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XCOM:EU is a great game. I played the original and many other strategy games in the past. This is a full, long review. It may have minor spoilers. I will cover as much as possible. I give Objective reviews whenever I can, not Subjective. I will state my personal opinions when I can. This review may be more subjective for me as I really like this game.Bear in mind XCOM:EU has immense replayability as long as you like turn-based tactical battles. The strategy base part of the game is awesome as well.
Graphics
Unreal engine, but they spent a lot of time on the graphics and they look terrific! Only a few minor glitches here or there. The Deco DLC is awesome, not yet available as of this writing (it was a preorder bonus).
Sound
The sound is good, with voices for the soldiers. The music is not as eerie as in the original game, but it is still very good. When aliens are being fought the music picks up for the action. Very nice sound.
Early thoughts
The game is pretty solid, I only had one freeze up for the PS3. The base is very cool, and tactical is as good as ever. Bear in mind, the official Strategy Guide is NOT going to give tactical training! You need to become a good player by playing and figuring out the strategies, that is why it is called a STRATEGY Game. I will give a few tips where I can. I beat this game in two days, took roughly 24 hours, and I missed a lot of sleep.
Difficulty Easy/Normal or Classic/Impossible?
If you are new to this type of game, and especially to XCOM in general, I suggest at least Easy mode. On Easy mode there will be less threat to deal with and more special missions to help you. Also, the alien timetable will be a little longer, so you will have an extra monther or so before fighting the toughest monsters. Aliens are not easier to fight though, they have the same health and stats as Normal mode.
On Normal mode it took me 8 game months to win. I lost one country early on, Germany, mainly because South Africa asked for a Satellite they really did not need. Normal mode is just that, nothing differrent. This level of difficulty is the most fun in my opinion.
Classic and Imposiible difficulties really crank up the action. More enemies in missions and all the aliens get upgraded. Most get +10 Aim (they hit you easier), +10 Defense (-10 for you to hit them), and extra health. Even Thin Men will have 4 to 6 health, not 3. This means Grenades are no longer 100% to get kills. Less starting funds, Start with only one base facility (Satellite Uplink), More enemies, countries give fewer scientists/engineers.
Accessory slot
You get one accessory slot. The Support soldier can eventually have two. What should you bring to the battle? Early on you have no choice Grenades. Useful especially if you are new to XCOM style tactical battle. To be honest, this is the ONLY time I use grenades.
Scope or Grenade or Nano-fiber/Chitin Armor?
Scope. Scope. Scope! Once you get the Scope, you should seriously think about all soldiers having one. Nano-fiber armor gives +2 armor, VERY useful early in the campaign when you only have Body armor (+1 armor), as Nano-Fiber's +2 gives a total of +3 armor and -maykeep a soldier out of the infirmary when hit by Sectoid/Thin Man pistol fire, although critical hits may still happen. Chitin armor is rare to acquire, and I use it on Assault soldiers. With the best standard armor and Chitin armor my Assault can have 9 life + 14 armor, which when combined with the Assault's Extra Conditioning skill will give a total of 27 health in combat.
Scope or Mind Shield?
Mind Shields are hard to get and thus rare, but take them in the Final Mission for your low-Will soldiers as much as possible.
Early Moves
Early in the game you need to concentrate on gettng as many satellites up as possible. This will hopefully lower Alert levels in the country the satellite is deployed and will increase your monthly income. Countries covered will also give scientists and/or engineers per month. When deploying satellites, alert levels are Top Priority, not the continent or credit bonus of the country. Save your satellites until near the end of the month to help respond to Alien alert activity. This is very important as it will allow you to have the most flexibility to repond to Alert levels.
The Alien Containment facility can wait. In my opinion, this facility is best built much later in the game. It takes up energy and resources better used for satellite facilities.
Workshops are neccessary to raise your engineer numbers, but only so you can build more satellite uplinks. Laboratories are nearly useless, unless playing on higher difficulty settings, then they are useful because research speeds are much longer.
One power generator + one thermal generator + one elerium generator, placed all in a row, will give enough power for the whole game.
All facilities get the +1 bonus if placed next to each other, either horizontally or vertically.
SQUAD
My squad typically has 1 Support, 1 Assault, 2 Heavy and 2 Sniper. This is what I use but other players favor Assault more. Your squad composition is up to you.
