc)
    - free shooting (clearing walls for sniper etc)
    - action points instead of two movements
    - UFOPEDIA! - the Archive provided in Lab is a JOKE! There should be UFOPEDIA with nice drawings
    - realism - have You seen lock on Sniper rifle? Is this a cartoon or action strategy?
    - UFO ranks: medic, navigator etc.
    - random missions
    - random number generator
    - more things to research
    - more base management
    - chance to sell produced items
    etc.

    After playing it on normal. I want to launch my old laptop and run a whole night of old xcom on DOS. I paid 40    … Expand
  23. Samhandwich84
    Oct 14, 2012
    3
    A simplified but still fun version of the X-Com franchise. However, the game is currently plagued by MANY bugs both minor and campaign ending. I will more than happily change this score when/if these bugs are fixed. Until that time though, people need to know that both the single and multiplayer components may not be playable if they fork out for this full priced game.
  24. spleendamage
    Oct 10, 2012
    8
    This game is hard to review, mostly because it is a "re-imagining" of one of my favorite games. The short story is: I like it. I am playing it. So, it gets an 8. Could it have been better? Oh yes. As an X-Com remake, it falls a bit flat. Simplified is a commonly used description, "on rails" is how I'd describe it. It seems that somewhere out there in a secret gaming steering committee, anThis game is hard to review, mostly because it is a "re-imagining" of one of my favorite games. The short story is: I like it. I am playing it. So, it gets an 8. Could it have been better? Oh yes. As an X-Com remake, it falls a bit flat. Simplified is a commonly used description, "on rails" is how I'd describe it. It seems that somewhere out there in a secret gaming steering committee, an edict that games must become less complicated has been issued. Unfortunate if you believe, like me, that original X-Com succeeded, at least in part, due to it's complexity. Why should saving the world from an alien threat be easy? It shouldn't. This XCOM wants to do away with all logistics, deeming them "un-fun." Managing multiple bases and multiple away teams is a hassle, they seem to think. And trying to arrange how multiple assets will deal with multiple simultaneous threats is just a big pain, in their book, much easier (and fun-ner?) to just pick one from a list. Weird trigger based alien spawning, channelling the action in corridor sized maps, tiny squad sizes, no free fire, blah blah, you read all this before. So yes, it's not a very good remake of X-Com. But that's not all a bad thing. It's still a good game. Some games are better for their simplicity. This game does some things pretty well. It's tense and fun, soldier customization is nice (could be better - why can't I pick my class or home nation?), there are advanced difficulty options (Ironman mode!), cut scenes are fun, kill cam is nice. However, there are things it could do better without changing the nature of the game as it was envisioned. Graphics rendering is sometimes sluggish, there are tons of clipping problems, there are camera and movement bugs, voice acting can be a bit shaky, textures could be a bit nicer, an option to remove the additional click for ability confirmation would be super. So despite all of this which mostly sounds negative, I still think it's an 8. Good enough so that when I get home from work tonight, I'll be playing XCOM.… Expand
  25. 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
  26. peikko
    Oct 15, 2012
    4
    If you want x-com then try UFO series as this game isn't at all a good successor. Customisation of units and arming is poor compared to other similar titles. You can only change one item in your backpack; cannot choose troop specialisation. But you can change hair cut and appearance, not sure of the tactical advantage there. Cannot knock them for trying to update x-com; but in interviewsIf you want x-com then try UFO series as this game isn't at all a good successor. Customisation of units and arming is poor compared to other similar titles. You can only change one item in your backpack; cannot choose troop specialisation. But you can change hair cut and appearance, not sure of the tactical advantage there. Cannot knock them for trying to update x-com; but in interviews we constantly heard what big fans of the original they were - so why did they dum down so much? Console income? If you want a slow motion version of gears of war then this is your game. Definitely style over substance...… Expand
  27. tdctaz
    Oct 12, 2012
    3
    Don't buy this game unless you are from the new generation of console players which don't want to make any real tactical decisions. Any one who has played the old XCOMs, Jagged Alliance 1 or Jagged Alliance 2 will hate this game.
  28. Flamingcanine
    Oct 10, 2012
    5
    Not the Xcom you were looking for sums it up.

    As the dev diaries throughout the game wait for the release stated, anything difficult or somewhat "Not fun" like base defenses or assaults have been cut out, as has the ability to send a reasonably large squad. It has been replaced by a Decent perk system for each soldier class. The Difficulty has a huge gap between Medium and "classic"    Not the Xcom you were looking for sums it up.

    As the dev diaries throughout the game wait for the release stated, anything difficult or somewhat "Not fun" like base defenses or assaults have been cut out, as has the ability to send a reasonably large squad. It has been replaced by a Decent perk system for each soldier class.

    The Difficulty has a huge gap between Medium and "classic" which truly brings out the soldiers inability to shoot, while making the weakest aliens capable of killing swathes of units in full cover with one or two shots.

    Multiplayer is fairly fun, stripping away the already incredibly barren strategic layer to do combat with up to a arbitrary six units each. Choosing the units is a headache for human soldiers due to it being a cluster of lists, and the aliens lack any customization other then their individual names. Furthermore, instead of allowing humans vast customizeability like in the campaign, the units are effectively pigeonholed into three to five "sets" of skills.

    Worse, there are roughly only a dozen maps total, and only five Multiplayer maps, complete with knowledge of the best cover.

    While not a bad game, it is a thouroughly mediocre game for the time spent developing it, and it is not spiritually a successor to Xcom: UFO defense. It's a very different fish for sure.    … Expand
  29. carlbme
    Oct 14, 2012
    10
    As much as I really wanted to enjoy this game, I'm finding it more and more difficult to do so. How can I shoot through walls? Where is the randomization that allows for the better gameplay? I'm growing more and more tired of replaying the same maps, listening to the terrible voice acting, and having to wait on stupid cut scenes. The squad consists of people from all around the world, yetAs much as I really wanted to enjoy this game, I'm finding it more and more difficult to do so. How can I shoot through walls? Where is the randomization that allows for the better gameplay? I'm growing more and more tired of replaying the same maps, listening to the terrible voice acting, and having to wait on stupid cut scenes. The squad consists of people from all around the world, yet they all sound the same. No random maps, repeating maps, no base building, terrible voice acting, etc...

    Yet another disappointment. The only good thing about this is I got a copy of CIV5 with it due to the pre-order.    … Expand
  30. yolktern
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    I have to admit, I was afraid that this game would be a perfect example of a game where it was built up and then was just mediocre (Skyrim anyone?). Went ahead a bought it and I have to say, that wasn't a mistake. So I came here to see what others were saying and was pleased to see the majority agree with me. I also wanted to address the main objection the ones that gave it a negativeI have to admit, I was afraid that this game would be a perfect example of a game where it was built up and then was just mediocre (Skyrim anyone?). Went ahead a bought it and I have to say, that wasn't a mistake. So I came here to see what others were saying and was pleased to see the majority agree with me. I also wanted to address the main objection the ones that gave it a negative review have: it's depth of strategy and, stemming from that, those who say that just wanted a retexturing of the original (which, if Firaxis did that, they would be saying "just get the original on Steam for 4 bucks, Firaxis just sold us an update"). They call it "tactics" but what they really mean is strategy (tactics being squad based planning, which this game clearly has and if they say it doesn't they don't know what they're talking about). Is the global strategy dumbed down? Yes, yes it is. Is this Xcom circa 1990? No, no it is not. Examples? Sure: You can no longer manufacture things to sell to the countries for money (there is a different, simpler dynamic). Manufacturing of guns and weapons as far as I can tell is instantaneous (don't really have a problem with that, but since the major complaint is that this isn't a retexturing of the original, I'll put that in there). There are no longer any ammo conservation concerns during missions, you just need to worry about reloading (though there are a limited amount of special abilities). You can have only one base (but you can have an high number of interceptors and satellites so that, in my opinion, makes up for it espc since in the original the presence of your base had no effect on the game unlike real life or this game). The manner in which you build your base has consequences, unlike the original one. Can you ignite the entire map and let fire spread? Yes. Destructive environments? Yes. But you can't shot a GUN at a wall (you can throw grenades or fire rockets however [more realistic]). The basic complaint here from the negative people is that it isn't Xcom. They wanted a simple retexturing and updating of Xcom. I can understand that, but it's also something that you can get elsewhere (UFO Afterlite series for example). What they fail to realize is that there are a number of things that were annoying and negative about the original. Cone of sight? (Kantai *COUGH*) Who sees in that? If an alien is right next to someone but not within a side square they're not gonna see it? Gimme a break. TUs are still there but they have been updated to be more realistic, because, seriously, why does it take time to turn around in the original? The first part of a mission in the original might as well be a ballet with all the squad members twirling around to get around the vision cone. No sniper rifles in the original (seems like an oversight to me. Yes they had "rifles" and "heavy weapons" but that seems kind of dumbed down now doesn't it (Kanti, Lysh *COUGH*). There are more, but there is a character limit here.

