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    XCOM: Enemy Unknown

    Game » consists of 19 releases. Released Oct 09, 2012

    The classic tactical turn-based combat returns in this modern re-imagining of X-COM: UFO Defense.

    Sell me on this game ...

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    feliciano182

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    #1  Edited By feliciano182

    Hello everyone, now, I don't want to sound rude, I only ask for legitimate opinions as to why I should buy XCOM: Enemy Unknown, I've never played turn-based Sci-Fi shooters, and certainly nothing of the caliber of this game, yet I want to buy something for myself early next year, and this might just interest me if I get convinced.

    So, why should I buy this game ?

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    haffy

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    #2  Edited By haffy

    It's pretty good.

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    Funkydupe

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    #3  Edited By Funkydupe

    Game of the Year 2012 on Giant Bomb. Read the forums for opinions. Read anywhere. Use google. Fun game.

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    yeahimjordan

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    #4  Edited By yeahimjordan

    If you are a fan of RTS games or Sci Fi, it deserves a play through. If not, dont bother.

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    blackichigo

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    #5  Edited By blackichigo

    No...you get nothing from me.

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    IBurningStar

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    #6  Edited By IBurningStar

    Watch the Quick Look.

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    bishna

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    #7  Edited By bishna

    @Razorlution said:

    If you are a fan of RTS games or Sci Fi, it deserves a play through. If not, dont bother.

    I don't know man, XCOM is really something special. I am not sure that it will only appeal to those crowds. Also I hate RTS, but I love turn based strategy.

    I would say if you like the premise of repelling an alien invasion with only a handful of good men (and lasers) then you should give XCOM a shot.

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    Jimbo

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    #8  Edited By Jimbo

    It's not great by any means, but it does offer something different to the regular mainstream fare if that's all you usually play. It's the Civ 5 of this genre: worth playing if you're looking to expand your gaming horizons in a relatively comfortable way.

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    Spoonman671

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    #9  Edited By Spoonman671

    Laser rifle.

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    musubi

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    #10  Edited By musubi

    Sex with blue aliens. Wait....that was mass effect.

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    redcream

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    #11  Edited By redcream

    Giant Bomb's GOTY choices usually don't disappoint. Yeah that's my argument.

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    Fredchuckdave

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    #12  Edited By Fredchuckdave

    Fun game; Worst GoTY of all time possibly but that's more the year's fault than anything else (certainly the buggiest GoTY of all time). FTL is better and still a grueling experience; also costs like 5 bucks instead of 50. I also think FTL's graphics (obviously the soundtrack too) are better than XCOM's.

    @Spoonman671: Aw that made me think of a much better game; the original Syndicate. Persuadatron!

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    s10129107

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    #13  Edited By s10129107

    Just about all the game of the year coverage describes why you should get XCOM. Every list, every quick look, every podcast. I mean, seriously.

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    killacam

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    #14  Edited By killacam

    JUST BUY IT

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    procrasturbate

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    #15  Edited By procrasturbate

    If you need to be "sold" on the game by now, please don't play.

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    TheSouthernDandy

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    #16  Edited By TheSouthernDandy

    It's rad. Like, super rad.

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    MiniPato

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    #17  Edited By MiniPato

    @Razorlution said:

    If you are a fan of RTS games or Sci Fi, it deserves a play through. If not, dont bother.

    Eh, there's been plenty of cases of people not liking turn based strategy and sci fi and still loving XCOM. And really, who in this day and age who plays games is NOT into sci-fi?

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    Joeyoe31

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    #18  Edited By Joeyoe31

    @TheSouthernDandy said:

    It's rad. Like, super rad.

    Someone beat me to it but this. The game is just straight rad dude. Try the demo if you aren't convinced.

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    Fredchuckdave

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    #19  Edited By Fredchuckdave

    This thread has some dreadful responses, nary an effective or well versed argument for XCOM in it.

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    MariachiMacabre

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    #20  Edited By MariachiMacabre
    @MiniPato

    @Razorlution said:

    If you are a fan of RTS games or Sci Fi, it deserves a play through. If not, dont bother.

