Video Game Review: XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Release Year: 2012
Play Year: WI2023
Developer/Publisher: Firaxis Games/2K Games & Feral Interactive
Time to Beat: 45 Hours

Thoughts: Huh, this is really fun.

I, like many folks, was intimidated by this franchise. An XCOM game always ends up on “top 100 games of all time” lists, but it feels like a niche pick. I mean, it’s in How Long to Beat’s top 50 most backlogged games. A game where everyone can agree that it’s amazing, but only if “you’re into it.” With a tradition coming from table-top RPGs, with slow, methodical movement and decision-making, my first thought was “must be boring until you’re 30 hours in and you finally ‘get it’.”

Not true at all! Playing on Normal, I am having a lot of fun! I have to say the tutorial for this game is horrid. It (intentionally?) leads you to essentially kill your whole squad – not only humbling, but also teaching you bad tactics. Regardless, once I got a few missions in I was having a lot of fun. The graphics are just fine in 2023 and the aesthetic provides solid atmosphere that I am happy to stare down onto street scapes and forests during the missions. Given that you can pickup Enemy Unknown for XCOM 2 (widely considered the better entries of the series) for a few dollars on a Humble or Steam sale, I think it is worth trying out to see if it’s for you!

To be honest, the reason why I decided to play XCOM now, instead of putting it off, was because its developer Firaxis created Marvel’s Midnight Suns. A game that is as surprising as it is really, really good. These are the type of games that help bring me into a genre of video game. So, I went out on a limb and booted up XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

I love this game. It has sucked my time away. I can have 5 hours past by without even noticing. The gameplay loop is addicting. To me, it resembles Dave the Diver or Cult of the Lamb, where there is this balance between gameplay and management. The perfect combination to melt hours away.

I played on Normal for about 10 hours before deciding to scrap it and start over with all the new knowledge I had discovered. Turns out, this is what you’re supposed to do. Reading on forums, XCOM games are meant to be cycled. It really isn’t about the plot or finishing the game. It’s about immersing yourself in the mechanics and having a really, really good time. So, I don’t really care if I beat this game, I’m having too good of a time!