    This Game actually expands the tactical and strategic options beyond the original. I'm sorry, but having to manage you backpack like Kanti complains this game took out, that's not tactical or strategic. Being able to construct a base that makes sense and has position bonuses (like this new game does), makes sense. The main point is this. If you want the exact same, original, authentic, experience and gameplay you got from Xcom, but with updated graphics DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. I don't want you buying it and then coming here and throwing a fit because it's not the same, exact Xcom. But if you want a different, enjoyable experience that takes most of the good of the original and adds new concepts and ides to it while still being true to the original, then you can't go wrong here. Are there some things that I miss? Sure. Are there some things here I didn't even know I wanted? Hell yeah there are. Would I recommend this game? Def. And that, in the end, is all that really matters    … Expand
  31. 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
  32. tototototo
    Oct 9, 2012
    6
    It's not X-Com, so if that's why you're here you'll be somewhat disappointed. On its own merits the game is good, but not the best in the genre. The name hinders it really, since players will expect more from it.
  33. 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
  34. Crimson
    Oct 9, 2012
    5
    Fun game when it works, but there are alot of annoying bugs. Accuracy of weapon shots is buggy. I've seen point blank assault rifles and pistols report 20% accuracy, while long range shotgun shots report 80%. There seems to be no correlation between what you see on screen, and what will actually occur. Cover is equally buggy, with the shield (cover) icon seemingly useless. ManyFun game when it works, but there are alot of annoying bugs. Accuracy of weapon shots is buggy. I've seen point blank assault rifles and pistols report 20% accuracy, while long range shotgun shots report 80%. There seems to be no correlation between what you see on screen, and what will actually occur. Cover is equally buggy, with the shield (cover) icon seemingly useless. Many missions are buggy (its fun losing a whole squad to a disabled bomb that still blows). Cars constantly blow up (seems Michael Bay had a hand in this games development...) at even the slightest provocation taking your men with them, wouldn't be so bad if the 'flame' visual indicator wasn't buggy and only showed up 1/2 the time. The alien AI is pretty simplistic with them just standing around for you to find them on any given map. The strategic portion of the game was really dumbed down since the original, apparently picking up a med kit from a fallen ally was just 'too complex' for todays gamers...… Expand
  35. Necrotaur
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    Critics have said that turn based shooters are dead, but I think this iteration of XCOM goes a long way to prove them wrong. I can honestly say, without sarcasm or implications, that if the original XCOM were made today, this is what it would be like. It is a very faithful representation of the original, and if you were a fan (like I was), you will probably enjoy this as well. The factCritics have said that turn based shooters are dead, but I think this iteration of XCOM goes a long way to prove them wrong. I can honestly say, without sarcasm or implications, that if the original XCOM were made today, this is what it would be like. It is a very faithful representation of the original, and if you were a fan (like I was), you will probably enjoy this as well. The fact that the economy/base building aspect wasn't cut was a huge plus to me. Now, to be clear, there are a few changes/issues. Difficulty is not so high, and you won't have everyone die as soon as they step off the transport for the first mission (this can be either good or bad). The soldier voices are all bland American accents, and while it's a small thing it's jarring in a squad of international operatives. The loadout is a more simplified than I'd like, but not enough that it annoys me. Anyway, apart from a few minor issues I feel XCOM is an extremely fun game and well worth a look.… Expand
  36. joeblade
    Oct 12, 2012
    4
    As a PC game I rate this rather low. As a PS3 game I would consider it a 7.
    this game should not be brought out for the pc, as it has clearly been dumbed down for the console controller. Last game I will ever buy that comes out for pc and console. 5 hitpoints? no bleeding (as far as I could tell), no ammo or gun pickup, no crouching (except for forced crouch), 2 actions per turn (rather    As a PC game I rate this rather low. As a PS3 game I would consider it a 7.
    this game should not be brought out for the pc, as it has clearly been dumbed down for the console controller. Last game I will ever buy that comes out for pc and console. 5 hitpoints? no bleeding (as far as I could tell), no ammo or gun pickup, no crouching (except for forced crouch), 2 actions per turn (rather than action points you are free to spend).
    the list goes on. the first disappointment this game offered me was when I switched out a grenade for a vest. it might make sense to have a medkit instead of a grenade, but a vest?
    this might work in terms of game mechanics (1 accessory slot) but the original game had a backpack with space, belt with space. Additionally, you only had as much ammo as you could carry, which made for interesting situations. I'll cut the boring list of what this game is not short. In summary, it is not x-com enemy unknown.    … Expand
  37. rolliejo
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    This is a brilliant strategy game that no fan of the genre, especially fans of turn based games, should pass up. The easy and normal difficulties make the single player portion of the game new-player friendly, while the classic and impossible difficulties, combined in the Ironman (autosave only) option transform this game into one of the most tactical and challenging experiences everThis is a brilliant strategy game that no fan of the genre, especially fans of turn based games, should pass up. The easy and normal difficulties make the single player portion of the game new-player friendly, while the classic and impossible difficulties, combined in the Ironman (autosave only) option transform this game into one of the most tactical and challenging experiences ever created.

    While the single player has tremendous replay value, there is also a full-featured multiplayer side, which includes LAN play, unranked, and ranked matches and the ability to build your custom team with thousands of options. And yes, you read that correctly, this game has actual RANKED multiplayer, using the Elo rating system (similar to WoW, LoL, and Starcraft 2). All this means that XCOM: EU provides one of the best single player experiences along with competitive multiplayer you won't find in any other turn based strategy game on the market, period.    … Expand
  38. Kamiko
    Oct 9, 2012
    4
    If you've never played an XCOM game before, this game can be a simple and modern introduction to the concept. If you were a fan of the original though, you may be disappointed by the range of tactical options that have been eliminated to streamline play.
  39. Nuggets
    Oct 10, 2012
    0
    This game should have a different title.Perhaps-Generic Alien Shooter Yielding Atrociously Stressful Strategy Elements Dumbed-down. That would then explain how the marketing team was able to pull off a top sales item in a pre-release sale.

    "Well core principles from the original that we wanted to build on was basically everything" -Jake Solomon(Lead designer) I personally believe they    This game should have a different title.Perhaps-Generic Alien Shooter Yielding Atrociously Stressful Strategy Elements Dumbed-down. That would then explain how the marketing team was able to pull off a top sales item in a pre-release sale.

    "Well core principles from the original that we wanted to build on was basically everything" -Jake Solomon(Lead designer) I personally believe they removed just about every single good tactical piece from the original. If by build, you mean remove, then well done. In this game you are unable to interact with the ground, or move invetory of one soldier to another soldier. What a soldiers takes into battle is what they get, no more and no less(Unless they use the items they bring in, then it's used up and leaves them with nothing).

    Only allowed one operations base, and to go with that only a single strike team can be deployed at a time. This causes a "choose your own ending book" style of play. Not a bad idea, but its not XCOM.

    "Another big thing we did to the game was we added cover" I can only LOL. Just because you didn't recognize it in the older game, doesn't mean it was not there. Furthermore, I often have my soldiers throwing grenades through walls and objects that should cause the grenade to either detonate or change trajectory however passes directly through the obstacle.

    While other times I may throw a grenade or line up a "seemingly" perfect clear flanking shot to have it be obstucted by off to the side objects. Major failure to utilize the Unreal engine's capabilities.

    "We got these great dramatic scenes where you know your snipers can line up a super long shot and you'll see it[Camera] follow it right down the barrel" -Jake Solomon

    I'm finding that my definition of "Super long" is quite different as even down a clear street in the game I cannot shoot very far at all. While my forward soldiers can see and identify the E.T. My sniper in the back when trying to shoot, is told no targets. Out of range? Unlike in the original game where you could shoot freely, this game requires that you take aim at a hostile, in sight target and also that it's within a certain range of the firing soldier. While having a completely destroyable map, what good was all that design work when you fail to allow the player to shoot at that map intentionally? Oh, I know the answer to why the game fails here in this aspect. The invetory system being removed along with the addition of unlimited munitions created a major catch 22.

    "Mission control was really important because that's where the geoscape is, and that's the heart and soul of the game" -Greg Foertsch

    The heart and soul of the old game was infact the geoscape. The geoscape in this new mess is nothing more than an interactive, push (X) to continue, movie.

    The missions are linear and not randomly occuring which kills the replay value. Not only are the encounters not random, the maps are also not random, nor is the placement of the enemies within. Which is a formula for major dissapointment, not only in an XCOM game, but ANY tactical game. The enemies, no matter which difficulty, are just waiting for you to find them before they become "Active" The enemies do not make actions until you stumble upon them, sometimes you can make a lot of noise and maybe they will move. Generally not, it seems that the A.I. doesn't care how many explosions or windows are broken, until after you see them. More aptly called Artificial Downs instead of Artificial Intelligence.

    "We wanted to introduce a new system over time units to allow a little more free space in the player's mind so they didn't have to keep track of how far they could move and what actions they could take" -Jake...

    Dear Jake, I'm certain there is absolutely no shortage of [empty]space in your mind.
    What's a worse scenario? Using 7 extra time units because you moved to the wrong space or using your entire turn and putting your solider one spot out of cover on account of the new lousy camera?