Support
The weakest offensive unit but the most relied on for support. Eventually can have 3 Medikits. NOTE: All soldiers can carry a medikit as an accessory!
Assault
Total offense. I believe making the first enemy reaction shot miss is best, that way you can lead with this offensive tank. Can have up to 27 health, Awesome.
Heavy
I always go for +100% damage against Robots. VERY useful when facing the tough robot enemies. I also like Shredder Rocket and 2 Rockets. The capability to take 2 shots in a row is also very nice.
Sniper
I like Squad Sight as it allows me to shoot at anything the squad sees. Less useful with Hover armor, but still a good skill. Double Tap is also awesome. I do not prefer the Sniper that can move and shoot, so I take +2 pistol damage.
Tactical Battles
Stay together but not all grouped up. If you can't Dash from one side of the formation to the other you are too far apart. Use two mini-squads of support/heavy/sniper and assault/heavy/sniper (different depending on your choice of soldiers or if main soldiers are in the infirmary). When getting ready to enter a doorway, have each mini-squad stand to the SIDE of the doors, never IN FRONT. You could try it the other way but there are certain encounters that may end Very Bad. Take high percentage shots. Sometimes the game will make you miss No Matter What, that's just the way it is.
Move forward slowly! Use Overwatch as much as possible! Almost never Dash to move forward, and only Dash when near 100% certain the coast is clear. I cannot stress this enough. Tactical battles are long, patient affairs.
Use cover as often as you can! Although soldiers in full cover can still be hit, get as much defense as you can. Defensive bonuses make it harder to get hit, and you need every advantage you can acquire.
Interceptors
Emp or Plasma? Well, there are two ships you will encounter that are Main Story ships. No matter what you do, these ships will still have a good complement of soldiers. You can always get more artefacts from other missions, squad survivability is paramount so go with Plasma or the late tech Interceptor weapon. Use the EMP until you get Plasma or Fusion.
Grey Market
Almost everything you bring back from battle is useful. Only sell useless items on the Grey Market. Do not sell corpses as almost all have a use. Eventually some can be sold. Early in the campaign it is ok to sell some things, but usually unwise. For example, in my current game I have 4 UFO Power sources and 4 Navigations left. I built several key units and have no more real need for these items. However, they would be needed if I lost Firestorms. And these numbers are for most of the game! If I had sold any of these items I would not have been able to build all the stuff I needed. Therefore, Be Carefull selling on the Grey Market!
OVERALL
XCOM:EU is a great game. I am certain I may not have included everything I wanted, but this review is very long. I hope it all helps.
I LOVE THIS GAME!
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I remember hearing about the original Game a long while ago in the 90's. Never had the chance to play the original. I bought a copy of Xcom: Enemy Unknown and it was exactly what I was looking for, a good strategy-turn based game experience. You get a lot of stuff here, yet you need to get familiar with the controls, they can be a little tricky to get used to. The graphics are OK, this game is based in the "unreal engine" so the graphics are alright, not bad, not great they are just fine. I really like Firaxis Games, specially those where Sid Mayer is involved and that is the case in this one. I am really amazed by the game mechanics, it plays really really well, and it will offer you a good challenge. There was a mission where I return to my base with only one soldier alive! but heck! it was SO exciting!
The story is just amazing and very very long. I honestly believe it is impossible to finish the whole game in one sitting. a warning though, put attention and read your messages well while you are at your command center, you can miss part of the story. I'm not an avid fan of buying game guides but the one for this game (it is short and cheap you can get it here at Amazon) can help you keep your sanity. The game will challenge you with six "Phases" or campaigns and it keeps you hooked-on; this can easily take days to complete. The challenge increases as you keep advancing and you need to balance your team strengths, the amount of research you invest in, how you are spending your money and putting attention when there are project priorities to be done at your engineering and research labs, these are all important things, but you can't do them all at the same time! you need to prioritize and this is what makes the game so fascinating by opening so many different game options. There are SO many options to choose from, but all is based in the strategy you pursue and where you decide to establish your command center or op's center. The game can be pretty challenging, playing with a crew of 4 soldiers is quite a challenge, you can add a maximum of 6 soldiers to your rooster, and you can balance the battle-field choosing the kind of soldiers you want, like a sniper, a heavy, assault, and support, etc.
