XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Developer: Firaxis Games (Known For: Civilization IV, Sid Meiers Pirates)

Publisher: 2K Games (Known For: Borderlands 2, Bioshock)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a game that will attract as many as it drives away. It’s difficult and very often brutally unforgiving. Missions going according to plan can be turned on their head in a matter of seconds, leaving a squad decimated and severely underprepared moving forward. XCOM is unique in today’s modern market in that it gives the impression that it is actively trying to win rather than providing what may be a stiff challenge, but one that ultimately allows a player to win through. Whether this is achieved by a glowing arrow indicating where players should go to progress or something as simple as a conveniently placed vent to crawl through and flank an opponent, nobody can deny that most games are geared towards the player. This is by no means a criticism, but an observation and a convenient tool to highlight the differences between XCOM and what console players may be more accustomed to.

The XCOM series has been missing from our gaming landscape long enough now that many won’t know much about it. What XCOM: Enemy Unknown is then, is a turn based strategy game that tasks players with coordinating battles across the globe against an incredibly hostile and violent Alien invasion. In addition to these, the player must also organise and oversee the “XCOM Project” as a whole. In doing this they must distribute an allowed monthly budget across multiple interests that range from research and engineering all the way down to buying weapons for their soldiers and fighter jets to defend observation satellites and the public from enemy attack. When all these systems are brought together as a whole, it creates an intricately elaborate set of game mechanics that mean every decision the player makes is a trade off against something else. Players will constantly feel as if they are one step behind the aliens and never like they have enough money and resources to do everything they want.

It is this mechanic that will frustrate some players the most. Why? Because unlike other games, it is entirely possible for players to find themselves ten hours into the game and suddenly realise they have made some poor decisions that make it impossible to defeat the aliens. More often than not, this comes about because the players choices have caused panic levels to spiral out of control. When a country’s panic level reaches maximum, they then leave the project and take with them their valuable funding. Lose eight nations and it’s curtains for the project. Like most of XCOM’s elements, this can be taken both as a flaw and a positive, but regardless, it is worth noting.

As you have probably guessed by now, managing these panic meters aren’t as simple as just smashing up some bad guys. The Alien attacks tend to come in waves of around three, forcing players to make tough but necessary decisions on who they will help and who they will leave to fend for themselves. To aid this decision, each country grants different rewards should they receive help. This can come in the form of money, scientists, engineers or, on occasion, highly trained soldiers to help you in your ongoing battles. Should the mission be a success, a nation’s panic level will be reduced, but at the expense of the two countries left to fend for themselves.

An additional way in which panic levels can be managed is to position satellites above member countries that monitor the area for alien activity. Again though, things are never that easy. By completing this basic task, it sets in motion a chain of events that require significant investment and time. What do I mean by this? If you want a satellite over the UK for example, you need to build uplinks to launch and control them. Build uplinks and it drains power from your base, creating the need to build more power generator rooms. Do this and you have to excavate the land around your base to make space, knowing full well that these buildings are preventing you from making other equally important and necessary rooms that are essential if you want to defeat the alien invasion. Obviously each step in this process requires money – a commodity which is also being drained by your research projects, equipment costs and upkeep.

Although harsh, at no point does this feel unfair. When things go wrong, players will know exactly why, and what they should have done instead. The same can also be said about the combat aspect of the game. Probably the best way to describe the combat in XCOM is to liken it to a game of chess. It is a constant battle of the mind and only the most tactically adept will succeed. Even in the face of urgency, as members of the public are being murdered around your squad, the game forces players to take a cool and calm approach. One on one, almost every alien in the game will outmatch their human counterpart, meaning that charging your soldiers into battle will result in them being killed before they have a chance to fight back. This will have players sweeping battlefields with a military precision unseen in most modern games. Players can’t afford to leave a corner of the map unchecked before moving on, as this brashness will all too often lead to your squad being wiped out.

Each time a soldier survives a mission they are granted experience points that will earn them promotions and make them more formidable opponents in the field. Once they inevitably die, though, this experience is lost and players will have to pay money and draft in new soldiers to replace them, and begin the skill tree like progression system all over again. This encourages players to distribute promotions freely, making it rare that a squad of the projects best soldiers will ever be used in the same mission.

Coming from a visual and narrative perspective is definitely where XCOM is at its weakest. Graphically the game is only passable and animations have a very wooden and unnatural look to them. During gameplay, these animations improve somewhat, but cutscenes will make players very aware of these failings. Narratively the game never really progresses beyond the “kill those damn aliens” theme, and none of the characters in the game are engaging or developed in any way. Strangely though, it will be the most poorly developed characters in the game that players will develop the most affinity towards. Firaxis Games have granted players the ability to rename their soldiers. Inevitably, players will gravitate towards naming them after their friends, which turns out to be a fantastically compelling way of making players care about each inevitable death of a soldier on the battlefield.

In addition to these irritations, the scenery does become repetitive. About thirty hours in length, the game only has enough environments to cater for about ten to fifteen. The nature of the game means that this makes little to no difference in terms of the actual gameplay, but it is something players will notice as they delve deeper into the game.

Clearly, XCOM: Enemy unknown isn’t a game everyone will enjoy. Much of the positives and negatives that could be levelled at the game can be seen in a completely different light from another perspective. What can be said though, is that if players are looking for a turn based strategy game that can and often will challenge them to their limits, then it will be difficult to find a better game on store shelves today. Those unsure about the game should probably try out the demo before spending their money though. That said, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a game that has been lovingly created by fans of the now infamous series. As a result of this, we have a game that goes against the modern day tradition of pandering to the masses.

Although there are small flaws littered throughout the experience, this is a game that knows exactly what type of experience it wants to create, and it does just that. If you don’t like it, then don’t play it. If however, you can muster up the patience and skill required to delve into this game; you, sir or madam, have one of the most memorable and engaging gaming experiences of the year just waiting to be enjoyed.

3 GOOD POINTS:

+ Extremely rewarding to those willing to put in the time.

+ Doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t.

+ Controls brilliantly with a controller.

3 BAD POINTS:

- Difficulty will put many off the game.

- Can play the game for ten hours then realise that you need to start over.

- Repeating environments.