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Tuesday 12 November 2013

XCOM: Enemy Unknown Review

 
Game: XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Genre: Turn Base RTS / Real Time Strategy 
Age: PEGI 18+
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3



This is Knights Gaming World Review of Xcom: Enemy Unknown for PC and PS3. Ok I'm going to say this is my first Xcom game, never played one before this one. Ok so on with the review.
 

GAMEPLAY
Ok so having never played Xcom before, or even a turn based game before, I'm going to say that i really, really like this games gameplay. I have played other RTS games, but this is a very well made game with it's gameplay. But i will say it is very much the roll of the dice sometimes with it's % of hitting the enemy. So this how the gameplay works, each turn you pick from moving around, doing a reload, trying to hit an enemy, and so on, it is very simple and yet very hard, as the AI i would say is good. Overall this is one of the best RTS gameplays i have ever played.

SINGLE PLAYER / STORY
The story of this game is, aliens have come to destroy all life on earth, would be nice of you to stop them. The story is very basic, you are the commander of Xcom who are the last hope for everyone, and something i like about this game is that you can fail, it is not a story where the ending is where you always win, you can be like 10+ hours into the game and with the ironman mode on ( what makes it so you only have one save, and it saves after everything ) if you fail there, you have to restart from the start, and i like it, i never played that mode but the idea sounds good. You also have a base where you build everything you need and this part is good as well, you have to make sure you build / make the right things as it can mess you up later in the game. I have played the single player a few times now and my last play through took me about 14 hours, but my first play through took me like 25+ hours as i did play it slow to get it right.
 
GRAPHICS
The graphics are nothing special, but for an RTS game the
graphics are good, and that's the thing this is an RTS game and they are not known for having the best graphics up close as you are kind of far away most times. and when you get up close you can tell it is not the best, but it is still good. But on the PS3 i did notice a lot of frame rate issues, most at the start of each level. And even loading texture issues.

SOUNDS / SOUNDTRACK
I do like the voice acting, not the best all round by everyone but it is still good and i like it. Soundtrack is good. And the sounds of stuff in the game is good to.
 
MULTIPLAYER / REPLAY VALUE
Right I'm going to say this, the multiplayer in this game is nothing, the only reason  to play it would be just to play as the aliens, besides that, it is nothing. The single player to me has a lot of replay value, what is odd to say as you would pretty much do the same thing over and over again. But you won't, as you can play in a different way and this does change things in it's own way. But what Will hurt the replay value is the maps, there are many, but they seem pretty much the same, and i did replay a few of the same maps sometimes, but it was not as much as other RTS games. The achievements / trophies are good to, as some of them are kind of hard and you need to play on ironman mode for a few.
 
 
SCORES

GAMEPLAY 9.8 / 10
One of the best RTS gameplays i have ever played. Not a huge fan of the roll of the dice with the % of hitting things, but still one of the best RTS gameplays.
 
SINGLE PLAYER / STORY  9.0 / 10
The story itself is nothing special. But the single player is just so much fun that i have played through it a few times. And that has to say something for the game.
 
GRAPHICS  PC  9.3 / 10     PS3  7.2 / 10
The graphics are nothing special as a graphics game. But as an RTS game i think the graphics are good, not the best but good. But the frame rate issues and loading textures issues on PS3, are bad.

SOUNDS / SOUNDTRACK  9.0 / 10 
Not the best voice acting by everyone, but i still like it and think it is good. I like the soundtrack. And the sounds of everything else.
 
MULTIPLAYER / REPLAY VALUE  8.9 / 10
Multiplayer is something i don't see the point off. But the single player is very well made and you can replay that many times and still just have as much fun as the first play through. Also well made achievements / trophies

REVIEWER'S BONUS SCORE  +0.3
Reason for the +0.3 is that this is a very well made game and i feel the +0.3 is right. Can't wait for the next RTS Xcom game.

Final Score   PC  9.5 / 10    PS3  9.0 / 10
A very well made RTS game that every RTS fan should try.
 
 
Knights Gaming World will try to get Reviews out every Tuesday