While not really standing on it's own merits and despite not coming close to being a classic, it's still a good game
The whole cover system is veeeery vague and luck-based. While graphics tell (more often than not) where you can and can't shoot in the games like this, in XCOM you're firing through multiple objects, and still hitting the target, if they game deemed your shot being a good one. Stand behind a pillar entirely, with a truck and a container blocking your line of sight? No worries, it's still only a 40% cover! In those games I mentioned previously, one of the things was how to manage the moment when your guy came to the line of sight of the enemy; he could either get shot straight away with an interrupt, or you could take the shot depending on the guy, and then return to cover, to safety (well, minus grenades and so on, of course). No more tactical maneuvering like that, now if you see a target, you can be shot as well. This makes it very dislikable for me to go to Classic -mode, since it feels more like the game is cheating.
You won't be getting a drop on aliens most of the time, 'cause they "wake up" from their apparent battle sleep when you see them, and of course then they get a free round of movement (like, yeah, why wouldn't they?). This I can manage with, but when a group of three crysalids came towards my guys on their turn, got spotted, moved again *and* attacked...that's a bit too much. I was overjoyed after the second group of such creatures came and did the same thing, right after the last one.
Also the fact that you cannot control your overwatch at all is a bit of a disappointment to me. I would've liked to have the option to either shoot or move, and take the shot by myself, or pass the whole thing if it's like 20% chance to hit and save the ammo.
Now, the things that bother me are mainly happening because the very revamped game engine. No more inventory, 'cause the slot additions and weapons and everything is more or less related to the perks you can get to your guys. I find it quite sad, 'cause in all of the beforementioned games, managing the stuff your guys have is probably the most entertaining part for me (especially in JA mods, that add some vests and bags and so on). Taking that out takes out almost half of the game.
Then, since we don't have movement points, strength, stamina and so on on our soldiers, we get only those "move-move" or "move-fire/reload/useskill" -sort of turns, instead of mix of everything. But I suppose that should make some sense, since they are all clones, despite the game gives'em different nationalities and names - they all have the same starting skills, and always progress the same way in their respective lines of duty. Which, of course, we cannot choose ourselves. I suppose this is due the fact that you *could* have loads of, say, support's with 18 medkits overall and so on, but it still seems a bit stupid.
There's always a "but", and that is the case with this one too. While it isn't a good effort compared to the likes of original X-COM's, JA's or SS's, as a game it still quite good. Sure, the obscure way the cover works still shoots itself in the leg and you can't keep wondering how on earth was that shot taken through solid ground, and so on. Sadly though, the game's progress is scripted, and while you shouldn't see many (if any) combat scenarios repeated on the first run-through, this may not be the case on re-plays since the fact they're not randomly generated. 80 scenarios may last long, but not forever.
Also, graphic-wise, to me the game seems a bit so-so. What I mean here is that the whole design could've been a bit less cartoony, but it's still quite decent.
I suppose the game could've gotten a bit different home welcoming had it been named something else than XCOM (altough, possibly also a lukewarm welcoming since nobody would know the brand if it had been renamed to something else). Now, with half of the content very familiar by design (weapons, aliens, gameplay in general), it strays too far off from the game it tries to follow-up. But maybe someday I will find this to be a very good game.
Or maybe Xenonauts will push this down even further, who knows.