XCOM: Enemy Unknown

As I wrote in the preview phase, this remake is also divided into two large sections: one in the field, with turn-based combat, the other in the base, with a management of the research, production and political aspects of the XCOM project, the earthly initiative to counter the alien invasion. Firaxis traced the structure of the original, trying to make it more accessible, possibly without compromising its spirit, which with an incredible alchemy managed to communicate the terror of finding itself, in fact, dealing with an unknown threat. Part of the terror of the old UFO (the name with which the series debuted in Europe) was linked to a ruthless level of difficulty, which punished even the smallest mistakes with the ferocity of permanent death. When the Skyranger landed on the mission site, every single move was made with the heart in his throat: returning home with a single survivor in a team of eight soldiers was the norm, and when the screen darkened with the hidden movement screen , the rudimentary sounds that came out of the Sound Blaster were more disturbing than a film by Dario Argento.

By trying it again today, to be honest, it also turns out that a bit of that difficulty was linked to an interface that, although doing its job very well, made the management of the rounds rather tiring, forcing the player to focus more on the technical aspects of the time unit than on the actual strategy. What happens, however, in XCOM: Enemy Unknown?

Levels tend to develop in one direction. More comfortable, but easier.

To begin with, the interface is infinitely more comfortable, streamlined, accessible. The system of time units has been made explicit graphically, with a practical visualization with colored zones, which indicate whether the soldier will be able to perform an action or will invest the whole shift to move. The men automatically take advantage of the available shelters, allowing you to place the team in a good set-up with a handful of clicks. In addition to this, the introduction of the four classes makes the action more varied, paving the way for many more tactical choices. In fact, depending on the types of men on mission, radically different strategies can be adopted, which gradually gain more options with the release of more sophisticated weapons. If at the beginning we start with a small group of scared soldiers, in the advanced stages we control a close-knit team that seems to have come out of Heinlein's Starship Troopers, with different armor enhanced according to the roles in the team. After the initial loss, in practice, you earn the opportunity to fight on equal terms with the aliens, and at a certain point you even get to be in a situation of superiority, provided you play properly.

Similar situations, in the original, were reserved for the most successful campaigns, the result of the experience accumulated in dozens of failed games. In the new XCOM, on the other hand, everything is easier on a normal level: once you understand how the smoke turns, anyone who has put his hand to a strategist in his life will be able to reverse the balance of the conflict. Doing it is still fun, but those looking for a challenge up to the series must throw their eyes closed on the Classic mode, which offers more resistant, numerous and dangerous enemies. And if you are so "pro" to say that even so it is too easy, try to shoot it without the possibility of reloading, activating the nice Ironman option ...

On the management front, even more than on the battlefield, Firaxis has traced the structure of the old UFO. There are scientists who study alien technologies, engineers who produce equipment for soldiers and a council of states that wants to be protected and revered, otherwise the funds will be cut and the project abandoned. As I already pointed out in the preview, the big difference is that there is only one base to manage here, and that there are no others to be created around the world. This choice on the one hand eliminates the tedious micro-management that was necessary to keep three or four bases standing, but on the other it completely cuts one of the most frightening elements of the original, the alien reprisals, missions in which the nice guests presented themselves, not invited, directly to the XCOM home, possibly when the strongest team was busy around the world. It is a great simplification in the management of the globe, which in fact boils down to the production of satellites and fighters capable of intercepting enemy ships.

Towards the end of the campaign, the soldiers are real Starship Troopers.

For this, playing correctly, it is possible to face all the missions that happen, keeping under control the invasion in a much easier way than it happened in 1994. And also for this, in a few hours, the feeling of fear of the early stages slowly fades away. Fortunately, this does not mean that Firaxis does not trigger the phenomenon of "yet another mission", which even in completely different situations recalls Civilization. As happens on the battlefield, playing in Classic mode makes things much more interesting, drastically reducing the budget and starting the game on a much less equipped base. This means that, although it is still possible to face all the missions, the resources are always too few, and that you are making budget decisions with a proverbial blanket too short. Even so we don't get to the complexity of the original, but the challenge becomes interesting even for expert players.

Remakes are like the first dance class: after two steps you step on at least six feet. In the case of XCOM: Enemy Unknown , these feet just don't belong to adolescent debutantes - they belong to die-hard turn-around strategy veterans who have long since declared the original (better known in Germany as UFO) a cult game, a swarm of wild childhood nights and a symbol for a youth in which games were not high definition, but original and complex and loving.

It takes guts to reissue such a game, because the height of the fall is enormous - the developers of Jagged Alliance: Back in Action could sing a song about it. If you fear a similar belly landing for XCOM - solid game, but simply not an XCOM - we can reassure you at this point: It's an XCOM. Which doesn't mean your feet will get away unscathed; but after the first night of dancing at least we didn't care.

So let's get the wounds behind us: The new XCOM makes rounds easier for many playful subtleties of the original - and yes, also for a certain complexity. Our soldiers can no longer lie down or crouch on orders, the time units are history, inventory management has been radically simplified and values and PSI forces of the troops play a comparatively subordinate role.