    During my most recent mission, I had 4 squad members deployed, one on the roof of a two story building, two of them directly below looking out the windows and one member along the side of the building.
    The member on the side of the building spots 3 hostiles, the member on the roof cannot take action against them. It is quite clear there are no obstructions preventing the roof top member from shooting with his sniper rifle yet cannot fire because "No targets", so I choose overwatch for that member and the aliens start to move. The very first action the alien takes is to shoot at my rooftop sniper with his plasma pistol causing a 9 damage critical hit. The alien did not move before or after firing. Too bad the game was released in it's current state. I find it nearly unplayable as a strategy tactical game. This game was at minimum 8 months of intelligent tuning away from being finished.    … Expand
  40. wigjump
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    A striking, fresh and faithful reboot of a classic game- made immersive and engrossing with elegant design, appealing graphics, and non-wonky interface. XCOM challenges you to do it all: make tough tactical choices with your squad, and strategic ones with panicky nations around the world. There's nothing like that primal scream you let out when your hand-picked assault element getsA striking, fresh and faithful reboot of a classic game- made immersive and engrossing with elegant design, appealing graphics, and non-wonky interface. XCOM challenges you to do it all: make tough tactical choices with your squad, and strategic ones with panicky nations around the world. There's nothing like that primal scream you let out when your hand-picked assault element gets vaporized, or when your rooftop sniper picks off a Sectoid Commander like a bolt out of the blue. Sure, there are weaker elements, like the air intercepts, limited maps, or simple dig'n'build antfarm base, but they're ourweighed by the appeal and challenge of This fun, well-built game.… Expand
  41. majorwitty
    Oct 11, 2012
    0
    If you really enjoyed the complexity of the original two XCOM games this new version will be a let down. The game has been dumbed down for console players. The multiplayer options suck. You can't play the campaign with buddies. This game will be okay when it's $5 in six months on a Steam sale.
  42. bigsilverhotdog
    Oct 11, 2012
    0
    Another classic series goes down the toilet in an entirely depressing cashgrab for mainstream gaming dollars, brought to us by a bunch of greedy spoons who clearly know that what made the original series great doesn't hype as well as CG cutscenes and FXAA. This is more like Mass Effect than XCOM. There's almost no tactics involved, the game holds your hand, tells you what to do, and blocksAnother classic series goes down the toilet in an entirely depressing cashgrab for mainstream gaming dollars, brought to us by a bunch of greedy spoons who clearly know that what made the original series great doesn't hype as well as CG cutscenes and FXAA. This is more like Mass Effect than XCOM. There's almost no tactics involved, the game holds your hand, tells you what to do, and blocks you from doing anything that might resemble "player choice" at every stage. The actual 'choices' the game does present you are akin to 'do you want a red or blue plastic cup' -- they are utterly meaningless. UFO Defense and TFTD were games about tactical combat and strategic planning, not cutscene driven narrative. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is all about clicking 'attack' and 'move' hotspots and watching cut scenes. There's no strategy involved. Do you consider 'Paint by Numbers' and 'Connect the Dots' to require strategic thinking? The awful voice acting, prebuilt repeating maps, and inability to design your own bases really don't even factor into the final verdict because the core game is just so utterly, utterly pointless. The people that rate this game highly deserve to continue eating such dumbed down generic spew. I'm just sad that instead of getting another good XCOM game we got... this.… Expand
  43. Yddraiggoch
    Oct 12, 2012
    0
    My last review got pulled for some reason - probably because my initial reaction was so angry that I didn't pull any punches. But in a nutshell - if you really enjoyed the original XCOM games, do yourself a favour and avoid this like the plague. It's been dumbed down to the point where the game mechanics make it almost a completely different game to the original. I feel that FiraxisMy last review got pulled for some reason - probably because my initial reaction was so angry that I didn't pull any punches. But in a nutshell - if you really enjoyed the original XCOM games, do yourself a favour and avoid this like the plague. It's been dumbed down to the point where the game mechanics make it almost a completely different game to the original. I feel that Firaxis have tried to capitalise on the popularity of the original with the "older" gaming crowd, whilst simulateously simplifying the game to run on the limited user interface of a console (and indeed, to appeal to the more "casual" gamer) It's been a massive disappointment to me and a complete waste of money. At least, do yourself a favour and play the demo first but bear in mind that the game really does not get any better.… Expand
  44. kalv
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    Fun refreshing new strategy game. Pros - Makes you think, satisfying combat
    Cons - Random glitches(shooting walls, slanted positioned enemies), some aspects can be confusing.
  45. 3arpryka
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Possibly one of the best games I've ever played. Ignore Lysh or whatever his name is. Honestly this game is astounding and even though i wasn't there for the original XCOM, this game somehow manages to turn a turn-based strategy and management sim into something that is out of this world (no pun intended). The game itself is very very fun but be warned- when your soldiers die- it almostPossibly one of the best games I've ever played. Ignore Lysh or whatever his name is. Honestly this game is astounding and even though i wasn't there for the original XCOM, this game somehow manages to turn a turn-based strategy and management sim into something that is out of this world (no pun intended). The game itself is very very fun but be warned- when your soldiers die- it almost feels like part of the time you spent in the game itself died. Trying to NOT get invested is difficult. Your soldiers level up after battle experience and after each battle you'll garner resources from the aliens you've killed/ captured. With regard to the mangement system , Firaxis has managed to turn something that should have been tedious and boring into an intriguing and tactical. Placement of different Facilities inside your base actually counts towards the effectiveness of said buildings. Missions issued from the Council of Nations that funds the XCOM initiative are sporadic and almost always unique. One day you might be saving a Council member's buddy from abduction. the next you're giving laser pistols to the Chinese Army to get more engineers into the XCOM initiative. You, the player truly are the Commander of the XCOM project, from researching new weapons to fight the aliens, managing missions and your base, to actually controlling your troops on the ground and interceptor jets in the skies. This game truly has limitless potential, especially if Firaxis will later release the ability to mod the game. The inclusion of Multiplayer with the ability to play as the Alien Menace is also very fun and very cool. Definitely one of the best games I've seen this year. :)… Expand
  46. davedcne
    Oct 10, 2012
    9
    Fans of the original X-Com will love this revival of the turn based strategy they used to play. I spent the last week playing the original X-Com to see if all the things I loved and hated from the original were still there. Not all of them were but that isn't a bad thing. The game can and will treat you in the most brutal fashion possible if you make poor choices. For those of us thatFans of the original X-Com will love this revival of the turn based strategy they used to play. I spent the last week playing the original X-Com to see if all the things I loved and hated from the original were still there. Not all of them were but that isn't a bad thing. The game can and will treat you in the most brutal fashion possible if you make poor choices. For those of us that played X-Com on Super Human back in the day this is a great reminder of the level of foresight needed to keep ahead of the alien menace. Play has been streamlined and the range of options has been reduce. The clunky inventory management has been removed. Your soldiers take only what they need. While I can appreciate this minor re-visioning I think the option to scrounge from the battlefield mid combat was part of what made the original X-Com great. The software its self is flawless. 16 hours in and not a single bug encountered. No glitches, hitches, or any such frustrations which plague current day pc gaming. In all this game stands an excellent chance at revitalizing the turn based strategy Genre and I hop the franchise lives on in this format for years to come.… Expand
  47. Ccx55
    Oct 12, 2012
    0
    This game is stuck in the last century. Seriously, recreating a classic generally means improving on its faults as well. The evasion system in this game is completely retarded, and has no strategy or tactic at all. I watch a single Alien shotgunner walk through 5 "reaction" overwatch shots, not getting hit a single time, and instantly critting my Heavy in the face. **** It's a good game,This game is stuck in the last century. Seriously, recreating a classic generally means improving on its faults as well. The evasion system in this game is completely retarded, and has no strategy or tactic at all. I watch a single Alien shotgunner walk through 5 "reaction" overwatch shots, not getting hit a single time, and instantly critting my Heavy in the face. **** It's a good game, but it's weighed down by similar ridiculous moments. Similar to how someone standing in full cover, BEHIND a solid wall, can be insta-killed with plasma without even scratching the wall. Another example is how an alien walses through the entire map in one turn and insta-crits my most valuable soldier. This game is based off nothing but luck.… Expand
  48. Phoenixxl
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Exactly what one would reasonably expect this game to be. Playable for new and young players, a breath of fresh air for people who liked the original series and the 3rd party spinoffs. This game was made in record time imo. It would be reasonable to expect a few more instalments in the near future .
  49. teshia
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Oh my god it's full of stars. Yes, it's not a total 100% remake of the original X-Com / UFO but you know what? Maybe that's a good thing. UFO was awesome, but you can always go play it in DOSBOX and it'll still be great. It's not like somebody killed X-Com; that's just silly, and people that are saying that need to think about how silly they sound saying it. This way you get a game thatOh my god it's full of stars. Yes, it's not a total 100% remake of the original X-Com / UFO but you know what? Maybe that's a good thing. UFO was awesome, but you can always go play it in DOSBOX and it'll still be great. It's not like somebody killed X-Com; that's just silly, and people that are saying that need to think about how silly they sound saying it. This way you get a game that evokes the awesomeness of the X-Com games of the past, but brings in new elements to re-imagine it. Let your nostalgia go free and enjoy something new and awesome. I found the tutorial a little confusing (does it have an end?) but I'm loving this game. I heard somebody say that it's basically like crack and I highly agree. It's so hard to stop playing it.… Expand
  50. The_Gooser
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    Great game, great atmosphere, and overall an exciting strategy game with a little action mixed in. This is not a remake of the original, it is its own entity. XCOM from 1993 was more of a Hide and Seek game, the new XCOM retains some of those elements, but there is a far greater emphasis on strategy. I am glad they decided to make this game, limited "hand holding" and more "oops IGreat game, great atmosphere, and overall an exciting strategy game with a little action mixed in. This is not a remake of the original, it is its own entity. XCOM from 1993 was more of a Hide and Seek game, the new XCOM retains some of those elements, but there is a far greater emphasis on strategy. I am glad they decided to make this game, limited "hand holding" and more "oops I clearly made a bad decision, which is why I lost". Yes, you can actually lose in this game, not only soldiers, you can actually fail to save Earth. Tips: Name soldiers after people you know, adds more significance to when they die, and they will die.… Expand
  51. ransom34
    Oct 9, 2012
    3
    First off, this is really not an X-Com game and if you go in looking at it as a new IP then you will be a lot better off. The game is heavily streamlined/dumbed-down from its origins and rather than a turn-based strategy game like the original X-Com games, you are buying a turn-based ACTION game, like a turn-based Gears of War.

    You are limited to 4 squad members to start, you cannot    First off, this is really not an X-Com game and if you go in looking at it as a new IP then you will be a lot better off. The game is heavily streamlined/dumbed-down from its origins and rather than a turn-based strategy game like the original X-Com games, you are buying a turn-based ACTION game, like a turn-based Gears of War.

    You are limited to 4 squad members to start, you cannot build or manage new bases, the maps are pre-done rather than random (and can repeat through a game), and virtually all of the strategic portions of the original X-Com have been deleted. I suspect this was done to "attract the CoD/GeoW audience" but it just makes the unsuitable for any true strategy gamer and its slow pace will certainly keep away the FPS fans. Now this is not specifically a "bad" game, and if you are the type of gamer who thought "wouldn't it be cool to command a Gears of War squadron (dressed in Mass Effect armor) in a turn-based game but without all those unnecessary strategic elements, new base building, and micro-managing" then this is the game for you. X-Com EU has loses the overall strategic gameplay, and is all turn-based action with Mass Effect armor and guns. Not for me, but who knows, there might be an big undiscovered market for this game type.    … Expand
  52. G1oves
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    A brilliant and ambitious re-imagining of the original X-COM games. Not 1:1, and many of the features have been streamlined, changed, or removed, but it still captures the same fundamental feeling of terror, and each round of the game's turn-based tactical combat is a knuckle-biting affair. Absolutely a contender for GOTY 2012.
  53. Scritty
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    This version of XCOM actually has MORE depth than the original. The bits that added little to the (classic) original have been removed or altere while tactical (combat based) and strategic ("base" based) options have been added that actually add to ythe thought that's required to succeed. Examples Disembarking - man that was a pain, one well placed grenade and your entire squad wipedThis version of XCOM actually has MORE depth than the original. The bits that added little to the (classic) original have been removed or altere while tactical (combat based) and strategic ("base" based) options have been added that actually add to ythe thought that's required to succeed. Examples Disembarking - man that was a pain, one well placed grenade and your entire squad wiped before you'd started your second turn and split up to avoid being one large target for me this always meant a reload of a saved game. It just annoyed me when it happened, now it doesn't. "Bug hunt" endings. Scouring maps for that one last alien who had decided to stand in a cupboard, 90 minutes trying to find it, ending up just being bored and making a careless mistake or just quitting the game - gone...Unrealistic micro customization - In the original you could force any soldier to become anything. That's not realistic at all. A 5 foot 3 sharpshooter moulded into being a musclebound heavy weapons carrier "just because you need one" It might offer you control - but at the expense of any level or realism. The movement simpified in use, but actually increased in tactical options. Moce a squad member a level? Easy! - No special button to take the view up or down required, how about over a wall or through a window. SImple, no 3 level menu system to go through, it will calculate it, and you will know whether you have the ability to continue with another action after or not. All the calculations are there if you play, but they are transparent to the user, leaving you just to work out what is best rather than micro analysing action points. Supression fire? Opportunity fire, different levels of cover? These allow you to work out some pretty snazzy tactics. Your troops level in a way that makes it fab. Actual abilities are learned that expand your tactical options, some are passive, some used on a turn based "cooldown" - all make a difference if used in the right place. Morale, Psi attacks. It's all there - it just doesn't require micro management. I thought I would miss micro management - but I don't - not one bit. For me - someone who loves to see a proper AAA turn based game (at LAST - after Sooooo many FPS..aren't FPS bored to tears with the same game being sold over and over and over and over) Xcom is a breath of fresh air. The moddability of the PC game means we can expect maps, missions and TC's in the next few months that will keep this game on my hard drive and being played almost indefinitely. 10/10 Best game I've played since Jagged Alliance 2 or Rebelstar. Well done Firaxis, after the relative mess of Civ 5 you are back with a bang. Best game of 2012 by a mile.… Expand
  54. CCFlexer
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Thank you Fireaxis. You dit it. We had high expectations, and you surpassed them. XCOm is one of the best games of this generation. Shut up and take my money!
  55. Shandor
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    Greetings from Germany! Im happy this is not an UFO Enemy Unknown with just better Graphics. Its an Game for its own. And its really fun to play. Im a huge Fan of UFO, TftD and X-com Apocalypse and this game is a worthy part 4 of those games. If you know the old Games and play this one is like you meet old friends. Siliconids and Mutons and Etherials, and so on, are on earth again! IfGreetings from Germany! Im happy this is not an UFO Enemy Unknown with just better Graphics. Its an Game for its own. And its really fun to play. Im a huge Fan of UFO, TftD and X-com Apocalypse and this game is a worthy part 4 of those games. If you know the old Games and play this one is like you meet old friends. Siliconids and Mutons and Etherials, and so on, are on earth again! If someone tells you "You cant destroy Buildings, there is no reaction Fire and there arent any different fire modes" he is flat lieing to you. Some peoples should actually play the Game first and then make a review. But thats just my opinion.… Expand
  56. whitewi666
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    XCOM is true successor to original game! Unless you are butthurt HC/Elitist then you might think other way. If you have never played turn based strategy/action game rest assure you won't be disappointed! XCOM is awesome mix of tactical combat and strategic management of you base/research and etc. Sound is rock solid aside from generic solders voices. Graphics r great for this kind of theXCOM is true successor to original game! Unless you are butthurt HC/Elitist then you might think other way. If you have never played turn based strategy/action game rest assure you won't be disappointed! XCOM is awesome mix of tactical combat and strategic management of you base/research and etc. Sound is rock solid aside from generic solders voices. Graphics r great for this kind of the game. And Gameplay will get you hooked in no time. Replay value is tremendous. And if you want quick fix just jump in to the multiplayer. Highly recommend to all true gamers up there! Thank you Dev team and Fraxis for this great Take on the classic game!… Expand
  57. NazTfox
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    This is simply one of the best strategy games I own! So much fun in such a great package. Losing a soldier or failing a mission is all a part of the gameplay and is implemented even from the first mission. The customization of your soldiers brings losses to a whole other level as well. I love this game and will be playing it for a long time to come!
  58. Spacerik
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    One of the best turn based strategy games I have ever played. Ignore the hater and trolls, they are still stuck in nostalgia limbo to even make a thorough and non-biased review. The developers decided on a smaller squad to stress the importance of tension and making your squad actually mean something. The graphics are wonderful UE3 engine works well with this type of game and I like theOne of the best turn based strategy games I have ever played. Ignore the hater and trolls, they are still stuck in nostalgia limbo to even make a thorough and non-biased review. The developers decided on a smaller squad to stress the importance of tension and making your squad actually mean something. The graphics are wonderful UE3 engine works well with this type of game and I like the art style direction. This will ensure this game will age properly. Overall, this game is a masterpiece and should be a candidate for GOTY against Dishonored. :)… Expand
  59. Lysh
    Oct 9, 2012
    0
    The best looking X-COM to date is also one of the most disappointing, with strategic gameplay so dumbed-down and shallow that it's barely worthy of the X-COM name.
  60. ianx50
    Dec 21, 2012
    2
    A terrible remake of the original. The 2012 remake took everything that made the original great and unique and screwed up, on every, single, point. Destructible environments? Cool, it's be nice if I could actually shoot at them. Inventory system? NOPE. Micromanagement? NOPE. Oh come on Firaxis, I can only construct a single base, and only a single alien base appears in the game? Yep. Okay,A terrible remake of the original. The 2012 remake took everything that made the original great and unique and screwed up, on every, single, point. Destructible environments? Cool, it's be nice if I could actually shoot at them. Inventory system? NOPE. Micromanagement? NOPE. Oh come on Firaxis, I can only construct a single base, and only a single alien base appears in the game? Yep. Okay, wow, this game really captured the spirit of the original (heavy sarcasm). If you enjoyed the original you will be greatly disappointed with this game. While not a "horrible" game in itself, as a remake, It's not worth $49.99. At all.

