X-COM Enemy Unknown

Ticker305 · Oct 5, 2012

X-Com Ufo Defense is only a $1.25 at Gamefly currently, incase you need something to tie you over until this releases

http://www.gamefly.com/Download-X-Com-UFO-Defense/150775/

Pringle · Oct 5, 2012

Simmonz said:
There is a free demo on steam you can try if you would like.

I'm at work, but thanks for the heads up! I'll be having a fantastic weekend

Drawmonster · Oct 5, 2012

I played a little of the demo, and it was pretty good. I need to play more to get a better impression, but I think overall they did well. Guess will see how it fares once we can play further into the game.

Breath_of_the_Dying · Oct 7, 2012

Barring any critical bugs unseen in the game, the demo looked very promising. I've only played Apocalypse, so I'm kind of used to RTS missions instead of TBS, but the demo was a pretty good indication of how things are gonna go. Capturing live aliens seems like it will be tough. I usually play very defensively, meaning I set up numerous snipers and pin them down. I think the squad maxes out at 6? Looks like I have to broaden my tactics to be effective in this game.

Graphics arent anything to write home about, but they get the job done for gameplay. I'm willing to plop $60 for preordering this since I've finished BL2 and I cant get myself to finish TL2.

eloj · Oct 8, 2012

GB:QL (xbox360 version though)

Kinsaras · Oct 8, 2012

ScYcS · Oct 8, 2012

Those are some good scores. I'll see soon enough for myself, pre-ordered this one (a thing i usually do not do but this is x-com damnit) and will be playing on the 12th.

Solhokuten · Oct 8, 2012

The demo was pretty fun, but those textures are awful.

Monkey God · Oct 8, 2012

Review over at Ars talks about wonky controls and few other things. Anyone try it out yet? The original is one of my favorites. Whoops, looks like its out tomorrow.

ValeTudo · Oct 8, 2012

Monkey God said:
Review over at Ars talks about wonky controls and few other things. Anyone try it out yet? The original is one of my favorites. Whoops, looks like its out tomorrow.

Try the demo on Steam or from their site if you want to see the controls in action. I didn't have any problems with it and I've played through the demo a couple times.

Scores look very positive so far... looking forward to launch!

mtbush · Oct 8, 2012

ValeTudo said:
Try the demo on Steam or from their site if you want to see the controls in action. I didn't have any problems with it and I've played through the demo a couple times.

Scores look very positive so far... looking forward to launch!

Yeah, after playing the demo numerous times..I really don't understand the complaints about the controls. The Destructoid reviewer reviewer went as far as calling them "abysmal" and suggested using a controller....but still gave the game a 9

Johnked6 · Oct 8, 2012

The main problem I had in the demo was that you had to click the middle mouse button and then scroll to zoom in and zoom out, which is a huge pain. Why not let us just use the scroll wheel to zoom? That and your zoom gets reset back to the narrow fov when you switch soldiers, making you have to do it all over again for each soldier.

cageymaru · Oct 8, 2012

Official X-COM stream is live until the Steam copy unlocks.

http://www.twitch.tv/2k

Serpent · Oct 8, 2012

mtbush said:
Yeah, after playing the demo numerous times..I really don't understand the complaints about the controls. The Destructoid reviewer reviewer went as far as calling them "abysmal" and suggested using a controller....but still gave the game a 9

Really? I thought it was quite bad. The point to grid seems to be horribly off center. I've often time clicked on another grid to get the one I wanted.

The camera is annoying, where it'll follow and move back and forth in a oddly pointless manner.

The moveset is set so that it's queued up in a array type fasshion where the latest is the buggest number, instead of a sensible and logical way where snipe is always 2 and hunker down is always 8. They have it so Hunker Down could be 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or whatever the number of skill you got.

It's not a deal breaker obviously, but abysmal isn't too far fetch.

