Xcom: Enemy Unknown Review

Xcom: Enemy Unknown is a tactical piece of art with its 2 turn based gaming style it brings something new and fresh to the table that is difficult, time consuming and very enjoyable.

The game brings you into a world where alien life has took home on earth and there main cause is destruction, this sparks the Xcom mission to rid the world of these extra terrestrials and calm the panic across the globe. You play as the commander and your objective is to control the Xcom squad in killing off the aliens and restore the peace within the world. Your role as the commander is to control basically the whole operation and the completion of the game lies on your shoulders.  Giving out instructions to what the scientists should research next, what the engineers need to make and build for the next project, where to put satellites across the globe to intercept UFO's, these are just a few of the many things you have to control as commander of the Xcom operation. All these aspects are easy to learn but hard to get right. Numerous hours can be spent on putting out satellites and interceptor ships but one small overlook can have a country in panic and this is something that you dont want to happen.

" So it is very important you learn the best tactics..."

With each country having its various benefits to the operation ; more engineers, more scientists, squad members, money, equipment and more, it is futile that you tend to the needs of every country to create a well structure organization. This deems very difficult as anything can go wrong at any given moment. If you decide to take on a mission to wipe out the alien life forms after a UFO crash, deploying your best men, equipping them with the best utilities you have and still fail, the whole operation will be hanging by a thread and it is very difficult to restore peace within the country that you have failed in. So it is very important that you learn the best tactics with the different squad types to stop failure being an option.

" you feel a strange attachment to these characters ... "





Tactics and soldier variety is the real beauty that sets this a side from any other game. Hiring a number of soldiers, all beginning at rookie level, it is your job to take them to the battlefield and promote them through the ranks creating different attributes and abilities for each. With a maximum number of 6, the squad can vary from Heavy, Assault, Support and Marksmen each with there own type of equipment to create a well based squad for any mission. But having variety in soldier isn't enough on the battlefield. Being tactically smart is the key in winning any mission. As you are met with a number of different enemies also with different abilities you have to take a real understanding in how the maneuver on the map and you have to be careful when positioning you squad. You have only two turns to position where you want your soldiers and what to do, one slip up of maneuvering can see one of your best men die on the field and it will leave you heartbroken. That's right, heartbroken. As the game has such depth with the customization of your characters, creating the way they look, how they fight and even renaming them with nicknames you feel a strange attachment to these characters and watching them fall on the battlefield is a tragic event.

" ... they come off dull and you feel no real emotion for them "




The same however can not be said for the supporting cast. As you progress you are met with a number of other characters within the research labs and engineering labs that lead you through the story but they come off dull and you feel no real emotion for them as they dont develop much as individuals. There is also the cliche of the council dictating your every move who seems to be bald man in a dark room that you never see, makes you lose any connection to the supporting cast creating a mundane story at best. 

Nonetheless, Xcom: Enemy Unknown is tactically splendid and will have you sitting for hours putting the world back to its original form and destroying all alien life form reducing the panic across the globe. With a mix of tactics behind the scenes and on the battlefield each aspect will have you satisfied with what youve accomplished outweighing the poor supporting cast and unexciting story, leaving a more than enjoyable game for tactical lovers.

                                                              8 out of 10

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