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Why is there such a buzz around XCOM: Enemy Unknown arriving on iOS? Sure, It's not just a high-quality title, but it's also a current-generation console and PC game that is being brought to iPhones and iPads. But why does this buzz exist? Why is the mobile gaming community excited about getting to play a game that already exists on multiple other platforms?
I believe it's because mobile gamers not only want to play core games like XCOM, but they also want them to succeed because they want more of them. The mobile market just hasn't been the friendliest environment so far for the kinds of experiences available on consoles and PC. Developers and publishers have been scared away from making either ports or even original core games thanks to the pricing race to the bottom, despite hardware becoming more technically-capable of handling core games. $19.99 is cheap for XCOM, but not in the wider context of $0.99 and free-to-play games that are so prevalent on mobile.
It feels hopeful to see promising titles take a blowtorch to the current system. The mobile market should be able to support games worthy of higher prices as well as the lower-cost indie titles and the free-to-play games, in a similar way to what Steam has done. That service is not the most accessible for indies, and it still reinforces the archaic notion of 'publishing' in a digital distribution system. Despite the drawbacks, at least it's possible for games at smaller price points to thrive along with the big-budget, big-price games. Mobile gaming is largely beholden to the free-to-play (or almost free) pricing scheme.
Providing additional hope for core games on mobile is the promise of gamepads. There are going to be some core games that just aren't going to be great on touchscreens. Sure, it's possible to create passable interfaces for many games, but many games are just plain better with physical controls. Hello, Grand Theft Auto 3. That Apple is making physical controls a possibility, and with the sleeping giant that is TV gaming via the Apple TV lying in wait, core gaming feels like it is nearing takeoff on 'mobile' platforms.
With this movement, there is definite potential for drawing in core gamers who have rejected mobile gaming. If they see that mobile can support the kinds of games they love, then perhaps they'll give the platform its just due. On the flipside, I think that mobile gamers want to see their platform of choice become accepted. Is it insecurity? Perhaps to a small degree, but there's no reason for this platform to be so disrespected.
Sure, the gaming handhelds have tried to provide core gaming experiences while on the go. But there's just so much less creativity on those platforms because they're not completely open to all developers yet. The Vita's getting to that point with Playstation Mobile, but its single-use focus means I don't see a need to carry it around with me at all times when when my iPhone is just more handy. I can use that to do everything, including playing games. But what reason is there for my iPhone to not have the kinds of games that I can have on my Vita and 3DS?
Mobile gaming is great, and it's opened up avenues for new types of games and for new types of gamers. Yet there's no reason the core gaming experience, and those that enjoy it, shouldn't be welcome on mobile too. So yes, get excited about core games like XCOM coming to mobile, and support the worthy ones, because it can lead to more great games coming to mobile, and that's a very good thing.
In the world of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, even the lowliest of alien adversaries can be lethal. Especially early on. Whether it's a Thin Man's poison or a Heavy Floater's mobility, every single species has at least one kind of combat specialization you'll want to look out for. Simply shooting at something until it's dead can certainly work, but if you want to kill it and keep your squad alive, you should probably take a look at the tips below.
[SPOILER WARNING: This guide lists all of the aliens you'll encounter on missions throughout the game. If you don't want to be surprised, please stop reading now.]
Floater - Dealing with Floaters can be a bit tricky because of their mobility. They can simply fly up to “the high ground” whenever they feel like it for an accuracy and defense bonus, and can even airdrop themselves anywhere on the map at the cost of their turn. When one or more Floaters goes missing, it’s a safe bet that they’ve repositioned themselves and are planning to flank you, so make sure to keep everyone in Overwatch whenever possible.
Thin Man - Thin Men are about as formidable as Sectoids (i.e. not very), but they’re far more mobile due to their ability to leap over large walls or on top of buildings. They’re also poisonous and can use that to their advantage by spitting venom at soldiers or leaving a noxious cloud behind when they’re killed. A Thin Man’s poison doesn’t do much damage, and it only lasts a few turns, but it can add up so try to stay away from those green clouds.
Muton - When you first encounter Mutons, you know things are getting serious. These green jumpsuit-wearing aliens are essentially the enemy equivalent of a typical XCOM soldier. They’re formidable, come equipped with Plasma Rifles, are a lot more accurate than most of the other aliens you’ll have encountered up to this point, can use their Blood Call ability to boost their allies’ offensive capabilities, and have alien grenades that they aren’t afraid to use. Mutons are Enemy Unknown’s first real test, but things will only get tougher from here.
Chryssalid - I mentioned Chryssalids in the beginners guide but the warning bears repeating: do NOT let them get close. Chryssalids are primarily deployed at Terror Sites and will often go straight for any civilians they find. When a Chryssalid kills a human (including your own soldiers), which is very easy because their razor-sharp claws to a lot of damage, they also implant a sort of egg into them. This will create a sort of zombie - which is also a rather durable and hard-hitting enemy - that will shuffle around for a few turns before bursting open as a new Chryssalid jumps out. Yes, they reproduce. They’re incredibly fast, do lots of damage, and create more of themselves by killing things. Never, ever, ever, ever let them get in close to your soldiers.
Cyberdisc + Drones - The Cyberdisc is basically the aliens’ equivalent of a light tank. It’s rather mobile in its disc form, and a horribly intimidating death machine when it changes into its combat form. It can lob grenades, fire off some really heavy hitting plasma weaponry, and is usually flanked by two drones that can also deal a bit of damage with some small lasers and repair damage that the Cyberdisc has suffered. While it might be tempting to take out the drones first so they can’t fix anything, the Cyberdisc is a far bigger threat that can usually be dealt with in one turn provided enough soldiers are close by and can perform actions when it appears. Another benefit is that the Cyberdisc is too big to use cover, although it does still benefit from elevation bonuses. Also, try to keep clear when you take a Cyberdisc down as they explode afterwards.