    Eh, there's been plenty of cases of people not liking turn based strategy and sci fi and still loving XCOM. And really, who in this day and age who plays games is NOT into sci-fi?

    I am one of those people. I don't like TBS games and this is my #2 game of the year.
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    Jimbo

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    #21  Edited By Jimbo

    @Fredchuckdave said:

    This thread has some dreadful responses, nary an effective or well versed argument for XCOM in it.

    I thought "Laser Rifle" was pretty good.

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    djames216

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    #22  Edited By djames216
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    pr1mus

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    #23  Edited By pr1mus

    @feliciano182: For a turn based strategy game it's super accessible and welcoming for newcomers on the lower difficulties and hard enough on the higher difficulties to keep you occupied for a long time. It's never so overwhelming with all sorts of systems piling on top of one another like other more complex strategy games that you never really know for sure what went wrong. If you fuck up in this one it's usually obvious why and how to fix it.

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    Fredchuckdave

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    #24  Edited By Fredchuckdave

    I guess if a link dump constitutes an argument here's one I found interesting (though moreso because of humorous levels of incompetence): http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1bauNEiHIgx1WESAyDdttks2RXQ9l1zA

    @Pr1mus: If you fuck up in XCOM and aren't dreadful at the game usually it's because the RNG fucked you, you didn't fuck yourself.

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    MariachiMacabre

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    #25  Edited By MariachiMacabre

    1) It's the most accessible TBS game I can think of.

    2) It works beautifully on consoles.

    3) The only other game that messed with my emotions as much as The Walking Dead is XCOM. The difference is soldiers dying in XCOM is all your fault. But the highs are spectacular. Making it through a Terror mission with all of your soldiers alive and minimal civilian deaths is a real feat and it feels like you've just accomplished the near-impossible.

    4) the overarching meta-game is just as interesting as the combat.

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    probablytuna

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    #26  Edited By probablytuna

    Best advice is to download the demo and try it out for yourself. Though if you're planning to play it on console I don't know if there's a demo for the two.

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    bvilleneuve

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    #27  Edited By bvilleneuve

    The demo will be a good introduction to the gameplay systems, but it doesn't really get into the game itself.

    On a very abstract level, XCOM is the best difficult decision generator ever created. You're juggling micro and macro decisions, battlefield sacrifices and long-term strategizing, and it's just incredible. Buy it if you're interested in testing your mettle.

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    Slag

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    #28  Edited By Slag

    @feliciano182:

    Why should I sell you on this game when lead Designer Jake Solomon pitches his game like none has pitched before?

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    Bollard

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    #29  Edited By Bollard

    @Funkydupe said:

    Game of the Year 2012 on Giant Bomb. Read the forums for opinions. Read anywhere. Use google. Fun game.

    Fuuuuuck should've stayed off the forums if I didn't want that spoiled...

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    korolev

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    #30  Edited By korolev

    It depends on what you want out of a game. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is hard and on the higher difficulties, utterly unforgiving. While rewarding, the game also asks you to think very long and hard about what you are doing. It's a game that requires a good amount of caution while playing it. It is also very rewarding, but again, it's makes you work for your reward.

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    feliciano182

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    #31  Edited By feliciano182

    @procrasturbate said:

    If you need to be "sold" on the game by now, please don't play.

    No need to be rude friend, I admit I haven't watched as many videos as I should.

    I guess I'm just wondering how does one transition between the type of frantic experiences one gets from third person or first person shooters to a turn-based type of game.

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    ShaggE

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    #32  Edited By ShaggE

    @procrasturbate said:

    If you need to be "sold" on the game by now, please don't play.

    Why? Will it soil your enjoyment of XCOM knowing that somebody played the game later than you did? What possible logic is there in what you said?

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    ImmortalSaiyan

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    #33  Edited By ImmortalSaiyan

    I know you don't want to sound rude but your phrasing is condescending. As if you are better than XCOM and we need to justify why is it worth your precious time.

