Game News Xcom gets the Rock Paper Shotgun treatment

[Stereotypical Villain]

SO GRIMDARK MAN YOUVE EARNED THOSE CODEX COOL CREDITS TODAY

 

[villain of the story]

A lot of reviews, German and English ones are available by now. And most claim the game to be pretty awesome, capturing the essence of the originals pretty good, actually.

Has anyone here actually played it and can say at least something useful about why it sucks, contrary to like... all the other magazines?
I mean, usually, praise by magazines means shit when we talk about your usual console title, Medal Of Honor 5242, Battlefield 3, bla... But this is a turn-based strategy game that gets lots of praise.

Downloading the (extended) demo

Who knows, maybe it really works good as a game of its own and then I might buy it straight just to support a TB game.

 

[rpgcodexusername]

Most of the compliments were about things that were in the original game! like the drama of missing an important shot.
Most of the criticisms were missing things that were in the original game! like setpieces and good base building screen.

 

[thesheeep]

Who knows, maybe it really works good as a game of its own and then I might buy it straight just to support a TB game.

That would be my hope, actually. I really don't think it will be on par with Terror From The Deep or Apocalypse (yeah, I really liked Apocalypse). For that, my hopes are high for Xenonauts.
But the Firaxis game might turn out to be "just" a good TB strategy game that happens to bear the X-Com name. You know.. there are worse games that bear the X-Com name...

 

[villain of the story]

The part that I find important is that it is Turn-Based, the boogieman of publishers. If a TB game with relatively high production values can be proven to sell, then maybe publishers will start funding more TB games.

 

[Lightknight]

then maybe publishers will start funding more TB games.

On consoles. And consoles already have hundreds of TB games.

 

[Jaesun]

then maybe publishers will start funding more TB games.

On consoles. And consoles already have hundreds of TB games.

Can you name them?

 

[J_C]

then maybe publishers will start funding more TB games.

On consoles. And consoles already have hundreds of TB games.

Can you name them?

Most Final Fantasy Game, Final Fantasy Tactics. Valkyrie Chronicles 1-2 comes to mind. Others probably know more, but I rarely play these games on consoles.

 

[Jaesun]

then maybe publishers will start funding more TB games.

On consoles. And consoles already have hundreds of TB games.

Can you name them?

Most Final Fantasy Game, Final Fantasy Tactics. Valkyrie Chronicles 1-2 comes to mind. Others probably know more, but I rarely play these games on consoles.

I meant more like actual recent titles. There are like what? 3.

 

[Lightknight]

I meant more like actual recent titles.

Zeus, just go to gamefaqs and sort your console of choise titles by "strategy turn-based".

 

[Gozma]

It's fun, and I'd be happy if I could get something like this every 6 months for $20-25 a pop on PC with a real PC UI. Lots of pointless high production values like cutscenes and the base graphics married to janky basics (like shots clipping through shit on every fucking attack) aren't worth the other $15 it cost. Replay value is gonna be hurt by repeating maps and very basic straightforward design but I think I will play it again on impossible at some point at least.

It'll be a good buy when it has a price drop but I think 2K doesn't do that for ages.

 

[almondblight]

I meant more like actual recent titles.

Zeus, just go to gamefaqs and sort your console of choise titles by "strategy turn-based".

Damn, didn't realize Jagged Alliance was on the DS. Then again, Nintendo's handhelds proved to be the last refuge for X-Com's Jullian Gallop, so I guess it makes sense.

 

[Claw]

A lot of reviews, German and English ones are available by now. And most claim the game to be pretty awesome, capturing the essence of the originals pretty good, actually.

Given that Solomon himself admits that he gave up the tension and core mechanics in favour of "more tactics" and class-based abilities, I don't see any reason why I would trust them.
I didn't play it. (I guess the time for Windows 7 is coming.. and I just got used to XP.) The first trailer I saw was clear enough, and the demo livestream was absolutely clear on what the game is and isn't. Three Sectoids and five mutons at fairly short range in a reasonably open area? I would have called that a disaster in UFO. In XCom, it's apparently a warm-up exercise. Then the dude got one man killed by recklessly charging ahead.
It may not be a horrible game, but Solomon was pretty frank about abandoning the original design. I disagree with his reasoning, and quite frankly the game design reeks of modern doctrine: "A more directed experience" he calls it. Just what I least wanted from a new XCom.

 

[Black]

This new shit made me really appreciate how X-Com had no voice acting, no cutscenes and fucking no retarded pseudo-military jargon.

 

[Black]

I like how Firaxis' idea of making the game difficult is by giving the alien groups (yup, groups) a free turn once you spot them.

 

[Cassidy]

Commandos is infinitely superior to this, regardless of being real-time. That "Herp derp I'll buy it to encourage more turn-based games" is a ridiculously idiotic idea. If anything I hope it flops gigantically to ensure less decline for the strategy genre as a whole. Every multiplatform strategy game that fails on consoles is good news, and every that succeeds bad news. I don't want to pop moles in turns. Fuck you all who bought this excrement.

 

[Black]

Commandos is infinitely superior to this, regardless of being real-time. That "Herp derp I'll buy it to encourage more turn-based games" is a ridiculously idiotic idea. If anything I hope it flops gigantically to ensure less decline for the strategy genre as a whole. Every multiplatform strategy game that fails on consoles is good news, and every that succeeds bad news. I don't want to pop moles in turns. Fuck you all who bought this excrement.

Who's worse, people who bought diablo 3 or this xcum?? Discuss!!

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Commandos is infinitely superior to this, regardless of being real-time. That "Herp derp I'll buy it to encourage more turn-based games" is a ridiculously idiotic idea. If anything I hope it flops gigantically to ensure less decline for the strategy genre as a whole. Every multiplatform strategy game that fails on consoles is good news, and every that succeeds bad news. I don't want to pop moles in turns. Fuck you all who bought this excrement.

Pretty much this, strategy games were so far the only genre more or less resistant to the decline and Firaxis one of the main fucktards actively trying to change that.