XCOM®: Chimera Squad

I like the xcom series, I feel this game is a nice change from XCOM where sacrifice is necessary. In this game you no longer are allowed to sacrifice units and instead have to play more conservatively. All encounters are really close quarters too (so no sniping from 2 blocks away in XCOM 2). I still feel XCOM 2 to be much better, but for it's price, it is a good game. for those just looking for any XCOM game, remember 'phoenix point' was made by the same developers. Still waiting for XCOM 3, but this is a nice game to play while we wait for it.

A bite-sized version of XCOM 2 that improves upon nearly every aspect of combat. It lacks the visual character customization and has a significantly reduced strategic layer, but those were never the important parts of XCOM IMHO. All of the tedium and problematic gameplay created by pods is solved. Missions are at discrete locations. All enemies are active and visible at all times. The interleaved turn system is a significant upgrade to both tactical gameplay and challenge, as you can no longer just alpha strike an entire map in one turn before anybody gets a chance to respond. Enemy reinforcements may appear at regular intervals from a number of predetermined locations, so the developers have a lot of room to really tailor each encounter's difficulty. The Breach mechanic is tactical and engaging. As far as gameplay goes, the interleaved turn system is the biggest departure from previous XCOM titles and I personally love it. Everything else is a more streamlined version of systems we've seen in previous titles, reducing tedium and improving accessibility without sacrificing any strategic or tactical depth. Narratively, the story is kinda mid but that's entirely consistent with every other XCOM game. It fits well within the universe and is mildly interesting, though it might offend you if you're some weird terminally online homophobic rightwing chud. The characters are unique individuals with their own dialogue and backstory that are not particularly customizable, so if you played XCOM 2 as a paper doll dress-up simulator you will find Chimera Squad completely lacking in that regard. The game is well worth it at $20, even more worth it on sale.

Some people hate this one, but I liked it. Short missions, no permanent squad member loss, cool tactical situations. It's like Tactical Breach Wizards, but less awesome, because you have to commit to every action. I wish the interface was better. Sometimes you are about to use all remaining ammo, but you have no idea how much you have left. And whether the UI is showing consequences of one shot or all of them.

xcom in a bite sized form

This is xcom lite, really. 22 hours and done, on "normal" mode and I only ever lost twice due to needing to understand the rules in particular situations. I love the story and the banter that goes on before, during and after missions, that alone makes me want to play again with different agents to see what other interactions are possible. Gameplay is very xcom, but at the same time it's not. It felt like I was OP from the beginning, but maybe that's the point. Like I have free actions all over the place and Blueblood is my absolute favorite for how OP he is. So fun to max out his aim then unload on everyone. Didn't fully understand the training system, had to just experience it, or the anarchy but mine only ever got up to 2 bc I wanted to experiment to see what I could get away with. Very addictive and fun, missions feel like they go a bit quicker than xcom 1 or 2, but another reason why it's hard to put down after you pick it up.

으 똥맛이다.

woke