XCOM: Enemy Within

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 820 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 655 out of 820
  2. Mixed: 90 out of 820
  3. Negative: 75 out of 820
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  1. Xsonic
    Nov 16, 2013
    10
    I am putting a 10 just to offset some of the more ignorant comments below. The game is still great, with the addition of several unique features. You can still play Enemy Unknown if you choose to do so before starting the game.

    For those people asking why 2K is charging a lot more in Australia, please stop making yourselves look bad and do some research why your government has put    I am putting a 10 just to offset some of the more ignorant comments below. The game is still great, with the addition of several unique features. You can still play Enemy Unknown if you choose to do so before starting the game.

    For those people asking why 2K is charging a lot more in Australia, please stop making yourselves look bad and do some research why your government has put taxes on games. Don't blame the dev/publishers for what your leaders are doing.    … Expand
  2. Type4101
    Nov 18, 2013
    1
    If there was no Enemy Unknown, then Enemy Within would be a 9 or a 10 game. But Enemy Within, the so-called "expansion," is nothing more than a glorified patch and a few maps, which should have cost $5 at most. It costs thirty dollars. It adds a new minor human enemy, one or two new aliens, and a few maps. That's it. It calls itself an "expansion" and that is a lie. An expansion wouldIf there was no Enemy Unknown, then Enemy Within would be a 9 or a 10 game. But Enemy Within, the so-called "expansion," is nothing more than a glorified patch and a few maps, which should have cost $5 at most. It costs thirty dollars. It adds a new minor human enemy, one or two new aliens, and a few maps. That's it. It calls itself an "expansion" and that is a lie. An expansion would have added significant gameplay, an expansion or continuation of the story-line/plot...basically a new experience. Enemy within offers none of those things. You play the exact same game as before, only with a tiny amount of new "stuff" that costs almost as much as a full game. If you never played XCOM: Enemy Unknown, then this is a great purchase as a stand-alone product (Steam requires you buy the original, so don't do it!). I can recommend it as a first-time game, since it is a fantastic game on its own. But don't buy this "expansion" if you already own the first game, or at least wait until this map pack is more appropriately priced ($5 max). I was ripped off again by unscrupulous game publishers. Don't suffer the same fate.… Expand
  3. MikeMaximus
    Nov 24, 2013
    8
    It adds great gameplay features to an already great game, with all the features added the campaign will feel new even though it's the same. It's a bit pricey, but if you shopped around you could have got it for a 20 dollar pre-order and i'm sure it'll be on sale over the holidays. The AI seems to have gotten a bit of an overhaul and uses high ground, supression, overwatch, flanking moreIt adds great gameplay features to an already great game, with all the features added the campaign will feel new even though it's the same. It's a bit pricey, but if you shopped around you could have got it for a 20 dollar pre-order and i'm sure it'll be on sale over the holidays. The AI seems to have gotten a bit of an overhaul and uses high ground, supression, overwatch, flanking more effectively. Tweaks to the meta-game like facility adjacency bonus' are also welcome. My minor complaints are that the difficulty curve can be a bit wonky at the start, especially if you've played through the campaign multiple times already and move the story ahead too quickly, the scripted story missions will start throwing very difficult aliens at you way before you're adequately ready to handle them. This in combination with the accuracy estimates seeming to be being a little off or having a new hidden penalty, it can get frustrating, especially on classic or higher difficulty. If you loved Enemy Unknown you'll love Enemy Within, if you didn't, it hasn't changed anything that's going to make you like it.… Expand
  4. Asaghon
    Nov 23, 2013
    10
    If you liked EU you will certainly like this. I was worried MECs would unbalance the game like panzers did in silent storm but they will die quite fast if your reckless on classic. And the rush for meld makes the game alot more intense as well.
    The new exalt faction is a nice addition as well, though some more mission types would be nice. But its a different expierence than fighting    If you liked EU you will certainly like this. I was worried MECs would unbalance the game like panzers did in silent storm but they will die quite fast if your reckless on classic. And the rush for meld makes the game alot more intense as well.
    The new exalt faction is a nice addition as well, though some more mission types would be nice. But its a different expierence than fighting aliens.
    The new maps are great as well, finally some more variety.
    I'l really enjoying the expansion and its well worth the price for me.    … Expand
  5. apox
    Nov 22, 2013
    10
    Great expansion refreshes the Enemy Unknown experience. None of the new features fundamentally change the gameplay already established in Enemy Unknown but they do add some significant new variety to the game, including new maps, some new enemies and new upgrades to your troops.

    Part of me still yearns for a more in depth experience as in the original XCom games, but this was also    Great expansion refreshes the Enemy Unknown experience. None of the new features fundamentally change the gameplay already established in Enemy Unknown but they do add some significant new variety to the game, including new maps, some new enemies and new upgrades to your troops.

    Part of me still yearns for a more in depth experience as in the original XCom games, but this was also frustrating at times (how many ammo clips do I give each soldier?!). EU/EW greatly streamlines the experience and lets you focus on the more fun aspects, the battles, research, resource management, etc.

    Gathering meld now forces you to explore maps faster than you might otherwise (especially on harder difficulties) and introduces new upgrades for your soldiers: MECs, which are awesome cyborg soldiers, and gene modifications to improve your regular troops. The satisfaction of a MEC punching an alien through a wall never gets old, though be careful you don't also destroy something you didn't mean to! The only downside is that later in the game these allow you to really upgrade your troops and leads to most missions becoming quite easy (unlike the first couple of in-game months which are really difficult).

    The human Exalt forces are another fun new twist, offering a quite different experience to alien hunting. With no need to capture them alive and equivalent weapons/armour/tech in the early mid game, they can be fairly challenging, or you can just grab rockets and grenades and destroy everything. I feel they could have built this more into a story with more cutscenes or backstory but I still enjoyed it.

    A few other great features: soldiers can speak their own languages, base attacks and enemy mechs are more robust than in the original.

    Some of the mechanics of the game I feel are a little too scripted, more so than the originals. While this ensures a more consistent experience, it also reduces the replayability significantly. I can't see myself picking this up many more times, though the recently added 'second wave' options allow you to change a number of game mechanics e.g. soldiers can have randomly generated abilities and stats.

    I've only experience two minor bugs during my playthrough, so I don't see any major issues there at all, and the game looks and sounds as good as ever with it's distinctive B-movie feel. I feel the price is fair for the amount of time you can spend on the new features. It's still one of my favourite games of recent years and this expansion just adds to it.    … Expand
  6. Deathmarch
    Dec 5, 2013
    10
    Further expands on great game. If you ask why I would give it 10 because you have to compare it to whats available now. Seeing only Jagged alliance online in the same category I would give Xcom a 20 but I cant so 10 will have to do. Introduction of MECs, Gene Mods, Exault and a few surprises including the best mission in the whole game the notorious "Fishing Village" have fun
  7. jadereviewer
    Feb 25, 2014
    6
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown was my favorite game of 2012(or whenever it came out.) This expansion is pretty large, adds some nice variety and is a great reason to do another couple of play throughs- one focusing heavily on MEc's and one heavily one Gene mods, or a balance.
    This is, however. horrifically overpriced. Unless you are getting off a CDkey website, don't buy. Pay UP TO 20 dollars i say,    XCOM: Enemy Unknown was my favorite game of 2012(or whenever it came out.) This expansion is pretty large, adds some nice variety and is a great reason to do another couple of play throughs- one focusing heavily on MEc's and one heavily one Gene mods, or a balance.
    This is, however. horrifically overpriced. Unless you are getting off a CDkey website, don't buy. Pay UP TO 20 dollars i say, as you will get a solid amount of hours out of another play through.    … Expand
  8. di6turbed
    Nov 20, 2013
    9
    XCOM:EW adds so much fun to the original game. I bought it on an impulse having a calm weekend ahead of me I intended to spend on the new X game. Instead I was just glued to this title for two days. New aliens, new alien craft, new human enemies, lots of customization options for your soldiers.. the game is really worth it.
  9. PeregrineOmega
    Nov 21, 2013
    10
    Firaxis and 2K deserve a Nobel prize for restoring faith in modern PC game expansion. Enemy Within is complete, polished, and full of goodies that not only expand the game, but actually improve on what was already a great product.

    It's still a tough game that isn't afraid to be challenging, yet it throws a diverse assortment of interesting upgrade paths, cool weapons, super soldiers and    Firaxis and 2K deserve a Nobel prize for restoring faith in modern PC game expansion. Enemy Within is complete, polished, and full of goodies that not only expand the game, but actually improve on what was already a great product.

    It's still a tough game that isn't afraid to be challenging, yet it throws a diverse assortment of interesting upgrade paths, cool weapons, super soldiers and much more new content than most of the so-called "DLC" packages we see these days. This might just be the best Expansion Pack since Lord of Destruction. Well worth the price of entry.    … Expand
  10. Mikimax
    Nov 27, 2013
    8
    The original XCOM was a great game, but this expansion really expands it in many ways. The game is now more interesting and maybe easier then before (if you play smart). New units and techs are great, although EXALT missions are repetitive and boring after a while.
  11. sherbz
    Dec 3, 2013
    9
    This is a solid expansion and well worth the money. Firaxis have built on what was already an excellent game and made it even better. Its like they have combined 2 of my favorite games of the 1990's Syndicate and enemy unknown. My only criticism is that the game still plays out in a fairly linear fashion and strategic options in the worldview are fairly limited. There are also aThis is a solid expansion and well worth the money. Firaxis have built on what was already an excellent game and made it even better. Its like they have combined 2 of my favorite games of the 1990's Syndicate and enemy unknown. My only criticism is that the game still plays out in a fairly linear fashion and strategic options in the worldview are fairly limited. There are also a number of scripted missions and minor balancing issues. That said though, the real meat of the game, the tactical combat, plays out superbly and the new toys you get to play with make an already great game even better.… Expand
  12. Fritzworth
    Nov 23, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Even when I've uninstalled all my Steam games (something I do regularly), XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the one I re-install when I really need to play something. Still, in most cases I don't play through to the mothership finale I just see if I can get satellites over all countries w/no defections and research my way through both the Lab and the Foundry. At that point, the end of the game is a foregone conclusion, and I start a new one.

    XCOM: Enemy Within brings a whole new complexity and expansiveness to the game. I love the MEC and gene engineering options, and having multiple plot threads (aliens, EXALT, Progeny) makes the game feel a lot larger. Likewise, I love the new maps and the repurposing of some of the old ones; now, having an old map in the original orientation and use provokes more of a "OK, I know how to do this one" reaction rather than a "[Sigh] Not again" reaction. And, as others have noted, the Meld issue forces me to move a bit more aggressively and recklessly than I normally do.

    What I'd love to see in future DLC (besides more maps and maybe a few more scenarios) is some form of "Search and Respond" mission that you can initiate at any time in effect, to provide a setting to experiment in and to advance rookies. What you encounter could range anywhere from a stray cow (and maybe a Meld pillar) to an EXALT safe house to a standard alien encounter to an overwhelming flood of aliens (with you having to make a successful retreat while being pressed and attacked on all sides).

