XCOM: Enemy Within

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 100 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 100
  3. Negative: 16 out of 100
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  1. Rox22
    Nov 18, 2013
    7
    As a DLC this would have been perfect. The problem is, it's not. The additional content is very good but adds very little to the existing campaign. If anything the additional content feels tacked on, and really does not give you a feeling of playing something different. All campaign missions play out exactly the same, regardless of the content. Only the EXALT mission do give it a bit ofAs a DLC this would have been perfect. The problem is, it's not. The additional content is very good but adds very little to the existing campaign. If anything the additional content feels tacked on, and really does not give you a feeling of playing something different. All campaign missions play out exactly the same, regardless of the content. Only the EXALT mission do give it a bit of fresh air, but the focus is to little and it's over far too quickly.

    XCOM: Enemy Within is nothing more than a Game of the Year edition, just with exclusive content added. After buying XCOM: Enemy Unknown last year and ALL the DLCs that have come out since, this copy made me feel a little cheated. If I had waited a year, I could have gotten the exact same game, and saved allot of money. This kind of reminds me of Viva Pinata & Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise. or Dragon's Dogma & Dark Arisen Same problem, but at least VP:TIP & DD:DA had significant additions that did revolutionize the gameplay. XCOM: Enemy Within, sorry. But no. While I get that it includes new features that affect core gameplay, it still could have been a DLC, or at least given the option

    Again, I reiterate, I still thought XCOM: Enemy Within was very good, but just doesn't offer enough extra content to warrant a re-release.

    Overall:
    I was a bit disappointed as I had expect some more prominent additions to the main campaign. however it looks like Firaxis either was lazy or playing it too safe to change anything that actually needed changing. But at the very least I will say, yet again, I still liked it. If it had been a DLC, I would have scored it a 8.5 out of 10, but since it was released as a package, I have to grade it the way I see it on the whole.

    I would recommend this to anyone who hasn't played the game yet, but if you do, don't bother with XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

    Side note to Firaxis:
    I am a little disappointed in you. I expect this from Capcom, but not you. I hope you are working on Terror from the Deep, but don't do it like this again. GOTY editions are all said and good, but don't make us buy them just to buy new content..    … Expand
  2. happymonster
    Nov 14, 2013
    10
    Don't get me wrong. Enemy Unknown is a great game, one of my all-time favorites. At first, I was somewhat skeptical about this expansion. But Enemy Within's expanded content is an improvement in every way, and is well worth the price, even if you own the original. Yes, it is the same campaign, but the combat dynamic has changed with the introduction of Meld, and all of the benefits itDon't get me wrong. Enemy Unknown is a great game, one of my all-time favorites. At first, I was somewhat skeptical about this expansion. But Enemy Within's expanded content is an improvement in every way, and is well worth the price, even if you own the original. Yes, it is the same campaign, but the combat dynamic has changed with the introduction of Meld, and all of the benefits it provides. The additional battlefields are a welcome change and the inclusion of the last game's DLC really make customizing your troops a lot of fun. Obviously, if you didn't care for Enemy Unknown, this game, probably isn't going to change that. But if you liked it as much as I did, then you'll love Enemy Within.… Expand
  3. pigsonthewing
    Nov 22, 2013
    7
    Honestly I enjoyed this expansion, even though its a console port, which is a rare thing for me as a PC Gamer. Some of this stuff should've been in the core came itself, but Firaxis probably had to milk us a little more and make the original Enemy Unknown fit for consoles. There's a few options added that can randomize your playthrough. The new maps are a welcomed addition, but unlessHonestly I enjoyed this expansion, even though its a console port, which is a rare thing for me as a PC Gamer. Some of this stuff should've been in the core came itself, but Firaxis probably had to milk us a little more and make the original Enemy Unknown fit for consoles. There's a few options added that can randomize your playthrough. The new maps are a welcomed addition, but unless your playing on the harder difficulties, by mid to late game you should have troops that steamroll anything, meaning that your most intense moments will come early on in your game. I'll rate this a 7, with an automatic deduction for being a console port.… Expand
  4. pkstormy
    Nov 30, 2013
    4
    So far I've only played a week with Enemy Within but the only thing I've seen different is getting medals and a few new things to research. This is NOT what I paid $40 for!! I feel ripped off and that this should have been a DLC, not a $40 game! I've rarely written a negative review but I think xcom owes me some money back. I've got hundreds of games and I was excited about the newSo far I've only played a week with Enemy Within but the only thing I've seen different is getting medals and a few new things to research. This is NOT what I paid $40 for!! I feel ripped off and that this should have been a DLC, not a $40 game! I've rarely written a negative review but I think xcom owes me some money back. I've got hundreds of games and I was excited about the new xcom enemy within. 2k makes a lot of games I like. I give this a low score because I feel deceived and robbed. But maybe there is something (really new) that I haven't gotten to yet with this game.… Expand
  5. tobemayr
    Jan 15, 2014
    9
    This is an amazing upgrade on Enemy Unkown; Game play has not changed, but your additional buildings and unit options elevate the game to a even more diverse experience. The new maps and missions are more challenging and diverse than the already great originals. The story line has changed not in terms of outcome, but what happens in between. Combined with the customizable game options, theThis is an amazing upgrade on Enemy Unkown; Game play has not changed, but your additional buildings and unit options elevate the game to a even more diverse experience. The new maps and missions are more challenging and diverse than the already great originals. The story line has changed not in terms of outcome, but what happens in between. Combined with the customizable game options, the experience feels intense and never unfair.… Expand
  6. BigK
    Jan 29, 2014
    10
    Enemy Within takes a great game and makes it even better by adding new challenges and variety, including some very memorable scripted missions. My kids and I loved the first one and played hours and hours. Buying Enemy Within started the XCOM craze all over again at our house.
  7. hatethisnamesod
    Dec 2, 2013
    9
    XCOM Enemy Unknown was my favorite game of 2012 right after Borderlands 2. This isn't a full sequel to Unknown, rather it is an expansion. But half the times it feels like an expansion, the other half a sequel.

