Among the many games that were released last fall is XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Like several other games, its release was somewhat dwarfed by the other major blockbusters, like Halo 4 and CoD: Black Ops II. However, gamers are starting to get into XCOM, as it has received wide critical acclaim for its innovation and complexity.
XCOM is actually a re-imagining of the original game in the series, UFO: Enemy Unknown. This remake is a game that combines turn-based strategy with tactical, fast-paced action. The plot centers on XCOM, the most advanced multi-national scientific and military organization in human history. The leading nations of the world have created XCOM in response to a sudden invasion by a hostile, technologically-superior alien force. As the commander of XCOM, the player must fight back against the alien invaders and save as many countries as possible.
XCOM is an example of a game that is presented in an extraordinary way, despite what some would call “shabby” visuals (compared to other major games). There are plenty of games that feature alien invasions, but this one feels different. Many games like this focus on the “scare factor” by having aliens jump out and surprise the player to get some adrenaline going. Personally, I’ve never really been a fan of those “scary” games; I’m a fan of XCOM because it’s not scary in the traditional sense, but it’s very creepy. The atmosphere of this game does an incredible job of instilling a sense of fear in the player.
Often, throughout the campaign, there will be multiple alien invasions at the same time in different places, but the player is forced to choose which location to save and which to ignore; for example, early in the story, aliens invade the cities of both Chicago and Shanghai simultaneously. Due to limited resources, the player has to choose which of the two to send reinforcements to; whichever city the player saves will provide resources in return for XCOM’s support, but the city that is ignored will be taken over by aliens, and panic in the country of the invaded city will increase. If the panic level of a country reaches a certain level, that country withdraws all its resources and military support from XCOM. It is this level of realism, this feeling of the weight of command, that provides that sense of fear that makes this game so enjoyable.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is one of those games that wasn’t expected to be great, but turned out to be fantastic. If you are a fan of tactical strategy, you will love this game. If you’re not, I recommend you download the demo and give it a try- it might surprise you with its awesomeness. That’s exactly what it did for me, and I now completely understand why the game has garnered so much praise and so many awards. And the best thing about it: this is just the beginning. A sequel is already in development, and the game developers are hoping to bring the franchise back to life with more games in the future.
