xcom game review
XCOM: Enemy UnknownLaunched by MicroProse in 1994, the XCOM series marked a number of players with a hot iron before gradually sinking into oblivion through somewhat weak and / or too opportunistic aspects. Fortunately, things are about to change thanks to the efforts of the Firaxis studio. Unconditional lovers of UFO: Enemy Unknown, the episode in which it all started, the little guys of Jack Solomon did everything to restore its luster to the subtle mix of tactical turn-based combat, strategy and management that had once delighted our gaming hearts. Chronicle of a delicious homecoming.
So like that, we revel in magazines echoing the most eccentric conspiracy theories? Do we like to believe that Zone 51 contains a fiddling with machines and specimens from other galaxies? We appreciate the old SF novels filled with skinny aliens with globular eyes? Don't you go to bed without having previously kissed your Fox Mulder poster? If you are part of this nice sect of enlightened people, then you are likely to go into a trance in contact with this remake of the mythical UFO: Enemy Unknown! Vibrant tribute to all the fantasies, all the visions and all the fictions of humanity concerning a potential alien invader, XCOM takes us in the middle of a secret war, vaguely obsolete in its presentation, but always so incredibly exciting.
In XCOM, the player finds himself at the head of an international organization whose function is to protect the Earth against the alien threat, much like PETA and Familles de France. As a commander, you must organize the defense of the planet by establishing an effective satellite surveillance network and developing a base full of gear, over-trained and over-equipped soldiers whom you will direct from elsewhere directly on the ground. You should also strive to make the most of your contacts with aliens by studying and then adapting their technology to your needs (and therefore avoiding spraying them with rockets). Not having unlimited means, especially at the start, you will be forced to make difficult choices, such as favoring the defense of one nation over another in the event of simultaneous attacks. You should also keep in mind that your budget and any material support you will receive depend largely on the level of satisfaction of the nations members of your board of directors. Neglect Russia for too long and the bougresse will logically withdraw its marbles. The degree of confidence of the nations is moreover materialized by a gauge of panic which increases in the event of mission missed or ignored, it is up to you therefore to dose your interventions well to avoid the stampede (of cod). So are you still on the attack?
In play, all this clutter is in fact broken down into two very distinct phases. Management on the one hand and fighting on the other. As in the first episodes, you must indeed administer your base between each mission (we can only have one). This appears on a two-dimensional section plane, like an ant terrarium, and lets you observe at leisure the different underground floors that compose it. It will be up to you to dig the rock to unlock the 24 available locations before placing your facilities there with care: academy which gives overall bonuses to your troops, barracks, scientific laboratories, isolation cell for possible prisoners, foundry to produce equipment, satellite control rooms, generators to power everything, etc. . For example, you will have to select the laboratory to carry out new research, dissect the alien, analyze material found in the field and unlock new technologies such as lasers or, we never know, psyonic implants. In the same vein, engineers will manufacture equipment derived from the technologies acquired. This is also an absolute obligation because the enemies will be more and more resistant at each new level of the campaign, such as the destruction of a base or the capture of an enemy leader. In short, we certainly only have one base, but it is still much more fun to manage than in the previous installments in the series.
That said, you will always end up coming back to the nerve center of your installation, the Geoscape, a global view of planet Earth from which you will have to watch out for the alien threat and, if necessary, respond by sending your troops to the scene. aggression. Of course, it will also manage the composition of its intervention groups but also the progression of each of the soldiers. They will gain experience as they fight. All these troufions also correspond to a specific class (which will only be discovered when they go to level 2): Commando, Support, Sniper or Grenadier. Each class corresponds to a specific skill tree allowing you to specialize your soldier over the battles. Fully configurable, from the name to the bad news, each soldier is also unique, also, if by chance he was murdered, you would only have to cry or loosely reload your last backup. We strongly recommend that you do not use this noob device in order to enjoy pure moments of dramatic tension. Likewise, we invite you to select at least the third level of difficulty, in order to bring you closer to the real XCOM experience.
So, to better spare his troops, it is advisable to develop the new recruits alongside the veterans, so as not to end up with a fiddling with bruises and four roxxors whose loss could sign your death warrant. Note that in this episode, squads can only have six members maximum against fifteen in UFO: Enemy Unknown. If we can regret this decision, we will quickly realize that the game is actually more nervous, less chopped while remaining just as tactical, especially since the size of the cards has also been reduced. In short, you understood, in XCOM, everything must be managed, but rest assured the whole turns out to be less complex than this very incomplete description suggests. The goal was above all to make you understand that the baby of Firaxis is an extremely rich and engaging title.