    There were so many possibilities in the original, but X:COM Enemy Unknown (Not to be confused with the good one) is extremely linear. The game holds you back and doesn't allow you to proceed until you've done what it wants. You cannot hire scientists and or engineers, The game basically comes to a halt until you complete a certain objective, you are unable to sell anything you manufacture, or the majority of alien tech for that matter. That was a major source of income in the original, with the monthly council funding being necessary in the long term, you could stay alive if you were low on cash by selling corpses and plasma weaponry. Here you can still sell alien corpses, but at a ridiculously low price. You'll sometimes get ship components, damaged ones have little value and intact components are necessary for high-level manufacturing and are hard to come by, so it'd be pointless to sell something you need.

    I know I'm just nit-picking, but there are just so many things wrong with this game that could have easily been worked out. Take the chance-to-hit rolls for example. Wait, did I say rolls? lolno, X:COM decides who lives and who dies before the mission even starts. "The sequence of hit and misses will be, 1 hit, 2 misses, 2 hits, 1 miss, 3 hits, 4 misses, 1 hit, 1 miss, 2 hits, 1 miss, 1 hit..." It's fate. There is no rolling system. 5% chance to hit? 95% Chance to hit? 40% chance to hit? They're all the same. If you re-load a save it will still be the same. An alien will move to the exact same square, fire the same shots, and hit you the same number of shots. At least in the original There was a short algorithm for calculating shot hits and damage, not here. Not worth your time, you can get the original for 4.99 USD retail price and it's vastly superior. Who cares if the graphics aren't current generation? That's the only downside. If you like strategy/micromanagement, it's the perfect game for you.

    /rant    … Expand
  61. Mark222
    Nov 21, 2012
    4
    This is quite a good movie... what? its a game? No strategy element - You just click buttons and it tells you what to do. This game is so dumbed down. Players nowadays don't want to think longer than 3 seconds. Firaxis, First you ruined Civ and now you ruined X-COM. Im never going to buy another product from you again, although you probably don't care now that you sold your soul. If youThis is quite a good movie... what? its a game? No strategy element - You just click buttons and it tells you what to do. This game is so dumbed down. Players nowadays don't want to think longer than 3 seconds. Firaxis, First you ruined Civ and now you ruined X-COM. Im never going to buy another product from you again, although you probably don't care now that you sold your soul. If you smoke weed and live in your parents basement, this game is for you.… Expand
  62. LeonidasRex
    Apr 20, 2013
    4
    It's pretty, but it's not much of a game. They stripped the original gameplay down to bare bones, then tacked on a ton of Hollywood glitz.

    It seemed like they would have preferred to make a movie. XCOM:EU is great when it comes to voice acting, swooshy camera movements, and scary hissing aliens. There's not much plot and the characters are paper-thin, but it has excellent low-level    It's pretty, but it's not much of a game. They stripped the original gameplay down to bare bones, then tacked on a ton of Hollywood glitz.

    It seemed like they would have preferred to make a movie. XCOM:EU is great when it comes to voice acting, swooshy camera movements, and scary hissing aliens. There's not much plot and the characters are paper-thin, but it has excellent low-level production values such as animation, art, and sound effects. The gameplay is merely a way to make you sit still so that you can appreciate how much work they put into the visuals.    … Expand
  63. MajorPain
    May 12, 2013
    4
    Well if you are 10 yrs old and can't remember the original, this game will be awesome to play. However, if you know anything about the original, please leave your expectations in the empty box after you purchase this or you will be disappointed. How a 20 yr old game with graphics that seem older than that can still be more fun today than this game was is beyond me, but it is true. As otherWell if you are 10 yrs old and can't remember the original, this game will be awesome to play. However, if you know anything about the original, please leave your expectations in the empty box after you purchase this or you will be disappointed. How a 20 yr old game with graphics that seem older than that can still be more fun today than this game was is beyond me, but it is true. As other reviewers have pointed out the one glaring thing that disappointed me was the lame fog of war. In the original if you walked around a corner you could get blasted in the back of the head and not even know what happened, just like real combat. In this you walk around the corner see the alien behind you then watch it go and hide so you get a chance to get your bearings and attack, super lame. In the original I actually felt technically inferior to the aliens as I watched them dismantle my squad in a matter of minutes even late in the game. In this if you make it past the first few months forget about it, you are on cruise control from there. It's as if you switched place with the aliens and now you are the technically superior force, watching aliens cower from you. What a joke. I wish this let's make our game so the biggest simpleton moron can play it in the name of making money tradition would end, SOON.… Expand
  64. Paulystan
    Jun 2, 2014
    3
    I am bias writing this because what I so desperately hoped for was a modern version of the original classic game. I am constantly surprised by how many people love this game and each time I read one of their reviews I try hard to give it another chance for a day or so... However:

    I find this game to be extremely disappointing, poorly developed and a piece of mass produced poo. There    I am bias writing this because what I so desperately hoped for was a modern version of the original classic game. I am constantly surprised by how many people love this game and each time I read one of their reviews I try hard to give it another chance for a day or so... However:

    I find this game to be extremely disappointing, poorly developed and a piece of mass produced poo. There are SO many problems I have with it from the tactics to the inventory and development of your soldiers. The voice acting is extremely poor, the development of the story is poor and the limitations in research, engineering, hiring/firing, building countries up etc are extreme. Stupid things like you can either have a scope (which would surely be attached to your rifle) or a grenade on a soldier... WHAT?!?!? Do you not think a bloke that had mainstreamed that many steroids (judging by the ridiculously stupid graphics of your soldiers) would possibly be able to carry more than a couple of items? Maybe if the option was 'either carry a house or a bus' then carrying only one would make sense. Having soldiers from China, England, France, Germany etc is a nice twist in that they all have their own flag (although here is an important fact... Scotland does not have it's own army, neither does England (nor Wales or Northern Ireland). They are all part of one force called the British Army and having served in it, screw you developers for mucking about with it). However, apparently wherever your soldiers are from, they are in fact all American from their accents and spoken languages.

    Even were I not still trying to get over the sadness of this not being the hoped for 1993 game revamped, I would score this game poorly. It has some amazing ideas, great graphics, interesting twists and game play tweaks that could make a smile but it has far too many flaws to be good in my books.    … Expand
  65. Hornybull
    May 13, 2013
    2
    Honestly the game is ok with graphics. They look nice, but they don't behave realistically. My soldiers panic all the time, and I fail missions constantly because of it. The aliens get too strong too quick. Am I the only one who missed flanking an alien with 100% hit chance?
    Anyways I deeply regret buying this game on steam.
  66. 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
  67. malcolmm
    Mar 10, 2013
    3
    I had high hopes for this remake of this classic. Unfortunately this is yet another wasted opportunity, Firaxis has struck out again (I also disliked Civ 5, Civ 4 was much better).
    I don't mind the dumbing down of gameplay if what was left in was well designed. But the game is a disaster horrible interface, average graphics and a really bad AI that cheats in frustrating ways. Civ 5 had    I had high hopes for this remake of this classic. Unfortunately this is yet another wasted opportunity, Firaxis has struck out again (I also disliked Civ 5, Civ 4 was much better).
    I don't mind the dumbing down of gameplay if what was left in was well designed. But the game is a disaster horrible interface, average graphics and a really bad AI that cheats in frustrating ways. Civ 5 had an overly complex interface that looked pretty but wasn't very functional, the XCOM interface doesn't even manage to look nice. I would have preferred a single screen for each soldier that shows everything about the soldier their equipment, stats, abilities etc. Instead, in different parts of the game I see different information, and some is always missing or hard to access. So much button clicking, so many ugly game screens.
    I wish Firaxis would just sell the rights to these classics to a developer that has some talented designers/programmers. They obviously have none themselves and it's a shame to waste these licenses.    … Expand
  68. 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
  69. maximilianschme
    Jun 24, 2014
    3
    It is called Xcom Enemy Unknown, but it isn't!
    I played ALL strategic xcom games and i loved them all, each of them has their negatives but the new Firaxis Xcom is the worst remake (after JA back in Action) i have seen, why? Go on:
    Good: + You still can catch aliens + PSI is still in the game + the graphics are okay, for such a game + the sounds are good + It is tactical, very    It is called Xcom Enemy Unknown, but it isn't!
    I played ALL strategic xcom games and i loved them all, each of them has their negatives but the new Firaxis Xcom is the worst remake (after JA back in Action) i have seen, why? Go on:
    Good:
    + You still can catch aliens
    + PSI is still in the game
    + the graphics are okay, for such a game
    + the sounds are good
    + It is tactical, very diffrent but it is.
    + only one base, yeah i do like it, but it could be also negative but i think it is the only good change...