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    procrasturbate

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    #34  Edited By procrasturbate

    @feliciano182: My bad Feliciano182 didn't mean to be rude. It's just that i believe that there's enough content to give you an idea of the type of experience more or less that you could have with this type of game. And just so that you know, i just received XCOM as a xmas day present. I've avoided every piece of info on the game except the Bombcast talks and the idlethumbs podcast. Been loving the game so far and it lives up to the original. Can't recommend this game enough. I think that you might enjoy the change of pace inmensely. I'm going thru it after playing thru Dead Island, Deus Ex HR, Gears 3 and Mass Effect 3 and it's been really refreshing. Also got for xmas Halo 4, Horizon and some other games and XCOM's been my go to game. So yeah! Go out and get it!

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    delmariachi

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    #35  Edited By delmariachi

    Great combination of action and strategy, whilst actually having characters you give a shit about... Nothing like losing your first highly ranked officer, especially as they cannot be respawned or any crap like that. I've only ever played the old Command and Conquer and Halo Wars in terms of RTS style games and this is phenomenol, only narrowly beaten by Borderlands 2 for me in 2012

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    crusader8463

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    #36  Edited By crusader8463

    @probablytuna said:

    Best advice is to download the demo and try it out for yourself. Though if you're planning to play it on console I don't know if there's a demo for the two.

    FUCK NO! Worst advice ever! The demo for this game is fucking terrible and should be avoided at all costs. I was easily one of the most excited people in the world for this game leading up to launch and that demo almost made me do a full 180 on excitement for the game. Watch the QL, watch some videos of people playing on youtube and decide for yourself if it's something you want.

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    udabenshen

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    #37  Edited By udabenshen

    It is the best way to get into the genre. Super accessible, if you want can stay simple, or you can go very deep. Scalable difficulty. It's the best game of the year.

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    probablytuna

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    #38  Edited By probablytuna

    @crusader8463 said:

    @probablytuna said:

    Best advice is to download the demo and try it out for yourself. Though if you're planning to play it on console I don't know if there's a demo for the two.

    FUCK NO! Worst advice ever! The demo for this game is fucking terrible and should be avoided at all costs. I was easily one of the most excited people in the world for this game leading up to launch and that demo almost made me do a full 180 on excitement for the game. Watch the QL, watch some videos of people playing on youtube and decide for yourself if it's something you want.

    I had the exact opposite experience of what you had.

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    hermes

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    #39  Edited By hermes
    @IBurningStar

    Watch the Quick Look.

    This. It will give you a lot of understanding about the gameplay and the excitement on people.
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    fattony12000

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    #40  Edited By fattony12000

    @feliciano182:

    I'll give you a few good reasons right here.

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    Claude

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    #41  Edited By Claude

    I couldn't even get through the demo. That's a no buy motherfucker. There's a fucking demo. Play that motherfucker and decide.

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    Mikey2D

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    #42  Edited By Mikey2D

    Download the demo and try it out - honestly that's all I did after all the buzz surrounding the game and I was hooked from there. The game is fantastic.

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    feliciano182

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    #43  Edited By feliciano182

    @Mikey2D said:

    Download the demo and try it out - honestly that's all I did after all the buzz surrounding the game and I was hooked from there. The game is fantastic.

    Why that is a most excellent idea, thank you both.

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    Mikey2D

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    #44  Edited By Mikey2D

    No problem - be sure to let us know if you love it or hate it

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    djou

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    #45  Edited By djou

    Yes, absolutely. Its one of the best game I played in years.

    Case in point, one of my heavy assault trooper (Isingoma Onedede of Kenya) developed psychic abilities after I put him through testing in my psionic lab. He earned the nickname "Prototype" since he was the first to show these gifts after I tested ten others. One time in battle he killed four enemies in one turn. Blowing up a cyberdisk with his plasma cannon which in turn blew up two nearby drone. Wearing the Psi Armor I made for him, he was able to mind controlled a berserker allowing for a sniper to go for a headshot. For this he earned the rank of Lieutenant.

    This meta-game has happened with every member of my squad and its awesome.

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    TheDoorman

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    #46  Edited By TheDoorman

    @killacam said:

    JUST BUY IT

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    deactivated-630479c20dfaa

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    The original is still vastly surperior. But if you want an easier, slightly more streamlined and more pleasant looking game, it's definitely worth it. But I don't know if I'd recommend it to someone who dosen't play turn based strategy games.

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