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. Goby
    Mar 8, 2016
    9
    Enemy Unknown was a brilliant game and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. That one I played all the way on classic and without ironman, so for EW I figured I was ready for ironman. Well, frankly, it takes about 3 playthroughs to be "ready" per se. Wanna know why that is? Because EW surprises you with random **** that is guaranteed to be fatal for your campaign.

    Let me explain how my    Enemy Unknown was a brilliant game and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. That one I played all the way on classic and without ironman, so for EW I figured I was ready for ironman. Well, frankly, it takes about 3 playthroughs to be "ready" per se. Wanna know why that is? Because EW surprises you with random **** that is guaranteed to be fatal for your campaign.

    Let me explain how my classic ironman campaign suffered a sudden death. It all started with a terror mission in the police station map (the one consisting of a large open two story building with a pillared facade, a one-story side room and an alley to the right). Now I've had difficulties with this map before, seeing elite mutons, chryssalids, floaters and all kinds of crazy coming out of that building, but this round was rather special. There was nothing but chryssalids. Just 18 civilians and an estimate of 16 chryssalids. I would never in my wildest dreams have imagined such a scenario, so consider me shocked when I saw three chryssalids storming out of the side room and taking about 5 steps from the door, ready to land insane crits on 3 of my guys next turn. One already got pierced at the door the moment I ended my first turn (which also makes me wonder: this was the first time an enemy that was not triggered on my turn was able to attack me - the chryssalid who killed that unit was triggered by vision provided by the three chryssalids who barged out of the side room at the end of my first turn and enabling sight into the room that contained two more).

    As if the events in front of the side room were not bad enough, I had three-four more chryssalids jump down the walls and running out of the front side of the building.

    I barely managed to kill all 6 or 7 chryssalids that appeared on my screen there - only thanks to the heavy firepower from two of my colonel heavies.

    Guess what happens next turn. That's right, about 6 more chryssalids deicide to ignore the civvies in the building and just dash outside and in front of my units. Couple of turns after that I lose one corporal and another colonels who had been with me since the beginning. I'm forced to dash to the evac and abandon another colonel, Zhang, who ended up being surrounded by 3 zombies because I needed his rockets to blow away the hordes of chryssalids coming at me every single turn.

    Fun mission, but I deicided to get over it and push on. Next mission I get one of those advent evac missions. As usual, I'm very careful with my positioning, but with missions like these they matter jack **** Not only am I told these exalt troops are genetically enhanced (which is "great" news after just losing two colonels), their snipers can move and shoot at the same turn, despite otherwise playing on the same field as the xcom troops. But that's not the issue, the issue is the sheer number of those bastards coming at you. Not only does the game drop about 10 of them at the same time, they are also dropped in BEHIND YOU. That leaves you with two options: you somehow blast those flankers or you risk getting wrecked by multiple overwatches trying to find better cover (in my case going to the only other cover revealed three more exalts camping out at an alley...). Basically exalt had every single position covered and death ensued.

    But what I loved ABOVE ALL about that evac mission was the intel given to me by Central. BRADFORD YOU BASTARD. I **** you not: twice did he have the occasion to tell me "That should be the last of their reinforcements." BRADFORD U ALREADY SAID THAT AND I JUST FINISHED DEALING WITH THOSE PREVIOUS REINFORCEMENTS!!!

    The result of that mission was total wipeout and 7 xcom operatives dead - couldn't even evac because the evac zone was on the opposite end of the area I was supposed to defend. And the evac area was also out in the open.

    It didn't get any better from there - the game is so good at mercilessly punishing you for failing.

    After that failed evac mission I am approaching the end of the month. As I'm researching the advanced interceptors I am once again surprised with three consecutive large or very large UFOs, which I all have to ignore because frankly there isn't much you can do with those figher jets, even with items. Month ends, I lose two funding nations.

    Ironically the month started with 666 currency with a monthly 666 income. In total I now have over 800 currency. Two days later I get sabotaged by exalt, who take FRICKING HALF OF MY MONEY. I'm now left with just 400, which is not going to get me through the next month considering the number of recent setbacks.

    I'm not even going to mention all the bugs I never saw in EU.

    I suggest you don't try this in ironman the first or second playthrough. In my case it's the surprises that ruin the game entirely. It's only very late into the game that you can get some intel on what you're going up against, and even that is only in ufo crash missions. Otherwise you're going in fingers crossed    … Expand
  2. BioAlchemist
    Nov 24, 2014
    9
    Honestly i don't think i would have enjoyed enemy unknown nearly as much without the expansion, mind you I bought it when it cost much less so that does change things. is it worth 30? no. not a big enough expansion. is it worth 10? yes.

