We’ve finally arrived

I dream of XCOM. I have fever dreams where I debate using my assault soldier’s Run and Gun ability to flank an alien or play it safe and stay behind cover. I wish I was kidding or being hyperbolic, but I’m not. I gain new strategies as I lose sleep.

There are two types of games I delete upon completion. There are those I am done with but, on a very rare occasion, there is also a game that just isn’t done with me. These are games I obsess over. I begin to incorporate them into my daily routine, somewhere between eating and sleeping -- sometimes cutting out basic living essentials, when necessary.

I don’t want to eat because I’d rather play a dang videogame. This is not normal. For me, someone who struggles to do anything consistently for two hours, this is what can only be labeled "super abnormal." So take the act of me wiping XCOM from my hard drive as high praise. It speaks volumes on how addictive and replayable XCOM is. It’s not you, XCOM. It’s me, truly. Now, pack your shit and leave!

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PC [reviewed], Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Release: October 9, 2012
MSRP: $59.99

Enemy Unknown is a game about defending the world on a budget. Corners will be cut, soldiers will be lost (RIP Chad Concelmo), and countries will withdraw support if you don’t help them when asked. Not since Dark Souls has a game been so gleefully vicious in punishing a player’s loss. There are many times where I was tempted to start anew, but I played the odds and pulled through. That’s the genius of XCOM: It wants you so badly to give up, but that small percentage of victory will give you the courage to continue. In Mass Effect, alien takeover was a backdrop. In EU, it feels like an inescapable reality that beats your team down, time and time again.

Being that EU is a considerable challenge full of painful losses even on easy, it is a fairly faithful remake of the original, landmark X-COM (you see that hyphen!?!). The base building, squad management, tactical combat, space battles, leveling, and most other elements of the ‘94 MicroProse cult hit appear, albeit with fat trimmed. Through the modern miracle of intelligent menu design, a fair difficulty gradient, and refined combat, the team that made Civilization a great fit for consoles has done the same for XCOM.

Firaxis has made a simpler (but not simple) XCOM that is approachable to more than just diehard series and genre fans. As your squad members gain new abilities and passive buffs, elevation and grouping become more important aspects of strategy. Once you can use a grappling hook and make psychic links with others, the game becomes even deeper. However, EU never comes close to approaching the complexity of other games in the strategy-RPG genre that the original helped pioneer. This design choice may divide some genre fans, but there is certainly a good enough challenge and varied tactical options to satisfy most players, especially those that worship Final Fantasy Tactics, Jagged Alliance, or Valkyria Chronicles.

One smart change is that the player now controls a maximum of six members on a mission, instead of an entire platoon. Coupled with the small maps and quick animation, this makes EU a much faster paced and accessible action game. The action and missions themselves transpire so quickly that it’s hard to stop playing, as you rationalize taking on one more abduction in Japan. Every now and again, actions will be presented in a cinematic style that is similar to Valkyria Chronicles. It helps highlight the turning points of a battle, racketing the tension up at times.

EU begins with a cinematic tutorial and a series of missions that feel on-rails, but the game soon opens up to let you screw up in the most fantastic ways imaginable. You’ll always have a primary goal that revolves around researching a specific thing, capturing a specific alien, and, occasionally, invading a specific location. These goals keep the player free to do what he or she wants when it comes to taking on missions or building the XCOM headquarters. You can fulfill these goals at your leisure, but you’ll always be at risk of panic striking nations.

Your base is not only where you upgrade troops and do research, it’s also how you track progress made across the globe. Since XCOM is a private military with an international council, you’ll always be in danger of countries withdrawing support if their panic level rises to five (the highest level). The only way to combat this is to do missions in that country or launch a satellite over it, which takes a lot of time and money. If too many countries pull out, it’s game over. I lost a country in every region but still managed to beat the game. The possibility of losing always loomed right over my shoulder, making for a relentlessly tense experience. A good thing, mind you.