    Whats new: Their is a new enemy faction of humans called the EXALT and they are stronger than the normal alien and a bit smarter, such as actually attempting to sneak up right    XCOM Enemy Unknown was my favorite game of 2012 right after Borderlands 2. This isn't a full sequel to Unknown, rather it is an expansion. But half the times it feels like an expansion, the other half a sequel.

    Whats new: Their is a new enemy faction of humans called the EXALT and they are stronger than the normal alien and a bit smarter, such as actually attempting to sneak up right behind you in the middle of a firefight.
    There is a new material called Meld that can change how you play the game. You can mod your squad into mechs or into having traits similar to the aliens.

    Even if you bought Unknown, you should definitely give this game a try.    … Expand
  8. dazza
    Jan 11, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very unique game to say the least. So much customisation, so many different items. So many missions, so much things to do and such little time. I found the mission where the XCOM hq is attacked VERY sudden, because I was just starting on abolishing EXALT from the world. This game is also kind of glitchy. I have had several instances where aliens were right in front of me. My soldier would then fire, but would point in completely the wrong direction and somehow hit the target. The game has also frozen twice for me. A frozen image with music looping. And it also freezes at the end of the enemy turn for a bit. But these are minor flaws. Overall a great game. Also what pisses me off is that all the people on multiplayer who kick your ass say "lol get rekt son".… Expand
  9. UnearthlyMan
    Dec 11, 2013
    10
    XCom Enemy Within is a great expansion for Enemy Unknown. It provides tens of new maps to battle the alien threat, many new weapons and grenades, Mech suits and Genetic enhancements along with other cool new features that every fan should enjoy. You must play the game and get into it to discover the new features. IT you have a short attention span then don't bother playing this game. ThisXCom Enemy Within is a great expansion for Enemy Unknown. It provides tens of new maps to battle the alien threat, many new weapons and grenades, Mech suits and Genetic enhancements along with other cool new features that every fan should enjoy. You must play the game and get into it to discover the new features. IT you have a short attention span then don't bother playing this game. This expansion improves enough to make me want to start a new campaign and eliminate the alien threat. AWESOME!… Expand
  10. Hypatia
    Aug 27, 2014
    9
    Yes, I played the original, yes, I bang on about it. I can't see how a better job of 'updating' the game could have been done. The same sense of panic, chaos, command incompetence, lives needlessly thrown away...The only development in gaming since the 90's has been in atmospherics and cinematics, but just look at the wool on Central Officer Bradford's jumper! Look at those birdsYes, I played the original, yes, I bang on about it. I can't see how a better job of 'updating' the game could have been done. The same sense of panic, chaos, command incompetence, lives needlessly thrown away...The only development in gaming since the 90's has been in atmospherics and cinematics, but just look at the wool on Central Officer Bradford's jumper! Look at those birds flocking, and the washing going round as you stalk a sectoid! It was always a game that could make you weep actual tears of rage as well. I'm genuinely pleased that another generation (in gaming terms) can experience these thrills.… Expand
  11. SIPPIO
    Aug 6, 2014
    10
    -MY REVIEW IS TO HELP THE UNDECIDED DECIDE..........
    WOW--AWESOME,,MUCH MORE EXCITING THEN Enemy. Unknown..
    -my review will be simple and str8 forward to help someone decide. Not a fanboy or leveraged in either way. --Difficulty/challenge- awesome-can jack it up to hardest after ya get strategy down. It gets hard! --allows to rename EVERY soldier and customize every part of them.    -MY REVIEW IS TO HELP THE UNDECIDED DECIDE..........
    WOW--AWESOME,,MUCH MORE EXCITING THEN Enemy. Unknown..
    -my review will be simple and str8 forward to help someone decide. Not a fanboy or leveraged in either way.

