Well it was both the staff’s and the community’s strategy game of 2012, and now it’s time for us to take a more detailed look at just why XCOM performed so well. What was it about battling an alien invasion on a global scale that held such appeal for everyone?
Well maybe it was the game’s AI, something that Peter selected for praise in his review of the game. He noted that “The enemy AI has the fantastic knack of knowing which of your units to outflank and gang up on,” and essentially praised the way that it makes you think and manage your troops. If you fail in that task then you’ll end up with panicked troops, and that in turn leads to missed shoots and spreading terror that can take out an entire squad if you’re unlucky.
[drop2]He also enjoyed the game’s pop-culture references, with enemies “seemingly lifted directly from a 1950s B-movie”. That kind of thing is likely to endear enemies to you even if they are trying to slaughter you, a tricky task in a strategy title.Then there’s the global nature of the game, with your success in an individual mission reflected in the level of panic of that region of the world. Of course improving one region doesn’t effect the globe as a whole and managing those various regions forms a nice meta-game, creating a bridge between missions and adding a sense of connectivity to the game as a whole. There’s also intelligence gathering and research tying the whole thing together, a nice touch that pushes the importance of a mission beyond the mission itself.
Peter really did find a lot to like in the game, rating it at 9/10 and wrapping up the review by saying:
This is a great game, packed with finely tuned systems in all areas of the gameplay. The music is really excellent, with a main theme that will linger with you and perfectly fitting sound design for weaponry and incidental noises. Some of the dialogue delivery is a bit dry and stilted but the writing is solid enough. Imagine a kind of mix of Fringe and Stargate and you’ll be in the right ballpark. It’s difficult to find an area of XCOM that’s flawed enough to warrant major complaint and while there are a few very minor niggles, it’s nothing you couldn’t (or shouldn’t) overlook.
As per usual it’s time to throw open the doors to your opinions on the game. Peter may have absolutely loved it, and its strategy game of 2012 status seems to back up that love, but the question is really whether or not you appreciated it and the same way? Did you enjoy fighting back the alien menace, or did the game not manage to sink its claws into you?
If you feel like sharing your opinions on the game then all you need to do is drop a comment below, remembering to add your verdict on the game. You can select your verdict from one of four categories: Buy It, Bargain Bin It, Rent It or Avoid It. Just add one of those to your comment and it’ll be added to the tally in Monday’s verdict article, as long as you have your comment written by Sunday afternoon.
RocketSOL
Buy it. Probably my favourite game of 2012. It’s very unforgiving but rather than make you think “far too difficult, I won’t bother!” you think “One more go, this time I know what NOT to do!”. Four campaign attempts in and I still haven’t won. Still it keeps me coming back for more!
Sympozium
Bought this game on the sale for PC. I’ve never played these sort of games before so it would’ve been risky. Sadly I haven’t played much of it. I can say that its great though, I like the gameplay and the presentation. Its great.
So… eh everyone says its brilliant so buy it :D
bowie
Probably one of the most stressful gaming experiences I have ever played. Every decision weighs upon you heavily. Do you spend money on satellites so you can detect the alien craft? Or do you spend money on fighters to shoot them down? Or do spend money on equipping your soldiers so that they can clean up the crash site? Each time you commit to one you feel like what you need is what you didn’t pick. So stressful. So wonderfully stressful because when you manage to pull off a successful mission with limited resources by the skin of your teeth it just feels so good. Buy it.
LTG Davey
If you have even a passing interest in RTS games this one is definitely worth a look. BUY
sabbat7001
While I agree with your sentement (as in Buy it) it’s important to point out that it’s NOT and RTS. I’m terrible at RTS (Real Time Strategy) games and if this was an RTS I would have avoided it. It’s turn based and the consequences of your actions lie in choice, not in not reacting to something quick enough or overlooking something because you were distracted elsewhere, which is where my problem with RTS games lie.
That’s not a critisism of RTS games in and of themselves. I just lack the skill to pay attention to such a broad scope and I lack the quicker reactions required to handle multiple situations simultaniously.
Starman
BUY IT! My favourite of last year, i really got into the character levelling aspect & the tech you unlock as you progress. Only minus is it could have been longer, was actually disappointed when i finished it!
Hopefully it sold enough to not only gain a sequel, but to inspire other devs/publishers to take a chance on a genre that isn’t the usual fps/sports sim.