The amount of replayability in this game is just insane, you can rack up an insane amount of hours, add that to the options you have to sell stuff you don't need in the "Gray Market" to earn some bucks, train and promote your soldiers, decide the kind of equipment you want to give them before you sent them out to a mission, you can customize your base, when to upgrade your satellites, participate or not in different kind of missions, and for those interested in Multiplayer you also have it here.
If you start your game in "easy" there is a tutorial for those folks new to X-com, the normal level is fair and if you are familiar enough with XCOM and like to suffer you can decide to play at the "Classic and Impossible" game modes. You also get an option called "Enable Ironman", if you select this option for the "Normal, Classic or Impossible" game modes, the auto-save feature is activated, so if you loose a soldier or an officer you really like there is no going back to your previous save to try to "play" the same character, it is gone for good! That is another thing you learn early on in the game, don't get too attached to your soldiers 'cause they are going to die, and die often! If you pre-order the game you get some goodies you can download from the Play Station store.
I am so happy a game like this came to the market, it was about time to offer the players a game where you can have a good solid strategy challenge. If you don't mind getting used to the game controls (it will get easier as you keep playing) this game is a great experience, a must buy for those who enjoy a good strategy challenge.
Thank you Sid Mayer, Firaxis and 2K for such a fun game!
Buy XCOM: Enemy Unknown Now
++++++ BACKGROUND ++++++
X-Com: Enemy Unknown is a remake of the classic game X-Com: UFO Defense (UFO: Enemy Unknown outside North America) released in 1994 and is considered one of the top ten games of all time for the computer.
There are currently two re-makes currently undergoing development to be published by 2K. The first, known as XCOM, will be produced by Irrational games and depicts the XCOM universe as a First Person Shooter in the 1950's although recent announcements suggest it has been moved to the 1960's and will be squad based combat.
The second, X-Com: Enemy Unknown, was developed by Firaxis games and consists of the game I am currently reviewing. Firaxis are veteran developers of the genre of strategy games due to development of games such as Alpha Centauri and Civilization under the guidance of Sid Meier, one of the companies co-founders and creators of such classic games as Sid Meier's PIRATES!, Civilization, and Railroad Tycoon.
++++++ GAMEPLAY & COMBAT ++++++
X-Com: Enemy Unknown is a return to the world of single player strategy games that are few and far in-between in this world of first person multi-player shooters. Gameplay is divided in-between two areas; management and battle skirmishes.
In management, you build up your bases, upgrade facilities, preform research and development of weapons all the while monitoring your finances which always feel like a heavy burden you are carrying upon your shoulder you just cannot escape.
The skirmishes are where the meat and bones of the game lie and where you may spend a majority of your time. Simple choices you make in a turn-based fashion have an overall effect on the outcome of the battle. If you slip and make a poor choice the computer will make you feel that error. It may seem fun to go around and annihilating everything in your pass by using high explosive weapons but strategy requires you to capture and collect your enemies bodies and weapons. To get close requires strategy, planning, and luck several moves out. A well thought out strategy and turn is the key to success.
You spend your time recruiting, customizing, and developing your soldiers while watching them rise through the ranks after each successful mission becoming attached in the process only to have them fall in combat....and fall they shall. Your memorial wall will be filled by the midpoint of the game from the losses you will sustain. With the close intimacy of you and your men, the loss of a high ranking officer is a devastating moment to be played through and experience first hand.
The gameplay, compared to the original, has been streamlined but that is expected as the fact the game has been customized to fit the multiple of consoles it has been released for as well as the fact the field of gaming has changed a tremendous amount in the eighteen years since the original was released. The console does play rather well compared to its keyboard/mouse counterpart on the PC.
++++++ GRAPHICS & PRESENTATION ++++++
The graphics are, obviously, an improvement over its 1994 counterpart. I have had several issues with camera angels. Also, the action shots that you endure that became popular since Fallout 3 are entertaining if somewhat repetative. The skirmishes provide a very destructive environment that will leave the battlefield resembling swiss cheese that was burnt in a microwave.
++++++ CHALLENGE ++++++
The game is challenging but is not at the point where you feel as if you need to throw the controller at the wall because you have reached an in pass in gameplay.