    Negativ:
    - no Inventory...the game has Shooter like Weaponslots...
    - no diffrent firemodes for each weapon, skills/perks instead...
    - Clipping errors (weapons go through walls...)
    - just a few Equipment
    - Very linear story structure, NO REPLAY VALUE! Railroad Shooter story...
    - with one base, you still don't have to defend it...BORING!
    - you can't pick up Items during a mission...like in a shooter.
    - like every weapon is class-based...
    - enemys are like dolls, no specific weakness or strengthen (fire, gas? why not? oh...i get it, you have to think and be tactic...)
    - higher difficulty increases enemy numbers and hitchances instead of a smarter A.i....
    - greandes are skill based...no "put a he grenade or smoke grenade in the belt of a soldier".

    This is my personal "Worst game remake i ever saw" i was so excited after i heard Firaxis announced this game, but after i played the demo, i was sure it will be the worst remake in history.
    But i give it a chance and i purchased it on a steam sale...
    Even with Ufo extraterrestrials i had way more fun!
    Shame on you firaxis for destroying my so much loved franchise, i really hate you for this game...
    - Cover which isn't really covering you....    … Expand
  70. Iyunzusto
    Apr 5, 2013
    2
    Thank god for demos!! Make sure you try the free demo on Steam before handing over the cash. As a hardcore strategy geek, I have been considering this one for a while, and have to say, I'm siding with the naysayers. Too much time spent on lame cut scenes, 'story', and other visual effects and way, way too little time spent on strategic depth. This is not a bingo. I had more fun playingThank god for demos!! Make sure you try the free demo on Steam before handing over the cash. As a hardcore strategy geek, I have been considering this one for a while, and have to say, I'm siding with the naysayers. Too much time spent on lame cut scenes, 'story', and other visual effects and way, way too little time spent on strategic depth. This is not a bingo. I had more fun playing Orcs Must Die than this tripe. Seriously lamenting the old school at this point.… Expand
  71. Nenvolk
    Aug 28, 2013
    3
    Let me explain the points i have given this game: 9 or 10 for the combat parts. 0 or 1 for the "administrative" parts. The combat scenarios are fun, exiting and looks great, but to get to them you have to manage your company (yes X-Com is now a modern company with shareholders and marketing strategies controlling EVERY aspect of your actions). If I wanted this I would get a job as a middleLet me explain the points i have given this game: 9 or 10 for the combat parts. 0 or 1 for the "administrative" parts. The combat scenarios are fun, exiting and looks great, but to get to them you have to manage your company (yes X-Com is now a modern company with shareholders and marketing strategies controlling EVERY aspect of your actions). If I wanted this I would get a job as a middle management executive!! Most of the aspects are locked and incredibly boring and unrealistic. How that part of the game was even released is a BIG mystery to me. And I am not the only one saying this, EVERYONE I have talked to about this IRL says the same thing: Fun combat, RETARDED non-combat parts.

    I am sure the game has made someone rich since the first part of the game is great and many have bought the game on that first impression (as we do), but after 30 days NOONE talked about it any more.

    My wish is that Firaxis Games would take that combat engine+graphics and make a real game based on that. I see many cool aspects to creating a real X-Com game, not jsut this...slop.    … Expand
  72. X-Abrupto
    May 7, 2014
    7
    This game totally went under my radar until recently. I played the original XCOM game back in the mid-90's and I kept seeing people talking about this game called XCOM: Enemy Unknown, not realizing they actually remade it a couple of years ago. As soon as I figured it out, I went and got it.

    I don't think there are comparisons to be made with the original XCOM/UFO Enemy Unknown game    This game totally went under my radar until recently. I played the original XCOM game back in the mid-90's and I kept seeing people talking about this game called XCOM: Enemy Unknown, not realizing they actually remade it a couple of years ago. As soon as I figured it out, I went and got it.

    I don't think there are comparisons to be made with the original XCOM/UFO Enemy Unknown game despite the various similarities.

    This game has two major flaws.

    The first one is that it doesn't look good. Its uninspired main screen menu tells you it doesn't aim to be visually beautiful. It's not a big budget game with mindblowing graphics. I even wonder why they didn't chose to do cinematics with real actors instead of poorly animated computerd generated characters. Live acting would've reduced the cost ( it's a 2 days work, really ) and it would've made the game look better overall. But that's a personal opinion, of course.

    The second flaw, and probably the most important one, is that this game is unforgiving and brutal. It's not a Ninja Gaiden Black or Dark Souls type of challenge that forces you to sharpen your skills by practicing - and ultimately defeating the game with a feeling of accomplishment. This XCOM game is just ruthless and you can't do a thing about it. There's only a tiny difference of difficulty between easy and normal, and the normal mode is very, very hard. The game doesn't tell you what to do to augment your chances of winning, especially concerning everything surrounding the base management. It won't tell you how to make profits and how to augment your chances of victory. There's a lot of stuff you get to learn by yourself at the cost of tens and tens of hours of gaming filed with what I'd call gamer rape. You are most likely to restart your game once or twice. By the third time you play, you probably will master most of the elements of the game, but it's still very hard to beat.

    The combat mode is probably the best part of the game. Those who like military strategy will fall in love with this game. It's the strategic aspect of the game that kept me from giving up on it after realizing I had to invest on satellites when it was way too late. The combat mode can be very gratifying if you come up with strategies as you fight your enemies. If you send your squad to random spots without thinking of the consequences, you're most likely to get a severe beating at the hands of a formidable AI that could reduce Garry Kasparov to tears.

    But then again, the difficulty of the game catches up and you'll find yourself in terrible situations more than once. Your soldiers will die and you will fail some missions unless you save and load repeatedly. The AI isn't to blame here, because if you have a smart AI, why make it dumb to alleviate the difficulty? All they had to do was to reduce their hit points and reduce the damage they could deal to you to make the game easier. But it seems the people who made this game really wanted to make it almost impossible to play for an average gamer who can't spend days playing a single video game before he actually manages to understand the mechanics of the said game.

    Many so-called hardcore gamers will tell you this game is just like the old school games and that it was made difficult willingly. Sorry, but I don't agree. The good ol' hard games were hard because they were poorly designed and had close to no beta testing whatsoever. Battletoads, Friday the 13th, etc. etc. they were hard games because the people who made them had no idea on how to reduce the difficulty - or they simply didn't care. There's hard and then there's hell-worthy hard. This game falls in the second category.

    There's also something that bugs me in the combat mode. Sometimes I put my soldiers in specific areas, thinking they will get a higher accuracy percentage, but it turns out they don't. I think this game required a little more tweaking here and there concerning this department.

    Scenario-wise, it's very boring. They missed the opportunity of hiring a good writer who could've come up with a respectable story. Instead, we get dialogues worthy of a 10 year old boy playing with action figures.

    The music is pretty good in this game. It's highly reminiscent of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but it still holds its own. There are some good tunes in this game.

    Ultimately, this game is still amazing despite the harsh criticism I have on it concerning the difficulty. You end up getting the upper hand of it, but it takes so much time ( definitely 20hours+ required to know what you're doing ). I mean, we either go to school or have jobs. Sorry to put it this way but let's be honest here. This game will only be loved uncondtionally by people who don't have a life. Normal people who play video games a couple of hours once in a while will quickly give up on it. I think that commercially speaking, this game is a failure since it only appeals to a very tiny portion of gamers out there.    … Expand
  73. rgbizz
    Jan 5, 2013
    4
    I had high hopes for this game based on the older XCOM that I liked a lot, but most of the time is just an exercise of frustration when I play it. Probabilities of hitting a target seem to be consistently misused by the game's engine. I understand that even when there is a high 80% probability to hit a target, there is still a 1 in 5 change to miss, however when 3 or 4 troopers that haveI had high hopes for this game based on the older XCOM that I liked a lot, but most of the time is just an exercise of frustration when I play it. Probabilities of hitting a target seem to be consistently misused by the game's engine. I understand that even when there is a high 80% probability to hit a target, there is still a 1 in 5 change to miss, however when 3 or 4 troopers that have between 50 and 80% probabilities shoot and miss the same target in a row something is wrong. That is a scenario that I encounter quite often and just defies basic math. Another annoying aspect is the friendly fire when shooting rockets. Sometimes it seems there is a clear line of fire that should miss a nearby trooper but the rocket still takes him down rather than the target. Such a dumb friendly fire should anyway not even be allowed by the engine. I also agree with the dumbed-down strategy the others are talking about...… Expand
  74. Turner
    Jan 6, 2013
    4
    A beautiful game, in which you're of no use: the dice are loaded and whatever you do, the game will take you wherever it wants to. Strategy? Useless. Tactics? Don't think about it. Enjoy the wonderful graphics, the repetitive animations and the slow turns. Worth $20, not $40.
  75. drake666
    Aug 31, 2013
    2
    The game has two very different parts that work together to create an interesting game. Or at least should. The original game did it well and it was a lot of fun.
    This game doesn't. There is next to no strategy in the strategic part. Sure, you select what to research, but the order of research is just about the only decision you can make here. And it doesn't matter much. As long as you    The game has two very different parts that work together to create an interesting game. Or at least should. The original game did it well and it was a lot of fun.
    This game doesn't. There is next to no strategy in the strategic part. Sure, you select what to research, but the order of research is just about the only decision you can make here. And it doesn't matter much. As long as you don't forget to research, you'll get everything before long. It's boring. Repetitive. And the interface that makes certain tasks, like changing the soldiers for the next mission and equipping them, slow and cumbersome and getting where you want to go with the mouse isn't always easy.
    But let's talk about what the game isn't. A game should be scored on what it is, not what you expected.