Even after a flawless battle, there is no escaping the inevitable tough decisions you’ll have to make at the base. The hardest decisions come from invasions that ask the player to take a mission at one of three countries presented. Each offers a difficulty level, reward, and panic level. I found myself constantly conflicted. “Do I risk Australia pulling out of XCOM just so I can get some immediate cash from China?" is the type of question you’ll find yourself asking a lot. Managing your research and development is also a hard job that you’ll only figure out through time and experience. I’m replaying the game on Classic difficulty (read: Hard), as this review goes up, and am still discovering new strategies on and off the battle grid.

Missions cover bomb defusals, VIP escorts, and rescue operations, but most of the time you’ll just need to wipe out aliens in one of the game's 80 maps. This is a lot harder said than done because of monster closets. This term, made popular by critics lambasting Doom 3’s enemies that magically appear instead of approaching the player, is the best way to describe one of EU’s most puzzling and upsetting design decisions. Unlike most other SRPGs, the enemy does not move until discovered. Once discovered however, the enemy is given a free turn to move and take cover -- which for the player, really, really sucks!

The main problem with this is that you start playing the game around this design decision, which, in effect, ruins the game. It makes sense to slowly creep through a forest, hoping to get the drop on aliens. It doesn’t make sense to slowly creep through a forest, fearing aliens will get the drop on you as you suddenly freeze in time. As a defense measure, you can position your guys to go into overwatch, gunning down any creature that passes their line of sight. It’s certainly a change from the original, where aliens would be found standing still when discovered.

A lot of XCOM comes down to luck and risk. Every shot you fire is complemented by a screen with info on the percentage of the shot landing and damage it is likely to do. This is a risk you agree to take. The same can be said for the smart cover system that divides positions as no cover, half cover, or full cover, each increasing your chances for an enemy to miss. I eventually grew to accept these monster closets, but it sure is a jarring element to battle. It is made even worse with the occasional glitch. One time I had an alien suddenly appear beside me and drop a grenade. I didn’t care very much for its parting gift.

It may have taken console games a good amount of time, but I think we’ve finally arrived at the ideal control setup for a turn-based strategy game. Being able to quickly zoom out with the left trigger, rotate camera with D-pad, and switch characters with the bumpers feels natural. EU takes influence from Call of Duty in more ways than one. Just as CoD and Gears of War popularized the use of sticky actions for shooters -- as in the game guides your character/crosshair to the action you wish to perform -- EU does the same for strategy games. Getting rid of grids and adapting this new system feels natural and so damn good.

Ironically, the PC controls are abysmal. Firaxis took one step forward and one step back. There is no quick zoom button (there is one listed in the options menu but it wouldn’t work, no matter how I reconfigured it), rotating the camera is awkward, zooming is even worse, and keyboard shortcuts are not as smartly placed as they are on the controller. The menus are harder to navigate, you can’t zoom in on your headquarters, and a lot of other actions that are easy to perform with a controller are made difficult or taken out altogether. You’re going to want to play this with a controller and, yes, I know how strange that sounds. Even the PC exclusive grid mode is a nuisance that only breaks immersion and makes the game frustrating.

Once you’ve conquered the campaign (my playthrough ran 23 hours), multiplayer awaits. Playing only with friends and fellow reviewers, it was hard to get a good grasp of where the multiplayer scene can go. The mode is a mess that, like the singleplayer campaign, gives players the freedom to screw themselves. Multiplayer is just straight forward one-on-one match, but you are free to make your squad however you like. Each unit and each modification to a unit costs points which can be limited (or not) by the host. This means you can have six-on-six matches with the most powerful enemies in the game, or play a straightforward match. I found the aliens to be so laughably unbalanced that it risks making the mode completely irrelevant, unless an update gives the host more options to limit loadout choices. The map selection is small, the netcode is touchy, and there are some terrible design choices, like letting players see the opponent open doors, thus giving away positions in an already tiny map. Maybe it will grow on me or be fun with more match rules, but I got pretty negative impression from my time with it.