As a die-hard fan of the template, you don't have to like that; but the remake is still not undemanding. And like XCOM - or rather: like UFO - it also plays.

Heads instead of kawumm

If you thought softly "Huh?" In the last paragraph because you didn't know the original, the basic principle of the game should be briefly explained: Aliens are attacking Earth. "They do it all the time," this someone may mumble - true. In contrast to other games (or films) there is neither US pathos nor a lot of boom and a lot of boom; instead we pull the alien fur over the ears of the ETs with our heads. While we thwart kidnappings in tactical round-the-clock battles, check UFO landing zones or rescue civilians, we organize the defense of humanity in parallel in global strategy mode.

This strategy mode, in turn, takes place in our home base. Here we are building new facilities such as laboratories (increase research performance) or a foundry (granting access to equipment upgrades), strengthening global air surveillance with new satellite control centers, hiring soldiers and deploying interceptors. The expansion of our base in several underground levels is motivating; But it also has to, after all, in contrast to the original, we are only allowed to command this one base - instead of spreading several across the globe.

As usual, the XCOM Council provides us with the necessary change at the end of the month. The more member states we monitor with satellites, the higher our monthly budget. If we can only react at the beginning, so we have our hands full with somehow averting the impending invasion, we strike back as the game progresses. That feels very satisfying, but unfortunately Firaxis wastes a lot of potential in the final. In what way? Unfortunately, that can hardly be explained without nasty spoilers.

First run, then shoot

The really serious changes to the remake can be found - as already mentioned - in the turn-based combat missions. In the original, every soldier still had a fixed quota of so-called time units that were gradually used up with every action (such as turning, lying down or reloading), XCOM is converting to a "walk plus action" model. In other words: Each soldier may first run per round and then carry out exactly one action, such as shooting or opening a door.

If we carry out the action before running, the round is over for this soldier. Alternatively, we can also sprint, which increases the range but does not allow any subsequent action. So tactically, the fundamental question is: are we going to run at all - and if so, how far? "In any case to the next cover" would be a good answer, because if the members of our squad of no more than six people stand around unprotected in the pampas, then they are there faster than we can say "UFO".

The principle remains the same for almost every mission: Find the aliens, kill the aliens. Occasional terrorist missions, in which we have to save as many civilians as possible at the same time, or special missions by the XCOM Council, however, loosen up this rut.

Heavy guys shoot well

Sounds simple? It is - at least until the subtleties of the newly introduced class system come into play. When a soldier rises in level for the first time (the necessary experience points are primarily for alien killing), they are automatically assigned one of four classes: heavy, support, assault or sniper. With every further level up we are usually allowed to choose one of two possible special abilities.

For example, we can teach our heavy boy that his first shot doesn't end the round; so he can shoot twice or shoot and then run. An experienced sniper, on the other hand, is able to snip twice per round. As exciting as the further development of the soldiers is, we reached the maximum rank comparatively quickly; especially since the game only really forces us to level a second team at the same time on the higher levels of difficulty.

Nevertheless: The complexity that XCOM loses through the simple train system is at least partially regained with the tactical diversity of the class system.

Floated in front of the gun

"Partly" because the fights still do not reach the tinkering depth (keyword: how do I scrape out the last unit of time?) Of the original - and because the actually aggressive AI with the flying aliens such as hoverers and cyberdisks sometimes makes noticeable dropouts . Because they like to flutter right in front of the shotgun. Our soldiers, on the other hand, like to be maneuvered unerringly through a poison cloud by the wayfinding, although the range of motion would be enough to avoid the thing.

Nonetheless, XCOM quickly develops that »Just this one round« charm, as we know it from Civilization or the Heroes of Might and Magic series. This one round turns into two, and then three, and then we just want to finish this last mission, but then the next mission comes, and we have just researched a new laser rifle, we just have to try it out briefly , and while we're at it, we could actually wait for the council report ... and why the heck is it already three in the morning?

Fiddly menus

That sounds like the stuff dream ratings are made of - but unfortunately XCOM shoots itself in the leg with two annoying, because avoidable, blunders. The waitress lands the first hit. It is understandable that games are now being developed for PC and console in parallel. But especially with such a complex strategy game, we as PC gamers must expect optimization for mouse, keyboard and high resolutions; after all, we are almost always on the move in some menu.

XCOM's menu navigation, on the other hand, is so obviously designed for TV screens and gamepads that it turns into annoying work on the PC. It starts with fiddly menus (in the technology department, for example, thanks to the four hundred and seventy-three font size, only a maximum of nine items of equipment are displayed at the same time), continues with missing scrolling functions (the descriptive texts for the items of equipment in question continue automatically; and slower than a glacier) and finally flows out in sometimes confusing round-the-clock battles, because the camera cannot be rotated freely, but only offers four fixed viewing angles - and these are not always optimal.

It fits into the picture that some texts don't fit at all; namely into the respective menu, so that the game has to scroll them sideways.

"Negative damage!"

Which brings us to the second blunder: the German translation, which would still be very benevolent with "unhappy". If our sniper misses his target and comments loudly with the words "negative damage!", Then we grin involuntarily. However, if in the further course of the game important elements of the plot are misleadingly or simply incorrectly translated, then we no longer grin - we devalue the atmosphere by one point.