Berserker - Berserkers are a very intimidating breed of Muton which usually appear with two regular Mutons in tow. They don’t bother with fancy weapons, but rather bum rush anything they don’t like and try to rip it limb-from-limb. Much like Chryssalids they make up for their lack of ranged attacks by being more mobile, although Berserkers aren’t quite as speedy. The flipside is that they take a free movement action towards their attacker whenever they take damage. That, and they can Intimidate nearby soldiers, causing them to panic and lose a turn. This can be advantageous, however, as it’s possible to corral a Berserker over the course of a turn by taking pot shots at it with several soldiers while drawing it into range of the bigger guns.
Muton Elite - Muton Elites are essentially badass Mutons. They’re tougher, hit harder, and fight harder than the average Muton. They wield Heavy Plasma guns instead of the more run of the mill Plasma Rifles, and like to use grenades a lot more. Oh, and they also like to show up in groups of three. Best to treat Elites as you would regular Mutons, but be a bit more cautious and don’t hesitate to bring out the big guns.
Sectopod + Drones - Whereas the Cyberdisc is the alien equivalent of a light tank, the Sectopod is more like a full on battleship. This mechanized walker fires a devastating laser (twice!) as well as a cluster of rockets, and it has the most health out of any regular enemy unit in the game. Oh, and it also has two damage-repairing drones with it. Sectopods are pretty much the entire reason for teaching a heavy soldier the Heat Ammo skill since it gives them a bonus 100% damage against robotic enemies. Assuming a heavy soldier is present and in range, a rocket certainly wouldn’t be out of the question. At the very least it should destroy the drones and damage the primary target. A sniper with Disabling Shot is also handy since they can use it to shut down the Sectopod’s primary weapon for a few turns and give the squad a chance to regroup.
Sectoid Commander - Think “regular Sectoid,” but on mental steroids. Sectoid Commanders are only slightly more sturdy than their underlings, but they make up for it with some pretty serous Psionic powers that go well beyond simple being able to buff their pals. Mind Control isn’t out of the question, actually, so it’s imperative to make Sectoid Commanders a top priority target, unless an Ethereal is present. Kill it and the controlled soldier will be free, but if not you’re going to have one heck of a serious problem on your hands.
Ethereal - These incredibly powerful Psionic aliens have no need for weapons. Their minds are weapons. Taking on an Ethereal is no easy task as it’s packed with offensive and defensive skills. It puts up a Psionic shield that makes it very difficult to hit, can prevent damage when it is hit, has a tendency to counter-attack, and has an entire arsenal of mental attacks at its disposal. If handled improperly, an Etheral can all but wipe out an entire squad by using mind control, causing panic, and simply tearing a target’s mind apart. The two Muton Elite escorts are just gravy. Thankfully mechanical devices such as the S.H.I.V. are totally immune to mental attacks and it’s possible to develop Mind Shields for your soldiers to equip in order to boost their defense against mental attacks. Treat with extreme caution, regardless. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a little overkill.
If you missed part one of this dramatic re-telling of one Commander's playthrough of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, be sure to read it through here.
Next up is a mission directly from the XCOM council. It’s time to head into Canada to stop aliens from moving through a neighborhood and detonating a bomb that could inflict maximum panic across the country.
Here I am playing it safe, again, as I go through the back alleys, disabling power sources that are fueling the bomb. I did a good job working up to the bomb itself. I'm using one soldier to shut down a final power source on the outside of a warehouse, but an alien shows up on top of the building, shooting down on my soldier, killing him. I switch to another soldier and kill the alien on the roof while sending another soldier into the warehouse to shut down the final power source, followed by the bomb itself. The mission appears to be wrapping up rather well as I disable the bomb. However, immediately following the shut down of the bomb, multiple aliens show up on my flank. This is the first time I meet the more human looking aliens rather than the small grey aliens. The first alien drops from the roof, landing on top of a vehicle, giving it a clear shot on Leroy, killing her. Meh! A second alien has another easy shot, killing the guy who disabled the bomb. It's my turn again and things aren't looking good as Nick Dunn is my only remaining soldier, huddled in a corner. I was able to shoot and kill the alien who shot Leroy, but then yet another alien drops from the roof, behind Dunn, and kills him.
Wow…I went from having an amazing mission to the complete opposite.
I lost the future of my XCOM unit in a mission that turned upside down so very quickly. I should have covered the roof, which would have saved two of my soldiers and possibly a third. If you don’t cover every possible route and leave something open, this game will make you pay. Unbelievable!
Well, I suppose this drama is good for a Commanders Log, but I am really regretting playing on the classic difficulty. I’m getting run over by mistakes and it's becoming hard to establish anything. I guarantee you that I’ll be watching high points much more carefully during the rest of my missions. I think this is also showing that I haven’t played in a while, so I am making a lot of mistakes. Meh! :(
It makes since, at the end of that mission, I finally get my upgraded armor that I’ve had the research team working on. At least it should help my future soldiers with their missions.
I don’t remember things going this bad, this quickly, during the last time I played it. China has withdrawn from the XCOM project. It’s not good that I’ve already lost a member. If I don’t turn things around soon and start putting together a large streak of victories, then I feel this will be game over very quickly.
Learn from my mistakes, people! Don’t play on classic! Haha.
Well, at least don’t play on classic at first, especially if you are new to the game.
My first month as Commander on iOS has gone by, receiving a B grading from the council. Since I completely botched the Canadian mission, I need to make sure to bring their panic level back down from 4 bars. Asia and Africa aren’t looking so good either, with Europe looking alright except for France and Germany, which are at 3 bars. Hopefully I can continue to keep a solid handle on North America, South America, and Europe while working on Asia and Africa.
We’ll see how this goes. Moving onward!
I just lost every soldier under my command while panic sets in India after another failed mission. Once again, I got completely outgunned. Well, from now on with my new recruits, I’m going to start using scopes instead of extra armor because of all the missed shots. It's getting a bit frustrating!
I just shot down another UFO and cleared out the crash site successfully. Better shots made a difference this time around. I still lost 2 guys, however; one to an alien and another to friendly fire because one of my soldiers panicked. This is the first time friendly fire has happened on this playthrough. It's nice to win a round, finally, though the panicking soldier still made it feel like a failure.
