XCOM is really a mixed fair for me, I can see the potential for a really enjoyable gameplay experience here, but it’s one that just hasn’t clicked with me. The cut-scenes and story are pretty well made and it really gives the game some substance. I just find the missions a little long winded and repetitive at time and find it hard to keep my concentration while playing.
But this is a strategic game and I know many of you will be reading this and thinking I haven’t got a clue what I’m talking about, you might be right too. What I do know is that I am a gamer, I love a good old shoot em’ up too, but for me games need to be fun and for me this is just hard work as I suspect it may be for a lot of people who aren’t already familiar with the strategic war game formula.
But where I find it falls short as a game, it does prevail as a solid digital form of strategic war gaming, something I know will go down well with my a few of my friends who play table top war games.
It’s with those friends that I found a little light at the end of the tunnel for XCOM, it’s multiplayer modes. While the options are limited in terms of maps, there are a few interesting dynamics on offer, with timed moves and the ability to use both human and alien races in your squad. I found this to be more enjoyable that the main story but overall not enough to keep me going back to the game.
So overall I have to say it is a good game, not quite award worthy but certainly entertaining. If you are a fan of strategy, a bit of classic sci-fi story or of course the original UFO: Enemy Unknown, you’re going to love this, but it seems for me that since the original 1994 title, my war gaming skills have improved by zero.
That was a good review, and you have an interesting take
that I haven’t read from other reviewers. You’ve actually given me a bit of
pause to run out and buy it, which is good because I’ve been tempted to break
my game-buying rule and pick it up. But with Christmas just around the corner,
that’s probably not the best idea, and I should just stick to my game buying
rule. I actually got the game-buying rule from one of my coworkers at DISH
after Deus Ex: Human Revolution turned out to be a big let down. Now I don’t
buy a game without first thoroughly play-testing it. I rent them through DISH’s
Blockbuster @Home before I consider buying them, and not only does that
eliminate the risk of dropping sixty bucks on a game that’s not worth it, but
since it’s a pay-by-the-month service, I don’t even feel like I’m wasting a few
bucks renting a game that lets me down. From the sounds of it I’ll probably end
up buying XCOM though, but for now I’m putting it in my Blockbuster @Home queue
now so at least I’ll get to play it before I can actually afford to grab a copy
in the store.