    MEC's are awesome. The extra missions/maps are fun. Definitely worth the buy at a lower cost.
  3. condythug
    Nov 17, 2015
    7
    good successor to the legendary xcom series and it looks like the series will be in good hands going forward since 2k is pretty good with strategy games (except for the beyond earth trash).

    game graphics and music are top class, with the chilling music really sucking u into the game and making u jump when a sneaky alien jumps out from a corner. gameplay is solid with some thought    good successor to the legendary xcom series and it looks like the series will be in good hands going forward since 2k is pretty good with strategy games (except for the beyond earth trash).

    game graphics and music are top class, with the chilling music really sucking u into the game and making u jump when a sneaky alien jumps out from a corner. gameplay is solid with some thought required if u don't want your squad to be killed and turned into zombies; however it is still a little on the easy side as alien movements are predictable and they appear to be unable to shoot straight even when u are standing in front of them. AI clearly needs more work. the story itself is good with unpredictable twists along the way to make gameplay fresh.

    a nice recommended game if u are keen on sci-fi strategy games or an old fan of the xcom series.    … Expand
  4. malv83
    Mar 7, 2015
    2
    A stupidly brutal game. There is nothing quite as unrewarding as watching a guy you've somehow managed to groom across a few rounds die to a coin toss. Is this supposed to be a tactical game, because it seems like the random number generator is more in control of the outcome of the match than I am. I reinstalled it today to give it another go. Couldn't get past the first map. Squad seemedA stupidly brutal game. There is nothing quite as unrewarding as watching a guy you've somehow managed to groom across a few rounds die to a coin toss. Is this supposed to be a tactical game, because it seems like the random number generator is more in control of the outcome of the match than I am. I reinstalled it today to give it another go. Couldn't get past the first map. Squad seemed to miss every single shot it attempted, even when the odds were seemingly in its favor.

    Frankly, this is a truly horrible game. I don't understand why the reviews are as high as they are. Maybe my computer has a RNG bug or something. This game fundamental mechanics of losing units to baffling randomness is just not very appealing.    … Expand
  5. tsakiym
    May 21, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  6. szaboar
    Jun 26, 2015
    8
    Xcom is one of my all-time favourites, so obviously I wanted more. Still, I felt a bit ... maybe not cheated but disappointed. EW brings in some shiny new units (some of which really adds to the experience!!), twists the story a bit, brings in new maps, a new resource, etc. But, all things considered, the game did not change much, my impression was that I replay the same game (which IXcom is one of my all-time favourites, so obviously I wanted more. Still, I felt a bit ... maybe not cheated but disappointed. EW brings in some shiny new units (some of which really adds to the experience!!), twists the story a bit, brings in new maps, a new resource, etc. But, all things considered, the game did not change much, my impression was that I replay the same game (which I never do... for those who don't mind replaying, my problems might be non-existing). On the other hand, the new units make beating the AI much easier, in the 2nd half of the game you should not face any challenge at all (I played normal or hard, I don't remember which).
    Should I have not played Xcom before Xcom EW, I would easily give 9, maybe even 10. This was not the case, however, so my judgment is 8.    … Expand
  7. Pendra
    Jun 26, 2015
    10
    It worths every penny!

    I'm a massive fan of the old X-COM games. I played them through billions of times. When I first saw the new XCOM game, I was less than thrilled. No AP, no thanks. Then I tried it for some reason. At first I didn't like it all that much. It was weird and restrictive, but by the time I completed it, it grew on me. It is not the old XCOM for sure but the updates    It worths every penny!

    I'm a massive fan of the old X-COM games. I played them through billions of times. When I first saw the new XCOM game, I was less than thrilled. No AP, no thanks.
    Then I tried it for some reason. At first I didn't like it all that much. It was weird and restrictive, but by the time I completed it, it grew on me.