    The storyline of the game is simple, extremely linear, and boring. There's no room for variation, making replaying the game a chore. It wouldn't be so bad, if the game wasn't so damn short; I finished it in two evenings.
    The tactical part of the game is challenging, but the bugs break it. There are Line of Sight errors. Elevation causes problems. Slopes aren't handled correctly but are common. There are camera problems when dealing with multiple floors. And the camera goes mad if you try to throw grenades or shoot missiles.
    Okay, I can accept that at launch. Now, almost a year later, those bugs are still not fixed.
    That means I can't give it more that 4/10. Too many too severe bugs.
    Add the questionable decision of granting aliens a free move when you see them (for what reason? It adds nothing to the game and makes no sense), the very limited amount of maps, the very limited amount of variation in the missions, and the non-comprehensible decision to disallow targeting objects even with area suppression weapons lowers to score further.
    It can be fun for a few hours, but it had the potential to be great. Given the alternatives available don't know if even the ten bucks I spent on it were worth it.    … Expand
  76. Spudgunner
    Oct 18, 2013
    4
    Unlike vintage XCOM, this incarnation removes player preferences. If you prefer females to be snipers and males to be heavy. Tough! Beware saying this on the Steam Forum! You find character assassins that tend to spend their lives hovering in this forum illogically calling you a sexist, misogynist and anything random with 'ist postfix. The price you pay if you have a personalUnlike vintage XCOM, this incarnation removes player preferences. If you prefer females to be snipers and males to be heavy. Tough! Beware saying this on the Steam Forum! You find character assassins that tend to spend their lives hovering in this forum illogically calling you a sexist, misogynist and anything random with 'ist postfix. The price you pay if you have a personal preference. (Makes me worry we are moving into). You can dismiss some troops but it is costly in time & finance which makes no sense. As you play more and more games, its like the software realises you have a preference anyway and punishes you. You find it gives you more of you don't want.

    Will I buy the Expansion? If it caters for player preferences (and includes base invasions). Yes and I'll even overlook the games other flaws.    … Expand
  77. Everlast66
    Jan 14, 2014
    1
    It was a decision of the creators of this game to call it XCOM and use the IP of a game that has reached a legendary status. Therefore it should be judged in comparison with the original 1994 game UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-com: UFO Defence in America). The original 1994 game was a brilliant open world alien-survival strategy game. The player had to build and manage mutiple bases around theIt was a decision of the creators of this game to call it XCOM and use the IP of a game that has reached a legendary status. Therefore it should be judged in comparison with the original 1994 game UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-com: UFO Defence in America). The original 1994 game was a brilliant open world alien-survival strategy game. The player had to build and manage mutiple bases around the globe, recruit soldiers, scientists and engineers, research technologies and manufacture (which took time based on engineer hours required and eng. allocated to project) aircraft, weapons and equipment. You had to manage storage, production, research between bases and equip craft and soldiers.
    I might be repeating other people, but in comparison to the above the current game looks completely dumbed-down, lacking strategic depth, freedom and controll. It feels scripted where things happen to you instead of you taking control of the whole X-COM project.    … Expand
  78. Spankahontis
    Jan 15, 2013
    4
    15/01/2013 Review - Patch 3 - PC/Steam version.

    Patch 3 has rendered the Game unplayable for me otherwise I would give a much higher Metascore as this game has promise.. AI Teleports it's units anywhere in the game, generally right where my units are.. Which gives the AI God Mode like advantage over you. Takes away the enjoyment of the game; The 'AI Teleport' Bug wasn't even much of    15/01/2013 Review - Patch 3 - PC/Steam version.

    Patch 3 has rendered the Game unplayable for me otherwise I would give a much higher Metascore as this game has promise..

    AI Teleports it's units anywhere in the game, generally right where my units are.. Which gives the AI God Mode like advantage over you.
    Takes away the enjoyment of the game; The 'AI Teleport' Bug wasn't even much of a problem for me, it was rare through Pre-Patch 3 Updates.. Now they're the norm.

    Apart from that, the game is sound, an old school X-Com fan, I have mixed feelings about the simplified changes.. Less micro-management but acceptable.
    I disagree that the tactics have been dumbed down, the tactics on the battlefield are greatly enhanced from the old version.
    Most of the gripe from the 'traditionalists' of the X-Com franchise is down to micro-management being replaced with a more simpler streamlined model. Example: You no longer manage the weapons/items sales to manage space in your Base(s)
    You win Scientist and Engineers as a reward, you no longer purchase them and living quarters for them to stay.
    But the new X-Com, you have to be clever with your decisions, do you opt for more Scientists or invest in the Officers Club? More Engineers to cheapen production or Scientists to speed up research of Alien Artifacts.
    Firaxis simply changed the strategy side of the game of the story.

    My only gripes about the game is everyone speaks with an American accent, except Dr Vahlan, this is supposed to be about Countries of the World uniting against a common foe, yet all the Soldiers/Civilians/VIPS are American, and if I have to hear Anna Sing talk in that annoying Fry Tone one more time I swear I'm going to punch a hole through my screen.
    Not only the voices but the Battle Grounds get repetitive and some don't even make any sense, a Liquor store in Egypt which are very strict on the sale/consumption of alcohol.. It's too Americanized!
    And of course the bloody bugs are a headache.    … Expand
  79. SirSavage
    Feb 26, 2013
    1
    OK so, I never played any of the xcom games in the past...but I have played similar games such as fall out tactics, FF tactics, etc. I got this game thinking it might have the same concept as games I have played in the past, but more modern and better. Boy was I wrong. I realized this game was a complete mess when the percentage to hit was over 95% and missed...TWICE. Then I decided toOK so, I never played any of the xcom games in the past...but I have played similar games such as fall out tactics, FF tactics, etc. I got this game thinking it might have the same concept as games I have played in the past, but more modern and better. Boy was I wrong. I realized this game was a complete mess when the percentage to hit was over 95% and missed...TWICE. Then I decided to write down the times I missed overall in a given mission....75% was the result. arg!

    2nd gripe with the game: why is it that I cannot sneak up on the enemy? The minute I spot them...they run and hide. Even after I put everyone on "overwatch" they all still miss only to have the alien close in on their turn and instant head shot my guys. Overall this game was a HUGE let down.    … Expand
  80. Mudpooch
    Mar 24, 2013
    3
    Its a good thing that a got this game for free when I pre ordered Bioshock Infinite through steam cause if I had spent any amount of money on this crap I would have felt extremely cheated. Now this is the first Xcom game I've played and its probably gonna be the last unless 2k Marin come up with something brilliant with their tactical fps interpretation of the franchise. Im a huge fan ofIts a good thing that a got this game for free when I pre ordered Bioshock Infinite through steam cause if I had spent any amount of money on this crap I would have felt extremely cheated. Now this is the first Xcom game I've played and its probably gonna be the last unless 2k Marin come up with something brilliant with their tactical fps interpretation of the franchise. Im a huge fan of Firaxis Games and their Civilization IP but they seriously dropped the ball, lost the plot, went off their heads bonkers and screwed up when they decided to unleash and curse us with this poor excuse of a game..… Expand
  81. Tataus
    Feb 3, 2013
    3
    "Hey, Meier, LEAVE THE GAME ALONE !!!
    All in all we just want, a better graphis X-Com..." (to be singed with pink floyds music) X-Com Enemy Unknow its the long waited sequel from one of the best games in the history: X-Com UFO Defence. In this strategic game, you command the last hope of human race: an elite force, fighting an alien invasion. Your succes depends on construction and    "Hey, Meier, LEAVE THE GAME ALONE !!!
    All in all we just want, a better graphis X-Com..." (to be singed with pink floyds music) X-Com Enemy Unknow its the long waited sequel from one of the best games in the history: X-Com UFO Defence. In this strategic game, you command the last hope of human race: an elite force, fighting an alien invasion. Your succes depends on construction and administration of a military base; Research on alien technologies; and Tactical Combat. Developoers only need to copy the original game, get new graphics, a better interface, better physics, and the game would be great. Instead, the developers managed to make the right decisions to ruin the game

    History: The glorious X-Com legacy born in 1994, with C-Com: Ufo Defence. And continued with Terror from the Depth, and Apocalypse. Interceptor was a space-fighter game, but still a nice game. Forget about Enforcer, it was a complete failiure. UFO Defence was 18 years old. as a long waited sequel, Enemy Unknown must be compared with the original game. UFO Defence was a great game, with a "fair" interface, to deal with lot of micro management. EU have simplified many things... but they take the wrong way. The most relevant aspect of the game, the tactical combat, has bein ruined in the old x-com games, you have total freedom to move soldiers in big random maps. up to 24 human soldiers fight bloody combats, facing a dozen of aliens Now the old tactical combat was replaced by linear "tactical" gaming the real action is governed by scripted triggers, unleashing "cinematic moments"... Now, action take place in narrow maps, and your tactical decisions are cutt down Now you may hide behind a car in the left... behind a wall in the center... or behind a crate in the right... The combat have lost the tatctical freedom... you are not really free to take decisions. (reminds me when Clancy ruined the Rainbow Six franchise) Now you can comand 4 to 6 soldiers. Thats a ridiculous uninprovement. I used to comand 24 men in 1995s UFO Defence. the game now gets smaller, simplier and cheaper. The artwork suffer the Sid Meiers course: nothing looks realistic: everything must look like a "disney cartoon". some of the aliens are cool... like the "aracnid" cyberdisk but others looks grotesque, like the muton and some others looks childish and ridiculous, like the "floaters". they look like the evil robots from Phineas and Ferb. even the humans dont looke like humans So. why do you have to re-invent the wheel???
    I guess Mr. Sid Meier had a plan. He is destroying every games franchise, I played some Enemy Unknow. and after that, I start playing UFO Defence again I f you never played the original games, you may be surprised by the ufo universe. if you are a console player... if you dont care about tactical combat... and if you like the cartoonish artwork, then, you may like this game But, not me, as a fan of the series, X-Com: EU was one of the greatest disapointments in pc gaming. as many say, the game also suffer visual glitches, ad camera bugs. sorry, but you cant take my money so easy keep releasing free packs. you need to release a lot of them. now you may sing my song: "Hey, Meier, Leave the game alone All in all we just want, a better graphics x-com"    … Expand
  82. Dozmo
    Oct 14, 2014
    8
    Great. Interesting characters - who you genuinely care about, because they can die at any time. Varied skills - which can really shake up the field of play. A variety of classes - which really do play differently. Lots of tactical options to consider and with the expansions/DLC, even more. I'm not typically a TBS player, but even I found this to be a great game. The only caveats are thatGreat. Interesting characters - who you genuinely care about, because they can die at any time. Varied skills - which can really shake up the field of play. A variety of classes - which really do play differently. Lots of tactical options to consider and with the expansions/DLC, even more. I'm not typically a TBS player, but even I found this to be a great game. The only caveats are that the action can be a little slow at times (e.g: chasing down the last few aliens on a map), and the base-building part of the game seemed underdeveloped (at least, without the DLC).… Expand
  83. asret
    Apr 5, 2013
    3
    Game seems like great fun have played for a couple of hours so far. Gameplay is similar enough to the old series, but with a nice modern interface. Maps seem smaller which means less time spent hunting around. The missions also make use of scripted events now, so new problems can be thrown in part way through. It seems like a worthy successor.

    My low rating is because of the game    Game seems like great fun have played for a couple of hours so far. Gameplay is similar enough to the old series, but with a nice modern interface. Maps seem smaller which means less time spent hunting around. The missions also make use of scripted events now, so new problems can be thrown in part way through. It seems like a worthy successor.

    My low rating is because of the game crashes. I haven't been able to play any longer than a minute since that two hour stretch. It even crashes just sitting at the main menu screen. This was on Windows 8 though.    … Expand
  84. Jochokilla
    Oct 15, 2014
    10
    Incredible game, I have spent at least 120 hours playing this, people saying it´s "dumbed down" Its because they have not even tried it in impossible with iron man mode enabled, buy this game, I asure you wont regret it.
  85. Magnethead
    Oct 11, 2015
    6
    SO GOOD!...SO TERRIBLE! SO FRUSTRATING!