XCOM looks good and sounds good, but the score is too similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mass Effect. I know EU shares the former’s composer, but it still cheapens the experience and makes it feel less unique. The greater problem are the bugs that not only get in the way of presentation but combat as well. One bug kept me from being able to properly use a key feature later in the game that lets you further upgrade units. Another bug had my character’s ponytail wrap around the loadout screen and dance around, as if possessed by the God of hair (an awesome bug, I must admit.) You’ll also see lots of clipping and glitchy cinematic camera angles in combat.

So, it’s fair to say that EU has some problems. While the game lacks the polish we’ve come to expect from Firaxis, it stands up as one of the most addicting and fun strategy games I’ve ever played. The game has its issues. It doesn’t help that it ends on the worst stage with one of the worst boss battles in recent memory. Oh yeah, and you can wash it all down with a terrible ending cinematic.

Outside the endgame, you’ll rarely see all of the game’s issues grouped together in one place. Sure, the UFO missions aren’t the best and you’ll run into the occasional bug, but I am willing to accept these minor issues. That’s just how much fun the game is. If you’ve ever played a game on a PC with a loud fan or sneaked into the living room as a kid to game at night, you should be able to understand that sometimes it's worth putting up with a little discomfort for a lot of enjoyment. That’s Enemy Unknown for you.

I was disappointed EU didn’t have a great story, at first. But, somewhere along the way, my own story played out through the game’s intense missions and grueling decision making back at the base. My story is about an unlikely group of space heroes. After months of waging a seemingly impossible war, my elite squad of XCOM soldiers died. Well, all but one. Her name was Tara Long. With one bullet left in her rifle aimed at two of the toughest foes she’d ever seen, she knew it was fate when the SUV behind the Mutons exploded, sending the two to a fiery death.

As the world descended into panic, Tara led a troop of new recruits. Hamza the support, Conrad the heavy, and Tony the assault rose through the ranks and succeeded where the older soldiers failed. Let’s not forget Holmes, the sniper who once saved the day after going into panic mode, gunning down an incoming cyberdisk as his sanity deteriorated. Poor Holmes hasn’t been the same since ….

Against all odds, Destructoid managed to save the galaxy, even though we barely manage to keep this site running. That’s a story worth seeing to its end, even if I’ll soon forget it as many more stories play out in my future XCOM sessions. All the small nagging complaints I have with the game fade away when I recall all the great moments I've had with it.

THE VERDICT

Legacy Comments (will be imported soon)

Shredator

WooHoo! Thank you for the review. Day 1, and all that.

Themuad

Ahhhhhh so many games out now that raise my game lust. What will be first to be acquired.

VoltySquirrel

Sounds great! Might just pick it up.

Fugly Duckling

YOU LET CHAD DIE!?

In all seriousness, good review. I knew XCOM was in good hands Firaxis, but I wasn't expecting a 9. Glad I skipped RE6 so I can jump headfirst into this.

Tarvu

Har har Cpl. Jim Sterling sucks at being in a video game.

Good review though, I had no idea what the games were even about before reading it.

Pajolero

Aw, your special-forces Holmes is nothing like the destructoid Holmes.

Hasney

Yessssssssss. This is exactly how the original XCOM was for me on the Amiga. If I wasn't playing it, I was thinking about playing it. Fucking yes.

homohabilis

Very excited. I hope the UPS guy is early on Tuesday.
The monster closet thing sounds like a hefty dose of bullshit to me. I hope it doesn't bother me too much, but design cheats like that usually get seriously under my skin.

Panzadolphin56

Looking forward to this, sounds excellent.

Stevil

So glad this worked out. To think 2K actually thought there was no place in the industry for an updated XCOM. Madness. I know the PC version will always have a good home and a more stable community, but I'm blown away by the fact someone managed to get it on consoles.

Well done, Firaxis. Well bloody done.