    I have a few complaints (spoilerish) the EXALT HQ raid seemed a bit easy, while the "Operation Progeny" scenario comes a bit late in the game to have the impact that I'd like it to have (in terms of adding talented personnel). On the other hand, the 'Enemy Within' event was a true "Oh, crap!" moment.

    Excellent DLC for an excellent game, well worth the price.    … Expand
  13. theirrelephants
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    Normally not a big fan of turn based shooters, but XCOM: Enemy Within may have just made a believer out of me.

    Superb combat, even if RNG makes you rage impotently sometimes (missing a 94% shot... FUG). The meta game involving base building is pretty in depth as well, and is a large part of the fun. I highly recommend everyone give this game a shot, regardless of whether or not you    Normally not a big fan of turn based shooters, but XCOM: Enemy Within may have just made a believer out of me.

    Superb combat, even if RNG makes you rage impotently sometimes (missing a 94% shot... FUG).

    The meta game involving base building is pretty in depth as well, and is a large part of the fun. I highly recommend everyone give this game a shot, regardless of whether or not you like turn based shooters.    … Expand
  14. James009
    Nov 24, 2013
    9
    A fantastic expansion which adds an enjoyable amount of new content including missions, maps, enemies, buildings, items, customization options, and adds new storyline. The additions of the new enemy faction are a welcome relief from the regular alien squashing. Genetic engineering and the MEC labs are also enjoyable new addition which will change your previous badass into a superhumanA fantastic expansion which adds an enjoyable amount of new content including missions, maps, enemies, buildings, items, customization options, and adds new storyline. The additions of the new enemy faction are a welcome relief from the regular alien squashing. Genetic engineering and the MEC labs are also enjoyable new addition which will change your previous badass into a superhuman killing machine. I hope they continue working on more content for XCOM because this just revived the game again.… Expand
  15. Stormwolf
    Nov 21, 2013
    8
    Great expansion for a already good game, I really enjoyed the way it changed the overal gameplay.

    My only complaints are: - It might be a bit too expensive for a expansion - The late game can be somewhat easy when you have heavily gene-modded troops along with maxed out MEC's. - Base attack isn't all that great when compared to the original. In the original you would be wise to    Great expansion for a already good game, I really enjoyed the way it changed the overal gameplay.

    My only complaints are:
    - It might be a bit too expensive for a expansion
    - The late game can be somewhat easy when you have heavily gene-modded troops along with maxed out MEC's.
    - Base attack isn't all that great when compared to the original. In the original you would be wise to design your base to have choke points where the enemy would enter (elevator and hangars).

    But other then that then that, a great game.    … Expand
  16. WLGMan
    Jan 12, 2014
    9
    This is a great game. It would have been 10 out of 10 IF Some of the bugs were fixed for multiplayer and they should have changed the story.
    But the new units are great everything is just great in the game (Except The Bugs).
    The New Enemies like EXALT Are so well done! And second of all The AI Was Rebalanced so they can use Grenades, Medkits etc. (I'm Talking About EXALT here). EXALT    This is a great game. It would have been 10 out of 10 IF Some of the bugs were fixed for multiplayer and they should have changed the story.
    But the new units are great everything is just great in the game (Except The Bugs).
    The New Enemies like EXALT Are so well done!
    And second of all The AI Was Rebalanced so they can use Grenades, Medkits etc. (I'm Talking About EXALT here).
    EXALT is like so meant to be there!
    The Aliens Oh boy The Seeker and the Mechtoids are Awesome.
    If you want to find out why EXALT is there why don't you take a while to think. Why Are they doing Anti-XCOM Projects? Why Are They Not killing the aliens?
    And when you lose like a Colonel in your squad you are like NOOOOO!!!
    Oh right! The new units! The MECs love MECs and Getting a gene modded unit in your squad? THATS AWESOME!!
    Well that's all I have to say for now!    … Expand
  17. NinerJonny
    Nov 13, 2013
    10
    A great game made even better! Firaxis has done a masterful job of fixing any little issues this game had and expanding upon what made this game great. There is no question that this add-on is worth every penny of the $29 I spent. By far the best 'expansion' to come along since Heart of the Swarm for StarCraft II. If you played XCOM in the past, this is definitely a must buy!
  18. LicoriceManiac
    Dec 5, 2013
    9
    You like XCOM Enemy Unknown.
    You are reading these reviews in hope of answering the question: Should I spend good money on the expansion?
    I know, I have been there... so let me help you decide. There are two kind of xcom players: those who play for hundreds of hours, on ironman, over and over again, and those who play the game once, because let's face it, life is short and there are    You like XCOM Enemy Unknown.
    You are reading these reviews in hope of answering the question: Should I spend good money on the expansion?
    I know, I have been there... so let me help you decide.
    There are two kind of xcom players: those who play for hundreds of hours, on ironman, over and over again, and those who play the game once, because let's face it, life is short and there are hundreds of games out there. The first category, they already have the expoansion, and they are having a blast... I know, I became one of them... Now the second category, your category. You know going through the game again is a 20-30 hour journey, so is it worth the money to play the same game again?
    What the expansion offers is more of everything: more baddies, more mission variety, more gadgets and more ways to power-up your soldiers. Is it different enough to justify a replay? Do you like watching new iterations/reboots of superhero movies? Same idea. Similar enough that you know what to expect, different enough that it gives fresh sensations and even a few wtf moments.
    Your money, your choice. If you are not a hardcore XCOM player, and have steam, and you have already waited this long, I would recommend to wait for a sale, but then definitely get it.    … Expand
  19. GarrettH
    Nov 21, 2013
    7
    There was some really good additions to the game, but I would say it's fundamentally flawed. Before the expansion, the end game was pretty easy and the hardest are the first few months. With all the new toys they give you, they had to crank up the difficulty and add new enemies. This makes the earlier months even tougher, and the end game even easier :(

    They didn't even scale or change    There was some really good additions to the game, but I would say it's fundamentally flawed. Before the expansion, the end game was pretty easy and the hardest are the first few months. With all the new toys they give you, they had to crank up the difficulty and add new enemies. This makes the earlier months even tougher, and the end game even easier :(

    They didn't even scale or change the end mission to account for all of the enemy within changes!    … Expand
  20. Violett
    Jan 18, 2014
    7
    Very good game, nice addition to original. But ... this game should be the part of Enemy Unknown, basically 80% of the game - is you played it already in original, same beginning, same ending. Of course genetic and cybernetic elements adds much fun to it, especially when you play Terminator mode, but I already completed this game year ago. If you didnt play original game you gonna like it.Very good game, nice addition to original. But ... this game should be the part of Enemy Unknown, basically 80% of the game - is you played it already in original, same beginning, same ending. Of course genetic and cybernetic elements adds much fun to it, especially when you play Terminator mode, but I already completed this game year ago. If you didnt play original game you gonna like it.
    p.s. I hate way of modern game developers - to develop a game than divide it into several parts and sell as dlcs. Please instead of one 20 usd game and 3 10 usd dlcs make 50 usd game with all dlcs included.    … Expand
  21. lMasterBetal
    Nov 16, 2013
    9
    To put it short, XCOM Enemy Within will fix many of the problems you had in Enemy Unknown. This includes Dr. Vahlen never shutting up, removing all items from soldiers (In order to find that one person who has that medkit to give them to someone else), bringing back the freshness of exploring new maps, combating new and dangerous foes, fighting against humans, customizing your characterTo put it short, XCOM Enemy Within will fix many of the problems you had in Enemy Unknown. This includes Dr. Vahlen never shutting up, removing all items from soldiers (In order to find that one person who has that medkit to give them to someone else), bringing back the freshness of exploring new maps, combating new and dangerous foes, fighting against humans, customizing your character even more, and a new branch of missions from the council.

    This game gets a 9/10 since some of the problems haven't been fixed by Firaxis but XCOM Enemy Within is a great expansion with a great TU to the original game.

    Buy it    … Expand
  22. orctown-troll
    Dec 13, 2013
    10
    Great set of enhancement for an already great game. More maps. More campaign elements, more inventory to manage. While the new additions of meld and medals may make the endgame easier on easy setting, they won't help you on classic or impossible ironman so much. The criticism that this makes the game too easy are invalidated by the fact that the game has hard settings, and ways to evenGreat set of enhancement for an already great game. More maps. More campaign elements, more inventory to manage. While the new additions of meld and medals may make the endgame easier on easy setting, they won't help you on classic or impossible ironman so much. The criticism that this makes the game too easy are invalidated by the fact that the game has hard settings, and ways to even make it harder from there. Arguments that the expansion is overpriced ignore the fact that this is targeted at people who already play the game and want more. In this context the price is reasonable. Indeed I'm surprised that fans of the game would not be happy to expand their play experience and support the developers at the same time, with a price that is good for everyone. If you like X-COM Enemy this is a no-brainer, get it today. If you are in here giving it a red score on the basis of price, you are a no-brainer, who probably needs to get a job.

    Orctowngrot.    … Expand
  23. JuggernautOfWar
    Nov 17, 2013
    10
    This feature packed expansion adds so much to the base game it's pretty unbelievable. Fixed all the existing bugs as well. Firaxis is a great company and I am so glad I picked this up.

    There are however still some multiplayer issues, but who plays XCOM for the MP?
  24. Borreh1973
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    We are seeing an evolution of XCOM EU for a new game. History repeats almost everything but new things are over it. Some errors will be fixed soon, I believe. Hours of fun guaranteed reaching all success of the original.
  25. Adingetorix
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    I was really looking forward to this and they didn't disappoint. Makes all the little things that annoyed me in the base game, go away for me. I hope there is more to come.
  26. Ogr
    Nov 13, 2013
    9
    This Addon makes XCOM even better, sadly there is no new campaign, but playing it again with all the new maps and improvements makes as much fun as playing it for the very first time. Good job.
  27. Renew81
    Nov 20, 2013
    8
    A decent amount of content comes with this dlc if you have never played xcom enemy
    unknown before then this might be the time to purchase the game.
    For console users there is a disc available that gives you the game plus all the dlc unfortunately if you already own Xcom EU there is no seperate disc or other way available to play Xcom EW you will have to purchase the complete set.    A decent amount of content comes with this dlc if you have never played xcom enemy
    unknown before then this might be the time to purchase the game.

    For console users there is a disc available that gives you the game plus all the dlc
    unfortunately if you already own Xcom EU there is no seperate disc or other way
    available to play Xcom EW you will have to purchase the complete set.

    For pc there is the digital download and if you already own the game there is no need
    to purchase it again however even on the pc i find the price for this dlc to be a bit high.
    I payed 30 Euro's 40 Dollars for this dlc and although it comes with a decent amount
    of content it still relies on Xcom EU for the most part adding new items a new class a good
    variation of maps and a new recource called meld wich lets you do some pretty awesome stuff.

    All of this gives Xcom a fresh look and its worth another playthrough tho i can imagine some
    of the veteran xcom players might be dissapointed by its price and by the fact that some of the
    the bugs are still present in the game and in my own playthrough it felt like the starting months
    of xcom enemy unknown wich also came with its bugs and quirks its a shame that these have
    not been fixed however it can still be patched in the future.