    It is not the old XCOM for sure but the updates and improvements are working really well. The new XCOM is extremely fun and addictive on its own. This reboot was risky, but Firaxis pulled it through perfectly, Big Thumbs up.    … Expand
  8. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    10
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  9. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    8
    Amazing game, so many great and different elements coming together.mit gets a bit boring thougn once you become really good at it.
  10. Acronymous
    Aug 14, 2018
    10
    Basically this was my first turn-based game since the original Fallout and i love it. Spent so much time playing it that i can call it hands-down one of my favourites. Instant classic, no doubt about it!
  11. enachev
    Mar 10, 2016
    9
    add Long War mod and you have an almost better game than the original X-Com. totally worth the 5$ tag on steam. expect a campaign to last around 200-250 hours, challenging. the only downside is that the missions are quite many per month (15-20 tac battles / month).
  12. xRabia
    Apr 18, 2020
    8
    Metacritic forces me to write a seventy-five character review so that I can have my notes listed without searching game by game.
  13. dlcwolf
    Jun 14, 2019
    8
    I played both XCOM Enemy Unknown and XCOM Enemy Within. The games are 80% the same, same plot, same events, same actors, same stories, with the only difference in Enemy Within there are a bit more of new events, the human enemy Exalt, and few new enemies. There is no reason to play both since i see the second more complete and vast. If you want to play, just play the second. For the game,I played both XCOM Enemy Unknown and XCOM Enemy Within. The games are 80% the same, same plot, same events, same actors, same stories, with the only difference in Enemy Within there are a bit more of new events, the human enemy Exalt, and few new enemies. There is no reason to play both since i see the second more complete and vast. If you want to play, just play the second. For the game, i appreciated really, even if it is not at the high level of the original X-COM. But is well done and made modern. I had anyway the feeling that the authors tried to make more commercial and accepted by a wider range of gamers, exemplifying the gaming. For example, I found less researches es to do, and also the combats are made easier with less commands. So i say 7 for the first, and 8 for the second.… Expand
  14. primalsmash
    Feb 22, 2020
    7
    This game is overrated. Every mission is same essentially. You have to inch your way forward, Otherwise you run into enemy and lose soldier, which is very bad. Most of the time, you meet no one But than one time, if your soldier is even little bit in front and you don't have everyone on overwatch and covering each other you instantly lose. Just because i order one guy to reload. Hits areThis game is overrated. Every mission is same essentially. You have to inch your way forward, Otherwise you run into enemy and lose soldier, which is very bad. Most of the time, you meet no one But than one time, if your soldier is even little bit in front and you don't have everyone on overwatch and covering each other you instantly lose. Just because i order one guy to reload. Hits are complete rng, even if you have 85% chance you miss sometimes and whole mission is over, so you have to replay 30 minute mission again. Also there are bugs and qol issues in the game...

    Also it is one of these games, which are unplayable without wiki, a lot of things is missing specific description and it is unclear. You have to find tech trees and how stuff works, Othewise you will play inefficiently. It is not that hard, but you have to know how things are, so game is unplayable without wiki, which is not fun to google every 5 second something ! These things should be in game specified, so you can easily learn them on the go. Cmon devs it is not that hard... There is in game wiki, but that is just basic info...

    These things are so obvious from player viewpoint. But devs don't play their own games. So they have no idea about frustrations player face, or other problem in the game. Also it is strategy game, yet a lot of things are rng and some decisions are completely random, because you don't have information: like how hard mission will be, because you want to exp more soldiers, if some die, or become injured. You have no idea what you will face...    … Expand
  15. SilverOrlov
    Sep 26, 2019
    9
    When I started playing this game for the first time, I didn’t really like it. But after some time I tried to play it again and this time I really liked it. Work and arrangement of the base, upgrading and supply of the team, global choices, and most importantly, turn-based tactics on the battlefield itself. All this is on par with, albeit banal, but very interestingly made story. This gameWhen I started playing this game for the first time, I didn’t really like it. But after some time I tried to play it again and this time I really liked it. Work and arrangement of the base, upgrading and supply of the team, global choices, and most importantly, turn-based tactics on the battlefield itself. All this is on par with, albeit banal, but very interestingly made story. This game deserves its ratings and reviews.… Expand
  16. dopp
    Jul 26, 2020
    10
    Amazing tactical game, with great replayability value, great graphics and immersive story, a lot of pseudo sci-fi technical stuff and researches, which i LOVE!! very fun! There are some caveats here and there, UX is not well thought, a little bit disbalanced soldier types out and few bugs here and there, but i forgive it, as it's the first game in franchise.
  17. Tilt1k
    Jan 15, 2020
    7
    Really interesting game on release date which takes strategical izometric games on different level. The story and writing is very weak and if fails in making any relationship with your soldiers, they are all generic and pretty much the same.
  18. RogueV
    Dec 5, 2019
    8
    A decent expansion for one of the greatest strategy games of all time. Doesn't completely revolutionize the experience like XCOM 2's War of the Chosen, but anyone who plays XCOM 1 would benefit from owning this.
  19. Nerevarinho
    Jul 4, 2020
    9
    Would reload savegame again.
    ..............................................
  20. Genek13
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    Very good DLC which add some new mechanics and options to the game.
    Shame that campaign don't change much comparing to the original.
  21. Denis94
    May 15, 2020
    8
    El padrino de los juegos de estrategia táctica, un juego casi perfecto que combina la gestión de el planeta tierra frente a la invasión alienígena y al mismo tiempo el combate por turnos, un juego fácil de aprender pero difícil de manejar, quizás donde más escasea es en el modo historia que es flojo pero lo "arreglan" sin duda con la expansión "Enemy Within", para bien o para mal acabarásEl padrino de los juegos de estrategia táctica, un juego casi perfecto que combina la gestión de el planeta tierra frente a la invasión alienígena y al mismo tiempo el combate por turnos, un juego fácil de aprender pero difícil de manejar, quizás donde más escasea es en el modo historia que es flojo pero lo "arreglan" sin duda con la expansión "Enemy Within", para bien o para mal acabarás odiando a esos dichosos Alienígenas!… Expand
  22. Histori4n
    Feb 22, 2020
    7
    The early game of this game in much difficulties, could result as a headache thats result of the unbalanced enemies and the only early strategy, meanwhile you advance on the game, is everytime more balanced and with good path is even easy on impossible.