I finally built another satellite and placed it over Canada, bringing down the panic by a couple of bars. Still, there are countries that have four bars and two countries with five. I need to be careful not to lose them.
Oops...
Oops doesn’t work with this game, not at all.
I’m pretty much showing everyone how to fail as quickly as possible at XCOM. I should start a new campaign against myself. FIRE THE COMMANDER! I should also change the title to “How to fail quickly” instead of it being a Commanders Log full of epic and wonderful battles.
To explain the oops, I didn’t pay close attention to my recruits after losing too many soldiers in back to back missions. I am down to just two soldiers for the next mission. I did just hire new recruits, but it takes three days before they arrive. So, I have a decision to make; cause panic by skipping an alien encounter or fight with the two soldiers and hope for a miracle.
Well, I went for the miracle, fighting with two soldiers, and failed. There is now full panic in nine different countries, and remember, I already lost China. That leaves me with only 6 countries at manageable panic levels. Ugh, this game is depressing.
I have now come across a new mission type; I must help save civilians in Canada by finding them on the map and getting them to safety. I just run across yet a new and more powerful type of enemy, here at the beginning, and I just don’t have strong enough equipment or soldiers to handle this. This is getting brutal. I’m expecting to see a game over screen very soon now.
I know that I need to develop the right equipment so that I can upgrade my soldiers, but I’ve been losing too many missions from the beginning to even get a handle on things. I’m not earning rewards because I am not winning missions. In other words, I’m not earning enough money to develop facilities and not earning engineers to help develop better equipment. I’m only earning a beating.
The doom tracker just went up, big surprise. I lost Canada and it’s only a matter of time before I lose the remaining countries as well.
Oh, and I just realized after losing all 4 of my soldiers, yet again, I don’t have any soldiers and nor do I have any money to hire new soldiers. This means I need to visit the gray market to sell some extra material that I have in storage.
I’m finally able to build a new lab, but I think I’m doing everything a little too late here. I’m basically playing like a complete n00b, much worse than my first time around with the 360 version. I still blame my soldiers who forgot how to shoot, even with the scope. On a previous round, I had a soldier with a 65% chance on his shot and he ended up missing twice. Grr.
The end of the month just came around and I gained some extra cash and another scientist. Let’s see what I can build. Still, I did lose 3 more countries and six are on the verge of backing out of the XCOM project.
Three difficult missions have just come up. I took the mission with the reward of gaining engineers, because I need engineers to develop better armor for my soldiers. I’m now hoping for another miracle.
…and I just failed the mission.
I am awful. I’m wondering if I am more focused on my writing than I am on the gameplay, because I am simply making too many mistakes. I just let two soldiers get killed by an exploding vehicle.
Watch out guys for cars that can explode! Dare I say it again? Yes. I am playing like a n00b. I have no clue how I didn't notice that the car was on fire. The aliens have drained our spirits!
I really hope this is helpful to you guys. If you are not overly cautious and strategic with every move you make, this is the type of beat down you can expect. Classic is difficult, but I guarantee you that Normal can be just as challenging if you don’t develop weapons and armor at a quick pace. You need to be smart with every mission, because every mission counts toward the outcome of your game. Even if you don’t realize it right away, your progress at the end can be faltered by mistakes at the beginning, dooming your chances of being successful.
It’s time that I rescue a VIP. Well, attempt to at least. Again, I really can’t believe the amount of misses that my soldiers are going through.
I had 88% CHANCE ON A SHOT AND NOTHING!!! Wow! Mission failed. ‘Nuff said.
I also lost both my interceptors, followed by my only satellite. My monthly spending surpasses my income, so the XCOM project is going into debt until I get another satellite up in the air and order more interceptors to protect it.
I still can’t develop armor because I don’t have enough engineers and I’m finally close to getting my laser weapons, except I need more material to build them because I sold all my previous material to buy more soldiers and build a foundry.
Finally! There's an easy mission to select! I’m going in with Thunder-1 and Thunder-2, my first two S.H.I.V. units. (Super Heavy Infantry Vehicle)
Finally! A mission complete! Yay! There were only 4 aliens to clear out. My SHIV units did most of the hard work, though I still lost one unit. It feels great to finally get a win even though I know it’s too late to turn things around.
There it is, folks! The end of the month report has come and everyone has left the XCOM project. It is over, the game is over.
That was absolutely brutal. I lasted 92 days, only. I fought in just 12 battles, winning half. I killed 46 aliens and lost 31 soldiers.
I can’t believe how quickly things moved, I definitely wasn’t prepared for the beat down I received. I wasn’t able to gain any traction at the beginning by winning missions so that I could earn rewards to quickly build the items my soldiers needed. Only at the end did I finally have the infantry vehicles. Also, I could never build better armor because I never had enough engineers. I was just getting ready to build my laser weapons, too! I simply wasn’t prepared for the game and shouldn’t have played on Classic. I should have saved that for a later date after I remembered all the ins and outs of the game.
Take these words of advice.
Go slowly and pay attention to every little detail after every single mission. Obviously, there isn’t much you can do if the aliens continuously outgun your soldiers. If you’ve never played XCOM, I recommend starting on an easier level. I’ve played XCOM before and yet I still became overwhelmed by how badly my soldiers were and how quickly things fell apart. I had good cover on most occasions, and when I didn’t, the aliens were better with their movement. I would also recommend that you play all easy missions at first to gather as much material as possible and earn the rewards!
I still absolutely love this game even after the beat down, it's an amazing game. The mission where I killed 10 aliens and lost 0 soldiers was an amazing round that I can hold onto with this experience. I love the strategy of it all and how every detail matters when it comes to your research and what items you build. I don’t remember the aliens becoming so difficult so fast in my original playthrough, and that's probably because I started on a higher difficulty.
However, I am a little annoyed with the accuracy of my soldiers. I know a lot of them had 50/50 chances, but it felt more like 10% chances while the aliens have nothing but sharp shooters on their side. I had multiple occasions where I had 65% chances miss and even an 88% chance miss. That’s just absolutely annoying. XCOM will play with your head and drive you crazy, unfortunately, but it's worth it.
