Quick Look: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (iOS)

This somehow ended up being a 25 minute Breaking Brad.

You just explained why people like this game. Also, you don't seem to understand the game a bit. The base building has depth. You cannot do it the same way every time at all. Turn based while trying to find enemies is the whole reason why you need to be cautious. That's part of the fun. It's challenging.

Also, reloading won't change a thing for the action you took, that will remain the same every time. Besides, you are supposed to play it on Iron Man if you want your decisions to stick forever.

This was GOTY because it was an amazing game. You just don't understand its appeal. That doesn't mean the game is overrated.

I really wish they remade the game for mobile like they did with Civ Rev.

I got a long-ass flight coming up next week, but what I hear this game really eats batteries?

@smokepants: Just snagged the game on PSN for free (<3 PS+) and I have to agree. I understand the appeal is that it's a very throwback game in terms of gameplay, but man, Valkyria Chronicles came out a while ago and it's better in pretty much every way, and actually moves the genre forward.

Obviously it's not meant to be played on a console, so I'm probably missing some stuff, but I really don't understand the love for X-COM when there are games that have done the same concept way better.

A very weird choice for GOTY overall in my opinion.

PRO TIP

Play it on an iPad, good lord people. It works great on mine, I've never entered an erroneous command and I'm about 10 hours into a ironman classic game (two 5 hours flights). The iphone version is only for when you absolutely need to get a Xcom fix and don't have access to a tablet.

to be fair to the video game, brad is not a very smart person

Ugh, real games on phones and tablets. When will they learn?

This game needs Driveatar support.

Jeff is amazing in this.

You'd have to be a masochist to play this on a phone.

Luckily, Brad is a masochist.

Also if anyone doesn't yet own this on PC there is a deal on Amazon to get this, Civ IV Complete, and Civ V Gold for $20.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CPBZDPE/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=viglink129408-20

So...same price for a better version along with two other awesome games.

@clush: on the iphone, absolutely, running it on an iphone 5 and the framerate chugs at spots, and does eat at the battery quite a bit.

Everything I've seen other people say about this game on ipad is that Firaxis did an awesome job with it. So I don't know if the phone version is not nearly as good or what but I didn't expect a negative experience like this.

Edit: @brad When Phil Fish asked Jake Solomon why there was no armor colors, he responded with: "Reduced shader complexity for iOS made color customization much harder. Not ruled out though. I do miss black snipers".

Wait, Brad just admitted to not finishing his 3rd best game of 2012?

It's true. That's kinda weird.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is free with a PlayStation Plus subscription this month. I bought the retail game at launch but installed the PS+ copy; it runs smoother from the drive than from the disc.

I have an iPhone 5 with storage for big games, but not an iPad so I'd pass on the shitty controls alone. Could be a great game for a tablet if it wasn't missing the customization of armour colours.

They´re all too busy with their jobs. They can´t play video games... wait. It shouldn´t be like this, right?

@richyeah: So good. "Move your soldier to the roof of that building."

Quick prick

it is so weird to see a gamecenter achievement on a quicklook

Well this looks less than ideal to play... Think i'll stick to the pc version if i want to go back to this. Suppose it's good for people who don't own a console/pc?

Wow, that was painful to watch, and I hate to be that guy but you're playing it wrong if you are saving and reloading your game all the time in XCOM.

You will be happy to know that iOS 7 adds the option to mute notifications when Do Not Disturb is enabled and the device is unlocked. It also adds quick access to those controls.

But you are going to hate iOS 7 if you already have difficulty reading text on your phone.

This makes me want to go back and play Classic Ironman, but my first run was 50 hours long and I have all these other games that will get jealous if I go back to it.

I love this recent trend of under 30 minute Quick Looks. Make it so much easier to chew through them when they're not an hour or an hour an a half each.

Huh. I had assumed the phone version was hard to control until my friend who had never played it before said he had no problems with it. I....I kinda trust his judgement more.

