Official Xcom Enemy Unknown Thread: Resistance isn't futile, but it is tough

X-com Enemy Unknown, the direct sequel to the legendary PC game (a personal favorite of mine) is almost here. Its made Firaxis (of Civilization fame). Some members of the original team are working on Enemy Unknown and all of them are fans of the original game. Speaking as a guy who played through X-com many times it looks like the team did a great job of capturing the essence of the series.

For those unfamiliar with the series, X-com is a turn based strategy game in which you are the commander of an agency tasked with fighting off alien invaders. In the original game (and by all accounts in this sequel) you have to make hard choices. For example, where you built your base is important because the further your planes have to fly, the more chance aliens have of slipping away before they get their. Also, sometimes there are more alien incursions then you have ships to deal with them. Which invasion do you stop and which do you permit? Also, sometimes aliens are so powerful or your team is so battered its prudent to avoid the fight. Sometimes you have to decide whether or not you want to run extra risks to capture aliens alive or their equipment intact. Those are just a handful of examples of the sorts of problems one has to deal with in X-com.

To talk a bit about the combat, your planes can intercept ufos in the air (victory might translate into the UFOs blowing up in the air or crash landing) and then you can send your ground team in to kill or capture the aliens and their tech. Or you might catch a UFO on the ground (taking a ship intact is better then taking a burned out shell). And sometimes your team has to fight off terrorist attacks. There

There is a demo on Steam, but I wasn't able to play it (it was a stuttering mess on my two year old computer). I think its a bit disappointing there is no console demo prior to release to attract the attention of the uninitiated. I am getting the PS3 version, but I played the old game on the PC, though I also tried out the sluggish PS1 version.

The first review of X-com is up. Given the nature of review embargos, its a very positive review from Game Informer (its quoted in the launch trailer). I'll quote the most positive and negative paragraphs (for the numbers obsessed, it got a 9.5).

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/xcom_enemy_unknown/b/xbox360/archive/2012/10/05/review.aspx

Positive

Firaxis outstanding design strips away every last vestige of tedium from combat while maintaining the agency that makes the original such a classic. Though each soldiers actions are constrained to a basic list, the tactical possibilities are as broad as your imagination: Park a sniper up on a roof and bait the enemy into his killzone, set up behind heavy cover and breach a wall with a rocket, or occupy the enemy with suppression from cover while flanking with a second team.

Negative

As much as I appreciate XCOMs outstanding balance and tight design, the game could benefit from more variety across the board, and not just because I saw maps repeat (albeit with different spawn locations) more often than Id like. Restricting the new equipment you can research largely to guns that do more damage and armor that grants more health is disappointing. The endgame super-armors that let you fly and turn invisible break the mold, but where are the flamethrowers, the flashbangs, the incendiary rockets, the crazy alien weapons that have no analog in earthly technology? Even the psionic abilities you eventually unlock within your operatives have sadly straightforward effects.

Here's a link to the official website.

http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/information

I don't know if the preorder bonuses (supposedly in limited quanties) are still available, but here they are.

Pre-Order now and receive the Elite Soldier Pack DLC, free in limited launch copies of XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

People who buy the console version get the bonuses immediately below

The Elite Soldier Pack includes:

• Classic X-COM Soldier: Players will instantly receive a new recruit in their Barracks inspired by the original X-COM: UFO Defense. The blonde, flattop hairstyle will return in its full glory, modernized with the rest of the XCOM universe.

• Soldier Deco Packs: Players can customize their soldier with several aesthetic upgrades to armor suits including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits.

• Complete Color Customization: A variety of colors and tints for all armor sets provides complete customization of your squads appearance.

There are different bonuses available on PC, depending on whether your get a Steam copy or a physical copy.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/75646/xcom-enemy-unknown-experiments-with-pre-order-bonuses-on-steam

I will fill this post with links to additional reviews as they trickle in. For those who want a hand-on experience, the demo is already on Steam and will hit PSN and XBL a little later on this week.

