XCOM: Enemy Unknown Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on October 11th, 2012

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Does Firaxis' re-imagined XCOM perfectly bring back the tactics and excitement of the MicroProse original? Not exactly, but they've still made an excellent tactical game that works just as well on all three platforms. FPS players and fans of instant gratification aren't going to be too pleased with the pace that is set in this game, but for those looking for something with a little more strategy, they'll certainly find it here. XCOM won't make everyone happy, but it's a rare thing to see a turn-based game straddle the line between accessibility and depth so well. If you've had enough high-speed, frantic action, then XCOM is a great change of pace.

There's really only one flaw XCOM has, and that's the timing of its release. The game arrives as the industry's heavyweight triple-A titles start jockeying for position in the Christmas retail release window. This is rather a pity, because it would a complete miscarriage of justice if XCOM slipped under the radar. It doesn't have the brand power of games such as Halo 4, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 or Assassin's Creed III, but XCOM deserves to sell as many copies as they do. For those players who can exercise a little patience and restraint, it's quite simply one of the best games you'll play all year.

This proves that you don't traditional action or lengthy cut scenes to excite or engage you; you just need a good game. Enemy Unknown is not just for fans of the original or those already used to playing strategy games, it's for everyone that's ever enjoyed a video game for anything beyond a few minutes' surface pleasure. We hope it does well, for its sake and for gaming's.

In the decades since the original XCOM's release, patient strategy and planning games of its ilk were marginalized to the corners of PC gaming. They were there if you looked for them, but few had the scale or accessibility of this game. In a fall crowded with action, action, and more action, from Borderlands 2 to Medal of Honor to ZombiU, XCOM is truly an outlier, an alien, a contradiction. It's welcoming but punishing, familiar yet wholly unique among its peers. That alone makes it worth playing. Its nearly perfect execution just sweetens its unusual flavor.

XCOM is a great addition to the strategy genre, complete with an engaging campaign full of tension and challenges. The characters grow in satisfying ways, but the tactical game doesn't ever quite give players enough room to make the most of their abilities.

At the end of the day I just get this sense that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is one of those sleeper hits in the latter half of 2012. The smooth interface, sharp looking visuals, and surprisingly tense tactical turn-based gameplay are simply a blast. Many (run and gun) gamers will likely have little patience for this title, but all other gamers, especially those looking for a game that offers up a hefty challenge and an experience unlike any other in recent memory, should be aware that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a game that deserves some serious attention.

When you consider this is technically a remake of the original XCOM title, there are bound to be comparisons. From what I have discovered what is truly missing is the sheer amount of depth and tactical concepts the original game delivered. That isn't to say this game doesn't deliver on those fronts, but it is still a testament to the original that not since then has a game matched the bar it set. Enemy Unknown is more than a worthy successor, and will definitely appease fans of the genre while roping in a few newcomers for sure. If you enjoy this type of game, I cannot recommend it enough. It takes the series, and genre to new levels, and sets an entirely new bar for quality.

Don't be too concerned by the minor drawbacks, however. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a wonderful and worthy strategy game with a layer of campy charm that makes the stone-faced seriousness of the game's characters all the more endearing. It's also remarkably accessible, thanks to a great interface that feels comfortable whether you're using a keyboard and mouse or have a controller in your hand. Enemy Unknown packs dense amounts of dramatic tension into each turn. And so it's time to eliminate the alien threat, commander. Select a location, build your base.and save humanity.

The only part of XCOM that really feels tacked on is the multiplayer. This could've been an epic battle between alien and mercenary, but to be honest, it's just a quick deathmatch session with a few maps to choose from. It's okay, and certainly functional across Xbox Live, but it's got a "tacked on" approach. But that's a small complaint. In the end, Firaxis and 2K have really pushed XCOM back to the forefront, on a level that both veteran fans and newcomers can appreciate. Though it's more on the tactical side than straightforward action, Enemy Unknown brings plenty of challenge, along with thoughtful gameplay and more-than-acceptable management options. Developers, take note this is how you bring a franchise back. Now you just gotta wonder how the "other" XCOM project is gonna pan out.right?

The visuals are only so-so, with bland character models (especially the humans) and some dark, murky levels with indistinct environments. Important text is sometimes obscured by the background or drifts off-screen when presented in a pop-up bubble. And successful (and unsuccessful) missions are rewarded with the same dull, wordless cinematic of your ship flying back to base. On the whole, XCOM will keep fans spellbound with its depth, but it could've used a little more time in the cooker to add that something extra.

Ultimately, though, you're going to be playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown for its unforgiving strategic gameplay. If you can ignore the lame story and the sub-par visuals, there's a lot here to enjoy.

Even if you never played the original, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is turn-based tactics and management at its finest, and a perfect introduction to the genre. It plays wonderfully with on both the PC and consoles, with a controller being a great way to play the game. It's an exceptionally solid return for the series, and one that every turn-based tactics fan should experience.

Enemy Unknown might have taken a few shortcuts, but these digressions are minor in comparison to what else it accomplishes as a game. The focus on meaningful, ambiguous decisions and then the determination to follow through with forced consequences is an achievement of design worthy of praise.

In no other game will you command an secret, international organization trying to stop a global alien invasion. In no other game will you direct research, manufacture the technologies you discover into useable equipment for your tactical squads in the field, and then lead those soldiers in battle. In no other game will the strategic choices you make intertwine so integrally with your tactical prowess. It's a feedback loop between two seemingly disparate genres, and it works. The scope of Enemy Unknown is immense, both thematically and mechanically.

In these ways, Enemy Unknown is peerless in modern game design.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a triumph of inspired strategy creation. The critical will focus on the minor shortcomings, perhaps because it's not exactly like the first XCOM, but the polish, relative depth, and overall intensity is absolutely unquestionable. This places you in the midst of a seemingly impossible situation, and you know right off the bat that only the toughest, savviest, and most determined will survive to the end. If you can manage to defend Earth, you'll give yourself a pat on the back and very likely start over, if only because you'll never see another game quite like it. Given the fall lineup, your wallet won't like this but.you just gotta try it.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a great game that is a refreshing change of pace from the constant barrage of first-person-shooters and third-person action games that seem to have plagued the industry for the last few years.

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