    --Difficulty/challenge- awesome-can jack it up to hardest after ya get strategy down. It gets hard!
    --allows to rename EVERY soldier and customize every part of them.
    The only thing controlled is the "NICK NAMES" which is exciting IMO..
    -PERMA DEATH mode is awesome. There's no saving and reloading and if you're favorite sniper named after you're BFF,Dad or pet dies, then he's dead! All his upgrades are lost and you have ta start from scratch with a rookie and recreate, or just accept that he's gone permanently.. PERMADEATH MODE adds a dimension in gaming that I've never really experienced b4 and is why I gave this game a 10 instead of a 9..
    ------story---pretty cool for a strategy game....
    ---graphics- looks pretty. Not gonna blow you away, but enjoyable to look at. Neutral/average..
    --controls--BRILLIANT--the battlefield is tiled so ya can move 10-20 spots a turn. The spots on appear during movement.. And the controls are clever and awesome.
    --camera-- really makes the game.. The right stick moves the camera in 360* and it saves enhances you're perception of decisions..

    ---100% solo play campaign mode that has 100% replay ability because EVERYTHING is random.
    --this game is a must have for me and has opened the door up for me to enjoy strategy games again. And they don't have to be full blown RTS like Command & Conquor,,or. Halo Wars or advanced full military RTS like that.. XCOM stays simple and leaves the advanced part to strategy in story..    … Expand
  12. Zapness
    Feb 21, 2014
    7
    XCom: EW offers many new maps for players to enjoy. It adds a lot more tactical thought (if that makes sense), however I have found on bug that partly ruined my gameplay. Once I got to a certain point, I was unable to receive any medals. This is one of the reasons I bought the expansion, so I got mad when I realized I couldn't get medals.
  13. Osixuan
    Jan 3, 2014
    9
    Definitely a worthwhile play if you liked Enemy Unknown. Took a lot of the ideas I would have liked in the game and added them. Still a few things I'd wish for, such as a standard melee attack, but what game doesn't leave you wishing it had just a little more?
  14. Nazgull2k1
    Jan 30, 2014
    9
    Had this been the ORIGINAL release to XCOM, this literally would have been a nearly flawless reboot the the XCOM saga.

    HOWEVER - Because this xpac really changes absolutely nothing... but adds a few details and a couple classes.. this should have been a simple DLC pack to the original game, *not* it's own seperate game. (Steam REALLY sticks it to you by making you buy *both* the    Had this been the ORIGINAL release to XCOM, this literally would have been a nearly flawless reboot the the XCOM saga.

    HOWEVER - Because this xpac really changes absolutely nothing... but adds a few details and a couple classes.. this should have been a simple DLC pack to the original game, *not* it's own seperate game. (Steam REALLY sticks it to you by making you buy *both* the original game AND this one in order to play it.. proving it's just a DLC pack gone wild.)

