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. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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!
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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?
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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...
  29. 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 :)
  30. 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
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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]
See all critic reviews »