    The thing about Xcom is that the mechanics themselves are fantastic, they really are. The turn based squad strategy is fun, the overall research/building strategy is fine. The problem lies only in two elements: 1. Difficulty settings. 2. Random Number Generators. Let it be said, if you're fairly casual with strategy and you play this game    SO GOOD!...SO TERRIBLE! SO FRUSTRATING!

    The thing about Xcom is that the mechanics themselves are fantastic, they really are. The turn based squad strategy is fun, the overall research/building strategy is fine. The problem lies only in two elements:

    1. Difficulty settings.
    2. Random Number Generators.

    Let it be said, if you're fairly casual with strategy and you play this game casually on "normal" setting, the game is absolutely fine. No problems there. This review is not for you then, just ignore. That's just not for me.

    If you're very serious about strategy, you'll almost certainly find "Normal" difficulty too easy and "Classic" fitting in general (at least if you're only planning one playthrough). Sounds great, right? Could have been except for one thing: the variance on Classic. Everything is a roll of the dice, which is fine, but the variance is insane. You can do everything right and still lose the game in one brief moment of bad luck. I'll illustrate the problem with this one scenario that actually took place for me:

    Turn 1. Your squad arrives in the woods. You move them into defensive positions just in case you're being charged right off the bat. They're all in cover, they're all in Overwatch (guarding). Three aliens attack, the squad takes down the first one. The second one uses a skill that automatically deals 1 damage, it hits one guy.
    *BREAK* Let me here say that one damage is nothing, it really is nothing.
    So, the guy who got hit with the whopping 1 damage rolls a dice and panics. He panics by turning to his right and trying to execute his friend standing right next to him because... well, who knows. It's the standard panic reaction in this game. He rolls another dice and misses from point blank range. Just can't hit. Well, fine you think, but alas. Behind him is a seasoned veteran, a captain who has seen many battles. He rolls a dice too, he also panics. Now, he has taken 0 damage, he has merely seen one dude take one damage. Well, he handles panic in the same way and decides to execute one of his friends. He chooses your best solider (and medic) and nails her right in the back of the head with a critical hit, killing her instantly. End turn one.
    Turn 2. Bring up menu, quit game.

    Things like this just happen, they just do. You can restart the mission whenever they do, but it wears you out. Or it did with me. Worst thing is, they could fix everything wrong with this game so easily.

    1. rebalance panic.
    2. remove critical hits.

    Just those two things would limit the variance to a degree where the game would feel hard but fair. It's really all they needed to do and then the game would probably be a 10.    … Expand
  86. DGDrocks7
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    I have never played the original XCOM games, I just downloaded the demo, not knowing that the XCOM series existed. I got so addicted to the demo, I replayed it several times. Then I got the full game for Christmas. This game defines fun. The story may seem shallow, but guess what, that why you must create your own story. I mean, you can customize your own soldiers, even their names. TryI have never played the original XCOM games, I just downloaded the demo, not knowing that the XCOM series existed. I got so addicted to the demo, I replayed it several times. Then I got the full game for Christmas. This game defines fun. The story may seem shallow, but guess what, that why you must create your own story. I mean, you can customize your own soldiers, even their names. Try naming them after your loved ones, and you'll get attached to them. That's the thing about XCOM, it doesn't trivialize death; it even has a memorial for your lost soldiers. Haven't played multiplayer, but singleplayer alone justifies the price tag. There are some lags here and there but they're minor. Come on, buy it NOW.… Expand
  87. sinadoom
    Nov 13, 2014
    6
    Having never played a turn-based game, I decided to take the plunge into XCOM after seeing so many positive reviews for it. At first, the experience was ecstatic. I clocked in over 20 hours' playtime in a weekend! I was expecting the gameplay to be very dull, not accessible and for all the base management to be confusing and overly complex. But I was wrong - this game couldn't be any moreHaving never played a turn-based game, I decided to take the plunge into XCOM after seeing so many positive reviews for it. At first, the experience was ecstatic. I clocked in over 20 hours' playtime in a weekend! I was expecting the gameplay to be very dull, not accessible and for all the base management to be confusing and overly complex. But I was wrong - this game couldn't be any more accessible and easy to get into. I loved the simplicity of the mechanics but the depth that it could present the player with. In terms of combat and variety in soldiers, aliens, customisation, level design etc. Enemy Unknown is fantastic. You will never play the same map twice, which is highly impressive - especially given the variety of areas. You really feel a sense of control and importance - the theme of being a commander during a time of crisis is portrayed nicely without being mundane. Every action, every turn, every decision feels meaningful. And that's perhaps the best thing one can say about this game. Later on however, you realise the flaws in its design.

    Now, I'm the kind of gamer that likes perfection - I will restart until I get the result I want. Naturally, this isn't well-suited to turn-based games. Although I highly enjoyed the concept of XCOM and its gameplay, some design decisions and bugs make the game unplayable without the so called "save-scumming" tactic. The most noticeable issue is that of finding the aliens. The fog of war is so thick, your soldiers have to practically walk within a few tiles of the enemy to see them. But this is the real kicker: THEY GET TO MOVE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THEIR TURN! So many times I have been cheated by the game because I spent about 3 turns dashing forward not finding any enemies, and all of a sudden I move ONE TILE forward and a bunch of them appear out of nowhere and surround me DURING MY TURN! This is clearly unfair and really takes away from the tactical element. It's just plain cheap and bad design; although it's not game-breaking most of the time so I can cope with it. The second major issue I have is line of sight and chance to hit. I find that the percentage you see is almost compeltely random and counter-intuitive. So many times I have moved my soldier to a tactically better spot to increase my chances of hitting the enemy, only to lose sight of them or to lower my chances. Whoever did the calculations for hit percents clearly didn't test it in practice - there are so many ridiculous examples where you're next to the enemy and miss yet can have a high chance of hitting them from obscure angles and, in rare cases, through walls! Having played fast-paced action games for so long, the idea of turn-based combat did seem ridiculously novel at times. I mean, you can target an enemy that's directly behind another enemy but not hit the one shielding your target. The visual representation of the combat is horrific at best. Oftentimes, the games will show plasma on your character even if the alien missed you but it shows that it hit, and vice-versa. It's as if the graphics/UI team had no communication with the gameplay designers and those that code the mechanics. The camera issues in this game are inexcsuable. Especially for levels with verticality and those inside buildings, the isometric design really exposes how bad of a job the developers did of using Unreal Engine 3. First of all, framerate drops. Then, when you try to select your units or point to where you want them to go, it keeps moving about or there is so little consistency between what you see on screen and what's actually going on. It's kinda hard to describe, but once you play the game you'll see plenty of minor bugs and the occasional major one (e.g. my Hover SHIV got stuck in a wall and couldn't move). I have read reports of corrupted saves and problems with the autosave feature too.

    Although XCOM is an unpredictable game, it is still linear in progression. It also has some scaling issues with the campaign; where you get all the awesome gear and have a kick-♥♥♥ base with the best weapons, jets, armour, research etc. only to be able to use them for a couple of missions before the end. In the latter half of the game, I had full satellite coverage and was drowning in money I might as well have wasted it. In early game, resource management feels really important and meaningful. Towards the end, you just sit on your wealth and can't really use your resources to help you further in combat. Although I think that's my playstyle. Indeed, XCOM is perhaps the best attempt I have encountered when it comes to balancing progression rewards with length of game.

    Overall, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a game which convincingly sells the concept of Turn-Based strategy to those unfamiliar with the genre. However, the quality of its in-engine execution is shody and at the micro-mechanical level, it's almost broken. In terms of design and its vision, XCOM EU is ingenius. It definitely has replay value.    … Expand
  88. jetSetWilly
    Sep 22, 2015
    1
    Glad I waited till this game came down to $10. The problem I have with it is that it takes control of my computer, I can't leave the game when I want to. These developers must be complete control freaks. I'm not really seeing anything that hasn't been done and there's just running around the base zooming in and out of crap which could have easily have been done with a simple menuGlad I waited till this game came down to $10. The problem I have with it is that it takes control of my computer, I can't leave the game when I want to. These developers must be complete control freaks. I'm not really seeing anything that hasn't been done and there's just running around the base zooming in and out of crap which could have easily have been done with a simple menu interface. The gameplay itself is ordinary, it only rates well because of the lack of games in this genre. It would be good free but at $10 I feel ripped off because I'm just not enjoying it.… Expand
  89. mthrl
    Aug 17, 2014
    5
    Could have been a really enjoyable game if it wasn't for the many game-breaking bugs that make it just plain annoying. I'm on one of the last missions in the game and yet every time I go back to try and complete it I get a bug where I'm stuck in the middle of my turn and can't do anything. It's been ages since the game's release and yet there is still no fix for the issue.
  90. Notonlytheend
    Oct 25, 2014
    9
    Turn based squad strategy at it's finest. The only complaint is that the story is a little week. Other than that, there's enjoyable progression, challenge for any level of familiarity, and huge replay-ability.
  91. NecroMnemic
    Dec 4, 2014
    2
    Okay... really fast review, because there is no point in investing any more time in anything related to that game.

    The game just plain sucks. The combat is trivial and boring, there is no depth to it at all. Whoever designed the enemies and the overall combat system should stick to coloring books. The UI feels like some bad console port and is miles behind... hm.. let's say Chaos Gate -    Okay... really fast review, because there is no point in investing any more time in anything related to that game.

    The game just plain sucks. The combat is trivial and boring, there is no depth to it at all. Whoever designed the enemies and the overall combat system should stick to coloring books. The UI feels like some bad console port and is miles behind... hm.. let's say Chaos Gate - a game nearly 15years older. You are constantly bothered with - rather ugly looking - cut-scenes, that only deliver no real information - or information that could've the player in a much better way.

    Seriously, combat - **** building a base - boring, cut-scenes - annoying, graphics - okay-ish at best... the overall design of the game is just plain bad.

    Oh and btw. I am not familiar with the previous games of the xcom series, so this is not a disappointed fan boy rant, but I genuinely rate this game 2/10, because it sucks.    … Expand
  92. daanelf
    May 1, 2015
    10
    I`ve never spend more hours on a game then xcom on my steam library. This game with the long war mod makes for the best game i have ever played. It is unforgiving and at the same time really enjoyable. I love turn based games and this one is one of the best.

    Reviewers who give this game lower then a 7 should spend some more time with it. Or it might just not be for you. I would suggest    I`ve never spend more hours on a game then xcom on my steam library. This game with the long war mod makes for the best game i have ever played. It is unforgiving and at the same time really enjoyable. I love turn based games and this one is one of the best.

    Reviewers who give this game lower then a 7 should spend some more time with it. Or it might just not be for you. I would suggest playing a game that is less demanding and more forgiving.    … Expand
  93. deweee
    Jul 29, 2014
    1
    Let me explain why I hate the guts this crappy game.