FreiDOg · Oct 9, 2012

Played it for about an hour last night (enough to get through most of several 'tutorial' ground missions and my walkthrough of most of the base.

I completely agree with the complaints about the controls. It really feels like they designed for an analog stick and the mouse feels sluggish. The first tutorial mission where you have to step into the little bus station to see took me 5 or 6 tries and zooming in and out to get it to highlight the tile it wanted my guy to step on. But once you get passed those couple of points and have freedom to go where you like, I haven't had any trouble with the movement aspect.
The only part I thought actually did get in the way was the targeting system for grenades and rocket launchers. You're not picking a title to aim at as much as a big area you want to blow up. Somehow this manages to be both twitchy and imprecise at the same time. It doesn't pin to a tile as well as movement, but still seems to have a bit of auto-aim that's snapping to anything nearby. The real problem is that panning the camera seems to kick in well off the screen edge so as you're trying to tweak your target, you often trigger the mouse scroll and move the whole screen.

2 simple control options: disable mouse scroll (keyboard only to pan the camera around) and a slider for mouse speed and 90% of the control problems I had go away, but they're not there.

Other than, man this game feels like X-COM. It felt good to watch those little sectoid bastards collapse in a heap of green goo at the hands of my riflemen. This has jumped right to the top of my go to games list.

Monkey God · Oct 9, 2012

What is it with games that have such great potential and totally useless controls? I don't get it.

cageymaru · Oct 9, 2012

All devs in general think everyone is fluent with a XBOX 360 controller.

NastyNative · Oct 9, 2012

We are all fluent with this controller - http://www.amazon.com/NES-Controller-USB-Adapter-Smart-Pad/dp/B000YDOK2W

LMFAO....

Imagine trying to play this game with this!

Ticker305 · Oct 9, 2012

Been watching live streams on Twitch at work on and off, kind of on the fence, waiting for some [H] feedback before deciding.

ValeTudo · Oct 9, 2012

Ticker305 said:
Been watching live streams on Twitch at work on and off, kind of on the fence, waiting for some [H] feedback before deciding.

Played it last night... I played the demo a couple times and wasn't sure if it would pan out... but after playing through the tutorial last night... which continues on through a few missions and base training... I'm really liking the game so far.

Missions so far were very interesting and unique... at first I was thinking... WTF not dropped on a map where I have to hunt down a space ship, shoot through farm houses... blow up gas stations...

But it's all actually there in a different way and the graphics grow on you really quick. Run N Gun Squaddie is a BAMF in the right situation.

Won't give away anything other than to say I recommend this game as an old gamer from the original days.

Rock on Commanders!!!

Megalomaniac · Oct 9, 2012

ValeTudo said:
Won't give away anything other than to say I recommend this game as an old gamer from the original days.

Rock on Commanders!!!

Thanks for the comments ValeTudo! much appreciated!

Ticker305 · Oct 9, 2012

Megalomaniac said:
Thanks for the comments ValeTudo! much appreciated!

x2!

mtbush · Oct 9, 2012

Even though I'm a complete noob to turn based strategy I'm having a blast with X-Com so far. The narrative and the scope of the game are fantastic, you get such a sense of accomplishment after the end of map. Plus the customization and all the addons you can purchase for your troops and base....very, very happy with my purchase.

Colonel Sanders · Oct 10, 2012

Liking it so far, although the controls ARE pretty annoying. Even using the 360 controller for example, the rotate camera left/right feel reversed to me, and there's no way to tweak the 360 button assignments. On the other hand, reassigning keys in the mouse/keyboard interface is problematic as well. For example, since I'm a lefty (right hand rests near the arrow keys), I tried binding right control for rotate camera left, and numpad-0/ins for rotate right. End result, numpad 0 works fine, right control does not. Then I tried Del for rotate left and End for rotate right. Del does not work, End does. Everything appears fine in the key binds menu, but in gameplay it doesn't work. Super annoying.

