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  1. #1

    [Megathread] XCOM : Enemy Unknown

    Turn based squad combat... A very interesting update to a classic.

    http://www.xcom.com/enemyunknown/ is the game website


    Review links can be found here http://www.reddit.com/r/Xcom/comment...fficial_forum/

    Modding information can be found at http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.ph...xcom-mod-talk/


    Great game play videos for Impossible Iron man. There are nine episodes with a new series to start next week. (I have no affiliation with this guy, but he is good fun to watch)


    Episode #1


    Episode #2


    Episode #3


    Episode #4


    Episode #5


    Episode #6


    Episode #7


    Episode #8


    Episode #9
    Last edited by ZeroWashu; 2012-11-15 at 10:49 AM.
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  2. #2
    Mechagnome Finangus's Avatar
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    Downloading now......

    DOWNLOAD FASTER, DAMNIT!

  3. #3
    Pretty stoked for this, I think I'll dodge the demo (don't want to spoil the real thing), but I've already pre-ordered as soon as it became available.

  4. #4
    The demo's pretty awesome, I'm loving the cinematic quality to the story telling and combat and also the way they've maintained the whole balance of moving and shooting and positioning your troops effectively, while streamlining it enough to be easy to pick up, without it being dumbed down. They've got a very good balance and the base is well laid out too. I like the immediacy of everything and a little surprisingly, ground missions are still tense; you feel as though even the most basic enemies could wipe your squad if you screw up.

  5. #5
    Long-time X-Com fan here. Tried the demo. I'm not incredibly drawn in, but I think that's just because the demo either wasn't long enough or wasn't 'free' enough. Still concerned that the creepiness factor is absent. I'll be purchasing the game, but I don't think I'll be playing it fifteen or so years from now like I do with the original.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Thrage View Post
    Still concerned that the creepiness factor is absent.
    If that's true then that is a huge failure. The creepyness is what (IMO) made the original. Will have to try out this demo!
    My Gaming Setup | WoW Paladin (retired)

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  7. #7
    Not quite sure how I feel about it, after playing the demo. As a game, it is fun and fills a hole in a genre not visited often. As an XCOM game, it feels like they watered down a lot of the mechanics in the name of accessibility.

    I'm not fond of the movement towards having "perks" for everything. The location for your first (and only) base is simply dependent on what bonus you want, not where you can gain the most coverage for alien defense. Your squad size is limited to 4-6 people, and again, their abilities are based on classes and perks.

    Taking a comment I read from RPS, the combat system has moved from a facing to cover-based one, and even then the cover is questionable in its usefulness. All it does is just make it some X% harder to shoot your character, rather than blocking shots entirely. I had an alien from one corner cover hit my soldier in another corner cover by an impossible shot. And shots are now percentage based on your target. You cannot blindfire, nor have your shot pass your intended target only to hit another one by luck. It's all a dice roll by the numbers.

    I hope there aren't many scripted cutscenes or sequences in the game as the demo showed. Not having control over whether your squad dies, or where you can move them is not a good first impression to make. Likewise, presenting the player with artificial dilemma choices (you must pick between saving the US or China, we don't care how bad-ass you are) takes away more freedom.

    Gonna reiterate on the non-creepiness feeling, just feels like something is missing but can't quite put my finger on it. Might be the alien redesign or just the way you confront them on the field.

    Got the game pre-ordered from GreenManGaming on their promo, so I think I'll get my money's worth from this. But I think I've been de-hyped from the demo.

  8. #8
    Pandaren Monk Darkis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thrage View Post
    Long-time X-Com fan here. Tried the demo. I'm not incredibly drawn in, but I think that's just because the demo either wasn't long enough or wasn't 'free' enough. Still concerned that the creepiness factor is absent. I'll be purchasing the game, but I don't think I'll be playing it fifteen or so years from now like I do with the original.
    This. I tried the demo. Even though it's not a bad turn based game in itself, it's not even close to achieving same fun factor i got from original X-Com back in 386 days.

    Sad but true.

  9. #9
    Downloading now.

    Just watched video of the demo and I can already see two things that completely ruin the creepy-factor from the original. I hope these are only in the demo.
    1) Even in nighttime missions, unexplored terrain is relatively illuminated, not blacked out.
    2) Aliens jump at you to greet you instead of shooting suddenly from the darkness scaring the shit out of you.
    Again, I hope these things were only added for the demo.
    My Gaming Setup | WoW Paladin (retired)

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  10. #10
    I've heard from the official XCOM forums that they simplified a lot of the game just for the demo which might put some people off.

  11. #11
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Jalek View Post
    I've heard from the official XCOM forums that they simplified a lot of the game just for the demo which might put some people off.
    Wouldn't surprise me if they did that.