    All in all i had a great time with Xcom Enemy Within and i am still playing it as of this writing
    if you like xcom and you want more of it then purchase this dlc if you never played xcom but
    you want to then you will get the most value out of your purchase if you are on a budget
    you might want to hold off for a while until it go's on a discount.    … Expand
  28. doOborg
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    Bugs were patched quickly.... The new adds in the game give it a great new feeling and a good way to replay the game.... Despite of having the same base story, there is a "new" way of telling you the same story and to fit the new content. Great new adds of mechs and genetics adds look perfect and are well balanced.... Can be considered a DLC, but a great and VERY BIG content DLC.

    For    Bugs were patched quickly.... The new adds in the game give it a great new feeling and a good way to replay the game.... Despite of having the same base story, there is a "new" way of telling you the same story and to fit the new content. Great new adds of mechs and genetics adds look perfect and are well balanced.... Can be considered a DLC, but a great and VERY BIG content DLC.

    For me, it worths every cent.... PERFECT!!!!    … Expand
  29. Mudget
    Nov 20, 2013
    8
    Adds a ton of content to an already content-full game. Additions: Medals that can be awarded to your favorite soldiers (you even get limited buff customization options with each medal). Several layers of added game depth (a covert operation sub-plot, for one). Additional alien types. Gene splicing. Mechs. Gobs of new maps. On the plus side, this is what all DLC should be. Robust.Adds a ton of content to an already content-full game. Additions: Medals that can be awarded to your favorite soldiers (you even get limited buff customization options with each medal). Several layers of added game depth (a covert operation sub-plot, for one). Additional alien types. Gene splicing. Mechs. Gobs of new maps. On the plus side, this is what all DLC should be. Robust. On the downside, it's a little pricy for DLC we're almost in 'full game cost' territory for this one. That's where this title takes a hit on score from my perspective. If it was standalone or about ten bucks cheaper, I'd rate this a 10. But the bottom line is that the add-on really fleshes out the original game and integrates superbly into it, adding hours of new content and fun to a game that already provides many hours of fun and tons of content. 7.5/10… Expand
  30. AnotherGamerFRA
    Nov 12, 2013
    9
    But for the relatively high price for a DLC, Xcom Enemy Within is definitely a must-buy if you are a fan of Xcom Enemy Unknown or the genre in general
  31. Cailore
    Nov 13, 2013
    6
    Overpriced for what is essentially a double-sized DLC. Wait until it goes on deep discount.

    Do you think anyone from the design team reads these? I was excited about the medal feature when I was surprised by its inclusion, until I saw my 'soldier' dressed in a frumpy uniform saluting like she was a 4 year-old. For the love of Pete Firaxis, look at some military people when making    Overpriced for what is essentially a double-sized DLC. Wait until it goes on deep discount.

    Do you think anyone from the design team reads these?
    I was excited about the medal feature when I was surprised by its inclusion, until I saw my 'soldier' dressed in a frumpy uniform saluting like she was a 4 year-old. For the love of Pete Firaxis, look at some military people when making 'military' animations, not bad B-rated sci-movies.

    Also, I had hoped that the accuracy estimation would have gotten better, but I still seem to miss an 80% chance to about 66% of the time.    … Expand
  32. Awesumo
    Nov 16, 2013
    5
    It's a nice expansion, but there isn't really that much new content.
    Definitely not good value for money. I would recommend getting it when it inevitably gets it's 50+% discount in a month or so.
  33. kikmeister
    Nov 12, 2013
    9
    God bless Firaxis Games! They did a fantastic job with XCOM Enemy Unknown and then again with XCOM Enemy Within. These guys should be in the hall of fame for game designers. No kidding. The game is not perfect (bugs) but it's good enough to stand with the likes of Starcraft and other iconic games. It's really good. Enough said.
  34. itmo
    Nov 24, 2013
    4
    I can't see how this is classed as an expansion, it is just an add-on. It is the same story line from the base game except now you can have two different types of soldiers. Over priced for what you get, doesn't make the game any better in fact I feel it has made it to easy. The MEC units are just to powerful, the exalt side missions are ok but just add an annoying stream to the game.I can't see how this is classed as an expansion, it is just an add-on. It is the same story line from the base game except now you can have two different types of soldiers. Over priced for what you get, doesn't make the game any better in fact I feel it has made it to easy. The MEC units are just to powerful, the exalt side missions are ok but just add an annoying stream to the game. This is a poor add-on which is just a money making venture, not a whole new story that was hinted at in the lead up promos.… Expand
  35. QuantumX
    Dec 1, 2013
    10
    The new XCOM games is excellent, a true modern re-make of the original games... I cannot stress enough that i really liked this game.. The expansion just makes a good game, an excellent game! For me there are not games like this one...
  36. LD9000
    Jun 28, 2014
    10
    This game is the definition of the AAA title. Fun all the way through, great visuals, sound and nice plot twists. Saving the earth has never felt that good before :)
  37. JonoR
    Nov 18, 2013
    8
    Enemy Within adds a lot of good things to the game.

    *The new MEC class and augmenting soldiers gives you a wider range on upgrading your soldiers making them more unique in ability and performance instead of simply just equipping everyone with the same tech lvl armour or weapons. *There is a much greater variety of maps. You don't repeat the same maps as frequently any more,    Enemy Within adds a lot of good things to the game.

    *The new MEC class and augmenting soldiers gives you a wider range on upgrading your soldiers making them more unique in ability and performance instead of simply just equipping everyone with the same tech lvl armour or weapons.

    *There is a much greater variety of maps. You don't repeat the same maps as frequently any more, particularly noticeable for UFO shoot downs since you're not always in the same spooky forest anymore.

    *More customisation for soldiers is fun. In terms of gameplay it offers nothing, but its a fun little distraction to adjust how your soldiers look. The addition of languages is also nice. You could argue for more languages and maybe even English accents (Eng, US, Aust, etc), but again not important to gameplay, but cosmetic stuff.

    However, there are some things that prevent me giving it a ten.

    * Power creep: While the new classes and super-humans are great it does make the game a bit easier as you can get quite power troops quite early. This isn't immediately countered by the aliens as the introduction to new stronger enemies is more of less staggered the same as EU. Chryssalids are much less scary if you can one shot them with a MEC's kinetic strike.

    * Price: Of the two points I've taking off this I weight less than the power creep above, but it is still a factor. In my view it is overpriced for what you get, that at least 20% should be knocked off the price. Not great value for money, but if I was overly concerned about it I'd never buy any game until at least its 6 months old and the price starts to drop.

    On the bug side I've only had one and that was on the release day where I went to mission control and it zoomed me in too close and got stuck. Haven't had it happen since then though so I've had a very stable experience.

    Overall, the expansion does what it should. It expands the game in a overall enjoyable manner so that it makes it worth your time to return to it.    … Expand
  38. Baronz
    Nov 24, 2013
    5
    Is it good Yes, it adds new powers and mech to your combad squad, adds some new maps and missions.
    Is it worth 30$ No, its just a big DLC, and they ask too much for it.
  39. Cytokinesis
    Nov 14, 2013
    9
    I wrote a pretty mediocre review of Enemy Unknown and this fixes MOST of the problems there were in the original game. Again, people who love the original xcom and refuse change still aren't going to like it but anyone who even remotely liked EU are going to love this. The re-balancing of workshops/labs with all the new structures and economy is phenomenal: it's no longer a workshopI wrote a pretty mediocre review of Enemy Unknown and this fixes MOST of the problems there were in the original game. Again, people who love the original xcom and refuse change still aren't going to like it but anyone who even remotely liked EU are going to love this. The re-balancing of workshops/labs with all the new structures and economy is phenomenal: it's no longer a workshop spamming escapade. The depth in soldier customization is really good now and makes it even more personal which breathes new life into ironman mode. On top of that it adds a TON of new maps and scenarios and even randomizes some spawn points on old maps which makes it really fresh and exciting for experienced players. It puts that fear back into playing when you have no idea what's coming and will take a long time to memorize this many maps rather than 3-4 playthroughs like with EU. It is really fresh and anyone who even remotely enjoyed EU and doesn't get this is doing themselves a huge disservice.… Expand
  40. Jackdiesatthend
    Dec 9, 2013
    9
    As an expansion to the hit strategy game Xcom Enemy Unknown (or basically a goty edition for PS3 and 360) Enemy Within delivers. A new MEC Class which is essentially a big robot squad member, a new seeker alien which can cloak it's land strangle your squad members (very very irking, perfect for this type of game), new very much needed maps, and a new human enemy forcing you to fightAs an expansion to the hit strategy game Xcom Enemy Unknown (or basically a goty edition for PS3 and 360) Enemy Within delivers. A new MEC Class which is essentially a big robot squad member, a new seeker alien which can cloak it's land strangle your squad members (very very irking, perfect for this type of game), new very much needed maps, and a new human enemy forcing you to fight differently than the original alien threat. There's also a medal system and biotic upgrades for purchase through a new currency called meld. Meld is obtained through canisters found throughout the map that disappear after a number of turns, forcing you to weigh risk and reward and move quickly to obtain them. For the price tag of thirty dollars on PC, it's worth.

    NOW MOVING ONTO CONSOLES
    If you didn't play Enemy Unknown, but you want to, just mosey on over to Enemy Within and get that instead. It comes with EU, EW, and the Slingshot DLC. Now if you already have Enemy Unknown on your console, I do not recommend Enemy Within at the price tag of forty dollars. Why? Well mostly because it doesn't share a trophy/achievement set nor do saves from Enemy Unknown carry over. But if you're anything like me you're starting over a lot anyway because you suck donkey dongle but you won't take the game off Ironman because you ain't no punk biatch. But I digress, if you want to shell out forty dollars, and you don't care about your trophies and saves, this update really really enhances the game.

    The verdict is a buy/10. Edge: PC.    … Expand
  41. Seryin
    Nov 18, 2013
    5
    Enemy Within takes an already amazing game (Enemy Unknown), and adds a new class, some new maps and new enemies. That is pretty much it. Literally. Same campaign, story, characters and everything else as the original.
    "Back in my day," we called this a PLUG-IN. It is certainly not a DLC or expansion by any modern use of the words.
    I had fun playing Enemy Within, just as much fun as I    Enemy Within takes an already amazing game (Enemy Unknown), and adds a new class, some new maps and new enemies. That is pretty much it. Literally. Same campaign, story, characters and everything else as the original.
    "Back in my day," we called this a PLUG-IN. It is certainly not a DLC or expansion by any modern use of the words.

    I had fun playing Enemy Within, just as much fun as I did Enemy Unknown, and that is the problem.

    I believe this entire DLC is very misleading and anyone who beat Unknown already is going to be as confused as me when they find themselves just playing the same exact game as before.
    I liked Enemy Unknown enormously and gave it a 10/10, but that did not give them the right to think they could resell me the exact same experience at a whopping 30 bucks.