    1- The storyline, combined with so-to-speak side missions are completely retarded, since you cannot build a satellite uplink before 5th or 6th "forced" missions. Panic level rises in countries, missions become impossible therefore game gets **** 2- Game is buggy as hell. Both visually and AI wise. I have given a second change to it    Let me explain why I hate the guts this crappy game.

    1- The storyline, combined with so-to-speak side missions are completely retarded, since you cannot build a satellite uplink before 5th or 6th "forced" missions. Panic level rises in countries, missions become impossible therefore game gets ****

    2- Game is buggy as hell. Both visually and AI wise. I have given a second change to it in July 2014, still as bad as it gets. You can shoot through walls, they can shoot through walls and miss through walls. It is like a joke.

    3- UFO vs Intercepter fights must be a joke... It's like '99 ATARI gameplay, which you cannot even play. It is like OGAME of some other browser-based sh*t.

    4- Dark parts of the map (not mini map, the whole screen) cannot be revealed except diving with your soldiers, which is retarded in a turn based game.

    5- So, on and on. Sorry that I've forgotten a lot of other things. Just read the negative reviews and I am sure you'll find those too.

    Overall, I would not touch this game ever gain.    … Expand
  94. smilzoboboz
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    Old school evil aliens invade the earth and you are the commander of an elite team that should be able to defy that menace. Fortunately the game doesn't take it too seriously and is therefore enjoyable even if it features "evil alien invaders".

    The plot was surprisingly varied, considering we're talking about evil alien invaders, but it actually just need to support the turn-based    Old school evil aliens invade the earth and you are the commander of an elite team that should be able to defy that menace. Fortunately the game doesn't take it too seriously and is therefore enjoyable even if it features "evil alien invaders".

    The plot was surprisingly varied, considering we're talking about evil alien invaders, but it actually just need to support the turn-based in-field combat mechanics change throughout the progress of the game.
    It was the first time I approached turn based combat games (and the only turn based strategy game I ever played before XCOM: Enemy Unknown was Sid Meyer's Civilization V) but I found XCOM: Enemy Unknown gameplay system pretty straightforward and enjoyable.

    Game graphic is nice, I wouldn't have changed anything on that part, music instead sounds often repetitive even if it matches the atmosphere.

    Now, the cons.
    Percentage system is not totally random but randomly predetermined: if you miss a hit, no matter how many times you reload a savegame and/or change actions before that very hit, it will miss (even with 98% hit chance).
    The movement system gets you hard time with ramps/levels/obstructions.
    Finally, this game has a few bugs, one above all it may happen that the game still runs without any visual issue or crash BUT no matter what button you press, you can't do anything and you need to force quit the game (happened 1 to 3 times per finished game).

    To recap, if this game was made for PC in the first place a lot of things would have been better, but it is clearly adapted to consoles limited controls (gamepads != mouses) and then ported to PC.
    The good thing is that, controls aside, the game has a lot of customizable options and since it uses the unreal engine it's pretty solid.
    Also, the game runs on linux, I'd say it runs really good on linux and I can only praise that.

    If you enjoy turn based strategy combat games this game is for you, if you don't give it a try anyway, I really enjoyed it as my first time turn-based combat game.    … Expand
  95. 2clicks
    Sep 28, 2014
    9
    Great game. The tactics are quite simple and make for streamlined gameplay. Its not bad for it, the range of maps is quite good. The solider nationalities and editing give you a connection with them, if you play on ironman you feel gutted if a favourite dies.

    The ironman mode is really good one bad mission can cause a lot of problems. I would like to see more mission types although    Great game. The tactics are quite simple and make for streamlined gameplay. Its not bad for it, the range of maps is quite good. The solider nationalities and editing give you a connection with them, if you play on ironman you feel gutted if a favourite dies.

    The ironman mode is really good one bad mission can cause a lot of problems.

    I would like to see more mission types although the missions themselves seem to be quite different with each play through.

    Would recommend however if you are looking for in depth combat you may be disappointed.    … Expand
  96. dj_cole
    Feb 19, 2015
    7
    Xcom enemy unknown is the newest addition in the Xcom series. While it remains a solid tactical squad based strategy game, it does not live up to the lofty presence of the original Xcom.

    The series, for those unfamiliar with it, is based on leading a secret covert operations group, known as Xcom, as it attempts to secretly defend earth from an alien invasion. The game does allude to all    Xcom enemy unknown is the newest addition in the Xcom series. While it remains a solid tactical squad based strategy game, it does not live up to the lofty presence of the original Xcom.

    The series, for those unfamiliar with it, is based on leading a secret covert operations group, known as Xcom, as it attempts to secretly defend earth from an alien invasion. The game does allude to all of this being top secret, which seems a bit ridiculous as you play through the game, but that doesn't really matter to the gameplay. You act as supreme commander of the Xcom project, managing and building up a base of operations, sending out satellites to detect alien presence, managing the happiness of funding countries, researching and leading squads of up to six soldiers into battle that can then be leveled up as they gain experience.

    The game, like any other game, has evolved with its modern iteration. It is a sharp, fun and responsive squad based strategy game that has streamlined a lot of the annoying micromanagement features of past games, but has also simplified things and put a cap on squad member leveling up. It is a more accessible, but simpler game than past generations. That is good for the casual player, new to the genre but a detractor to seasoned players who enjoy the complexity.

    The game, in the most basic sense, plays like this. You have a base that you expand with various modules that you can build into your secret mountain hideaway. As you research new technologies new modules open up for upgrades or more efficient research. You launch satellites to gain funding from the various nation groups across the globe and to spot alien incursions. When incursions happen you deploy a squad of soldiers into a tactical, squad based "seek cover and advance" type gameplay that dictates a methodical approach to combat. As missions are failed or ignored panic will rise. Victories reduce panic. There are a handful of main story missions for advancing the game that are unlocked by certain milestones in the game, but the vast majority of missions are procedurally generated battles with aliens. There are basic research items, but as you kill aliens and do autopsies, capture and interrogate aliens, or shoot down and capture alien ships more research items are unlocked to gain better weapon and armor and new gadgets.

    There are four basic classes. Assault, heavy (machine gunners), snipers and support (medics) which each have their own skill trees that you can utilize as they level up. All four classes are needed across the game to face different situations. Medics to stabilize downed squad members, snipers to provide cover, heavies to deal huge damage in short bursts and assault troops to act as front line combat soldiers.. Later in the game psionic abilities are added which add some more variety to your soldiers, but psionic abilities are rare and only have three tiers.

    The aliens you face are variations on a few base models, but the variations offer enough change that the game continually changes and evolves as you proceed. New challenges are thrown at you every few missions that force you to think more carefully about how you combat the alien menace.

    The game looks good. It won't blow anyone away. It has its own style, but nothing that really sticks out as uniquely distinct. The technical side of the graphics are good enough and slightly better than your run of the mill top down game. Sound effects are well done and add to the experience and the voice acting is well done with squad members reacting to the battle.

    The controls on the PC are very easy to work with. Consoles are also surprisingly good, though moving the cursor around with the joysticks can be slow. The iPad controls are cumbersome and you can end up moving soldiers to areas you don't mean to because you have to press an area twice to move there.

    If you like squad based strategy games you I would highly recommend Xcom, even in its simplified version. If you don't like strategy games I would say Xcom probably isn't for you. The game can be pretty brutal, and may frustrate you as your favorite squad members are killed. Overall, a good game for strategy fans that may fall a bit on the simple side for veterans of the genre.    … Expand
  97. Amiga1200
    Nov 7, 2014
    10
    The first time I tried this game I couldn't understand the way the combat worked and that was because I looked at the game the same way I looked at the classic. My second attempt was much better as I finally grasped what was going on. The game is very good and climatic. The combat system is somewhat simplified in comparison with the classic but it came out as an advantage. What I dislikedThe first time I tried this game I couldn't understand the way the combat worked and that was because I looked at the game the same way I looked at the classic. My second attempt was much better as I finally grasped what was going on. The game is very good and climatic. The combat system is somewhat simplified in comparison with the classic but it came out as an advantage. What I disliked in the classic was looking for the last alien that hid somewhere on the map. Here you do not have to do that. Game progression is fantastic. Besides random maps you got fixed missions, which makes game more attractive - you did not have this choise in classic. You can make your soldiers to become cyborgs or enchance them biologically. Each soldiers class is needed and this is a great improvement over the classic title where you could get ultimate killers good at everything. Here you got soldiers that can be achieved only at their profession, which is sensible attitutude. Graphics and animations are quite pretty. I beat the game and I feel like coming back once again to this title to play the campgain once more. I hope they will make another title in the franchise. I am really looking forward to it.… Expand
  98. ratface
    Nov 21, 2014
    6
    It's an OK game. I guess it's the modern, console version of a great game. As such it's limited by the user interface and the attention span of its target market. Squad size is maxed out at six, and that feels difficult to manage with the 'click x to select next soldier', instead of clicking on his portrait. Research is very limited compared to the original. You are stuck with one baseIt's an OK game. I guess it's the modern, console version of a great game. As such it's limited by the user interface and the attention span of its target market. Squad size is maxed out at six, and that feels difficult to manage with the 'click x to select next soldier', instead of clicking on his portrait. Research is very limited compared to the original. You are stuck with one base and it does not get attacked.

    The tactical game is fun. Stances are gone and cover is much more important. Much better here than the likes of Aftershock. The balance is poor. On normal difficulty it's much too easy. On classic it's too hard.

    Not terrible but not great. Worth getting if it's on sale and you are bored.    … Expand
  99. amontillado
    Feb 22, 2015
    7
    Overall: a good game but certain core mechanics stop it from being a great game. It is repetitive and in the late game it can become monotonous fending off an easy alien attack while waiting for a research project to get done.

    At times glitchy, the pacing is affected in both tactical and combat situations when short cut scenes play everytime your character misses or scores a critical    Overall: a good game but certain core mechanics stop it from being a great game. It is repetitive and in the late game it can become monotonous fending off an easy alien attack while waiting for a research project to get done.

    At times glitchy, the pacing is affected in both tactical and combat situations when short cut scenes play everytime your character misses or scores a critical hit. It's good for when you're in between games or want to do a casual tactical game. Otherwise, it doesn't present enough challenge, variety, or smooth gameplay flow to make it a strong, day in, day out game.    … Expand
  100. Nerevarinho
    Jul 4, 2020
    9
    Would reload savegame again.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    88
    Is it better than the original? No. One can’t imagine X-Com 2012 being an all-time-classic and people still playing with it, months from now (let alone, years). Is it a ‘true’ X-Com game, however? Definitely. Remorseless geeks are in for shivers and swoons when they meet their beloved foes: mind-controlling sectoids, zombifying Chrysalids, Cyberdisks, Ethereals… [December 2012]
  2. Armchair Empire
    Dec 18, 2012
    95
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a worthy tribute to its progenitor and hopefully the start of something brand new for players who've been dying to get a good squad-based strategy game that lets them not only think, but feel as well.
    Read full review
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Nov 14, 2012
    90
    Amazing tactical complexity, satisfying strategic depth; slightly dodgy ending, but your own stories are more important anyway. A modern classic.
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