    But, the game contains a lot of bugs and errors that wasn´t fixed, and can ruin potencially a challenge like the i/i, much like    The early game of this game in much difficulties, could result as a headache thats result of the unbalanced enemies and the only early strategy, meanwhile you advance on the game, is everytime more balanced and with good path is even easy on impossible.

    But, the game contains a lot of bugs and errors that wasn´t fixed, and can ruin potencially a challenge like the i/i, much like invisibles shots, teletransportation of the enemie, or the horrible aiming system deployed on the game.

    The good thing, is an amazing story about supervivence, and action with custom cutscenes that make the game more interesting, also the varity of enemies such as ablitys to our heroes.    … Expand
  23. g014n
    Aug 8, 2021
    8
    To this date, still the best XCOM. Have reinstalled it (don't have Chimera Sq) and it is still relevant today despite XCOM2 being released.

    Now to be fair, I got the most out of this game because of the Longwar mod, but that was back in the day. Vanilla play will be good enough for most people even today. It loses points because it has obvious problems, little bugs, QoL is not as    To this date, still the best XCOM. Have reinstalled it (don't have Chimera Sq) and it is still relevant today despite XCOM2 being released.

    Now to be fair, I got the most out of this game because of the Longwar mod, but that was back in the day. Vanilla play will be good enough for most people even today.

    It loses points because it has obvious problems, little bugs, QoL is not as good as it could be, etc. There are a lot of small problems that will get in the way and upset you a bit, but no showstopper or anything like that.    … Expand
  24. dimvla
    Jan 31, 2021
    10
    xcom enemy within long war is probably the king in the turn based strategy games. unparalleled stategic and tactical options, a ton of mods and a magnificent soundtrack. highly recommended for the genre fans
  25. starssun
    May 28, 2021
    9
    Epic game, thank you ................ Don't know why so many bad reviews ...
  26. Asp_klg40
    Sep 12, 2021
    8
    Супер игра, проходится моментально, каждая миссия сложна и захватывает, шансы не подкручены и играется очень приятно, сюжет интересен, а дополнение только улучшает игру.
  27. tontonac
    May 16, 2022
    9
    Small additions to a great game, but I wouldn't have paid separately for this one though.
  28. fishgameing
    Aug 14, 2023
    8
    this is not the most gargantuan colossal sized expansion ever but it's still a good expansion and i would say the game is not the same without it

    here's what to expect from it (mostly spoiler free): - a new resource that can be picked up during abduction and ufo raid missions - two new mutually exclusive side-classes based on the resource (one focusing on small improvements to regular    this is not the most gargantuan colossal sized expansion ever but it's still a good expansion and i would say the game is not the same without it

    here's what to expect from it (mostly spoiler free):
    - a new resource that can be picked up during abduction and ufo raid missions
    - two new mutually exclusive side-classes based on the resource (one focusing on small improvements to regular soldiers, and the other focusing on turning your soldiers into cumbersome but powerful behemoths)
    - an additional enemy faction whose operations revolve around sapping your own operations and gaining some of this oh so sweet resource (you can launch infiltrations to slow them down and get intel on their base's location)
    - two new alien units (one focused on ambushing soldiers and another focused on head-to-head combat)
    - a new side campaign called Operation Progeny that works similarly to the Slingshot DLC
    - a new key mission that appears a little under a month after clearing the alien base
    - extra tanky sectopods

    ... and a plethora of bugfixes, balance tweaks and improvements to make the game the best version of itself that it could possibly be    … 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 »