    Yeah, I too was a huge fan of the ol' UFO: Enemy Unknown back in the days (that was the name for non-NA release), and I watched someone play the demo yesterday. It took some time before it settled in, but while I see some improvements (like the ability to climb ladders and jump down from the roof to change elevation without the need of an interior staircase and/or that jetpack/levitation suit), I'm also taken aback by what's really been said here. Aliens opening fire from the dark was one of the most terrifying things about the original, and you had to take great care not to leave your troops too exposed. Hopefully the "oh hi guys we're aliens" cinematic is only for the demo, or potentially when you "get the jump" on the aliens. That one aside, though, I really wish cover would do more than just give a base percentage chance to not get hit, both for your own team and the aliens. Taking the risk to walk around the corner to blast an alien with your shottie is much more interesting and engaging than playing the numbers game. Speaking of which, regarding the illumination, I really miss that LoS isn't determining illumination as it did in the original. I bloody want aliens to be hidden by the darkness if my soldiers are cowering behind cover. That, too, would reintroduce one of the creepiness-factors of the original - stay in cover and be safe, or get a visual on the target and risk getting shot?

    Disclaimer: I may be wearing my glasses of the rose-colored variety while writing this post.

    Le edit: Just hit me, you know what I'd really love if they did to the game? Had a setting that you could choose when you made a new game, basically "Normal" or "Veteran", with "Veteran" having all of the risks and creepiness from the old game.
    Last edited by mmoc10ec13b383; 2012-09-26 at 07:51 AM.

  12. #12
    I guess this will be a 'maybe buy later' for me. I've been spending way too much money on games this past month (BL2, TL2, GW2) and there's a few more coming, including some indies.

    Hitman, well, I simply have all of them, it would be a shame to miss this one.
    Passing on MoP this year. Might be the first expansion that I'm not going to buy.
    Of Orcs and Men really looks sweet, but I'll wait for the reviews.

    Funny actually, will MoP write history as the; WoW expansion people passed on for the first time? I see my friends saying the same thing.

    I'm sorry, that was offtopic. The premise of Xcom is fantastic and I'm extremely in love with the classic gameplay. If I have the money and reviews and user comments (on this forum) are mostly positive, I'll definitely buy it.
    Last edited by Vespian; 2012-09-26 at 08:00 AM.

  13. #13
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Jigain View Post
    Le edit: Just hit me, you know what I'd really love if they did to the game? Had a setting that you could choose when you made a new game, basically "Normal" or "Veteran", with "Veteran" having all of the risks and creepiness from the old game.
    I love quoting myself.

    Anyways, it looks like I might have my wish. Fingers crossed.

  14. #14
    Deleted
    I can't wait to try it out. First time I saw the trailer I got really hyped with high hopes for this game. I hope it turns out to be good when it comes out!

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Jigain View Post
    I love quoting myself.

    Anyways, it looks like I might have my wish. Fingers crossed.
    Interesting choice of a name for a difficulty setting: "classic". I wonder if that's where the map will be obscured, while "easy" has the perma-light.
    My Gaming Setup | WoW Paladin (retired)

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  16. #16
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Howard Moon View Post
    Interesting choice of a name for a difficulty setting: "classic". I wonder if that's where the map will be obscured, while "easy" has the perma-light.
    My thoughts exactly. If the difficulty is true to its name, I can imagine a lot of the criticisms that have been aimed at the game for being "too easy" or "overly simplified" might be solved by it. But there's also the possibility "Classic" is just a name to represent a somewhat higher difficulty than "Normal", much like how "Nightmare" in the Diablo franchise isn't very likely to give you actual nightmares or summon a nightmare. If it's the former, it'll really make the game for me.

  17. #17
    Loved the old games!

    Found this gameplay video on XCOM fourm: http://videos.pcgames.de/hdvideo/107...lkthroughVideo

    Ohh my
    Does anyone else find it ironic that, as your virtual character gains experience, wealth and social stature, your reality character is losing the exact same things at the same rate?

  18. #18
    Thanks for the info. Will have to grab the demo when I get home.

  19. #19
    High Overlord Karapoyraz's Avatar
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    Loved demo but it was too short for that huge download.i am so hungry for good turn-based squad combat since Silent storm 1&2 , i will certainly going to buy it.

  20. #20
    A bit off-topic, but any of you old XCOM/UFO:Enemy Unknown players tried Frozen Synapse? Thought about getting it when it came out because the combat reminded me so much of XCOM, but the lack of base building, geoscape action, etc, kinda turned me away from it. How does it compare to the original XCOM?
    My Gaming Setup | WoW Paladin (retired)

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