The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

After everything I've written, it should be quite clear to XCOM fans that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is an entirely different kettle of fish despite sharing a few superficial elements. If the developers hadn't tried to connect the two, I suspect that more people might be pleasantly surprised by what it offers—a fantastically detailed 60's setting, an interesting approach to squad-based shooting, and a genuinely surprising sci-fi story that's told with panache.

Starts slow then builds into a time sink, and each victory feels like a monumental win. Tacticians and action fans finally have something in common to obsess over. [October 2013, p80]

A strategical third person shooter that fits perfectly within the bigger XCOM universe. It's a shame then that the regularly stuttering framerate and the mediocre graphics put somewhat of a damper on this otherwise impressive party.

The Bureau has occasional problems with pacing, it could do with a little more polish and it doesn’t revolutionise shooters but it does adroitly step sideways into a totally unfamiliar genre and it expands the greater fiction while doing so. Another successful XCOM mission.

The Bureau is a though game to get into, not because of the difficulty but because of the unreliable Battle Focus, which you use to issue commands to your two companions. Another problem are the seemingly unending waves of enemies bearing down on you. [September p.50]

The Bureau tries to be many things, and succeeds only moderately at most of them. Even so, I’m happy this long-in-gestation project has finally seen the light of day.

While XCOM is a giant in the turn-based strategy genre, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified has trouble keeping up with most modern third-person shooters. It's not one of the best shooters out there, but it is one of the most tactical and challenging ones. Gamers looking for action, strategy and real consequences would do well to check out this flawed, yet very rewarding game.

It’s a game that toggles between moments of tension and strategic gratification with others of mediocre execution, but at the end of the day, it manages to be fun.

The Bureau is a bit of a step back for the XCOM franchise. The game lacks the identity of its Firaxis cousin and feel way too much like an uninspired derivative of other games. A fractured development history clearly left its mark.

Although not as good as expected, The Bureau is a different kind of game with personality and some memorable moments.

Undoubtedly a game that has been through development hell, but nonetheless a surprisingly entertaining - if flawed - Mass Effect style shooter.

When the combat works it’s excellent, and the pinstripes-and-fedoras setting always appeals – as does Carter’s wonderfully overblown, “My God… the humanity” personality. Sadly, however, once you’re past the first few hours you’ve seen the best of what’s on offer. The tactical squad combat is hugely enjoyable and rewarding at times, but let down by inconsistency and repetition. Turn-based marvel Enemy Unknown’s remains the Xcom game to beat. Joel Gregory

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified isn’t a bad game by any stretch, but it fails to live up to its predecessor. It has the aesthetic personality but it doesn’t have the gameplay personality. The control is fine, the music is a fantastic touch, and the fulfillment one feels after a properly executed mission is significant. But the story, despite glimpses of greatness, lets you down, and there’s just a general feeling of monotony that permeates the entire experience.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a lot of wasted effort. The Bureau isn't for XCOM fans, but it isn't for shooter fans, either. The basis for a fun and interesting game is there, but the XCOM name hangs like an albatross from its neck.

A Frankenstein monster of gameplay sensibilities, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a good origin story for series fans but doesn't do third-person shooting or real-time strategy well enough to compel enthusiasts of either genre.

The developers have crafted a competent third-person shooter in most respects, but the awkward integration of key elements from the XCOM strategy games, such as an in-depth squad system, result in a somewhat disjointed offering.

The Bureau is a decent game that fails to bring anything new to gamers’ tables. With a period alien invasion having been done before in titles like Resistance, gameplay mechanics ripped straight from Mass Effect, and XCOM elements wrangled together, The Bureau feels like an unpolished conglomeration of games that have come before it.

It delivers some enjoyable stretches of shooting action, but The Bureau: XCOM Declassified too often transforms the series' signature tension into tedium.

Technical issues, iffy storytelling and some questionable choices make for an uneven experience that fails to capitalise on what a fantastic license XCOM is. [Issue#235, p.76]

Hell, this prequel can’t even manage to explain where the name XCOM comes from even as it shows it being coined – it’s simply pulled out of thin air. That shoddy storytelling and poorly thought-out mechanics become the most memorable thing about it, and that’s not worth much.