Another thing that didn’t happen during my playthrough was a chance to build a connection with a soldier. Only 8 of my 31 soldiers went on multiple missions while only 4 made it to a third mission. Three missions were the longest any soldier made it. Cpl. Nick Dunn had 10 kills in his 3 missions. It’s too bad Cpl. Dunn and I couldn’t have done more together. It’s sad looking at the memorial of my soldiers. I almost don’t want to share this experience with you. Haha. Whatever, I’m keeping it real. We are not always perfect gamers. We make mistakes and sometimes let a game totally kick us where it hurts. Plus, this game is known for doing that.
Character connection is part of the fun in this game, but if you don’t play well at all, you’ll never experience it. You’ll never have the missions like I did during my first time playing the game where my only Colonel totally dominate the battlefield, saving a VIP, all by herself. I would also play her cautiously while sending the rookies forward so that she never got into bad situations. That’s part of the fun, being worried about your favorite soldiers and ensuring that you do everything you can to keep everyone alive.
Oh well, I’ll play again and begin on an easier difficulty. I’m sure I’ll win most of my rounds at the beginning, earning multiple rewards that allow me to more quickly unlock the material I need to upgrade my soldiers.
Final note: I saved halfway through my experience and decided to play some of it again. I took on a couple of easier missions, winning on back to back occasions. It figures that I actually had some good shots and was able to keep my soldiers alive under good cover. I also noticed that I was finally able to build an officer training school to increase my squad size which would have helped tremendously. Oh well, here is a great article on the difficulty of XCOM and how quickly things can start going downhill.
I wish you all the best of luck and hope you have a far more successful time with the game than I did. There is so much more for you to discover on your journey into the XCOM project and so much to enjoy.
Good luck, Commanders.
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We've already gone over a bunch of the basics when it comes to surviving (or at least prolonging) XCOM: Enemy Unknown. But what about more advanced tactics? That's where these advanced tips come in. This article in particular is all about the soldiers; what gear compliments which class, what skills work best when paired with others, that sort of thing. This is by no means meant to signify the only successful setup, but rather to give players looking to optimize their troops' effectiveness with a few guidelines to get them started. And by all means, if you have any related questions or would like to chime in with your own loadout tips, please do so in the comments below.
[SPOILER WARNING: This guide involves the use of armor, weapons, and skills that won't be available until late in the game. If you don't want to spoil anything for yourself, please stop reading.]
Assault - A very effective equipment set for an assault soldier is Ghost Armor, an Alloy Cannon, Plasma Pistol, and Arc Thrower. Ghost Armor allows a soldier to cloak for an entire turn (so long as they don't shoot at anything), and when coupled with Run & Gun is ideal when trying to figure out where enemies are hiding without alerting them to your presence. The Alloy Cannon is simply a beast at close range, and when used in conjunction with Run & Gun can get the soldier up close for an almost inescapable blast of shrapnel. The Arc Thrower isn't necessarily essential, but when using Ghost Armor it can be very easy to get in close to stun a target. Unfortunately Run & Gun doesn't pair with the Arc Thrower, but it's still ideal for closing large distances in a hurry.
Heavy - A good loadout to consider for a heavy soldier is Titan Armor, Heavy Plasma, and a S.C.O.P.E. Titan armor is the sturdiest armor available, and is immune to poison and environmental fire damage to boot. It's not particularly mobile, but it's incredibly durable. Heavy Plasma is, of course, the nastiest of the heavy machine guns but as with all the other versions it's not remarkably accurate or frugal with ammunition. This is why I recommend the S.C.O.P.E over, say, a Nano-fiber Vest; because that extra 10% accuracy bonus can make the heavy a far more effective alien killer without resorting to using rockets prematurely.
Sniper - I've yet to find a more effective set of equipment for a sniper than Archangel Armor, a Plasma Sniper Rifle, Plasma Pistol, and a S.C.O.P.E. The rifle and S.C.O.P.E are kind of a given, but pistols are also important because a sniper's accuracy doesn't only pertain to their primary weapon. And since it's only possible for them to move and fire their rifle in the same turn with a particular skill (and the shot still suffers an accuracy penalty), the pistol is great for repositioning them and using Overwatch. The Archangel Armor is the real star, though. Everyone gets an accuracy bonus when they're positioned higher than their target, but snipers can get an even bigger bonus with the right skills. With this armor equipped, all a sniper has to do is fly straight up as high as they can and wait.
Support - My ideal set for a support soldier includes Ghost Armor, a Plasma Rifle, Medkit, and Nano-fiber Vest. Why Ghost Armor? Because it can be incredibly useful to be able to make the squad's primary healer invisible for a turn. That and it's possible, with the right skill selection, to increase a support soldier's movement distance. It's not quite as good as Run & Gun, but when coupled with invisibility it makes them a very effective scout. The Nano-fiber Vest is more of a take it or leave it thing, but another handy perk support soldiers can get is the ability to carry two items instead of one. Unfortunately it's not possible to equip two medkits, but the added durability provided by the vest can certainly help keep them alive longer. An Arc Thrower is also a perfectly reasonable choice.
Assault - As I've mentioned, it's unfortunately not possible to use an Arc Thrower along with Run & Gun (Squaddie). However, Killer Instinct (Colonel) works quite well with it as it boosts the soldier's critical damage by 50% for the rest of the turn. The catch is that it only applies to critical damage, but a number of skills such as Close and Personal (Sergeant) and Aggression (Corporal) make critical hits a lot more likely. Since I tend to push my assault soldiers into harms way I prefer to stick with the more defense-oriented skills such as Lightning Reflexes (Sergeant) and Tactical Sense (Corporal). I've also found that using Flush (Lieutenant) while another soldier, probably either a heavy or support, is suppressing the target can be very effective as Suppression not only reduces the target's movement and accuracy but grants the shooter a free shot if they attempt to move. So a successful Flush won't only damage the target but also force it out of cover, which will in turn give the suppressor a follow-up shot.
