The XCOM franchise first debuted in 1994 and revolutionized early PC games before slowly fading into relative obscurity. After nearly a decade of silence, Firaxis Games, developer of the long-running Civilization series, brought this once-dead series back to life with 2012’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Updated for the 21st century, XCOM: Enemy Unknown stays true to its roots while delivering on the promise of tense tactical gameplay.
Game
XCOM: Enemy Unknown divides its gameplay into two sections. These are turn-based missions and pseudo real-time base management.
As the commander of XCOM (Extraterrestrial Combat Unit), it is up to the player to make crucial decisions on how best to use the organization’s resources to counter alien invasions of Earth. The number of countries under your protection determines XCOM’s monthly income. Building and launching satellites requires valuable time and resources that could be spent on other projects.
Some countries contribute more than others, but losing any nation to alien conquest is irreversible. It also takes you one step closer to total defeat. If half the world falls to the alien invaders, the game is over.
Losing a country also prevents you from receiving the unique bonuses for having full satellite coverage on a continent. Richer nations may offer better rewards, but players need to balance short-term gain with long-term strategy.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown has a traditional linear storyline, but you get more miles from the game’s emerging narrative. The game’s storyline is fully functional and does a decent job of putting missions together, but the real story is in the handcrafted levels and battles that take place there.
Start a new Thread