Especially since the actually solid story (find out what makes these aliens tick and then strike out against the mentioned counter-attack) is presented by the German speakers with the vigor of a recently asleep foot. Which is only consistent because the dialogues were beaten into German at the same time as the linguistic elegance of a sledgehammer.

Whistled on it!

But if you think now, I don't give a damn, as long as the result still feels like XCOM, let me say at this point: Of course, whistle! Firaxis succeeds in exactly what BitComposer failed at Jagged Alliance: Back in Action: To preserve the spirit of the original and at the same time to stage a modern, gripping and completely playful pleasure, which you don't have to play the role model to enjoy .

But connoisseurs enjoy one advantage: They know what they are getting into. A combination of tactical round-the-clock battles and global strategy that is as original as it is unique. And dance the night away until dawn.

When in the 90s someone asked me "Who's the best computer game developer?" My answer was simple - MicroProse. The gentlemen brought to life many series that I still remember fondly today, including the XCOM series. Old UFO: Enemy Unknown is a game that captivated me personally with the atmosphere of horror. Later sequels did not quite manage to achieve this effect. When I found out in February of this year that the folks at MicroProse, now focused on Firaxis Games, were working to relaunch the franchise, I figured someone would finally help regain the legend's former spirit.

A few months later, I started to doubt whether XCOM: Enemy Unknown would be what I expected. Being confined to one base and a maximum of six soldiers in action made me lose my faith in success. There were also a lot of other concerns. Will the game guide us through the plot by the hand? What about environmental destruction?

Fortunately, it's October, Sergeant Mayer has been surrounded by Chrysalides, turned into a zombie, and the rest of the team flees to Skyranger. The UFO is back ...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is an attempt to bring the essence of an old UFO into the 21st century. So we have key strategic aspects like base management, globe and turn-based tactical combat. It's not a one-to-one remake though - Jake Solomon and the Firaxis Games team added something to each other and removed what didn't fit their vision of an action-packed turbo game.

But is this still our story of the fight against the extraterrestrial invader? The answer is yes - every time we start a game we enter into a very personal story with some plot elements woven into it. The likelihood of encountering the same sequence of missions or maps is slim. Additionally, if the arena repeats during one approach to the campaign, the opponent will have different forces.

A novelty are special missions commissioned by the Council of Nations - sometimes it's about defusing a bomb or occasionally saving a VIP. The pool from which the scenarios are selected is large, so we are not bored. It is also a great variety for famous missions related to kidnappings, terror and disaster sites.

In Enemy Unknown, we only get one base - it is a sign that we have a slightly different concept here than in the classic versions. The choice of a continent is the first decision that will have a huge impact on our further progress. South America, allowing for instant autopsies and interrogations, is a very tempting proposition, but maybe we care more about money? It is also not insignificant.

Due to the fact that we do not command any army, but rather a SAS-style special unit sent to the most important missions, there is no question of running any scientists' farm and sending Skyrangers to search the globe. The scale is just smaller now, a single plane can't be in three places at once. This forces us to intervene in a country that is important to us, be it for financial reasons, bonuses, or the danger that it will leave the council. XCOM tells you to make such decisions right from the start, often forcing you to choose the lesser evil, and this is the essence of the game.

One of the novelties that I particularly like about the new base is the situation room. There we decide where to launch the satellites and control the level of panic. Messages straight from TV news scroll under the map. If we shoot down a UFO, we can expect to read about "An Air Fight with an Unidentified Object Observed by French Villagers". The creators included many such small things in the game, which are extremely happy because they relate directly to our actions.

When it comes to clashes in the skies, it should be noted that, unfortunately, they have not been greatly expanded in relation to those of the old UFO , except for the ships obtaining some improvements that can be used during the fights. Fortunately, research is just as intriguing as it was before, so there is no shortage of autopsies, interrogations, and archival ufopedia.

When I saw my four soldiers on the battlefield for the first time (six have to be earned in officer training), I thought that not only are there not enough of them, but they are getting out of the Skyranger themselves. The reason is simple - Firaxis focused on dynamics, fortunately over time it convinced me to its approach . No more building a wall of rookies to be shot when exiting the transport. If we lose recruits one by one, it is a painful loss, because having a trained unit, it is worth having a promising team B in reserve.

Terrain is of course of great importance in combat and even more destructive of the environment. In Enemy Unknown, we may not collapse entire floors, but the walls are not an obstacle to our plasma missiles. The bigger problem of the game is the correct assessment of what the soldiers see. By moving a person somewhere, we can often discover that the alien is not in his field of view, as we predicted. There are also cases when both sides lead fire to each other through the walls. These situations are not common, but when they do, they can negatively affect the reception of the game.

The graphics of XCOM: Enemy Unknown are confronted with what we have created in our imagination, looking at the pixelated frame of the original. In my case, the verdict is very positive, the whole comic book style with Gears of War and Mass Effect influences perfectly combines with realistic scenery and occasional "gore". The rather futuristic XCOM suits contrast in an interesting way with the usual uniforms of army soldiers that we can meet during the mission.