Heavy - Bullet Swarm (Corporal) is certainly a tempting skill as it gives the heavy a chance to attack twice in one turn, so long as they don't move, but I vastly prefer the accuracy bonus Holo-Targeting (Corporal) grants. Especially when paired with Suppression, which will keep a target pinned down, reduce their accuracy, and boost the other soldiers' accuracy against it. Similarly the choice between Rapid Reaction and Heat Ammo (Lieutenant) might seem easy, but note that Rapid Reaction only grants a second reaction shot if the first is a hit. And later in the campaign the chances of most target surviving the first hit are pretty slim. Conversely, getting a bonus 100% to damage against robotic enemies can be a godsend. Mayhem (Colonel) is another great skill to pair with Suppression as it grants a damage bonus. So the heavy can suppress a target, hurt it, reduce it's everything, then probably kill it if it even attempts to move.
Sniper - Squad Sight (Corporal). Forget about being able to move and fire the sniper rifle in the same turn with Snap Shot (Corporal), Squad Sight is a sniper’s best friend. Being able to move and shoot might be handy in the early stages of the campaign, but there’s an accuracy penalty associated with it. Plus there’s really no substitution for flushing out enemies with other squad members, then mopping them up from over halfway across the map. Squad Sight also works incredibly well with Damn Good Ground’s (Sergeant) higher elevation accuracy bonus and some of that Archangel Armor I mentioned previously. Pair all of that with Double Tap’s (Colonel) tendency to let the sniper fire off a second shot during their turn and you have an extremely formidable killing machine the aliens won’t ever actually see. Seriously, one of my snipers that was using this setup took out a Sectopod single-handedly in one turn.
Support - Support soldier builds can essentially go one of two ways: healing or buffing/debuffing. I prefer healing as it’s far more useful (and likely) to repair damage than prevent it. The Sprinter (Corporal) ability can be incredibly useful because it gives the support soldier a few more tiles worth of movement that can, and often does, mean the difference between getting to an injured comrade in time. Similarly, Field Medic (Sergeant) is another great way to keep the squad alive since it lets the soldier use a medkit up to three times per mission. Revive (Lieutenant) can also be incredibly handy as it not only stabilizes a downed soldier but can put them back in the fight, effectively keeping the squad at full strength. Savior (Colonel) and its bonus 4 health whenever a medkit is used, when combined with upgraded technology at the forge, means the support soldier can bring just about anyone back from the brink and keep them in top form.
:: VIGILO CONFIDO
I’m still haunted by visions of a parallel world (classified as Xbox 360) as it wasn’t long ago that I was in charge of the XCOM project and led a squadron of soldiers against an alien army. Soldiers I grew attached too, including the first Colonel who helped lead us to many victories.
Col. Carrie “Chops” Welsh, a name that I’ll never forget.
As commander, I led her and the rest of my squadron on many successful missions as it seemed as if we had an upper hand on the enemy. However, not long after, our run of successful missions came to an end as we came across a new alien technology. And missions weren't the only thing I lost. I had one mission where I lost my entire squadron, except for “Chops," who had seven kills and saved a VIP all by herself. There was also a mission that had no hope for survival, though Col. Welsh made it back because of the two remaining squad members who bravely created a barrier, allowing her to escape. Those soldiers knew that there would have been no hope of winning this war without her.
Even with all the success and all the sacrifice, sadly, a couple of missions later and after a careful approach, I lost her to a surprise attack and eventually lost the war. The XCOM project was dismantled and I quickly left that world, learning a lot from the experience.
I know that my past experience will help me on this new battle that’s about to begin on this world, classified as iOS. The same thing is about to happen again, and thankfully from my past experience, I should have a bit of an edge on them.
I’m very much anticipating playing this new iOS version of XCOM after having fallen in love with the console version. It’s been quite a while since I’ve played the game, though, so a lot of things are going to feel fresh as I begin my new journey on the iPad.
I just watched the opening presentation and am now listening to the fantastic menu music that has me feeling even more excited as I write this. I’ve missed this game!
I’m presented with an option of difficulty. I won’t go the Easy route and there's no way I can do the Impossible difficulty. So, it’s either Normal or Classic, and Classic is identified for experienced XCOM players only. I’m going to make things interesting; hello, Classic difficulty! I hope this doesn’t turn out to be a mistake, going with a higher difficulty level, especially since I haven’t played it in so long. It should provide for an interesting Commander's Log, though!
The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has just been answered as something comes crashing down to Earth, causing panic in the streets. And, as I have foreseen, I have now been chosen to lead the XCOM project. I am the Commander!
Here we go with the first mission, an alien sighting in Mexico. It’s my squad’s duty to sweep the area and neutralize all enemy hostiles. It didn’t take long for me to remember why I love this game so much in the first place, watching the aircraft take us to locations, seeing the battlefield and moving my soldiers strategically while hunting down the alien invaders. Also, I totally dig the intense feeling when moving forward on the battlefield without knowing the exact enemy location.
Getting back out in the field is great, even though I don't have my best performance. I lost one soldier on my first mission while killing six enemies. I also had a nice laugh while watching three aliens come crashing onto the street by jumping through windows and then immediately jumping back into the same building that they just jumped out of. These aliens are crazy!
I’m finally getting the rundown of the XCOM headquarters and then I'm sent to the barracks to promote two of my soldiers; sniper, Holly Taylor and heavy gunner, Raul Ruiz. I think I’ll avoid using real names during my playthrough. Yes, I know. Where's the fun in that? I still don't want to kill my friends. Yet.
Research time! I have three projects available, including xeno-biology to learn more about the alien race, weapons fragments to better understand their weapons and help better develop ours, and alien materials to build better armor for my soldiers.
I want better weapons! Time to complete that project.
Even though it looks small, I forgot how big the XCOM headquarters feels with all the different scientific projects, engineering projects, and everything else that needs to be managed like your UFO interceptors, soldiers, and facilities. There is so much going on here and every little bit of it is extremely important to being successful. It's almost overwhelming at times, having to carefully manage every area and making sure I bring back materials to work on further projects.