Sometimes you just have to wonder how much testing some of these games really go through. How is stuff like this missed?!?

mr_zen256 · Oct 10, 2012

Slight oversight by Firaxis.. Apparently there are lovely 1080p cutscenes included with the PC release of Xcom but they are not enabled by default.

A quick batch rename of the files in the movies folder will upgrade your vids to lovely HD quality

Enjoy

FreiDOg · Oct 10, 2012

If you're a gamer of a certain age --- well at least old enough to have played the originals in the early/mid 90s, you need to play this. It's not just a spiritual successor, it's X-COM.

It separates itself from the original, without losing most of what made X-COM great. I'm not going to pretend I don't miss the epic sieges of the first game as you line up 20 soldiers to storm the command center / control room, but even with the small squads they've kept that slight hesitation you always got before issuing an order to run across an open room.

There's a lot of little changes from the originals, more direct decisions about which countries to protect and more immediate feedback from those choices (scientist and engineers are now mission rewards instead of people you hire, you're not buying individual rifles and ammo clips). In some cases those decisions points limit how the play the game - fire your weapon and that soldier is done for the turn, in that respect the time unit allocation gave a lot more tactical options. The order operations are a more game-y mechanic of making you choose between being in harms way and getting the shot or running for cover. While I appreciate the pro/con weights that lends to each move (or lack of move), I do miss popping off a snap shot and diving for cover.

My bottom line is this: there are a few bugs, my tutorial bugged out and wouldn't let me click the 'command center' button I needed to move on and I had to bail and reload. The tactical combat UI ranges from 'be nice if I could make some adjustments' to 'why *#$% won't this rocket go where I want!', the research, manufacturing and recruiting falls somewhere between modernized and simplified, and one mistake rarely ends your soldier's life and the net result is I don't care.

I want to play more.

It's not for everyone, it's a piece of nostalgia best viewed through slightly rose colored glasses; but for those of us who revere X-COM, it's the best thing that can be played above a 640x480 (or was the original 320x240 even?) resolution.

Wrench00 · Oct 10, 2012

So far I am liking it. Never played the original

CryingGod · Oct 10, 2012

Never played the first one, but I have to admit I am loving this game. Purchased it earlier today and sunk about 3-4 hours into it already.

Droc · Oct 10, 2012

my friend said it feels like a port...is it that noticeable?

NastyNative · Oct 10, 2012

It feels like a port because the control are so bad.
Im currently playing this for the PC and the only complaint I have
is the controls. Horrible, in one of the missions I had a great plan
and it would only work if I could get one of my squaddies ontop
of a bus....WTF I couldnt get him to walk ontop of the bus it was so
freaking annoying....

Besides this everything else has gone far beyond my expectations
of the original...

2K fix the freaking controls.....

tuaarita · Oct 10, 2012

NastyNative said:
Horrible, in one of the missions I had a great plan
and it would only work if I could get one of my squaddies ontop
of a bus....WTF I couldnt get him to walk ontop of the bus it was so
freaking annoying....

Uuhh.. Were you supposed to be able to get him on top of the bus?

Serpent · Oct 10, 2012

NastyNative said:
It feels like a port because the control are so bad.
Im currently playing this for the PC and the only complaint I have
is the controls. Horrible, in one of the missions I had a great plan
and it would only work if I could get one of my squaddies ontop
of a bus....WTF I couldnt get him to walk ontop of the bus it was so
freaking annoying....

Besides this everything else has gone far beyond my expectations
of the original...

2K fix the freaking controls.....

I'm actually slowly getting used to it... somewhat. I don't like it, and I still mess up and it could be 1000000000x better. But I am getting used to it.

I have a lot of issues with other things though.

weebling1 · Oct 10, 2012

Old school player, overall liking it. Combat actions feel very familiar.

