[gameinfo title=”Game Info” game_name=”XCOM: Enemy Unknown” developers=”Firaxis” publishers=”2K Games” platforms=”Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC” genres=”Turn-based strategy” release_date=”Out Now”]XCOM: Enemy Unknown is my first foray into the XCOM franchise, but I have been a long time fan of the strategy genre as most of you know by now. I was able to get my hands on XCOM at PAX Prime, but I was still unsure how I felt about it. XCOM was obviously going to be a deeply involved game dealing with not only turn-based combat tactics, but time and resource management as well. Now that XCOM as finally launched, I can tell you that it is one of the most enjoyable strategy games I have played in a very long time.
For the first hour or so, XCOM guides you through a lengthy tutorial. Which may be a little of-putting at first, but you will definitely be thankful for it later as there are many facets to this game you’ll need to understand. After that you’re launched head first into the war against the E.T.’s and able to guide the XCOM project as you see fit.
XCOM is split up between deploying and commanding your soldiers on the battlefield during missions and running the XCOM project from your underground headquarters. This was something I found quite fascinating and enjoyed immensely. XCOM was almost, to me, a hybrid of two completely different game genres. For a half hour I can be completely consumed by a firefight with aliens of a UFO I have just shot down. Then, for the next half hour I’m just as involved in deciding which country needs a satellite most or which was more important at the time, armor or weapons? Even choosing which mission to take gave me pause for a moment, since the countries you put on the back-burner for another, begin to panic that much more.
The combat missions, seemingly straight forward, are filled with beautiful little intricacies that change and evolve as new enemies, armor and weapons are introduced into the game. My own tactics evolved and the pace at which I pushed the fights were on completely different spectrums by the end of the game. At first I was incredibly cautious, by the end I had Colonel Sniper Raven Poplar one-shotting numerous aliens as he gained the “On a Roll” ability. I sent in Colonel Psychic Assault Soldier Amanda Murphy, head first into point blank range of the toughest alien soldiers in which she would one-shot them with her Alloy Cannon.
I found myself being connected to the digital soldiers I had named after other writers here at LevelSave. At first my soldiers were cannon fodder, but after they reached the rank of Sergeant I bestowed on them the honor of being named after one of us. It was at this point I cared about them making it back alive, giving them the best gear and being oh so sad as I had heavy soldier Austin Griffith fire a rocket at a gas pump that mind-controlled Chris Lock was taking cover behind and blew him away. As dumb as it may be, I felt bad and knew I had lost, not only Chris, but my greatest medic. I had spent much time and money in getting this particular soldier just the way I wanted him. This was something new for me, to create a connection to a character that had absolutely no function in the overall story.
Even though XCOM:EU is turn-based, the battles still remain highly intense and satisfying. You’ll have a few calm and disturbingly quiet moments in the beginning of a mission, only to have that pace flipped on it’s head once the E.T’s appear. Usually from then on it’s balls-to-the-wall, with every tactical decision weighing heavily on your soldiers. One wrong move could end up with more than one of your soldiers not coming home.
During the battles you’ll encounter minor to semi-major glitches. From E.T.’s spawning in one room close to a wall and then on the next move, completely walking through the wall. There’s moments of E.T’s firing right through a wall, spawning in one place, then reappearing in another. I reviewed XCOM:EU on the PS3 which encountered horrible stuttering and frame rate problems with the in-game cutscenes after extended play. I asked around and found this to be a PS3 specific problem.
XCOM: EU is easily one of the best games to come out this year. I was taken in by this game, that even times of XCOM slowing down during cutscenes went almost unnoticed as I waited for it to be my turn again. The turn-based strategy in XCOM is top-notch and needs to be experienced by anyone whose even remotely entertained by this genre.
