XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Xbox 360

XCOM was introduced in 1994 as an isometric view turn-based tactical/strategy game about defending the world against an alien invasion. It was surprisingly complex requiring the management of member nations, defense coverage, turn-based combat, and perma-death of soldiers killed in combat. Firaxis and 2K's reimagining of this iconic brand has managed to smooth the rough edges (through the tutorial and innovative user interface for consoles) while keeping the heart and sole of the franchise alive (through the classic and impossible modes and the ironman modifier which saves after every decision, preventing reloads). The player takes the role of the commander of XCOM, a government funded military group with the objective of defending the world against ailien invasion. The player must balance the good of varying member nations versus the good of the XCOM initiative by determinging which missions to take on, as they cannot do everything. If, for example, three countries need help, the player can only choose one. Surprisingly complex, the game uses a much-needed (but tedious for returning XCOM veterans) tutorial to ease the players in the first time they play. Even better, after you complete a game, the tutorial is automatically disabled, but can be played again by selecting a check box on the advanced options. The graphics are good, but not great. The biggest concern here is that there are constant bugs where your soldiers fire at an enemy, but the on-screen image of them is pointing in the wrong direction, or the enemy is absent from the rendering. This can be overlooked because of the sheer joy of the game. I believe Gameplay is King, and this game does not disappoint. There is always something to be doing and you never feel like you're ever sitting around and waiting for anything. Because your soldiers can die forever in the game, you're constantly leveling up new soldiers as some of your more experienced ones die (heartbreaking, but it becomes an endearing game quality as you learn to live with it). Because each game is different and random elements are interwoven, replay value is high with this game. The last thing I think I should mention is that the controle scheme for the console (I own an Xbox 360) is user friendly and works (most of the time). There will be times when one of your soldiers doesn't go into cover or changes terrain levels, but you can avoid this by just being careful before you press the button that sends them running to their new position. This is a turn-based game, so it does not benefit you to get into a hurry. There IS multiplayer, and I haven't played it so I am not qualified to review it. The basis is this: Two players duel with custom armies of soldiers and aliens. Each solder or alien has a point value and you, as a player, are given a maximum point value to use on your team. You then compete to kill all of the other player's soldiers to see who wins. I would strongly recommend this game to anyone who is interested in a challenging but fair tactical combat simulator with sci-fi and fantasy elements. So far, this is without a doubt, my game of the year. NOTE: I flagged this game for excessive violence for one reason: one of the aliens can impregnate your soldiers and civilians, turning them into zombies which then explode into new aliens if you don't kill them fast enough. The rest of the violence in this game is approximately on-par with a Call of Duty game, if that helps you make a decision about whether this is an appropriate purchase for a younger or more squeamish player.

Awesome story. Awesome gameplay. Awesome awesome awesome! I love the planning involved in strategy games so this is a game I had to get. Warning if you are a game addict, this will make your nights sleepless. On the critical side of things, the game has crashed on me once. And there are bugs involved like a ank with no useable weapon. Enemies that explode into seemingly never neverland. There will be bugs. I just enjoy the game so much that I have to look past it all.

Game is a blast, would recommend to anyone! Good strategy, but very complex, may take a few rounds to figure out what you are supposed to do, and as a result may require a complete restart, but that is part of the charm!

If you are a tactical game fan, this is a definite buy. Hours of fun can be had with this title. Leapfrogging through an enemy ship or hunting down E.T. and his psychopath buddies in the streets is tense and rewarding. Combine with base management and jet fighter mini games, thus a recipe for success is delivered. Fraxis and 2K games take the old classic and transport it with care to modern gamers. Keeping to the play style of old, slow and steady definitely will win the race on this game. On normal difficulty is where the title shines; balanced encounters and smart A.I. put up a tough fight. Virtually the biggest enemy of all is the players patience. Get ahead of yourself and your top soldier will be but a name on the memorial. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the higher difficulties. Some will probably accuse me of being a noob or just lacking skill, and I wish that was the case. However, placing Xcom EU on classic difficulty presents the issue of shot percentage balancing. Enemies will move to flank your position at every turn; suffice they should on higher difficulty. But when none of your soldiers can hit them it becomes a problem. There also exist camera issues, but that and the difficulty can be overlooked. This game is worthy of checking out if you enjoy tactical games that reward smart playing and brutally punish you (in a good way) for getting anxious.

good game, good price, good pick up service. Good customer service

This isa great game and a great pick up to add to your collection of strategy games. It combines turn-based card strategy games something similar to Command & Conquer.

If you're into turn-based strategy, this is a good game.

The game picks up soon after the First and offers many new challenges .