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XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Wooooooohoo! It's finally here!! Eighteen years after its predecessor a new XCOM: Enemy Unknown has finally been released to the slavering, pitchfork wielding masses of eagerly awaiting fans. It truly is history in the making for the series and absolutely a day for celebration!

 

Of all the possible futures, of all the possible outcomes, we could have hardly asked for more than to get XCOM revived by none other than Sid Meier's strategy gaming powerhouse, Firaxis.

 

But we think it also can and should be said, without any doubt, that, in the end, what really makes or breaks a series are we, its fans, as has been continually evidenced throughout these many years, right here at StrategyCore, by the longstanding, enduring dedication to these great games.

 

We are therefore extremely happy to report this new entry has just been released in the US, and in just a few more days (by October 12th), it shall likewise be unleashed upon the rest of the world.

 

Jake Solomon, if you can hear us: All your game is now belong to us! Thank you!

 

You've heard it here - the invasion has begun! Good luck Commander!!

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I'd suggest Kool & the Gang's Celebration if only that wasn't overused at the various end of year holidays.

 

As a fellow denizen of "Rest of the World", I'll have to wait a bit and cross my fingers my local shops have chosen to stock a copy, but happy days indeed. Now we can go forth and judge and merrily throw wrath or praise at Firaxis with great force!

 

- NKF

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Doorbell went off. Before i could get there, heard the ups truck pulling away. Package on the porch!!!

 

Not for me. The agony! D: /ohwellbacktoskyrim

 

Still no word on the competition copy other than that they're chasing it up with the US PR guys :(

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There's a total of 28 "official" press reviews out there already, at the time of this post, giving the game an average rating of 89 out of 100.

 

IGN's review is a bit of a joke, given the mention of a number of false facts. The score is also lowered, among other far more sensible things, because the game has a "steep" learning curve. And apparently learning curves are a negative factor according to Mr. Butts, the reviewer. But even the veracity of that is questionable, since XCOM:EU features an extensive tutorial phase and is supremely accessible compared to UFO Defense and many other hardcore strategy games out there.

 

This guy just has no idea what he's talking about.

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IGN's review is a bit of a joke, given the mention of a number of false facts. The score is also lowered, among other far more sensible things, because the game has a "steep" learning curve.

 

I suppose their 'expertise' on the subject matter might be an issue of some dispute, and they are not without an interesting track record as reviews go.

 

But it was perhaps the accessibility of the 'Great' X-Com Enforcer, which they scored no less than 8.0 back then, that so slanted their expectations. :P

 

::

 

Ill will is, therefore, something you simply cannot accuse the IGN lads of. The poor chaps were just caught off-guard... grin.gif

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My lovely lovely wife has offered to take our Baby daughter and stay over at her folks on Friday night so I can get one complete evening in playing the game :)

 

I love her to death (and we only live a couple of miles from her parents, who love having their grand daughter over to stay) so looks like I know what I'll be doing Friday night. That's not too selfish is it?

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I remember the review of the original X-Com where the guy said, 'I thought I'd try just a few more strategies, a few more turns, and before I knew it I heard the birds chirping and the sun was coming up'. Yup, it was that kinda game.

 

I hope the new one is a worthy successor.

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@Sorbicol:

 

(...) so looks like I know what I'll be doing Friday night. That's not too selfish is it?

 

Selfish? What could possibly be selfish about your heroic effort to save humanity? :what:

 

I tell you, some people are just so insensitive... :P

 

Selfish or not, I do hope you haven't told your wife she'll be part of the squad under your command.

 

If only because that might diminish the impact of sleep-deprived-you so unexpectedly and lovingly embracing her when she returns home with an emphatic, heart-felt: "Oh, God, it's so good to have you back. I thought you were never coming back!!" ;)

 

::

 

Only we, your brothers in arms, shall truly know what you were really going on about. :D

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There is also a today's video article at ign where the reviewer justifies his grade... Basically he was appaled by the game being hard and permadeath, which, he so thinks, is a bad combination.

 

I'm hoping this is going to be a wake-up call to folks who've played the other types of game way too much.

 

I welcome perma-death - I've been playing too much Star Trek Online recently and my character just won't stay dead dammit! :D (Can you imagine an MMORPG where there was perma-death? That would be epically short-lived ;)).

 

I'm counting on the gamers to vote with their wallets and smash some records (at least in the strategy genre on consoles) so we don't have to put up with repetitive drivel in future. Maybe some other publishers will take some risks, who knows. Maybe EA will stop releasing a football (soccer) game every year and start herding flying pigs. A guy can dream, right? grin.gif

 

Despite how much the new XCOM has changed since the original, it will still hopefully be a game-changer (pardon the pun wink.png).

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Ill will is, therefore, something you simply cannot accuse the IGN lads of. The poor chaps were just caught off-guard... grin.gif

 

Well, no, I'm not really accusing Butts of bearing ill will towards the game, but incompetence. You wouldn't put an FPS player at the helm of sports game review, or an RPG enthusiast in charge of writing up a piece about a hardcore flight simulator. Ideally you'd assign a strategy gamer to review strategy games, and not an easily frustrated, casual doofus. Assign that guy to reviewing Plants & Zombies or something.

 

But besides the missing expertise, the review is poorly written, spoilery and as I said earlier, makes some statements that are simply untrue. It will only drive the undecided away, which is a shame because Firaxis has gone a long way to try and make the game palatable to the inexperienced. And admirably so, since despite "streamlining" has gained considerable notoriety in recent years, not much of value has been lost in the reimagining.

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Because with great power comes great responsibility.

 

You don't have to agree with a review to know if it's well-written, and scoring something down because it's a challenge or has perma-death is just... unfathomable.

 

If it is so hard that it cannot be completed, then yes, score it down, but don't play a strategy game (wonder if he went Classic Ironman) and then complain if it's a challenge. - you're not supposed to be able to breeze through an alien invasion in an afternoon.

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