    "Oh you want a Mech in your XCOM game? We will add it as a new class, and then resell you the entire game with a new subtitle." 100% Genuine Real Authentic Firaxis Employee Quote

    Its a great game and fun experience, but If you played Unknown, you have already played Within.    … Expand
  42. FrAvatar
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    Great DLC. A proprer Expansion Pack as they used to be known. Other companies should pay attention on how it's done right. Quite worth the price if you enjoyed the first game at all.( I'm looking at you Sega and your cutting game features out and selling them separately. 3$ for a blood and gore graphics toggle, ridiculous)
  43. blade01
    Dec 7, 2013
    3
    Hi folks!This review contains some spoilers!Lets start with my what youll get with enemy within:

    -Medals(which you can award to ANY soldier) -MECs -GenMods(G-Mods) -2 new minicampiagns(3 if you have never played the slingshot DLC) -New maps -2 new enemys -some new researchoptions -1 mission were youll have to defend your base -A new resscourse called "meld" Lets start with    Hi folks!This review contains some spoilers!Lets start with my what youll get with enemy within:

    -Medals(which you can award to ANY soldier)
    -MECs
    -GenMods(G-Mods)
    -2 new minicampiagns(3 if you have never played the slingshot DLC)
    -New maps
    -2 new enemys
    -some new researchoptions
    -1 mission were youll have to defend your base
    -A new resscourse called "meld"

    Lets start with the MECs.In short youll sacrifice 1 soldier and his skills.Hell become something like "robocop" but is useless without his MEC.Youll have to produce a MEC.MECs got 3 tech-tiers.With every stage youll have to choose what you want to install on the MEC.That cant be changed later.Which is stupid because at first you dont know how good the equipment is.Ok forget about it, you dont need to know about it because MECs are fare too strong.They can move VERY FAR and the weapons do good damage.They cant use cover but who cares?They got an amazing stock of HP and you can "heal" them.Plus they can repair themselfes.Later they can shoot twice(if you choose this skill which i recommend), fire at the first enemy that fire at them and they got some grenades or a medkit.Thats too much.In my case my best MEC got a aimskill of 105 in the end.Hit nearly every time and can shoot twice.Too much.Poorly balanced.The last stage is realy expensive when it comes to meld, thats the only thing.What bothers me the most is that you dont get a new researchtree.Youll get the upgrades through the old researches like autopsies.Cheap!!

    Ok to the G-Mods.Compared to the MECs the G-Mods are not that strong.Some of them are nice but youll need the MELD for MECs.They are better, believe me.

    MELD on its own is cheply implementet too.Its.....just there.On some maps you can find it.Why?Its easy to get meld later with the ghost armor.I think thats an issue too.Balancing is not good.

    The medals are nice at first look.But later youll realize they that the bonus seems weak at first but in combination the bonus is realy high.Balancing issues here too.

    The new maps are nice.No complains here.But why are there not more maps in the main-game?The base-defense-mission is in my opinion the best mission in the entire game.It lacks nothing, you have to fight hard on this map.Great work but here too, thats not enough(same goes for the new mission in a little village with crysalits).

    The new campaigns are poorly implemented as well.The Slingshot DLC was not that good and here youll get 2 new campaigns:The EXALTs and the campaign with Annette and her group(3 missions in total).Both offer nearly no story.EXALT is there, thats all you know.You beat them(Why?Youll never know), a lame cutscene, thats it.Thats so cheap.

    And thats my final verdict for this "Addon":Too much stuff that is poorly implementet and/or bad balanced.Too much things where i dont know why was it not in the maingame?Makes the addon the maingame better?YES, if youve loved the maingame.The addon deals with no issues from enemy unknown.Some bugs are still there, games crashes a few times.Get it when its on a discount, not for the full price.Not enough value.    … Expand
  44. tailrecursion
    Nov 16, 2013
    9
    Makes the game even better must have for every Xcom fan :D
    The Expansion introduces 2 new aliens and a complete new fraction. There are new landing sites so the missions are not all the same anymore and of course you got 2 new traits besides the PSI-theme: you can modify your soldiers with genetic improvements and you can rip the limbs from them and put the soldier in a big ass mech    Makes the game even better must have for every Xcom fan :D
    The Expansion introduces 2 new aliens and a complete new fraction. There are new landing sites so the missions are not all the same anymore and of course you got 2 new traits besides the PSI-theme: you can modify your soldiers with genetic improvements and you can rip the limbs from them and put the soldier in a big ass mech suite that brings some PUNCH to the aliens great stuff :D    … Expand
  45. sungod
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    My experience with X-COM goes way back to around '97 when I first discovered X-COM Apocalypse, and since then I've been hooked. Enemy Unknown was an amazing reboot of a great game, and the team did a fantastic job make it engaging, entertaining and challenging. Enemy Within continues the trend of this newly-reborn franchise with a lot of new maps, a very challenging new opponent in ExaltMy experience with X-COM goes way back to around '97 when I first discovered X-COM Apocalypse, and since then I've been hooked. Enemy Unknown was an amazing reboot of a great game, and the team did a fantastic job make it engaging, entertaining and challenging. Enemy Within continues the trend of this newly-reborn franchise with a lot of new maps, a very challenging new opponent in Exalt (which wiped my entire team several times the first time around), new research, and apparently base invasions as well (I'm apparently playing too awesomely to be invaded right now lol).

    Overall a great experience and worth the minimal cost for an expansion. I've scanned some of the user reviews that complain about value for money, but it's an expansion and everybody else but them seems to understand that, so I'm not sure what some people are complaining about. I paid almost $65 for the disaster that is Rome 2, and I'm getting far more value for money from Enemy Within.

    In terms of stability I've had only one minor "hiccup", which was nothing more than a ~10 second lag that passed without incident, caused no problems and never occurred again, so my guess was it was background activity on my machine. The only legitimate bug I've seen so far has been with characters who wear the skeleton suit and use the grappling hook twice I've had them hook to a roof and end up elsewhere. Once I ended up in a basement, the other time I went through a solid wall and ended up in a different room. Not a huge deal, and I'm sure something that will get fixed it happens. But overall, Enemy Within has been basically solid as a rock and performs reliable on maxed-out settings on my rig.

    In a year where both SimCity and Rome 2 experienced disastrous releases due to awful design decisions are poor technical implementations, Enemy Within is a breath of fresh air that's keeping me glued to my desktop into the wee hours of the morning. Thank you Firaxis! Well done!    … Expand
  46. MetalS0ldier
    Nov 18, 2013
    9
    I really liked the new customization options.

    You can really take things to the next level with this DLC, and it actually adds even more replay value to it. It's a bit childish at times (what is going on with those salutes man.. seriously), which is strange given some of the really graphic animations that go on, and some of the insinuations made by the npcs. Anyhow, bottom line,    I really liked the new customization options.

    You can really take things to the next level with this DLC, and it actually adds even more replay value to it.

    It's a bit childish at times (what is going on with those salutes man.. seriously), which is strange given some of the really graphic animations that go on, and some of the insinuations made by the npcs.

    Anyhow, bottom line, the game is worth purchasing in general. And if you want to take it further, this DLC is kind of like icing, and a cherry on top of the whole cake.

    I'll score it a 9/10, due to the occasional bug.    … Expand
  47. SrPepe
    Nov 29, 2017
    9
    Esta expansión hace muchísimo más disfrutable el ya excelente XCOM Enemy Unknown. Las nuevas misiones y las nuevas especialidades son perfectas. Genial.
  48. meediocre
    Nov 20, 2013
    7
    Talk about upping the difficulty! The first Exalt mission wiped out more than half my crew then suddenly in the next mission I'm up against some kind of mech-robot-monster with a shield and plasma weapons when I've literally only just managed to get some laser rifles. I tried it on Classic difficulty and was summarily annihilated after three missions, then I tried normal mode on IronmanTalk about upping the difficulty! The first Exalt mission wiped out more than half my crew then suddenly in the next mission I'm up against some kind of mech-robot-monster with a shield and plasma weapons when I've literally only just managed to get some laser rifles. I tried it on Classic difficulty and was summarily annihilated after three missions, then I tried normal mode on Ironman and could not get get my head round how even with scopes my team was missing 70+ percent shots and they were taking out my squad with one or two hits with carapace armour. Maybe I've had a bad role of the dice, but I relatively easily completed Unknown, so I'm not a tactical idiot. Basically, it's a nice add-on and I will try again, but the steep and rather unfairly harshness of the various challenges have proven to be a bit frustrating this time round. I also could not seem to find time, to get enough satellites and planes in the air to stop panic levels around various countries. I was investing in power and uplinks but the aliens were coming in too fast.

    Guess some of you who've completed this expansion in a day will be chuckling to yourself. Rarely do I mark a game down for its punishing difficulty level, so if it were a bit more balanced/fair from the start then it would get an 8. I hear it gets easier at the end-game stage when you have all the upgrades and veteran soldiers, but alas, those pesky new enemies might prevent me from saving the earth this time!    … Expand
  49. Gnawer
    Nov 16, 2013
    10
    Excellent addon to an already great game. It is just a content pack to the same game, not second game of the series, however it adds more than some second games. I would pay this price for XCOM 2 without even thinking, and this content pack is definitely the next best thing.
  50. Procopper
    Nov 12, 2013
    5
    The XCOM franchise is excellent. Enemy Unknown is a very good game, and may have single-handedly brought back turn-based strategy games. Enemy Within is a respectable DLC addition, but will ultimately disappoint, as it does nothing to address significant annoyances from the first game.

    Firaxis has chosen to go with big-ticket, flashy upgrades, while leaving the core play mechanisms    The XCOM franchise is excellent. Enemy Unknown is a very good game, and may have single-handedly brought back turn-based strategy games. Enemy Within is a respectable DLC addition, but will ultimately disappoint, as it does nothing to address significant annoyances from the first game.

    Firaxis has chosen to go with big-ticket, flashy upgrades, while leaving the core play mechanisms alone. In fact, even the new gameplay mechanics boil down to reliance on tried and true XCOM formula.

    Remember bomb-disarmament missions? Well, they're back, except now when you click, your're collecting mind-goo, not disarming bombs. That's the crux of the DLC. Yes, it earns you cool, new stuff. The mind-effects and mech-suits look really good. Bad guys die really flashy, (though with a weird delay after you shoot them).

    But at the end of the day, you're disarming bombs. Except now its collecting mind-juice.    … Expand
  51. AD1980
    Nov 15, 2013
    3
    While I would like to give this game a very positive review, due to the number and frequency of game crashing bugs I cannot. I encourage anyone interested in the game to first check out forums for the game to get an idea of how often they occur. Personally, I haven't been able to complete a session of Enemy Within without the game freezing at one point or another. This is of course afterWhile I would like to give this game a very positive review, due to the number and frequency of game crashing bugs I cannot. I encourage anyone interested in the game to first check out forums for the game to get an idea of how often they occur. Personally, I haven't been able to complete a session of Enemy Within without the game freezing at one point or another. This is of course after verifying drivers, verifying game files and the such.