Now I’m back to mission control, scanning for activity. I’ve come across three abduction sites in Argentina, Germany, and India. Germany and India are listed as easy and moderate on the difficulty, and the panic level of both countries is low, with Argentina already showing two five panic bars. The mission in Argentina is also difficult. I could take the easier route and earn some money or engineers as a reward, or I could take the difficult route and receive 4 scientists as a reward.
Well, I’m feeling brave during this playthrough, so I am going with the difficult mission based in Argentina. Hopefully I can calm the panic there.
I’m playing the mission cautiously but my guys just don’t know how to shoot. These soldiers keep missing their shots, and the enemy simply outguns us. I’m down to one remaining soldier, who just got hit, putting him down to his final health bar. He panics and somehow shoots and kills the alien who shot him, after missing time and time again before that. Now the final alien misses and I am fed up with this crap shooting accuracy, so I charge the alien and throw a grenade at him. Boom! Mission over.
I may have calmed the panic in Argentina, but my team certainly didn’t handle the situation calmly at all. They panicked on multiple occasions and I ended up losing three of my four soldiers in this mess, with my remaining soldier down to his last health bar.
Holly Taylor, the sniper, scored a kill during this mission, but unfortunately, she died soon after. Newcomer Nick Dunn took 6 of the 8 kills in that mission and was the only one to survive. I think he’ll be around for a while, after having this type of experience, he’ll be the soldier on the field that leads me to countless victories! He’s out for 15 days, though, while he heals from his injuries.
While panic decreased in Argentina, it increased in Asia and Europe.
Now, I’m back at XCOM headquarters. Weapons research is completed and it’s time to begin a project on experimental warfare, allowing us to learn even more about the alien technology to use in our own weapons.
I’m now encountering my first UFO contact in the southern United States; time to scramble an interceptor! It's so much fun watching my aircraft takeoff on their mission to hunt down a UFO. Also, you know what? I wish I could name my pilots! GO MAVERICK!
Anyway, I shoot down the UFO, sustaining heavy damage to my own aircraft. Another reminder of why I love this game: the control room full of cheers when the UFO goes down. Now it’s time to send a ground unit to the UFO site.
Hopefully this mission goes a lot better. I’m going to be a lot more aggressive with my approach, making sure I provide even higher percentage shots for my soldiers. I hope this pays off!
I get super aggressive with the first alien, killing him right away, forcing the second alien to fall back. I quickly gained ground on the second alien and set the two guys behind him to overwatch. The alien moves out on his next turn and my two overwatch troopers take care of business, killing it. I’m now coming across a new alien that came out from within the ship, an alien of almost pure energy. As it moves out, the two soldiers shoot it, taking it down to 1 health bar. However, it kills one of my soldiers during its next move. I finish it off right after, though.
It sucks when you lose a soldier, but especially when it comes down to one health bar on that alien and then it survives to get a shot off, taking out one of your own.
Bah, I miss on a 65% chance shot which leads to the death of another soldier. She was in a somewhat covered position, but I let the alien get a clear shot from the side. Now I’m getting aggressive again and charging both aliens who are in close proximity to each other. I pull out a grenade and say goodnight. My soldiers have killed 5 aliens and secured the crash site, but I still lost two of my team members in the process.
Elise Leroy got 4 kills in this, her first mission, and is now assigned to sniper class. I think I have a team building here, with Elise and Nick Dunn, two strong soldiers with good first missions. Let’s keep it going and not lose any more soldiers. Elise wasn’t hurt in this mission, so I think her and Nick will be active in the next round.
The United Kingdom, along with most of Europe, is already at three bars on the panic meter. There is an abduction site in Manchester and so I am sending a team there now. Mission difficulty is Very Difficult, so I hope Leroy and Dunn can put together a strong assault on the alien targets. Reward is $200 dollars, which I could really use to buy more satellites, squad armor, and weapons.
It’s a windy, rainy night in Manchester, almost kind of spooky as I move my squad from vehicle to vehicle on the city streets. I come across aliens almost immediately. My lead soldier takes a hit with the first alien shot; one more and he’s done. I move him closer to throw a grenade, taking out the two lead aliens. The initial explosion only kills one, though the second alien, hiding behind a car, launched into the air as the car exploded. I don’t recall ever seeing an alien go flying quite that high! I'm going to make all you aliens become little miniature UFOs!
Beautiful! I have Leroy set up on overwatch, behind a car, and an alien comes forward into her sights, letting her snipe it from a distance! Goodbye, alien! Best shot so far from this playthrough. I love setting up snipers on overwatch. It helps better protect my frontline soldiers.
Scary moment; I’m playing it safe, keeping my soldiers back on overwatch. However, since nothing is happening, I’m pushing my soldier with low health forward and he comes across two aliens who have overwatch on his position. Thankfully, both aliens miss on their shots. However, they are lined up for a perfect shot on their next turn, so I position my other soldiers in a way to attack the aliens without giving up another turn. I launch a grenade over a truck, it lands on their position, and one alien goes down. The other alien has one life bar left, so I take another soldier to get a wide angle shot on him. Thankfully, my soldier hits him, surely saving my other soldier's life. This is intense.
Haha, wow! I forgot that an alien snuck into a truck and has been patiently waiting there for me to move. I finally move right past it, watching it shoot because it is on overwatch. It’s an up close shot and yet it misses! So lucky! He is lined up for shots on two of my guys, including Leroy, but I’m having a soldier throw a grenade into the truck to end the round, which he does.
That’s ten aliens killed and zero soldiers lost! HOORAH!
Of course, after that successful mission, calming the panic in the UK by 2, China goes into full panic with five red bars, the highest amount. Maybe I’ll use some of my reward money to buy a satellite to send up over China to calm things a bit. I’ll need to order a few interceptors to have over there as well so that UFO’s can’t shoot down the satellite.
Stay tuned for part 2, in which even the best efforts by the XCOM team aren't enough to save the world.