Eurogamer - 9

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-08-xcom-enemy-unknown-review_3

This sense of tension is manifested in the fact that troops can panic; a 'Will' stat shows how strong-minded each individual is and under extreme pressure anyone can crack. When a soldier panics, he or she performs a random action (which may include shooting an enemy or team-mate) and misses a turn.

I was once assaulting the control room of a crashed UFO. Two assault troopers, two snipers covering the door, one support class. I open the door and the support goes down under a barrage of laser fire - one of the assault troops panics, runs into the room, and is easily picked off. His mate panics at seeing this, and then he runs into the room. He promptly dies, one of my snipers gets mind-controlled, and the last sniper finally snaps and just hunkers down, gibbering. No-one came home. Having troops panic isn't always quite so dramatic, but boy does it have its moments.

http://kotaku.com/5949522/xcom-enemy-unknown-the-kotaku-review

Kotaku - Buy

Which leads me to the game's biggest achievement: its handling of your soldier's lives (and deaths). The sense of attachment and mourning over lost soldiers was a big part of people's love for the original, and those feelings will only be stronger for veterans of this 2012 campaign. You can customise almost every aspect of your soldier's lives, from their names to their faces, armour colour schemes, weapons loadouts, even the abilities they gain as they level up.

This makes you love them while they're alive, but in this game, death is around every corner. It doesn't matter if a soldier has survived one mission or one hundred, they can all die in a single moment of inattentiveness. The feeling of loss once a veteran, beloved soldier goes down is crushing. In a good way. Not many games will take your best toys away from you so swiftly and permanently, and so not many games really force you to look after them and appreciate them as well as XCOM does.

Destructoid - 9

http://www.destructoid.com/review-xcom-enemy-unknown-236113.phtml

Missions cover bomb defusals, VIP escorts, and rescue operations, but most of the time youll 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 3s enemies that magically appear instead of approaching the player, is the best way to describe one of EUs 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 doesnt 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. Its certainly a change from the original, where aliens would be found standing still when discovered.

1up - A

http://www.1up.com/reviews/xcom-enemy-unknown-review

Like classic XCOM, Enemy Unknown dumps a lot of responsibility into your hands almost immediately; from the outset, you're tasked with running an entire alien defense department, as well as the intricacies of the various recon and rescue missions launched at your command. Rather than saddle the game with an overbearing and intrusive story, Enemy Unknown plays out like a straightforward strategy board game, in which a limited amount of elements can be arranged for a different session every time. Though XCOM slowly leads you down a path dotted with story missions, research milestones, and important events, each playthrough will yield a different experience; I restarted my campaign after some particularly poor choices, and found myself playing through an entirely new set of missions (requiring fresh strategies) before reaching the point where I'd originally lost all hope. And yes, XCOM is a game you can actually lose, as your campaign will end if a certain amount of countries drop out of your alien-busting alliance due to frustration over your incompetence, or their inability to communicate due to mass extinction. Having a healthy back catalog of saves isn't just recommended; it's required.

Joystiq - 9

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/xcom-enemy-unknown-review/

My squad touches down in a wooded area, somewhere in the continental United States. The Skyranger's ramp lowers and my soldiers shuffle out. Dead animals litter the ground under the tree cover. I inch my squad members forward, toward the crashed UFO. I'm the one who shot it down, and I expect its occupants are none too happy about it. As my squad slowly creeps forward, wary of ambush, I notice strange pods scattered about the terrain. I have just enough time to wonder what they are before my point man, Cameron "Shield" Robertson, discovers three Muton soldiers ugly, hulking brutes with equally nasty plasma rifles.

The Mutons scramble into cover, positioning themselves to fire. Before they have a chance, my heavy trooper readies a rocket launcher, sending its payload directly into the aliens, scorching their hides and blasting their cover to smithereens. Now fully exposed, the beasts make easy targets for my sniper, Sheng "Xeno" Lin. Thanks to some special training, he quickly settles into "the zone," taking out all three Mutons with three perfect shots in rapid succession.