    It's almost amusing that the developers advertise modes like "Ironman" when their game isn't capable
    of delivering a crash free play through.    … Expand
  52. cawpikolo
    Nov 19, 2013
    8
    The expansion is great however it's not worth the price it's at. The expansion does a great job of implementing itself into the game by being a secondary storyline that slightly affects the main storyline by putting in Exalt which is an organization bent on mixing human and alien DNA. The design of Exalt is great and the creators leave subtleties as to their background such as theirThe expansion is great however it's not worth the price it's at. The expansion does a great job of implementing itself into the game by being a secondary storyline that slightly affects the main storyline by putting in Exalt which is an organization bent on mixing human and alien DNA. The design of Exalt is great and the creators leave subtleties as to their background such as their uniform and base of operations. Their clothing obviously shows these men just got off of work and are ready to serve Exalt at a moments notice and the fact their base is just a normal office building with fancy decor like your rich grandpa's house is a nice touch. Back to the game play the addition of meld is right off the bat it's on the first mission you play. With meld you can build Robotic troops and also genetically modify your troops to jump two stories or ensure they only get knocked out when hit with a fatal blow (without the loss of will if rescued) with the secondary heart modification. These troops make the earlier part of the game significantly easier as the new troops are admittedly overpowered; however they equal out as the game progresses. It is also highly satisfying to combo mec trooper skills together such as combining their proximity mine ability with the grenade launcher for high damage that kills most aliens. The addition of medals in this game is merely novelty as they only give a few low stats and they only give you 10 medals or less out of the entire game to award your troops with. The new maps are also a good add as they give urban ufo crash sites and a side mission that ensures you are given an entire squad (4) of people with psionic abilities. Onto the negatives this expansion is ultra glitchy which was surprising given the company that made the product. An example is the game freezing on the enemy turn as in you can still move the screen and click around the enemy just glitched and it won't end its turn or during a council event where enemies fall out of the sky. If they fall onto a proximity mine the game crashes. I also experienced crashes when an alien just coincidentally falls onto the same square a soldier is occupying. some visual ones too as my frame rate suddenly went down in the middle of the game causing some skips and my operatives' arms swinging around or bending behind their back randomly. overall yes it is a fairly good expansion but it is not worth the price it is at given the current state of the game.… Expand
  53. TUHD
    Nov 16, 2013
    2
    From what I managed to play, it isn't too bad but not an huge improvement either. Most problematic however is that the game WILL NOT START after you shut it down after the install and this is all across the board, from nVidia cards to ATI cards, from PC to Xbox. I give the game ONE week to solve this, but so far I'm giving it a two due to the repeating tricks, imbalance and mostly theFrom what I managed to play, it isn't too bad but not an huge improvement either. Most problematic however is that the game WILL NOT START after you shut it down after the install and this is all across the board, from nVidia cards to ATI cards, from PC to Xbox. I give the game ONE week to solve this, but so far I'm giving it a two due to the repeating tricks, imbalance and mostly the fact it's just broken as hell.… Expand
  54. tmasterr
    Nov 23, 2013
    10
    Great game. Great expansion. It let me replay the game I had already enjoyed again with new surprises, new maps, new units etc.

    Started at only $30 dollars, too! Not bad, considering I've already put 30 more hours into it. Sounds cheap to me!
  55. wolverine101
    Mar 4, 2014
    0
    Well a review has to be made for this game and things have to be said. First of all it "IS" a game on rails. Everything moves up with time and missions. As you get stronger the aliens get stronger and you never see the low level one again except the poisoner thin men. No more low level floaters, no more squishy aliens you encountered earlier just harder and more numerous ones like the zerkWell a review has to be made for this game and things have to be said. First of all it "IS" a game on rails. Everything moves up with time and missions. As you get stronger the aliens get stronger and you never see the low level one again except the poisoner thin men. No more low level floaters, no more squishy aliens you encountered earlier just harder and more numerous ones like the zerk mutons. You basically do the same things over n over, go clear this site, go bring back this guy go inspect this downed ufo that you just downed with new and improved weapons that you didn't have in the beginning. You knew they were coming and you knew you would finally down a big ship.. Wow big news huh? lol.

    They act like that guy that beat impossible did something famous. But, really cmon, in todays world with so much hacking save game files and modding programs. How hard would it have been to alter that final screen with the scores on it and alter a save game file to delete all memorial deaths? I wouldn't believe that chit without sitting beside him and seeing him complete it myself.

    But, once again this is just another rail game of fire and miss. No real tactics like the old X-Coms where you had aim and standard shot and auto shot and kneel for better aim. No early alien attacks on your ship as soon as you opened the door. No more grenade lobbing aliens who tossed grenades like candy. Oh sure there's grenade lobbing aliens in this game but they sure as hell don't use them like the older X-COms, You had to be a real tactician and strategist to play the old X-Coms. An 8 year old can play and win this new one. Just like all games these days getting easier and easier for 8 year olds instead of making them for adults who have the money to buy them.

    If the game wasn't so much on rails and you had harder stuff to fight before you got the good stuff it might be more fun. But as it is it's just another wannabe rail game of connect point a to point b in this manner and this manner of time. Follow that path and you can't lose. Just a waste of time make believing you are some sort of tactical genius when an 8 year old can be one too. lol

    If you don't wait for bargain bin price of $4.99 to maybe $7.00 you are just wasting your money and showing what the kid you are that you have to have some new pop gun toy to go pew pew pew with. lol    … Expand
  56. rodericrinehart
    Jul 22, 2014
    10
    I would put this game in the pantheon of strategy games, without question. SCORE: 97/100.

    I loved this game from start to finish and everything about the tactical gameplay is amazing and engaging. There are a great variety of classes (with upgrade paths, ranks, and different equipment) and enemies, diverse maps, good base technology and items, and just a complete package that is fun and    I would put this game in the pantheon of strategy games, without question. SCORE: 97/100.

    I loved this game from start to finish and everything about the tactical gameplay is amazing and engaging. There are a great variety of classes (with upgrade paths, ranks, and different equipment) and enemies, diverse maps, good base technology and items, and just a complete package that is fun and replayable.

    This is a game that you will play again, and you will be glad you did.    … Expand
  57. MadclownJack
    Feb 28, 2014
    8
    Enemy Within just feels like the director's cut of Enemy Unknown. More of the same, with some gaps filled here and there. Still, 40 usd is a bit steep for an obvious expansion pack, even if it is standalone. Might be in your best interest to get it on sale.
  58. Derythor
    Jul 2, 2014
    7
    The expansion is pretty decent. I love using the MEC's and augmenting my soldiers. I do regret that they didn't add an additional story arch to the game, however. While the addition of a rival organization was a nice touch, it was pretty well the only portion of the story that was added. What it boils down to is if you have beaten Enemy Unknown, you've beaten Enemy Within.
  59. shotcaller1
    Jan 20, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really wanted to give this game a 7.5 but it wouldn't let me. The real reasons for this are quite obvious, if you have played the game. First and foremost, the AI (alien invaders) always get in range long before the X-COM defenders can even take a clear shot. Which means, basically, you're a sitting duck for at least a turn before you can engage in combat. This feature is also exacerbated by the fact that the aliens can shoot through, around, over or beyond anything I've ever seen. They also get to move as soon as the X-COM team comes into contact with them, no sneaking up on the enemy and eliminating them like the Navy Seals do. That's something that the X-COM soldiers also cannot do, even wearing GHOST armor, The aliens almost never miss, at long range, which is frustrating, because if you go after them aggressively, they will get shots on your guys without them being able to respond or at a huge shot penalty disadvantage. This continues until, and even when the X-COM forces have advanced through the ranks to Major or Colonel. Even at that stage the aliens have longer range and better targeting than the X-COM forces. There is an awful lot of X-COM forces missing 94% shots at close range, leaving men exposed to one last hit by the alien enemies. One example was where I had played to the end of an alien ship landing and barely escaped disaster from an attacking Monstrous Sectopod and 3 heavy floaters, only to be suddenly ambushed by a muton, 2 muton elite, a muton berserker and a psi-commander before I had the opportunity to reload or use medkits for a couple of hits I took. Needless to say, I thought I had everything under control but 3 of my best guys missed 85% to 94% shots consecutively and one of my best guys got killed. How does that happen and why? These are supposed to be Elite X-COM super soldiers that have been genetically modified. What's up with that?
    Anyway, I happen to like turn based games but this one seems to be a little chaotic when it comes to being player friendly, so to speak. I don't think anyone likes getting killed just before they get across the finish line. One last desperate shot killed my X-COM Colonel. Dammit!!!!!!
    The game is good and entertaining but paying for genetic modifications (great idea) and MEC's (which I don't like) along with a couple of new aliens and a few extra missions , doesn't really seem like it's that much better for the money. Don't misunderstand me, I like what they did, aside from the MEC thing, which I think could have been turned into a different game altogether, but it could have been much better at the same price. I also think that basically having just one team of X-COM soldiers is a little short sighted and perhaps future DLC can adjust the narrow focus of this game.
    I also think that having a few more levels with a few more perks for the soldiers would have been good for the game, (like not missing shots above 80% perhaps) and adding a few more psi powers and maybe being able to choose rank upgrades from the start and more than just 2 per rank, would be a somewhat major improvement.. More customized abilities for each character/soldier and maybe a little higher attribute scores every once in a while. It's a huge waste of time and resources to buy and train soldiers to get attribute scores like 34 will and 55 aim. That is just not going to cut it in X-COM. And perhaps, a way of obtaining a bit more funding in the early game so it doesn't stagger the progression so much until there isn't anything left to research or build.
    Nevertheless, the alien attack on X-COM headquarters was a purely brilliant idea and a handful of creative ideas like that would have made this addition a blockbuster. I also think that the Exalt faction is a huge step in the right direction but could have been better and perhaps a little better explanation of what the icons were there for and why. But, alas it wasn't to be.
    Hope there is another DLC to this game from 2K soon.    … Expand
  60. C_Arnoud
    Apr 18, 2014
    9
    Very good all around, adding a lot of improvements to what already was a quality product. Also adds some more randomness to the campaign, which was needed.
  61. alllifeinfate
    Mar 3, 2014
    8
    A standalone follow-up DLC for the surprise hit XCOM - Enemy Unknown that builds on the already solid foundation laid down by that remake and adds new mechanics and enemies to spice it up. While the new addition certainly gives more variety during the gameplay experience but it is not recommended for repeat players if you do not want to spend too much money on it. Perfect entry point forA standalone follow-up DLC for the surprise hit XCOM - Enemy Unknown that builds on the already solid foundation laid down by that remake and adds new mechanics and enemies to spice it up. While the new addition certainly gives more variety during the gameplay experience but it is not recommended for repeat players if you do not want to spend too much money on it. Perfect entry point for newcomers as it eases them in and put you right into the action. Not as far as a new full experience but merely as a glorified expansion pack, it is still a solid jumping point for the original game and a good point for the franchise to go from.… Expand
  62. rajdeepslather
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    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.

    But i dont like that they dont support mods very well and force you to play the game their way    … Expand
  63. MeteorBear
    Jan 10, 2014
    9
    Great expansion, if not for the bugs on the PS3 edition I would give it a 10. The game does feel a little unbalanced at times now too, but nothing critical.
  64. hosein_rasouli
    Jan 18, 2014
    9
    it was so great game i think xcom:ew is best Extension pack its make that game perfect and that is a reason to play this game again and again. but some thing was wrong .Exalt missions. its was good to play more missions but that was better be another aline race inversion. exalt missions was funny look like that : (hey aliens attack us let kill humans ) . ew was great Extension packit was so great game i think xcom:ew is best Extension pack its make that game perfect and that is a reason to play this game again and again. but some thing was wrong .Exalt missions. its was good to play more missions but that was better be another aline race inversion. exalt missions was funny look like that : (hey aliens attack us let kill humans ) . ew was great Extension pack not a game and i give that score for best Extension pack of year not for game… Expand
  65. tiaga
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. THIS IS EPIC!!! Did I get your attention? Good.