    Still, everything that was great about the original is still great here! Plus, you get even MORE great stuff!

    It's a must buy, and a must play. But only if you havent played the original.. if you have, wait for a steam sale/price drop before buying this.    … Expand
  15. Khaosom
    Mar 15, 2015
    10
    To answer PKstormy, you payed 40 dollars for EU and EW, it's both games in one. They added medals, research, the terrorists, and more to the game. Like EU I love this title, it's brilliantly done, with enough difficulty to make Dark Souls fans cringe. Don't like to die? Skip this game. Love a game where you need your mind, and tactics then well you get it
  16. xRAIDER34x
    Apr 16, 2015
    10
    How can you give this game anything lower than a 10. They should have a scale to 13 for this game. High replay value. Probably the best turn based strategy game I have ever played. 2k games needs to continue this series on next gen consoles. I hope they take what is good from this game and keep making it better. This game is in the top 5 xbox games I have ever played and I still play it 2How can you give this game anything lower than a 10. They should have a scale to 13 for this game. High replay value. Probably the best turn based strategy game I have ever played. 2k games needs to continue this series on next gen consoles. I hope they take what is good from this game and keep making it better. This game is in the top 5 xbox games I have ever played and I still play it 2 years later.… Expand
  17. Broyax
    Apr 14, 2017
    1
    Quelques petites nouveautés certes mais c'est clairement du réchauffé avec les mêmes défauts (caméra qui ne tourne que par angles pré-définis, visibilité problématique pour les roquettes et les grenades, décors qui deviennent transparents sans crier gare, déplacements sur les niveaux supérieurs mal aisés). On refait le même jeu patché en fait et on vous vend ça 40 balles !

    La difficulté    Quelques petites nouveautés certes mais c'est clairement du réchauffé avec les mêmes défauts (caméra qui ne tourne que par angles pré-définis, visibilité problématique pour les roquettes et les grenades, décors qui deviennent transparents sans crier gare, déplacements sur les niveaux supérieurs mal aisés). On refait le même jeu patché en fait et on vous vend ça 40 balles !

    La difficulté a été revue à la hausse également, du genre qui soûle et oblige à gagner du niveau. Ce n'était pas le cas dans Enemy Unknown ! quelle mouche les a piqués ? Déjà que le jeu a des longueurs inutiles avec Exalt... et là c'est quoi ces putains de missions où faut se taper 3 énormes robots-tanks à la suite ? sans déconner ? allez donc chier Firaxis !    … Expand
  18. hector_bcn98
    Jan 11, 2023
    9
    El efecto permadeath le otorga una dificultad y satisfacción pocas veces vista en el género. Le vendría muy bien una mayor guía para los objetivos principales y cómo conseguirlos, se puede hacer muy caos si no entiendes como funciona la base y todo lo que implica.
  19. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Hugely enjoyable and absorbing strategy game incorporating resource management and turn-based military combat. The addition of "meld" adds a time sensitivity to the missions making you balance risk versus reward much more than the previous game and there are added missions that make this an essential purchase, even if you own XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Frighteningly addictive and unlike the PS3Hugely enjoyable and absorbing strategy game incorporating resource management and turn-based military combat. The addition of "meld" adds a time sensitivity to the missions making you balance risk versus reward much more than the previous game and there are added missions that make this an essential purchase, even if you own XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Frighteningly addictive and unlike the PS3 version, relatively bug-free.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2013
65
#65 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
73
#73 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. RPGamer
    Apr 22, 2014
    70
    Many of the great franchises of the 90s have burned out or faded away. But now, XCOM is back in a way that plays like a love letter to the original. It may not be stellar, but it has everything to make it feel right with the old fans while at the same time welcoming the newbies with tentacular appendages. That is a rare and wonderful thing.
    Read full review
  2. Level7.nu
    Jan 2, 2014
    90
    The follow-up to one of last year's best games is an enchanted version of the same masterpiece. Battles are more expansive and go way deeper than before. The higher difficulty levels alongside the Iron Man Mode gives the gameplay an incredible nerve and challenge. Xcom Enemy Within might as well also be one of this years best games.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    Dec 25, 2013
    90
    Plenty of new features make this the perfect excuse to jump back into XCOM. [Jan 2014, p.85]
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