Tin Man

I knew Dishonored and Xcom were gonna smack it... Might have to get this one first. This will be the type of game that people hang on to for ages I think, and I see Dishonored price drop being harsh. Deus Ex tought me a lesson, two weeks after buying it day one I saw Zavvi selling that bad boy new for 17 quid =[

Raby

The whole enemies hidden till you find them and give them a FREE TURN really makes the game sound like it sucks

randombullseye

Allistair Pinsof

@Raby: It's not technically a free turn, since they can only move a limited about and not perform any action. Just pray you discover them before your turn is over, otherwise they'll have a turn and a half advantage on you. :(

Warwolf 3

This whole "being hidden until you find them" problem is kind of confusing me. I mean, surely being hidden until you are found is entirely the point of being hidden. Wouldn't it be bad if they were found whilst still hidden? Sounds like they're just doing a fair enough ambush, like the overwatch thing the XCOM operatives can do. Or am I missing something?
Also, yay XCOM!

torkegamer

Like you Allistair, I too have trouble doing anything for more than two hours. Unless its something that needs doing, like school or work. I rarely play any of my games for longer than a couple hours, the only game i play for longer is TF2.

Plathismo

Awesome! Now if Dishonored also turns out well, tomorrow could be an expensive day.

Mike Wuest

I'm excited for this, but I've go such a backlog right now (wah-wah!). I feel confident that this game will be bounced to the bargain bin pretty quickly (not a knock against it, just how I see it playing out). I'll definitely pick it up then.

The Silent Protagonist

Sounding like DXHR and ME is a bad thing?

News to me.

Benjamin Rood

I don't understand how this is a 9.0 when from the sounds of the actual text of the review _maybe_ it's a 8.5 for consoles, but like a 7.0 for PC which is a shame. Having played the demo I can understand all the things the reviewer hated in the PC experience. Waiting for a Steam sale for this one, I'm sorry but the demo was a really stiff and clunky experience as the review says of the final game.

Los255

TONY PONCE IS BLACK. CONFIRMED.

Great news for all the fans. I'm excited for the team and its success.

Allistair Pinsof

If the PC didn't have controller support, it'd probably be a 7. But, it does so it's a 9. It also looks a bit better, so PC is the way to go if you don't mind purchasing a 360 controller.

EAPidgeon

If you don't have an XBOX you can also try downloading the MotionJoy tool/driver to set-up your PS3 controller to emulate as a 360 controller.

Lexi Leigh

@EAPidgeon

I do that. MotionJoy is an awesome tool I've used for about 2 years now.

I highly recommend that anybody without a 360 controller but with a ps3 controller to use this too.

Remnence

@Warwolf3

"Hidden till you find them" means They don't move and don't act during the enemy turn until you discover them on the map. So you can't wait them out and hope they come to you.

TheRemedy

I just want to add the enemies can patrol, and they are more likely to patrol on higher difficulties. There have been several videos of people already in encounters with aliens, not moving forward and having another squad of aliens patrol into the fight.

Potrik

This vid with the devs puts paid to the 'monster closet' theory. Watch from about 8:30 in to see a group of aliens join the fight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VP4YmExQAE

Warwolf 3

@Remnence

Ah, yeah that sounds like it would be a bit unnatural. I suppose it depends on whether these are sort of semi-scripted ambushes or if the AI actually determines that waiting in ambush is a good strategy. Sounds more like the former, which is a shame. Still, doesn't sound like it put Allistair off much, so I can dig it.

dtomek

I came here to see if I planned my Tuesday incorrectly... But both titles were rated a 9.0! Damnit now ill have to go pick up dishonored to play while I wait for xcom to show up.

tomnuki

Sounds like a blast! Totally going to give this a try.

Mr Andy Dixon

Awesome review. Thanks, Allistair!

indigit4l

Preloaded on Steam, guess I'll be up late tonight.

dtomek

Having now read the review, are you certain that these monster closets are a thing? Watching the gamespy video the other day, I thought I saw a couple of aliens come into vision on their own turn. Perhaps I am mistaken though. On the other hand, that was mostly the case in JA2, and I loved that game.