I DO miss the micromanaging. I'd like to have better control over the soldier loadouts, not just 'this or that, NOT BOTH' Grenade range (AND gun sighting) is way too limited- I don't care about a perfect placement, when I'm told "collateral damage is not a concern" I expect to throw some hail mary's for lucky hits or smoke protection. ....and the freaking zoom controls ARRRRRRGHH!!! I can zoom out then it zooms in on the next soldier. I try to zoom IN and it auto zooms back out.

I hope it doesn't become monotonous from the oversimplification of everything.

mtbush · Oct 10, 2012

mr_zen256 said:
Slight oversight by Firaxis.. Apparently there are lovely 1080p cutscenes included with the PC release of Xcom but they are not enabled by default.

A quick batch rename of the files in the movies folder will upgrade your vids to lovely HD quality

Enjoy

that makes sense then seeing as the gamefolder is close to 13 gigs

thanks for the info, what should the exetension be changed to, .mp4?

NastyNative · Oct 10, 2012

tuaarita said:
Uuhh.. Were you supposed to be able to get him on top of the bus?

yes, the bus had a ladder on the back and my squaddy could get up there.
The issue was i would click my soldier and scroll up to get to the top of the bus
but the roof of the bus would keep disapearing and my cursor would automatically
show on the 1st fl. If I click it my soldier get up on the ladder and then jumps down
from the roof of the bus and goes inside the bus which is where my cursor automatically
goes to. Very freaking annoying

LeninGHOLA · Oct 10, 2012

ValeTudo said:
Played it last night... I played the demo a couple times and wasn't sure if it would pan out... but after playing through the tutorial last night... which continues on through a few missions and base training... I'm really liking the game so far.

Missions so far were very interesting and unique... at first I was thinking... WTF not dropped on a map where I have to hunt down a space ship, shoot through farm houses... blow up gas stations...

But it's all actually there in a different way and the graphics grow on you really quick. Run N Gun Squaddie is a BAMF in the right situation.

Won't give away anything other than to say I recommend this game as an old gamer from the original days.

Rock on Commanders!!!

So it sounds like I have to buy this?

Monkey God · Oct 10, 2012

Sounds epic, but I wont buy it as long as the UI and controls are so wonky. Hopefully they release a patch soon after sufficient user feedback.

PanzerBoxb · Oct 10, 2012

After reading the UI/control complaints and trying to demo, I am going to pass for now even though I loved the original. Once it goes on sale or gets some major improvements for the PC version, I will evaluate it again.

mr_zen256 · Oct 10, 2012

mtbush said:
that makes sense then seeing as the gamefolder is close to 13 gigs

thanks for the info, what should the exetension be changed to, .mp4?

The original 720p movies just need to be moved to a temp folder and the "1080_" prefix removed from the HD files. Here are the batch files to do this automatically:

Convert to 1080p

Convert back to 720p

Just create the batch files in the Movies directory and you're good to go

weebling1 · Oct 10, 2012

mr_zen256 said:
The original 720p movies just need to be moved to a temp folder and the "1080_" prefix removed from the HD files. Here are the batch files to do this automatically:

Convert to 1080p

Convert back to 720p

Just create the batch files in the Movies directory and you're good to go

OMGRLY? were they rushed to ship? Such a silly little thing to leave undone but distribute anyway.

X-COM Enemy Unknown

[H]ard|Gawd

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

[H]ard|Gawd

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

[H]ard|Gawd

Mangina Full of Sand

Limp Gawd

2[H]4U

[H]ard|Gawd

Fully [H]

2[H]4U

Supreme [H]ardness

Mangina Full of Sand

Fully [H]

Gawd

[H]ard|Gawd

Limp Gawd

2[H]4U

[H]ard|Gawd

2[H]4U

Supreme [H]ardness

2[H]4U

Supreme [H]ardness

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

Gawd

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

Gawd

Vladimir Hayt

Mangina Full of Sand

2[H]4U

2[H]4U

2[H]4U