    Now then, the first thing I liked about this DLC was the fact at some point or another you actually get to defend inside your own base. It's just like the old X-com from the 90's. The whole "LOOK MA I'M A ROBOT" with cool, chunky looking mechs that could have come from a anime is a great touch!!! I also love the genetic changes that even further customize the look and play of your characters.

    My biggest love for this game is the well balanced difficulty and limited resources that really make you think before you buy gear and sell stuff on the grey market. If your really good at the game, it doesn't really matter what difficulty you play. Must of the time I just obliterate something the same turn I see it. (Classic). Overall, I would strongly recommend this game for those that love turn based and strategy.    … Expand
  66. Battlemankiller
    Jan 10, 2014
    10
    If nothing else, Enemy Within gave me a reason to replay XCOM, and boy was it worth it. There is just so much more to do and enjoy. If you like Enemy Unknown, you will love Enemy Within!
  67. ave
    May 22, 2018
    8
    To be fair, the novelties introduced in Enemy Within contributed to make the game fresh, exciting, deeper but also more complex and less accessible.

    It took me some time to explore some possibiliies offered by the Meld (genetics and cybernetics) on top of regular or psi soldiers ; and I ended up betting on mobility (especially jumps) to get cover or flank enemies, and additionnal    To be fair, the novelties introduced in Enemy Within contributed to make the game fresh, exciting, deeper but also more complex and less accessible.

    It took me some time to explore some possibiliies offered by the Meld (genetics and cybernetics) on top of regular or psi soldiers ; and I ended up betting on mobility (especially jumps) to get cover or flank enemies, and additionnal defense ; since you are rarely pressed by time (except maybe defuse bomb missions).

    Since I player XCOM Enemy Unknown, Enemy Withing and XCOM 2 in a row ; I finally prefered the way XCOM 2 was designed, even on the controversial parts.    … Expand
  68. JimCorbett
    Nov 20, 2014
    7
    A decent expansion for XCOM. It adds a good amount of content, but i can't say it's worth $30. You get new maps, missions, allies and enemies. It's all good fun but it really doesn't feel like it reinvents the game. Still worth it for any XCOM fan.
  69. Miskin
    May 29, 2014
    10
    It's an interesting expansion, I give it an 8 for mundane colors (some colors wouldn't hurt) and unbalanced difficulty (too hard in the beginning too easy in the end).

    I loved the mission at the fishing village by the way...

    ** EDIT ** Updated my score from 8 to 10. 430h on steam and still playing it, it has endless replayability. I only wish we had more content...
  70. Kenmei
    Jan 18, 2014
    8
    This was a good expansion that really built on what the original did, with a few drawbacks that kept it from being great. First of all, this game won't try to claim it's another game in the series. This is an expansion and it's meant to be viewed that way. It adds alot of new things to the table. New units, new enemies, new maps, new challenges, etc. It gives you everything a goodThis was a good expansion that really built on what the original did, with a few drawbacks that kept it from being great. First of all, this game won't try to claim it's another game in the series. This is an expansion and it's meant to be viewed that way. It adds alot of new things to the table. New units, new enemies, new maps, new challenges, etc. It gives you everything a good expansion should. However, with all the new units and how powerful they are out of the box, it can make the game a bit too easy. The challenge of the original game is dumbed down a bit for these new units and an increased time on R&D is not enough of a drawback here. The biggest thing however is that the story doesn't change. While you are given a new faction to play against (the Exalt), you're still doing the same old missions, in the same old places, with the same old objectives, barring a few missions here and there. But this is an xpac for a reason and it doesn't try to be a full game, even if it's priced a bit too high right now for an xpac. This content is easily worth 20 bucks and it'll give you a reason to go back through the Xcom story. But the end results are the same here as in the first game so don't expect a brand new story. Expect a solid expansion that adds onto what was already there.… Expand
  71. GoneTomrrow
    Dec 22, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I actually really liked the base game, Enemy Unknown, despite its flaws. And this is coming from someone who played the original series at launch. Yet I have to admit that all the negative comments about how little content the $30 Enemy Within expansion adds are true I'm afraid. Admittedly this expansion does have some genuinely fun new features, such as the MECs and new maps, but the game still ends at the Temple Ship. Still no Mars, No Cydonia. No continuation of the story line. I'm sure Mars is coming in a future expansion, but not until the publishers can nickel and dime their customers relentlessly. Enemy Within represents such a tactic; $30 for not much at all. Imagine how much the Mars expansion will be? And the "Enemy Within" part is nothing more than a single XCOM base invasion by the aliens. Indeed it's a fun map, but base invasions were common in UFO Defense; it was one of the risks that occured regularly. It was a fun part of the game, always having to worry about the aliens finding your base. The Exalt forces part felt very halfhearted; not much depth to that part of the game at all. And I really dislike the sleeveless armor look that gene-modded soldiers get. Your forced to use it, and eventually I just stopped gene modding to avoid it. And to address some reviews griping about the difficulty, I didn't find it any more difficult than the original, especially with the MECs. I beat Classic much faster using them. To conclude, I felt like I was just playing through the original EU again when I played with this expansion. The new features, which are fun in and of themselves (save for the EXALT part), don't stand out at all considering the $30 price tag. And if you're like me and you lament features from the old game, they will come eventually, but at a cost. After you've invested $100+ in future expansions, you might have something resembling the original UFO Defense.… Expand
  72. Wazzles
    Feb 5, 2015
    9
    A surprisingly deep expansion to an incredible game that gave me a reason to go back and play it again. That alone is reason enough to buy Enemy Within.
  73. ted88pd
    Feb 19, 2014
    8
    Enemy Within è un dlc corposo che offre numerosi e svariati contenuti aggiuntivi, ma che non va ad espandere l'esperienza di gioco in se, questo perché la campagna principale sostanzialmente rimane sempre la stessa di Enemy Unknown, viene infarcita solo con qualche missione in più. Certo i soldati geneticamente modificati e i mec sono belli da vedere e divertenti da usare in gioco, maEnemy Within è un dlc corposo che offre numerosi e svariati contenuti aggiuntivi, ma che non va ad espandere l'esperienza di gioco in se, questo perché la campagna principale sostanzialmente rimane sempre la stessa di Enemy Unknown, viene infarcita solo con qualche missione in più. Certo i soldati geneticamente modificati e i mec sono belli da vedere e divertenti da usare in gioco, ma questi ultimi risultano troppo potenti abbassando il livello di sfida generale, e dopo un po' il tutto comincia a diventare monotono. Apprezzabile il tentativo di bilanciamento aggiungendo nuovi nemici, aumentandone il numero e rendendone alcuni più resistenti, ma alla fine la maggior parte delle situazioni viene risolta con una facilità davvero disarmante. Poco da aggiungere sul comparto sonoro rimasto immutato da Enemy Unknown, l'unica introduzione riguarda il parlato nella lingua d'origine dei soldati. Sulla grafica invece è stato fatto solo un veloce lavoro di miglioramento su alcuni modelli e texture. Purtroppo rimangono immutati anche i bug, di cui un paio davvero gravi e fastidiosi. La telecamera continua a dare grossi problemi rendendo i comandi imprecisi, questo vuol dire che a volte i soldati faranno spostamenti o azioni in punti totalemte diversi da quelli indicati, con consguenze molto spesso catastrofiche. Un altro bug molto fastidioso da segnalare, introdotto con Enemy Within, riguarda il fatto che posizionando i soldati in alcuni punti della mappa, questi non riescono a vedere nemici a poca distanza da loro senza che vi sia nulla di mezzo ad ostacolarne la visione di tiro. Concludendo XCOM Enemy Within e un dlc che consiglierei di prendere solo a chi non ha mai provato nemmeno il gioco base, mentre chi ha gia giocato ad Enemy Unknown dovrebbe pensarci due volte, e considerare di spendere quasi 30€ solo se si è veri appassionati della serie.… Expand
  74. iseeall
    Dec 14, 2015
    8
    This expansion has all of the problems of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and doesn't get the game closer to the original XCOM UFO Defense. So, if you didn't like Enemy Unknown, you won't like this expansion as well.

    Yet it does offer new stuff (like medals, genetic mods for your soldiers) and minor fixes/improvements throughout. If you haven't played Enemy Unknown, you can safely skip it and start    This expansion has all of the problems of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and doesn't get the game closer to the original XCOM UFO Defense. So, if you didn't like Enemy Unknown, you won't like this expansion as well.

    Yet it does offer new stuff (like medals, genetic mods for your soldiers) and minor fixes/improvements throughout. If you haven't played Enemy Unknown, you can safely skip it and start with this expansion as it has the same campaign, and more. Apparently they listened to feedback and fixed issues which were easy to fix. Like, you will now see how many hitpoints an alien will lose after your shot. Or, there is a button to take off all gear from soldiers in the barracks so that you could easier equip the squad you are sending on a mission.

    The multiplayer is fun (your team of soldiers fights vs another team, you can even play as aliens), yet I disliked that there is too much randomness - and this can't be changed because randomness is the core of this game. When you shoot at the opponent's mob with 75% accuracy and miss, and then they shoot with 80% accuracy and miss, it reminds a circus and not a strategy game... Though such events happen not very often.

    This expansion isn't worth to buy for almost a full price of a game. However, I got both Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within in a bundle on sale. If you get it as a bundle, it's a fair deal.    … Expand
  75. Klun
    Dec 17, 2013
    8
    Really good game if you can play with the expansion pack, new content with tons of new stuff that improves a really amazing game to new levels .

    Tons of bugs fixed, improved performance and polished graphics/ fx its well worth the money especially in this blockbuster era of 8 hours longs campaigns and 2 map 4 costumes DLC. ^^
  76. Spgsamuel
    Dec 17, 2013
    6
    hmm. I enjoyed the game again.

    with new stuff that should have been in the original release. the game progression is more or less the same with all the new content, so that means it takes about 3 hours to finish. it does add some nice new strategic moments for you to relish. its still to short. its pretty. has some nice elements, With little replay value, it is still a dissapointing    hmm. I enjoyed the game again.

    with new stuff that should have been in the original release. the game progression is more or less the same with all the new content, so that means it takes about 3 hours to finish. it does add some nice new strategic moments for you to relish.

    its still to short. its pretty. has some nice elements, With little replay value, it is still a dissapointing title due to its campaign length.

    dont get me wrong you will enjoy it, its really fun, interesting and imersive. but its aimed at making money, releasing a game and then adding content and charging people to have it added is like doing the smallest amount of work possible to make money.

    This is a bad business model and may be profitable in the short term but damages the integrity of any games releases which were built with great pride and attention to detail in the future. when will companies see that making a quick buck and fobbing people off, will acctually damage their chance at making record breaking releases of significant status that can easily out gross a quick fix, fly by night ideas sometimes up to x20 times.

