Choices have consequences, but most games tend to forget it. Barring the cause-and-effect of trigger, bullet and hitbox or grenade and explosion, only the best games force us to genuinely experience the ramifications of our actions - and even some of the shining beacons of our industry sometimes...

Staggeringly deep strategy made accessible and brutally visceral; Cerebral non-linear gameplay predicated on choice; Open-ended; replayable and massive in scope; The freedom to make your own mistakes and luck

Some recycled maps; More exotic and esoteric weapons/research projects would have been nice; Foes can move to cover on your turn (annoying; though not unfair

Great game but does get quite repetitive

A hallmark of excellence. It may have some flaws, but they are negligible to what is otherwise a supreme title.

How do you approach such a well-loved franchise? You have Firaxis kick the tires and light the fires and go for the magic once again. Over my over 30 years of gaming the Original XCOM holds a place in my memories as such a spectacular game for its time.

(continued from previous page) ...style are good and very fitting, but consistent frame-rate drops are a nuisance. The music choice is great and very fitting as well, which correctly emphasize specific moments and achieve the desired emotional response.

Gameplay is fun and satisfying; great replay value; Very challenging and unpredictable; never allowing you to become too comfortable; All decisions made; whether in or out of battle; carry a heavy weight

Consistent frame-rate drops can hurt the experience; Lackluster story

When Mythos Games and MicroProse released UFO: Enemy Unknown back in 1994, they couldn't have had any clue as to just how popular the game would go on to be. It's a title that has been lavished with more than its fair share of "best of" awards over the years, and it's a game that, for many, has...

Updating a classic strategy game without rankling fans of the original can be a tricky business, but Firaxis, the studio behind the Civilization series, takes a calculated risk with its remake of X-COM.

Buy XCOM, it's a belter. I know it's Big Game season, but this is so good I've chalked up 43 hours in four days and want more in the near future. XCOM absorbs you into a universe of Tonka toy soldiers and B-movie science-fiction, a rich and smartly streamlined strategy experience that's a hell of a...

In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, victory is sweet--but it's so much sweeter when it arrives after a heart-wrenching standoff. With each turn, the newest entry in this beloved strategy series heightens the sense of tension, and each defeat of a hovering alien craft thus becomes cause for celebration.

Tension-filled turn-based matches Great sense of progression makes you feel increasingly powerful Complex interconnected economy makes each decision important Soldier perma-death gets you invested in the fate of your veterans

Map repetition Camera foibles; frame rate jitters; and other visual glitches

Considering the importance of the mission, there aren't very many people working at XCOM. I know because not only did I hire them, but I spent a few minutes to customize each and every one. I tell them what I want to be researched and they make the weapons that keep the Earth safe.