The entire exchange is exhilarating, and I pat myself on the back for a job well done. Little do I know that I have just wasted my only rocket, and that I'll really regret it later on. It's choices like these, and their repercussions, that define XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

Anyone who played the original X-Com and thought it is one of the best games made? I'd like to hear your opinion on the new one. Once you've played enought, of course.

Still need to try the demo. Was trying to get it off Steam, but if it's coming to PSN, I'll just try it there instead. Game looks great. Really looking forward to it.

I've only put three hours in (haven't run into any alien bases) but I'm loving it so far. Battle is as brutal as ever. One mistake can translate into deaths and even guys doing the smart thing sometimes die (sometimes aliens get a lucky shot). As in life, sometimes body armor saves a life, sometimes it is insufficient, so one never wants to bet on it. Aside from the intro, I've lost two guys. One of them climbed to a high vantage point which gave her a great view of the battlefield, but left her completely exposed (a stupid move on my part). shot by a thin man and died instantly. Another soldier got shot by a boosted sectoid (one who was psionically linked to another sectoid, enhancing their aim) which crouching behind partial cover. He didn't die immediately, but he was badly wounded and he bled out before he could be saved (he wsa kind of off in a different part of the map than everyone else).

I was worried about the fact enemies activate and get a turn when they are spotted (that could result in a lot of unfair deaths) but happily it seems like their turn is only for movement (so effectively once spotted they run for cover) so its not aliens are getting free first shots.

Tried the deom last night. I'm buying it today. Never thought I'd see another X com game made.

[QUOTE="fl4tlined"]so far the game is increadibly frustrating to the point of missing the most important part of a game...(the fun) either i play on normal and steamroll everything and get no charecter deaths with basically no sort of challenge (atleast for me so far i just met my first muton squad and obliterated them easily) to the point of being bored to tears almost.... or i play on classic which is balls bustingly difficult due to how cheap the RNG on the enemy feels to the point of being straight up frustrating.dvader654

Given that I am an Xcom veteran, I started off with classic difficulty. Four to five hours in I haven't had a hard time with it (no, let me rephrase that, its hard, but not frustrating if you accept that while caution can bring victory, it doesn't guarantee that everyone makes it home alive).

Picked it up yesterday and played it for a few hours. Really addictive.

Found it really easy at first then got to a mission where I was simply crushed into the ground. I'm not too happy with how I spent my cash and choices I made so I'm starting over now I have a handle on it.

I would say from what i've seen so far this could be my GOTY.

I enjoyerd this combat far more than the first one just that It feel less about cruching numbers and more about thinking of where I should place my men. I do agree the upgrades are just more powerful of the old weapons.

Dvaders/Carnages impressions makes me want to drop Dishonored and get this. You guys always make games sound so fun.

[QUOTE="F1Lengend"]

Dvaders/Carnages impressions makes me want to drop Dishonored and get this. You guys always make games sound so fun.

dvader654

[QUOTE="dvader654"][QUOTE="F1Lengend"]

Dvaders/Carnages impressions makes me want to drop Dishonored and get this. You guys always make games sound so fun.

F1Lengend

Prepare yourself for a rude awakening. Even hardcore TBS players have trouble with this game.

Never been an RTS person -- not because I've played and hated them, just never given the genre a shot. Is this game good enough to draw me in and make me a fan?

Never been an RTS person -- not because I've played and hated them, just never given the genre a shot. Is this game good enough to draw me in and make me a fan?

Jbul

Its turn based but fast paced and its an excellent game, so you might like it. There is a downloadable demo you can try (on PC, PSN and XBL).