    Well my point is if you do it, even it it works and people love it, youve still done it and now you think its a good business strategy.    … Expand
  77. Tibster
    Jun 18, 2014
    10
    Its a good 8 imo, but to many ppl giving it 0, cus they have no clue or dont understad the game or how computers work. So i gave it a 10 to compansate a little!
  78. happy-argentine
    Dec 28, 2013
    6
    EDIT: I dropped a point down to 6, because even almost 2 moths there has been very little patching to the game, and some bugs still completely break the experience.

    -*-*-*- 1) Bugs Bugs Bugs, some game-breaking, some just annoying. Overall feel like the game lacks polish and/or time. The original already had some bugs, but the expansion added new ones to the mix (I'm looking at you    EDIT: I dropped a point down to 6, because even almost 2 moths there has been very little patching to the game, and some bugs still completely break the experience.

    -*-*-*-

    1) Bugs Bugs Bugs, some game-breaking, some just annoying. Overall feel like the game lacks polish and/or time. The original already had some bugs, but the expansion added new ones to the mix (I'm looking at you double mission freeze crash).

    2) As others have said, game is not exactly good value for the amount of new content. I personally found it lacking in many areas, especially enemy variety (EXALT doesn't really count, they are just humans), more aliens would have been nice.

    I think it's worth a buy if you want an excuse to return to XCOM, some new features are nice.

    My suggestion: wait until it goes on sale, in the meantime you can download some excellent mods off the Nexus (long war is brutal but very well done) for free!    … Expand
  79. gracjanski
    Apr 29, 2016
    10
    You should play XCOM Enemy Unknown with this addon. The campaign will be much better: The graphics look better and not soooo old, like in Enemy Unknown, the new missions are looking much nicer than the old one. In addition they improved the variety of the missions, because they offer you new tasks. The addon gives you more possibilities in the gameplay, so it is a bit more complex.You should play XCOM Enemy Unknown with this addon. The campaign will be much better: The graphics look better and not soooo old, like in Enemy Unknown, the new missions are looking much nicer than the old one. In addition they improved the variety of the missions, because they offer you new tasks. The addon gives you more possibilities in the gameplay, so it is a bit more complex.
    Unfortunately the game is very easy, even in the normal level, especially the last level could be a bit more difficult.

    So in the end they changed a lot of weaknesses, but one weakness stays: Because you dont know many informations, you need to look in the internet or load a lot, or both.    … Expand
  80. WillG027
    Apr 11, 2015
    9
    Get XCOM and This expansion Enemy Within. Whilst I don't particularly like the direction that EW took (would prefer normal non-modified humans vs aliens), the game is taken to another level by installing the superb 'The Long War' mod.
    XCOM + 'The Long War' = the game I keep coming back to over the years.
  81. NLS
    Jan 21, 2014
    9
    I score this as "whatever XCOM latest incarnation". This is a 9. Indeed if I take into account that this is an expensive DLC though, indeed it doesn't deserve a 9.
    XCOM:EW is a fine strategy game with some plot.
    Its mechanics work.
    If you like this type of games, go buy it.
  82. Loodwig
    Dec 8, 2013
    9
    Something is lost within the gaming community that faults a title for its price given the content within. When I first played Enemy Unknown, I happily paid the full price for what I felt was a true spiritual successor to the original. Actually, I'll go one step further: it was an improvement on one of my favorite games of the 90s. They released a handful of updates that were a few bucksSomething is lost within the gaming community that faults a title for its price given the content within. When I first played Enemy Unknown, I happily paid the full price for what I felt was a true spiritual successor to the original. Actually, I'll go one step further: it was an improvement on one of my favorite games of the 90s. They released a handful of updates that were a few bucks for some new armor, or a little more for a minor chain of missions (Slingshot), but all and all I found myself struggling to beat Classic on Ironman, while having a fun time just killing anything with a pulse using base weapons on the easy level.

    So this expansion came out, it cost a pretty penny ($30), but it wasn't unreasonable. When StarCraft: Broodwars came out, it cost $20, Bill Clinton was president, and the price of gasoline was 1/3rd what it is today. In terms of content, yeah this game doesn't have quite as much as some other expansions, but I wouldn't go so far as to call this light or lacking in any respect. There's considerable new content, and moreover, it's a chance for Firaxis to justify the labor costs of their developers for a while longer.

    It's a fun game, and this expansion is only an improvement. This isn't the nickle-and-dime strategy seen by EA or even Blizzard, and while it has its bugs (frustrating at times), the most egregious ones that I know about have been fixed by now, and the core gameplay hasn't been ruined as a result. You're good game is an even better game.    … Expand
  83. Sghignifiss
    Jun 19, 2014
    8
    The game is good, graphics are wonderful, action is fast paced even if it plays in turns, weapons are many and various, the story is intriguing and long lasting... It IS a good game, and that upsets me, somehow. Call me extremist, but I really didn't think to appreciate a new, action oriented x-com clone. When I see the name X-Com, I cannot avoid to remember the original one and all itsThe game is good, graphics are wonderful, action is fast paced even if it plays in turns, weapons are many and various, the story is intriguing and long lasting... It IS a good game, and that upsets me, somehow. Call me extremist, but I really didn't think to appreciate a new, action oriented x-com clone. When I see the name X-Com, I cannot avoid to remember the original one and all its beloved features, features that aren't entirely here. This game recalls the original one, but nothing more. It is a modern, console oriented, arcade mode of the original X-Com: Enemy Unknown and its early successors.

    It is fun, it is good, it is maybe too easy but still engaging.

    If it had a different name I would give it a 10.    … Expand
  84. GregdSmith
    Dec 30, 2013
    5
    Enemy Within is a great add on to the series adding new challenges, depth and longevity to the game.

    The Exalt missions are definite added challenge and some of the new aliens also mean a big change of tactics to experienced players, although alien encounters still have a by the numbers feel to them, it is a minor set back. The management section has a number of new options including    Enemy Within is a great add on to the series adding new challenges, depth and longevity to the game.

    The Exalt missions are definite added challenge and some of the new aliens also mean a big change of tactics to experienced players, although alien encounters still have a by the numbers feel to them, it is a minor set back.

    The management section has a number of new options including mechanical and genetic augmentation, for further research upgrades to your soldiers, the choices with these alone are
    a lot of fun as is finding what to research to trigger the upgrades.

    Now here is the big but, Currently on Steam this game has so many stability issues as to make it near unplayable, you can not save enough times, especially during the missions to actually counter the number of crashes.

    As an add on it deserves a high score for bringing more to an already great game. But I can only give it a
    5 while feeling generous doing so. If this is fixed in the new year you may have picked up a bargain in the Steam sale, if not you are left with wistful thoughts of what could have been.    … Expand
  85. IceBlood
    Dec 31, 2013
    5
    Overpriced and very limited expansion pack for already streamlined XCOM game. There isn't actually much to mention about. Few new maps, couple of new enemies and few useless weapons. The tech tree is still very short and soldiers are lacking the attributes that takes out all the fun for training your soldiers.
  86. poisonedyouth
    Jan 7, 2014
    10
    While it doesn't reinvent the wheel here, it adds some interesting new variety to an already superb tactical strategy game. If you enjoyed Enemy Unknown, do yourself a favor and expand the experience further!
  87. axxiusdecius
    Mar 12, 2014
    9
    first thing first, i think Xcom EW is by far the best turn based squad tactical game so far. The weapons are well done (they feel different in effects), so it does matter very much how you compose your squad. The alien enemies are quite varied and require very different approach; the battlefields are also very various (and random). The improvements you research for your guns or armourfirst thing first, i think Xcom EW is by far the best turn based squad tactical game so far. The weapons are well done (they feel different in effects), so it does matter very much how you compose your squad. The alien enemies are quite varied and require very different approach; the battlefields are also very various (and random). The improvements you research for your guns or armour really make a difference, the genetic upgrades not so much, but they still are an interesting addition. Th new stuff compared tot the original Enemy Unknown really does have a big impact on the gameplay.
    What i love most about the game? The feeling of really getting sucked in, getting involved, especially during the fight. And the non-combat part, about building a base, raising an air fleet, doing research. And also the "Mass Effect" setting, with harsh men improving themselves technically, genetically and mentally against tough odds and fighting back.
    What i don't like about it? First off, the thing i'm sure many other reviewers already said: the most elite squad of the Earth has...the worst shooters ever. The missing is way too common, too extreme and very, very frustrating: and i think this could have been easily avoided while keeping the same general odds by simply making the missing shots fewer and the alien enemies tougher (with more life/armour). Second, while the story is acceptable and pushes the game forward, many times i found the voice-over just annoying (especially dr. Vahlen has a screechy annoying voice), and cannot be skipped. so if i try a battle a few times for different approaches, i must listen over and over again lengthy, non-useful comments.
    Because of these 2 annoyances that could have been quite easily avoided, i'll rate it 9/10 instead of a full 10, but overall a great game in the 2k tradition (i'm a big Civ fan).    … Expand
  88. peterf28
    Mar 12, 2015
    8
    Very good made game, graphics, story, gameplay, everything . It just becomes a little bit repetitive in the second half of the game . It is always the same - you go forward, spot a group of 3 enemies which then hide and you kill them . You need to be cautious not to spot another group of 3 enemies until you did not kill the first one . Like the enemies are not moving at all before you spotVery good made game, graphics, story, gameplay, everything . It just becomes a little bit repetitive in the second half of the game . It is always the same - you go forward, spot a group of 3 enemies which then hide and you kill them . You need to be cautious not to spot another group of 3 enemies until you did not kill the first one . Like the enemies are not moving at all before you spot them, they are just standing there. In previous XCOM it was not the case . This is the only flaw i found - the repetitive AI .… Expand
  89. paranoid77
    Jan 20, 2016
    9
    This game is very good in its genre . Graphics are good. Tactics and creating strategy is good too. Creating soldiers and the improvements in your base is good too. The idea in total is well. The AI is acting well too.
    BUT, after 40-50 hours of gameplay, you feel that something is missing and you fall apart from the game, things are getting repetitive and it starts to get boring.
    Need    This game is very good in its genre . Graphics are good. Tactics and creating strategy is good too. Creating soldiers and the improvements in your base is good too. The idea in total is well. The AI is acting well too.
    BUT, after 40-50 hours of gameplay, you feel that something is missing and you fall apart from the game, things are getting repetitive and it starts to get boring.
    Need improvements in the gameplay, if done it will be more addictive and can play for several hours.
    If there was more successful games of this style in the market, i would rate this game 7 but; because its some kinda unique in its genre, it worth 9 from 8,5.
    If you like these kind of games buy it.You wont be sorry. And hope for improvements.    … Expand
  90. augh18
    Apr 14, 2014
    1
    This game is like water torture. It's the sort of thing you might subject yourself to once in life because you're trying to prove how tough you are, but after about 5 minutes you realize all you're doing is subjecting yourself to a pointless torture that provides no benefit for undergoing. In fact, it probably makes you a worse human being to be around, because now you have a real ******This game is like water torture. It's the sort of thing you might subject yourself to once in life because you're trying to prove how tough you are, but after about 5 minutes you realize all you're doing is subjecting yourself to a pointless torture that provides no benefit for undergoing. In fact, it probably makes you a worse human being to be around, because now you have a real ****** experience in your memory banks to have flashbacks to every now and then.