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:: VIGILO CONFIDO :: Read Review »
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is now available for iPad and iPhone [App Store, $19.99], and we're very excited. While XCOM isn't the first console game to be ported over to iOS, it is one of the most ambitious. XCOM: Enemy Unknown while first released for XBox 360 and PS/3 in 2012, this deep turn-based strategy game has transitioned to touch controls better than any others we've seen. We at 148Apps are overjoyed to see it come to iOS and we've devoted many thousands of words to the release that you'll see over the next few days. We hope you enjoy it.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Review - Our review of XCOM: Enemy Unknown notes that "This is simply a great strategy game that happens to have been altered to work on mobile devices; not a dumbing down or a tie-in, but a direct port. It’s worth playing in any form, but being able to fight for the Earth’s survival whenever I want is particularly glorious."
Editorial: Why Core Games are Important on iOS
»New!« Why Core Games Like XCOM: Enemy Unknown Are Important to Mobile Gaming’s Present and Future - Why should mobile gamers be excited about XCOM: Enemy Unknown? It’s a high-quality game, and its potential success could lead to more high-quality core games, and to greater acceptance of mobile gaming.
Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Cheats for XCOM: Enemy Unknown
»New!« XCOM: Enemy Unknown – Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Cheats For Advanced Players (Aliens) - XCOM's aliens aren't pushovers. In fact, many of them could easily decimate an entire squad if given the opportunity. So if you're having trouble with a particular encounter, or just want a few pointers, then this is the guide for you.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Cheats For Advanced Players (Soldiers) - Familiar with the basics of XCOM but looking to get the most out of your troops? Then consider these tips when putting a squad together.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Cheats For Beginner Commanders - Having a hard time keeping your soldiers alive or preventing Council nations from abandoning the XCOM Project? Take a look at our guide and see if that doesn't help.
Commander's Log, a Diary of One Very Unsuccessful Commander in XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM: Enemy Unknown – Commander’s Log: How It Took 92 Days For The World To Meet Its Doom, Part 1 - A look into the experience of what it's like playing XCOM and discovering how quickly things can fall apart, leading to the doom of our world.
»New!« XCOM: Enemy Unknown – Commander’s Log: How It Took 92 Days For The World To Meet Its Doom, Part 2 - The story of the Commander who lost it all.
Backstory, Interviews, Related Games, and History of XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Mulling over Mutons: Jake Solomon on XCOM: Enemy Unknown and the Port to iOS - One of 2012's best strategy games is making its way to the App Store, and we got to ask lead designer Jake Solomon all about it.
7 iOS Games to Make the Wait for XCOM: Enemy Unknown Easier - With the iOS release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown approaching, we take a look at some of the more notable X-Com-alikes on the App Store.
Look What You Started: (Almost) 20 Years of Games Inspired by X-Com - For many who have fought off the alien menace back in '94 and lived to tell the tale, X-Com isn't just a game; it's a legacy that continues to influence the world of strategy games to this day.
2K and Firaxis Games have announced that XCOM: Enemy Unknown will launch on iOS this Thursday, June 20th, for the price of $19.99.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set to bring the full console and PC game experience to iOS devices, optimizing it for touchscreen gameplay. It will support GameCenter and iCloud functionality for easy save game transfer between devices. However, it will not include head-to-head multiplayer at launch, although, it will be added at a later date, free of charge.
Is it Thursday yet? :(
I could go on and on about why it's so great and why I would go so far as to purchase the DOS version just so I could run it on my Mac in an emulator. I actually have, on occasion. However it's not just me. A lot of people think very, very highly of this strategic battle for Earth's survival against seemingly impossible odds. So many, in fact, that its influence can be found throughout almost 20 years worth of games across multiple platforms. Granted I'm only one guy and have human limitations, so I haven't tracked down every single one, but I have compiled this collection of fifteen different titles that manage to evoke some of that X-Com magic.
It all started in 1994, when X-Com: UFO Defense was first released across several home computer platforms including the Amiga and DOS, and was later ported to the original Playstation. At the time there really wasn't anything quite like it. There was an almost masterful mix of base management (building facilities, researching new tech, hiring personnel, manufacturing better gear, etc) and tactical combat that, to this day, hasn't been able to be reproduced in quite the same way.
Every single sortie was an intense game of cat and mouse as the precariously mortal humans (i.e. mice) tried to track down and eliminate their superior alien targets (i.e. cats). Simply stepping off of the Sky Ranger for the first time could result in a rookie - or even worse; a veteran - getting vaporized as the extraterrestrial threat had usually already spread itself throughout the environment. Crafting better weapons and armor back at the base certainly improved a soldier's chances of living to fight another day but even on the easiest setting it was quite common for an entire squad to get wiped out in short order.
With enough tenacity and practice, however, players could eventually fight their way through the invasion forces and even take the battle to the aliens' base of operations. It's the kind of undertaking that could require days or even weeks worth of planning and strategies to complete, but it made X-Com all the more satisfying for it. Then, once the dust had settled and the threat had been quelled, it was time to do it all again.
1997 saw the release of Incubation: Time is Running Out for the PC. There was a linear set of story missions to complete, and little emphasis on micromanagement aside from equipping squad members before each fight, but it managed to capture the turn-based intensity and gruesome alien combat quite well. 1999's Abomination: The Nemesis Project, also on PC, followed suit with more combat and less management. About all the player could do when not in a firefight was select which areas of the world to try and defend from the alien/viral threat, then take their squad into real time combat.
Finally, Jagged Alliance 2 joined the fray that same year, and on the same platform, to round out the 90s library of strategy games. The combat sections were fairly reminiscent of the earlier strategy series but in many ways it played a little more like chess thanks to the need to take control of various areas. Unlike X-Com, the game took place solely on the island of Arulco rather than the entire world and instead of in-depth base management players would hire additional mercenaries, monitor enemy troop movements, and plan the hostile takeover of a town or mine or other useful area.
Once the year 2000 rolled around, it was time for games like Shadow Watch to take the reins. This tactical espionage thriller put players in charge of an elite team of operatives, each with their own special abilities and personal loadouts, and tasked them with retrieving documents from corporate offices (guarded by nasty enemies, of course) and other Shadowrun-style stuff. No expanded tech trees or cannon fodder rookies, though; they had to get their team through it all using only their wits and careful use of each team members’ strengths. A year later in 2001 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel spun-off from the main series as a means to scratch a very particular itch. This isometric strategy RPG may not have had an expansive and open-ended story like its siblings, but it did have lots and lots of turn-based combat.