[QUOTE="Jbul"]

Never been an RTS person -- not because I've played and hated them, just never given the genre a shot. Is this game good enough to draw me in and make me a fan?

dvader654

Thats high praise, and coming from you I believe it. I tried out the demo last night and was really blown away by the atmosphere. The tutorial did a good job of giving you a basic understanding of the systems, which seem deep but not inaccessible. I was so intrigued in fact I drove directly to Best Buy to pick the game up after finishing the demo, but those assclowns changed their hours this week without telling me :P so I was unable to get it. Tonight on my way home from work I'll pick it up. Definitely eager to play more.

Never heard of XCom before and from the title/box art, etc of this game I thought it was just another shooter and ignored it completely. Until I tried the demo -- oops guess I was totally wrong about that. I absoultely want this game now.

Anyone know how well Xcom is selling? I was thinking of picking it up at Bestbuy as part of the buy 2 get 1 free, but with Black Friday around the corner I'm not sure if I should wait. Does anyone have any opinions on how fast the price willl drop on this game? I really want to get it now, but if it is likely to be $20-30 on Black Friday I will wait.

Game is awesome. Suspenseful and tense like few other games I've played. Coming from someone who's not an RTS fan, I think this game has a broader appeal without sacrificing the deep core gameplay that makes these games so interesting to hardcore gamers. What people have said about "caring" about your squad is strangely true, I've found myself renaming them, giving them unique nicknames, and so on. And when they get hurt or die, you feel a sense of loss. I just played a mission with a dramatic difficulty spike (I'm playong on Normal, don't judge me) and although I got my ass kicked, I learned a whole hell of a lot. The tutorial is good, but I found myself restarting the game about midway through without it on and loved the complete control I had from the beginning -- immediately able to build things and modify your squad.

How the hell is it that an RTS can be more involving and nerve-wracking than most of this generation's survival horror games? No idea, but I'm really in awe of this game.

Two bits of DLC for X-com have been announced. One was the free preorder bonus, the second is the following.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-23-first-xcom-enemy-unknown-dlc-announced

The first of these is called the Slingshot Content Pack, which includes a new set of linked Council missions. You'll meet an "enigmatic" Triad operative, divert an alien ship's course and battle aliens in the skies over China.

There are three new maps tied to the Council missions, a new playable squad character with a unique story and voice and new character customisation options. 2K is yet to announce a release date or price, but did say it will be out soon and provided the image, below.

Game is awesome. Suspenseful and tense like few other games I've played. Coming from someone who's not an RTS fan, I think this game has a broader appeal without sacrificing the deep core gameplay that makes these games so interesting to hardcore gamers. What people have said about "caring" about your squad is strangely true, I've found myself renaming them, giving them unique nicknames, and so on. And when they get hurt or die, you feel a sense of loss. I just played a mission with a dramatic difficulty spike (I'm playong on Normal, don't judge me) and although I got my ass kicked, I learned a whole hell of a lot. The tutorial is good, but I found myself restarting the game about midway through without it on and loved the complete control I had from the beginning -- immediately able to build things and modify your squad.

How the hell is it that an RTS can be more involving and nerve-wracking than most of this generation's survival horror games? No idea, but I'm really in awe of this game.

Jbul

[QUOTE="Jbul"]

Game is awesome. Suspenseful and tense like few other games I've played. Coming from someone who's not an RTS fan, I think this game has a broader appeal without sacrificing the deep core gameplay that makes these games so interesting to hardcore gamers. What people have said about "caring" about your squad is strangely true, I've found myself renaming them, giving them unique nicknames, and so on. And when they get hurt or die, you feel a sense of loss. I just played a mission with a dramatic difficulty spike (I'm playong on Normal, don't judge me) and although I got my ass kicked, I learned a whole hell of a lot. The tutorial is good, but I found myself restarting the game about midway through without it on and loved the complete control I had from the beginning -- immediately able to build things and modify your squad.

How the hell is it that an RTS can be more involving and nerve-wracking than most of this generation's survival horror games? No idea, but I'm really in awe of this game.

Smokescreened84

Thank you so much for that.

