XCOM: Enemy Unknown

[NIPPER]

What is XCOM: Enemy Unknown you ask? It's a "re-imagining" of the Greatest Game Ever Made: http://store.steampowered.com/app/7760/
It is a turn-based strategy game where you fight aliens and manage a base full of shit.

just watch this dudes videos:



There is a demo out right now that is very short and barely shows anything. It's very very basic but it'll give you a feel for the game without spoiling anything so I recommend it.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/200510/

When your rookies die horribly after missing a shot at an alien that is right next to them remember what good old lead designer jake soloman says: "hahaha that's XCOM baby"


Also if you preorder it you get TF2 hats. TF2 HATS!

[JetMechRadio]

I am so psyched for this game, and I don't even play RTSes that often. It's a mix of the design and overall story and unexpected game-changers in terms of random enemy strategy that I want, really. That, and to make all my elite soldiers blue-and-lime green with hot pink mohawks, of course.

[Hellboy]

This video is quite worth looking at if anyone's interested in the game- shows the lead producer and Jake Solomon playing a landed UFO mission and everything goes to shit and gets X-Com as all fuck really quickly.
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/ns2k ... alkthrough

We better get some multiplayer games going, Nipper.

[Avvatar]

I hear the demo is a huge disappointment in which you get to have your hand held through the tutorial and that's it. I'll wait for it to come out.

[Hellboy]

The demo's more for generating interest among prospective new players- however, people have been modding it to allow for an increase in difficulty to values we'll see in the full game, adding in randomly generated aliens outside of the scripted ones that show up, and I think some weapon stuff as well.

It's half an hour long and basically walks you through the controls in a 100% scripted mission, then in the second mission they let you take the reins and make decisions for yourself akin to what you'll do in normal missions. It gives you a general idea of how combat will play out and how the game runs in general, but it's by no means representative of the game as a whole- you don't do any micromanaging in your base, really.

A lot of longtime fans of the series are being really hyperbolic and pissy about it, but this game's gonna own bones regardless of how lame its demo is or not.

[Jason]

Not my usual thing, but that video Hellboy link actually made it look really fun. I may check this out.

[NIPPER]

good multiplayer video

[Derp]

Played the demo, enjoyed playing the second mission (the one that isn't a scripted tutorial), seems like they kept enough of the game intact that it should still be a lot of fun. I am a bit worried that the limitations (max 6 in a squad, only 1 alternate weapon/item slot per person, or 2 with specific perks, no free firing with normal weapons [only grenades/rockets it seems]) will hold the game back from being as chaotic and exciting as the original and not allow for as wide of a range of tactics/strategies in play, but it can still be a great game even if it isn't as good as the original. Plus, if you get it on PC, you never know what the modding community will be able to do with it, they could reshape it to be more like the older games with time units and everything.

I have way more than enough games to play already, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to resist buying this. I am getting sucked into Torchlight 2 though...

[Brig]

hate to be bitch but whats it rated M?

[Derp]

hate to be bitch but whats it rated M?

Definitely, in the tutorial mission you see a dead human body with the entire front of the torso splayed open more or less, with intestines and such spilling out.

[Derp]

This game is really fun so far, about halfway done with my second month. One thing I will say to anybody planning on playing it, though... I picked Normal difficulty rather than Classic, and I think I made a mistake. The last two missions I've done were rated "Very Difficult", and I managed to kill 10 aliens on one mission and killed 9 and captured 1 on the other mission... without any of my soldiers even getting hit. In the second mission, I didn't even get SHOT at, I neutralized everything as I found it before it had to chance to counter attack. I realize this is the beginning of the game and the majority of the aliens are sectoids... but still.

So basically... if you consider yourself competent when it comes to critical thinking/tactical strategy games at all, I'd recommend Classic so far if you want a challenge. The game could go nuts and make things much harder though, I don't know yet.

[NIPPER]

I'm absolutely loving this so far. I picked normal too but I'm enjoying kicking ass. If you make the wrong move on normal people are still going to die, so it's still a decent challenge if you try to keep everyone alive.

[Avvatar]

I'm having a blast. Saw the "Classic" difficulty and immediately jumped right in. I've only played for like an hour and a half, last night, so far. I'm losing 1-2 of my 4 soldiers every mission. The experience system being so visible makes this a little painful, but I'm making the errors and I'm dealing with it. Most useful ability I've got so far is Run'n'Gun. The ability to sprint up to an alien and unload a shotgun in his face is just invaluable. Pretty sure I'm generally moving too fast into engagements, then being overly cautious once I'm there. Need to stay grouped up a bit better, move in more slowly with cover/Overwatch, then be willing to put people into cover adjacent to aliens and take them out rather than exchanging fire across distances until the RNG declares a winner.

[Hellboy]

I'm absolutely loving this so far. I picked normal too but I'm enjoying kicking ass. If you make the wrong move on normal people are still going to die, so it's still a decent challenge if you try to keep everyone alive.

What a wimp, I took "Classic" mode from the outset. Haven't had very much time to play because I'm in midterm season, but when I get home today it's going to be XCOM. I think I've lost about 3 or 4 people thus far in the first three missions, not counting the tutorial where everyone dies except the one guy- he's currently my best soldier and stayin' alive.

Also, why don't more people here own this game? IT'S OUT RIGHT NOW, PUT DOWN WHATEVER GAY CRAP YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT NOW LIKE DISHONORED AND GET THIS.

[Avvatar]

So I'm pretty sure I'm losing. I'm going to keep playing it out, but I'm nearly positive it's too late for me to salvage this.

China, Japan and France (fucking France. I'm based in Germany for fucks sake) have already backed out. A few other countries are deep in panic-mode. And I don't have nearly enough satellites up.

I've started cheesing saves a little (apparently the only difference in Ironman is that you are unable to cheese saves, which according to the devs, is very difficult and is not suggested for your first several games. what? they suggest you cheese saves for at least your first few games? that's what I hear) and it's helping the micro game a lot. I started cheesing the first time I flat out failed a mission, and continue to do so whenever the alternative is failing the mission or losing 2+ soldiers. I still tend to take heavy casualties and frequently my limit of one fatality. It feels like I'm not cheesing too much; doing far more saving than loading. But occasionally I spot a floater, he rushes up to my soldier and gibs him with a critical. Granted, that could be considered my fault for moving "squishy" targets that far forward, but if I split them up then the non-bullshit encounters tend to be so much messier. Anyway, despite the improvement on the micro side I'm still under-funded, over-pressed and feel behind in absolutely everything on the macro side. Pretty sure this save is going to end in flames. But I'm enjoying the hell out of it.