The PC received even more strategy love in 2002 with Laser Squad: Nemesis, which was kind of like playing X-Com as a turn-based deathmatch with several playable races. A single player campaign was available but honestly, that’s not why most people played it. Then in 2002 we saw the release of one of the most well known “spiritual successors” to X-Com when UFO: Aftermath became available. Aside from the “we already lost and are now fighting to take back our planet” theme and real-time combat that could be paused at any time to issue orders, it made for a very close approximation. Although many would argue that the UFO series was vastly inferior regardless of having an additional eight years worth of technological advancements on its side.
In 2007, the Xbox 360 received what was possibly its first X-Comlike when Operation Darkness was released. This bizarre strategy title involving World War 2, werewolves, and various other monsters wasn't exactly a critical darling. Still, it did call to mind a little of that old school turn-based charm. Plus werewolves. I mean come on, werewolves, people. Fans of handheld devices and space marines had a bit more of a reason to celebrate that same year when Warhammer 40K: Squad Command came out for both the PSP and Nintendo DS. Much like earlier X-Comlikes it focused on the squad and a linear story, with turn-based combat and lots of nasty things to kill. 2007 also happens to be when UFO: Extraterrestrials (not to be confused with anything from the aforementioned UFO series) was released. This one was also very similar to the original X-Com, exept that it didn't take place on Earth but rather a recently colonized world somewhere else in the universe. There’s still plenty of R&D and alien slaughter, though.
As we get closer to the present it’s hard not to mention games like 2008's Valkyria Chronicles for the Playstation 3. Which is exactly why I’m mentioning it now. It was an obviously anime-inspired turn-based strategy game set on a fictitious continent during a fictitious war, but the hidden enemy movements and limited soldier actions felt quite familiar in a cozy sort of way. Last we have Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, which was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011 both as a launch title and as one of the only worthwhile games on the platform. Shadow Wars hybridized X-Com’s turn-based tactics and finite battlefield resources with the overhead grid approach from other games like Fire Emblem.
And now, eighteen years later, X-Com is back in the form of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Firaxis' 2012 "remake" (of a sort) of the Microprose original. Taking one of the most universally celebrated PC strategy games and dressing it up for modern gamers, while simultaneously keeping as many of the nostalgic bits in place for long time fans, was an incredibly tall order that many people were skeptical of. In the end, though, the team at Firaxis did a stellar job with preserving the feeling and oppressive intensity of the original game while streamlining and updating the experience.
The modern release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a seemingly impossible achievement that manages to introduce newcomers to one of the genre's most beloved series as well as appease (most of) the old school fans. It's a game that's well worth owning and celebrating, and we're on the verge of being able to experience the panic of hunting down a pack of Chryssalids whenever and wherever we want on our iOS devices. The future, even one under threat of a hostile alien invasion, is looking mighty bright.
Even with the iOS release of XCom: Enemy Unknown rapidly approaching, some may find the wait unbearable. Playing the original release on Mac, PC, 360, or PS3 is certainly an option but if you're specifically looking to fill the gap on your iOS device (or simply want to play something similar on the go) then today's your lucky day. We've got a list of seven different iOS titles that ought to scratch that itch until Firaxis makes it official. Keep in mind they don't all offer the same exact X-Com experience, but they do all evoke a similar feel for various reasons.
148Apps: You and the rest of the Firaxis team obviously have a ton of reverence for X-Com and it shines through in Enemy Unknown. Has X-Com had any influence over other projects you've worked on?
Jake Solomon (JS): Since the first time I played X-Com, it has been one of game designs that exemplifies to me a great game, and that means that it’s also been a big part of how I think about game design to some extent. Specific influences are probably harder to point out, but I still crack it out and play the original from time to time.
148Apps: What's your fondest memory from the original X-Com? Mine is making it to the point where I'm invading alien bases without having lost a single soldier on the way.
JS: Wow, that’s really hard to pick one memory. There are always a handful of moments from a game that you remember, and you take them together and you can tell these war stories about the game. For example, I remember this one game where I had this one rookie who was so useless and I was like: “Son, you’re going to Mars. I can make that happen for you.”
148Apps: Deciding what to cut, keep, and change when streamlining X-Com’s mechanics for Enemy Unknown must have been pretty tough. Was there anything you all were actually glad to see go?
JS: I don’t think I was necessarily happy or sad about specific changes we made. We felt the mechanics changes were necessary because of the systems we wanted to include in the game, like soldier and alien abilities and the class system. We did want to make sure that all of the decisions you were making were meaningful ones that had real consequences within the game, and keeping that in mind was sort of a guidepost for the mechanics design.
148Apps: The iOS port of Enemy Unknown looks like it's coming along quite well. Was an iOS version always planned or was it a result of the game's PC and console reception?
JS: There was a discussion about whether the iOS version was even feasible at first. Unreal 3 does scale very well, but we still had to go investigate the tech side. And what do you know? It worked really well. After that it was largely a matter of adjusting the interface and making some changes for storage size.
148Apps: Have there been any features for iOS devices that aren't prevalent on consoles/PCs (camera, QR codes, augmented reality) that you've considered incorporating into this version of Enemy Unknown? Not necessarily as major elements but as little extras or something?
JS: We wanted to make sure that the game that we released on console and PC played solidly on the iPad, so getting that experience solid was our highest priority. I’m sure there are cool things we could do with the camera and location tools, but that’s something to think about for the future.
148Apps: I could see Enemy Unknown's multiplayer working quite well on iOS, especially if it was asynchronous. Any chance of that happening or is the focus entirely on the campaign right now?
JS:There will eventually be an update that includes multiplayer, and that’ll be a free update for people who own the game.
We here at 148Apps would like to extend our appreciation to Mr. Solomon and the entire Enemy Unknown team for answering our questions and for making a remarkably excellent strategy game. No specifics on a release date or pricing are available yet but it’s due out “this summer” and will have a “premium” price tag.