Finally arrived from GameFly. Played three missions. So far so good. Can see where the game will eventually get crazy hard. Lot of risk in moving about, what with everyone activating overwatch.

I don't think I'm clever enough for XCOM. I really liked the demo so I decided to take a plunge into uncharted waters and get the full game. I know I've only scratched the surface (I've just reached the mission where the spider-like, zombifying enemies make their first appearance, Chrysalids I think they're called) but I can feel everything slipping out of my grasp. The game seems to require an attention to detail and an ability to plan and think strategically that I just don't possess.

Man I LOVE this game! Other than the small key binding problem I have a hard time finding much fault in the game. I recently did a gameplay vid of me doing a mid game mission...you guys should check it out if you get a chance.:D

I don't think I'm clever enough for XCOM. I really liked the demo so I decided to take a plunge into uncharted waters and get the full game. I know I've only scratched the surface (I've just reached the mission where the spider-like, zombifying enemies make their first appearance, Chrysalids I think they're called) but I can feel everything slipping out of my grasp. The game seems to require an attention to detail and an ability to plan and think strategically that I just don't possess.

Business_Fun

Don't get discouraged, the first encounter with chrysallids is always brutal.

This game has proved to be as big a threat to productivity as I feared it would. Spent four hours on it today. Having a pretty easy time with the actual missions so far (I imagine that's only because I'm still relatively early in the game), but the base management has been brutal. Keep nearly running out of cash.

Lovin' the game, though. Definitely one of the best strategy games to come out in years.

A DLC pack is hitting this week for 7 bucks. Three missions, earlier than usual access to tech and a defined character. I love X-com, but this doesn't sound like it enhances the formula any (no new weapons, enemies or technology), so I'll probably pass.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/11/30/xcom-enemy-unknown-slingshot-dlc-out-next-tuesday-weve-played-it/

A free bit of DLC entitled Second Wave which offers some interesting tweaks is hitting soon.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/08/xcom-getting-second-wave-dlc-for-free

To this end, Second Wave adds a series of optional tweaks to XCOM's gameplay, including:

• Damage Roulette: Weapons have a wider range of damage.
• New Economy: Randomized council member funding.
• Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
• Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, stats increase randomly.
• Red Fog: Combat wounds will degrade the soldiers mission stats.
• Absolutely Critical: A flanking shot guarantees a critical hit.
• The Greater Good: Psionics can only be learned from interrogating a psionic alien.
• Marathon: The game takes considerably longer to complete.
• Results Driven: A country offers less funding as its panic level increases.
• High Stakes: Random rewards for stopping alien abductions.
• Diminishing Returns: Increased cost of satellite construction.
• More Than Human: The psionic gift is extremely rare.

Red Fog, Damage Roulette, High Stakes and Marathon are all tweaks I will take advantage of.When I'm feeling machoistic I'll play through with Results Driven.

A free bit of DLC entitled Second Wave which offers some interesting tweaks is hitting soon.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/08/xcom-getting-second-wave-dlc-for-free

To this end, Second Wave adds a series of optional tweaks to XCOM's gameplay, including:

• Damage Roulette: Weapons have a wider range of damage.
• New Economy: Randomized council member funding.
• Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
• Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, stats increase randomly.
• Red Fog: Combat wounds will degrade the soldiers mission stats.
• Absolutely Critical: A flanking shot guarantees a critical hit.
• The Greater Good: Psionics can only be learned from interrogating a psionic alien.
• Marathon: The game takes considerably longer to complete.
• Results Driven: A country offers less funding as its panic level increases.
• High Stakes: Random rewards for stopping alien abductions.
• Diminishing Returns: Increased cost of satellite construction.
• More Than Human: The psionic gift is extremely rare.

Red Fog, Damage Roulette, High Stakes and Marathon are all tweaks I will take advantage of.When I'm feeling machoistic I'll play through with Results Driven.

CarnageHeart

Ooo. These should be fun.