Now let's come to the biggest part of the title: his fights. And there, know that at the first glance, whoever practiced XCOM in the 90s will inevitably find themselves on familiar ground. The isometric perspective tells us straight away that we are in a tactical game and provides a global overview of the battlefield. Note, however, that the boxes used to estimate the movements are no longer and that the camera is not fixed. It can in particular follow each character during certain actions (a shot, a sprint, the destruction of a door or a window) for greater immersion. Let the old birds do not run away right away, because the developers have left the possibility of deactivating these little effects. As mentioned above, each soldier now has a very specific role on the battlefield. As long as you have directed it in this direction, the grenadier can for example use the suppression capacity in order to prevent the opponent from aiming correctly and out of his hiding place. This heavily armed soldier can also use a rocket launcher to cause heavy damage, including material damage. The sniper has a grappling hook to find interesting shooting spots while the Commando has the "Run and Gun" ability which makes it possible to rush at a target to empty its magazine into the chitin.
Whether you are on a PC or on consoles, the battles take place in turn. You advance your units one by one, each time you decide what action to take and it is then up to the aliens to do the same. The interface is quite solid and the gameplay very similar to that of the original game, which is not worse. We will therefore have to manage the "fog of war", take into account the angles of view, estimate if such and such a shot is worth it according to the probabilities of touching displayed on the screen and finally make sure to appropriate the most solid covers , the latter being skillfully indicated by small shields when a trip is programmed. The impression of finding the very first XCOM in a modernized version is striking. Besides, as in the original, we will not escape a few rare bugs and blunders: a troufion that manages we do not know how to shoot through a wall and a few moments of solitude when it comes to leaving the ground level to climb on a roof.
Firaxis has however touched up quite a few other little gameplay elements, always with great respect. The most notable change is undoubtedly the destruction of the decor. Environments can indeed shatter almost entirely (and not just because of explosives), which offers endless tactical possibilities. A rocket in a wall and it is an unexpected opening for a sniper positioned behind. A burst on the fence behind which a little gray has found refuge and hop, here he is in underwear. Beware, however, because opposite, extraterrestrials can of course do the same, and they do not hesitate. On this side, the studio has also made an effort to vary the type of enemies encountered and modify their behavior. Sectoids can thus concentrate to offer more resistance to one of their own. But killing the boosted alien will mark the death of those who support it. We will also be entitled to Alumettes (fake humans capable of poisoning their victim), to Berserkers, to Chrysalides who zombify their victims and make little ones in their bodies or to these junkies equipped with jetpacks which will be happy to land in the back of your sniper. We will also meet all these beautiful people in the framework of basic extermination missions, during VIP extraction, during attacks on extraterrestrial bases or even during these famous terrors, during which we will face a large number of very powerful enemies determined to violate the civilians present on the spot.
The campaign, quite long and rather well scripted despite its very cheap cutscenes, is therefore a treat to cross and constitutes the heart of the XCOM version 2012 experience. Firaxis has however given way to current fashion by offering a multiplayer mode. The app offers you to face another budding commander in a death match, on the ground, by interposed squads. Before the confrontation, you will have to select soldiers, extraterrestrials or even a mix of the two knowing that each soldier and each equipment corresponds to a specific number of points, a bit like in a Warhammer. Modeled on the fights of the single player mode, the gameplay is not frankly modified, apart from the fact that it will be necessary to hang around while the opponent will move the troops located out of sight of your own combatants. We can however adjust the time allocated to each round to limit breakage. The whole is therefore well put together but still seems a bit anecdotal after the nice slap inflicted by the solo. In any case, one thing is certain, whether you are a fan of the first hour or a neophyte avid of strategy in a particularly sexy universe, you should not miss this XCOM. Thank you Firaxis!
The notes
Graphics 14/20
This is probably the only slightly off-putting aspect of this XCOM version 2012, even if we argue with reason that graphics are secondary in a game of this type. The software still presents well, with a deliberately outdated design, varied decorations and rather neat and beautifully aliened aliens that fans will recognize yet at first glance.
Gameplay 17/20
Apart from a few rare camera problems and occasional bizarre shooting angles, the app brilliantly revives the incredible gameplay of its model while modernizing everything a bit. The mixture of management and tactical combat by turn turns out thus grown and gets a lot of pleasure.
Lifespan 16/20
With its very generous campaign, its maps on which enemies do not always appear in the same places, its four difficulty levels (avoid the first two all the same) and its multi bonus, the game has an excellent lifespan . As far as we are concerned, we are not ready to let go of this new XCOM.
Soundtrack 15/20
Sound effects of good quality that are reminiscent of the original software and dynamic music form the title soundtrack. We may regret the restraint and minimalism of yesteryear, but overall, the sound dimension of the game allows you to get in the mood. This is undoubtedly the main one.
Scenario 15/20
The title does an excellent job there again to immerse us in the mood. The campaign is skillfully scripted and regularly introduces key objectives that must be accomplished to progress. Everything revolves around kinematics and dialogues that are very kitsch but which, in fact, largely participate in immersion.
A winning return for XCOM, which manages to modernize without betraying the spirit of its mythical model. The management aspect avoids the pitfall of artificial complexity and the fights for their part have retained the brilliance of those of UFO: Enemy Unknown while being significantly energized. The mixture of these two elements is delightfully pleasant. So let us wish a great success for this title which frankly deserves to be tried, then adopted.
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