Mr Andy Dixon

PS - Kiiiiinda pissed I didn't make your squad. Seriously, Hamza over me? You could fit two of his scrawny ass inside me!

MrBoBo1

"Ironically, the PC controls are abysmal. Firaxis took one step forward and one step back. There is no quick zoom button (there is one listed in the options menu but it wouldn’t work, no matter how I reconfigured it), rotating the camera is awkward, zooming is even worse, and keyboard shortcuts are not as smartly placed as they are on the controller. The menus are harder to navigate, you can’t zoom in on your headquarters, and a lot of other actions that are easy to perform with a controller are made difficult or taken out altogether. You’re going to want to play this with a controller and, yes, I know how strange that sounds. Even the PC exclusive grid mode is a nuisance that only breaks immersion and makes the game frustrating."


So it's consolized garbage then? Ah well back to Shogun 2.

Darren Nakamura

After reading this and hearing Sean Carey talk about this, it looks like I'll have to pick this one up.

wugganowski

not to be "THAT GUY" … but … the MSRP is actually $49.99 for the PC version. At least thats what I've seen on steam and every other digital site offering it. Worth updating.

Keith Mofield

Firaxis Games are always Buggie :D First time playing one? I always expect bugs

jonothanster

Two 9 games released on the same day? Oh dear.

Brad Nieder

Man...I loved the original. This really looks like a must-buy. It was hilarious and depressing at the same time to have one of your veteran guys step off the transport and get plugged within two turns.

GoofierBrute

I'll get this, but probably during a Steam sale. Still, at least I know that when I get it it'll be worth it.

@Keith
I think you're confusing Firaxis with Bethesda.

Zepinephrine

Tears of joyful anticipation. Can't wait for tomorrow.

PEnchan707

Jim bought the farm in 'Purple Heat? Sounds like a porn film....

Remnence

The monster closet thing is correct. Some maps may have active monsters spawned at the start (story/scripted missions) but most of the random maps (crash sites/abductions) have packs that must be discovered first, which then run off into cover (sometimes out of view).

Noir Trilby

I lol'd that Tara saved the day. This is definately on my radar. I dig the idea of making my friends into squad mates holding off an alien invasion, and I love Valkyria Chronicles.

AvistTorch

Based on the footage I've seen, there seems to be a mix of enemies, some patrolling, some not. By no means are *all* the enemies on *most* maps just waiting around.

Additionally, on Normal, the AI holds back on sending more enemies at you when you have enough of them attacking. On Classic and above, it doesn't.

THE SPOOKY

@GoofierBrute

I don't think you played Civ 5 on release. :P

Nick Done

Is this mostly a nostalgia thingy? I've played the heck out of Incubation and loved every minute and always wanted to give the original X-Com series a go (but didn't for some reason). Now I've played the demo and everything about it is terrible. The controls might be a bit better with the controller (haven't tried it though and find it to be tedious at best to have to play a turn based strategy title with a controller). It looks like it's 6 years old but without any charm (then I'd rather have some 10 yr old graphics). The VA is even worse (doesn't help being German and hearing the fake German accent right in the tutorial mission).

I really wanted to like this game, if only for my love for Jagged Alliance, Incubation and others, but... what's good about it? Having read the review (which covers a *lot* of these terrible design choices) - why a 9? It appears to be neither well designed nor fun - to me. So... all nostalgia?

Knivy

@Nick Done
I'd recommend checking out the RPS review, I think it will help clarify some of your doubts being a fan of the genre, and if it still doesn't convince you then there's always Xenonauts which is going into beta tomorrow.

BoomingEchoes

Heh, not that it has any bearing on anything but this just reminds me how when my roommate and I are watching Hulu and one of the commercials for this comes up, they keep saying how ridiculously stupid the game looks.