Some have stated that this game is more difficult than the original. The reason why is the original X-Com in 1994 contained an error so all difficulty levels were the same. Later X-Com games were noted for their increased difficulty because this issue was fixed in sequels and later editions of the game.
++++++ STORY ++++++
The story is, overall, engrossing throughout the game and provides motivation to make it to the finish to see the end result. Who doesn't enjoy a good Human VS the Evil Aliens story?
++++++ CONCLUSION ++++++
This game is worthwhile of the title "X-Com" even with the high expectations and standards set before it by the classic "X-Com" of 1994. This game has met and exceeded the challenges set before it.
Highly recommended for those that enjoy turned based strategy games as well as those that desire something different than the dozens of first person shooter games that now littler the video game marketplace.
Read Best Reviews of XCOM: Enemy Unknown Here
I played the original X-COM a bunch using dosbox before purchasing the new one so I could compare.
The new one is very faithful to the original in almost all the ways that matter, while streamlining the things that don't. I would award 4.5 stars because it doesn't do this perfectly and suffers a little from 'consolization'. But it gets more right than wrong. If you liked the first, you will almost certainly like this re-creation and I suspect most will find it better.
The new one removes TUs in favor of an action counting system. This overall better and more streamlined. It's a bit less flexible than the TU system. In particular firing and then moving is generally not an option (except with one skill that the (I think) Assault class can get).
The soldiers also now remember their loadout from mission to mission, which removes the major wart of having to hand move all the equipment around at the start of each mission. The class system aids with this, and also provides a better and more flexible way to customize your soldiers abilities than training them the way you did in the first. My only complaint is that you can't load up with extras, which has led to me almost completely giving up on grenades as the inventory slot is far too valuable to be occupied by a single-use mediocre damage area of effect weapon.
Also, instead of building several bases and having to manage them all you now just build satellites to monitor particular countries and have it as a given that you have interceptor hangers in various world regions. No more fiddling with building storage areas, living quarters, equipment inventories and headcount. Also, all the first level eqiupment is essentially free.
But some strategic flexibility has been lost. In the original, it's possible to avoid combat much of them time. You engage in just enough to keep all the countries happy while using your workshop to manufacture items for sale. This is a much less viable strategy in the new one as you can only sell what your workshop produces when a country makes a special request (which happens rarely) and many workshop items take resources that can only be obtained from alien spaceships and bases.
The feel of the centerpiece of the game, the turn-based tactical combat remains very much the same. There are some armor types (Ghost armor, Skeleton armor) that offer tactical possibilities not present in the first. And enemies that have much more sophisticated tactics as well. The game greatly rewards careful planning and creative use of the various skills your soldiers possess.
I still can't figure out how you could possibly stun an ethereal though. Those arc-things are far less capable than either the stunsticks (they aren't a weapon and so can't be fired like one at the end of the assault class' run-and-gun skill) and I have not yet found an equivalent to the stun bomb launcher.
So, as I said, I think this game is overall singificantly better than the original even if it does have a problem or two that prevent it from being perfect.
Want XCOM: Enemy Unknown Discount?
I don't have a ton of experience with squad-based games, but this seems to be pretty well done in terms of game mechanics and tactical options available on the battlefield. Character development is fun, and I like the way they chose to represent the base too, although I feel like there's room for improvement in terms of making the player feel like he's actually inside each room. I find the dialogue a bit stiff; I'm coming off of playing Mass Effect, so maybe I'm setting the bar too high, but there is a notable decrease in the quality of the writing. There are some imperfections as far as depicting individual shots; shotguns appear to shoot through walls, rifles might not really be aimed at the target but they still manage to fire and kill, etc. These are minor and don't severely impact gameplay, but I think they're worth noting.
My one real complaint is that the game freezes frequently. I've managed to mitigate this by turning on autosave, so I never lose that much progress. But I find that particularly after missions, while the game is loading the debrief screen, it will simply continue to show the loading screen (e.g. the SkyRanger flying in the night sky) indefinitely and never successfully load the next screen. This is annoying, and I understand they've already patched a similar problem on the PC version, so maybe an update on PS3 is forthcoming.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this game, and would be a very happy camper if they fixed some of the bugs I've mentioned.