Were my psionic bros at!?

Psionic bros! don't buy a watered down port of XCOM with finicky unresponsive touch controls.

Got this game is free on PS plus. I think I'm going to stick to that.

This makes me want to play Xcom again but this time on ironman classic, but I have too many other games to play! Bummer.

You know, this game is free for PS Plus members. At least for this month.

@thiefsie said:

It is literally the exact same game.

They might say that it runs on iPad 2, but it keeps crashing on mine when it's not lagging to hell.

There's no way that I would ever bother with this game on an iPhone/iPad if I even had them, as it seems overly complicated for touch controls. They really should put this on Vita to get the most out of both worlds.

Looks fine, but the question is why? Why would you want to play this on a iPhone? An iPad maybe but the screen size seems really questionable. The PC version is way better.

@smokepants: That's why Ironman mode exists in order to rid save-reload scenarios. Playing that way ofcourse make's it tedious but why do it in the first place. It's better that you play as is instead of save scumming if you think that make's it cheap and takes the fun out of the game.

You know, I wish they put this out on Vita. That would be an awesome platform for it.

Who the hell plays iOS games with their thumbs? especially on the iphone? I always hold the phone with my left hand and then use my right hand index finger to play... if I need 2 fingers (for rotating camera) then right thumb and right index finger... but clicking on things and pointing? Always index finger.

I think either Brad's phone is broken or his fingers are XD

I seem to remember him having problems with another iPhone Quick Look, regardless as with most other Quick Looks this is NOT representative of the actual game, just someone's experience with it.

If you like XCOM, buy it and form your own opinions rather than co-opting someone else's.

This isn't really the kind of game you need to finish to have an opinion on. You could play a ton of Civ 5 without ever winning, and you'd still be able to have a valid opinion.

Just bought the phone version this afternoon. Played about 3 missions so far. Just started the quick look but I've had none of the control issues he seems to be having at the start of this quick look. Granted I use the camera icon on the left which allows for some quick rotation and floor changing without the need for fancy finger swipes. Hopefully he'll figure that out before the end of the quick look, but after seeing his Company of Heroes 2 quick look I doubt it. There are enough checks and balances on movement and attacking that I've never made an accidental movement or shooting mistake due to the controls.

Naturally if you are sitting at home by a console or PC, that's the version you want to play. But if you are looking for some pocket portable XCOM, the phone version is still pretty awesome.

Edit: Yup, once again Brad's unpreparedness for a Quick Look leaves an overly negative impression. You are playing on a small screen so you do have to make some concessions. Trying to play zoomed out just seems stupid, and I have no idea why he was so intent on playing that way. Zoom out to get awareness but usually you are moving cover to cover so it's really not hard to pick your next cover point while zoomed in. Also the finger movements to control the camera are a non-issue since you can just tap the camera button to get camera rotation and elevation changes and as I suspected he clearly has never attempted to press the camera icon.

I played the PC version so i know that your fingers are going to be selecting people, selecting enemies, selecting locations, rotating, zooming, raising and lowering elevation, phwaa. That would be fine if the game was simple but Xcom is not, you're going to want to do all of that just to see what the hit percentages are with one soldier, then undo and redo it all for another soldier to make the best decision, then you might want to use the first soldier so you undo.... yeah, play this on PC.

I played and loved Xcom a lot. And I think this would be a cool game to play wherever I am. But I would say play this on an ipad not iphone or touch, obviously. Can't wait for XCOM 2!

Oh man, Brad ONLY YOU hahahaahaha

Oh Bradly...

If you had the ability, and the option, why would you NOT play this on the iPad? You're doing the game, and yourselves a disservice.

Ya this looks like the worst way to play xcom. according to the comments the i pad version works well, perhaps they should not have released on the phone, because that was the least awesome x com ive ever watched.

The price point is ridiculous! I'll just stick with the PC/ Mac version.