    Could've been a great game, and honestly I don't have a problem with challenging games, I generally enjoy them (I got "Golden God" on the 360 version of Super Meat Boy, and I beat "Terror from the Deep" back in the day), it's that the way this game works means it needs to be *PERFECT* in design or else you're basically playing a broken, unfinished game. Want to send your soldier in to flank an enemy for a guaranteed OHKO shot, so it can't OHKO one of your high-ranking members on the Alien turn? Cool! Charge up in there, get behind him, aaaand.... where's that flank bonus? ****! Now that soldier you just sent in for a guaranteed kill is actually dead next turn, and it's all because of a bug! Hope you aren't playing on Iron Man!

    Want to toss a smoke grenade to provide units with some cover so they don't get slaughtered next turn? Cool! Throw that smoke grenade, aaaaand.... it fell through the level! Cool! Now you just blew that squad member's turn and at least one of the guys you meant to cover with smoke is gonna die! Hope you weren't playing on Iron Man!

    All they really needed to do to fix 99% of the problems (since most are movement and LoS related) is make movement work like the original X-COMs, where you moved step-by-step and each movement took action points (let's say you have 100 action points, one step would cost 10). So if you set up a flank and it fails? Then take one step to the side and BAM now the flank works, cuz it was just a bug in that *one* square on the map (which is really all it comes down to). But instead they decided to give you two action points in this game, one movement in any "blue" range is 1 AP and going beyond that is 2. I guess they did it to make the game less overwhelming, but three cheers to Firaxis, because this simple change has made their game an unplayable mess, even though *EVERYTHING ELSE* has the potential to be good, it just isn't worth it.

    Now that the "Complete Collection" is out, they're obviously done supporting this game and are moving on. I know my review is late, but if you're a latecomer and are considering this game, stay away. Honestly, having this game in my Steam library now is like having a leaky tap in the house I can't fix.

    Aside from that, "Enemy Within" is a case of an unnecessary expansion, just like the Triad Character DLC was totally unnecessary for the base game. None of the new content is exciting, the best feature is the new maps, everything else just seems to bloat the game. They didn't have to rebuild a new engine, pretty much all the "new" assets are re-colored assets from the first game (that thing game developer's did during the late 80s/early 90s because they were limited on space, now some try and get away with it because they're lazy), yet for $40 you're basically getting what would've been $10 DLC in 2006 (and had people crapping bricks over).

    If you *REALLY* need to play this broken mess for some reason, get EU and ignore this overpriced, unnecessary addon. As far as I can tell, they priced it as high as they did so they could release a couple more patches to fix their broken game, without actually fixing it.    … Expand
  91. Baroness
    Apr 17, 2014
    3
    I have never played a game with such a high meta score and so,so many bugs. Huge ones, too.Including bugs that halt the game progression, random black screens, failing to load messages, and non responsive actions. I spent more time reloading previous saves than actually playing, because the game wouldn't let me progress. Was the testing team asleep the whole time this game was being made?!I have never played a game with such a high meta score and so,so many bugs. Huge ones, too.Including bugs that halt the game progression, random black screens, failing to load messages, and non responsive actions. I spent more time reloading previous saves than actually playing, because the game wouldn't let me progress. Was the testing team asleep the whole time this game was being made?!
    Too bad, because it has a brilliant gameplay mechanics and a lot of cool stuff.    … Expand
  92. Hack
    Dec 3, 2017
    7
    I'm generally not a fan of the genre but my friend insisted I try XCOM: EW so i did and I was pleasantly surprised, I ended up putting 40 hours into and finishing it on normal difficulty and I'm definitely interested in jumping into XCOM 2 now.

    I enjoyed the mix of combat and base building, this is the first game I've played that melds these genres together and they do it really well.    I'm generally not a fan of the genre but my friend insisted I try XCOM: EW so i did and I was pleasantly surprised, I ended up putting 40 hours into and finishing it on normal difficulty and I'm definitely interested in jumping into XCOM 2 now.

    I enjoyed the mix of combat and base building, this is the first game I've played that melds these genres together and they do it really well.

    Other than a few of technical issues like the cut-scenes being hard locked to 30fps, your character customisation being reset randomly and the Berserker causing frame rate drops whenever he moves I can't fault the game too much. It runs, plays, sounds and looks really good.

    Overall an enjoyable experience that I can recommend to even those who aren't a big fan of the genre like myself.    … Expand
  93. DanteV
    May 23, 2014
    10
    Brilliant mechanics, awesome gameplay, cool new features like MEC-trooper and augmented soldier, new enemy like Exalt forces definitely make this a great expansion.
  94. Star428
    Jun 2, 2014
    4
    This game is trash on PS3 (may be better on other platforms) I'm sorry to say. I mean it is the most fun game I've ever played in my 43 years of life but only when it's working properly. Most of the time the game works ok but when playing a supply barge mission or a terror mission the game crashes like 70-80% of the time. I have to restart system to continue playing. It's gets veryThis game is trash on PS3 (may be better on other platforms) I'm sorry to say. I mean it is the most fun game I've ever played in my 43 years of life but only when it's working properly. Most of the time the game works ok but when playing a supply barge mission or a terror mission the game crashes like 70-80% of the time. I have to restart system to continue playing. It's gets very frustrating after doing so many times.

    However, as frustrating as that is it's not nearly as bad as the base defense mission messing up. Base defense mission goes black every single time at beginning of mission after Bradford finishes his speech. It's impossible to continue. It ruins an entire game. It was working well before last patch but now it messes up every single friggin' time. Exalt missions go black at beginning sometimes also.

    Also, MP mode is 100% broken. I haven't been able to even connect for an online game in 3 or 4 months. I've finally given up on trying. Even when I could connect, there were certain bugs that made game unplayable. Like floaters being able to go to max elevation and remain invisible for the entire game even when they attack. I sent a tweet to both 2k forums and Ananda Gupta (lead designer) regarding these issues and they both ignored me. So... Firaxis and 2k have lost this customer for life. I will also never buy another game with either Gupta's or Jake Solomon's (EU mp mode was never properly supported either) name on it ever again.

    Since this game is very fun up until base defense mission comes up and ruins game I give it a 4 rating. There's no way I can possibly give it higher than that because base defense mission halts the game and it can't be continued. Maybe XBOX and PC players have better luck but I'm not the only PS3 player that has serious issues with the game. Just check out 2k forums to see the multitude of players that have exact same problems with game. Be careful, though... The moderators there are a joke and give out infractions and bans like they think they're on a power trip or something. LOL.    … Expand
  95. steddye
    Aug 10, 2015
    5
    This game is a copy paste of it's predecessor, yes they put some new feature but honestly IT'S the same game. I hope not begin to do as EA with fifa, that every year they get out the exact same game with some minor changes. To make a game as it should be a software company need al least four years, so, to finance themselves they foisted a heated soup.
  96. mrlordloganman
    Jun 16, 2014
    10
    This added on soo many great additions to an already great game and I added on over 50+ hours to a game I had already played for 60+ hours. This content was perfectly integrated into the already almost perfect game. 10/10
  97. PeteOddly
    Jun 29, 2014
    3
    While this game is fantastically fun, well balanced, and easy to learn (though difficult to master), it is also not worth your money. Unfortunately, this game is plagued by several game-breaking bugs which tend not to make themselves apparent until you have invested at least a dozen hours into it. One bug in particular happens during a mandatory mission, wherein the game goes to a blackWhile this game is fantastically fun, well balanced, and easy to learn (though difficult to master), it is also not worth your money. Unfortunately, this game is plagued by several game-breaking bugs which tend not to make themselves apparent until you have invested at least a dozen hours into it. One bug in particular happens during a mandatory mission, wherein the game goes to a black screen during the mission's beginning, and stays there. The only known workaround is to not install the latest patch. 2K has been made aware of the issue (months ago, in fact, and by dozens of users), but no further information has been forthcoming.

    With this in mind, and though I do love what little of the game I HAVE been able to play, I sincerely cannot recommend it. Do not waste your money.    … Expand
  98. RingK
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    Overpriced but good DLC full of content... new soldiers types add twists to the solid base game, which i love.
    Now the price dropped and you can find it for 5-10 euros online, totally worth it.
  99. smilzoboboz
    Nov 10, 2014
    7
    The game is still XCOM: Enemy unknown (this one is a DLC) and so it can't be bad, but I have to say this expansion doesn't add much depth to game mechanics, it just adds stuff.

    The additions make the game a little bit harder at start (because of additional attacks and sabotages) but quite too much easy toward the end of the game, mainly because of genetics. The whole "fusion" idea is    The game is still XCOM: Enemy unknown (this one is a DLC) and so it can't be bad, but I have to say this expansion doesn't add much depth to game mechanics, it just adds stuff.

    The additions make the game a little bit harder at start (because of additional attacks and sabotages) but quite too much easy toward the end of the game, mainly because of genetics.
    The whole "fusion" idea is interesting though.

    To make things short I mean exactly this: if you happen to find this at discounted prices like €5 or less, buy it, you will enjoy it, otherwise wait, because you will regret it.    … Expand
  100. dj_cole
    Feb 19, 2015
    9
    Xcom Enemy Within is an updated version of Enemy Unknown. Enemy Within greatly improves on the somewhat simpler version of Xcom that was Enemy Unknown.

    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    Xcom Enemy Within is an updated version of Enemy Unknown. Enemy Within greatly improves on the somewhat simpler version of Xcom that was Enemy Unknown.

    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.

    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. In Enemy Within a new addition is Meld which can be used to upgrade soldiers genetically or cybernetically. This adds a lot more variety to the class structures, allowing you to turn your favorite soldiers into cybernetic MEC's or upgrade them genetically to improve their abilities and durability. Personally, I found MEC's not terribly useful and fairly resource intensive in terms of Meld, which is a very limited resource, but the genetic alterations had great affects and were well worth the cost.

    The Enemy Within expansion also adds a good variety of missions if you count the smaller addons with it. There are new covert operations to locate and eliminate a secret organization known as Exalt that is out to hamper your efforts. There is also another series of missions focused on a Chinese criminal orgainization. Overall, they are nice addition of scripted, story missions.

    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.

    Enemy Within is a much improved version of Enemy Unknown. It adds additional complexity, options, missions types and squad improvements to the game. Ultimately, the game is still on the simple side, but the added content really pushes the game into the replayable multiple times enjoyment level. I would recommend for strategy fans who may have been turned off by Enemy Unknown's simplicity.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best PC Game of 2013
61
#61 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
59
#59 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    90
    Augmented XCOM is better, although it does not fix some basic flaws. Great the first time you play it. [Dec 2013]
  2. GameCritics
    Jan 16, 2014
    65
    Xcom: Enemy Within is a decent expansion to a slightly flawed original.
    Read full review
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 30, 2013
    80
    It doesn't fix larger flaws, but it's still a solid expansion. [Jan 2014, p.80]
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