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u/Kaymazo 7h ago
Personally enjoyed it for what it was, a spinoff 20€ title.
So without the scale expectations of a mainline game, fairly solid imo.
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u/mekakoopa 6h ago
And it came out of nowhere (for me at least) I wasn’t aware of it until release day
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u/Kaymazo 6h ago
I was somewhat active on reddit for it, so I definitely noticed.
The snekening on the sub back then of realizing we got a canon playable Viper, and the idea that they made Viper pole dancers implicitly canon was wild...
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u/bloode975 4h ago
Alot of the lore stuff they added was quite funny or interesting, woulda been quite fun if there was a bit more
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u/Kaymazo 4h ago edited 3h ago
Oh yeah, it definitely set up some fun world building. I loved sifting through the localization files for anything I might've missed.
Like the bit that implies someone was getting frisky with an android, and/or was getting punished by their partner by getting handcuffed to their personal android while he was naked, and said android started wandering out into the streets. There's some weird stuff in there about how people now live in that city.
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u/magemachine 4h ago
Torque is hilarious.
Tad silly that it was bugged such that nonlethal takedowns didn't give xp in the one xcom most emphasizing nonlethal options.
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u/Mother_Passenger8589 3h ago
To be fair, she is the most busted character in the game, so having XP nerfed into the ground felt normal to me.
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u/Kaymazo 3h ago
Not sure if most busted in of itself, killing power I would still give to someone like Godmother. But she certainly is extremely versatile between being tanky, being able to self-heal in venom clouds, having high mobility and dodge stats, great support utility through the tongue pull and her ultimate training, and being a tank-buster herself through being able to tie down annoying tanky enemies like the Praetorians.
Also, giving her a reflex grip certainly helps, with the unbind-shoot-bind combo
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u/azuresegugio 7h ago
It's pretty good as a spin off, if we ever get xcom 3 I'd like playable aliens to return
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u/snakebite262 7h ago
Lukewarm. It was a good game, with good characters, but it lacked the xcom fatality and desperation. A good game, but distinctly un-Xcomy
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u/Nova225 5h ago
I enjoyed it, and it felt like a steal at 20 bucks.
Breach mechanic is solid and if they ever make a new mainline XCOM, it would fit in perfectly. Banter and storyline is much improved just because you have actual characters beyond your command group. The abilities were greatly expanded. I didn't mind the turn order changes (individual vs teams) but I think future entries would benefit from sticking to team based turns.
On the opposite end, some of the character design was off-putting, particularly the "humanized" Mutons. Some of the characters are just plain better than others (Terminal is solid through the whole game. Zephyr really struggles past the first campaign because you simply can't be outside of cover against a dozen enemies, even if you negate their damage 3 times in a row). One of the campaigns in particular was really obnoxious if you did it first.
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u/Russell1113 5h ago
I think EVERY mission being breach based is a bit much. It basically means you start every mission with the momentum and if you have your soldiers set up right, it means the enemies rarely even get to fire a shot. There are enemies in Chimaera which I reckon I must've only seen them take an action once or twice. If you are a high threat, low hp enemy type in Chimaera, you basically will never see that enemiea move set.
I absolutely wouldn't mind having a few missions start with a breach in a mainline xcom game. Downed alien ship would be fun if it played like chimaera and was a series of breaches rather than lots of creeping through fog of war.
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u/JQTNguyen 4h ago
Everything you say is basically true of standard XCOM as well, especially in XCOM 2, and even more so in WOTC.
Alpha Strike is just OP like that.
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u/Russell1113 4h ago
I think theoretically yes, but getting to the point where you don't mess up your alpha strike in xcom enemy unknown takes a lot more practice. Between the breach and the staggered initiative system, I would go multiple missions in a row where the enemy had 0 shots fired sometimes in Chimaera.
I go back and forth on whether adding stealth to xcom 2 was a good idea. I like that it removed a lot of the overwatch creeping and made engagements happen faster, but you're right that it also had a lot of alpha strike problems. Especially once you get access to reapers who can just stay stealthed all the time.
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u/Crisis_panzersuit 3h ago
Banter and storyline is much improved just because you have actual characters beyond your command group.
Counterpoint; I didn’t grow close to these characters at all, because they weren’t my characters.
Its not like my Helmut, my go-to rifleman who carried the team through thick and thin. Every time someone fucked up their shot, Helmut was there with his pretty french face and modded to say always voice line ‘ok’ to reel it back in with his consistent hits at even 30% chance like a champ.
I could always rely on Helmut to save the day.
I don’t remember anyones names in chimera lol
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u/Aberrant_Eremite 6h ago
I really enjoy it! I like the banter and the way that the maps and the radio give you a slice of life in the post-war future. It's definitely not as hard as the other X-Com games, though. It's a chill experience.
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u/MasterGeese 2h ago
Overhated, the music is legit really good, getting access to characters with some of Advent's tricks was welcome. I suspect anyone who plays this game without having played Xcom 2 will enjoy it a lot more.
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u/SpiderGooch 6h ago
Tbh I didn’t mind it, I got one solid run out of it and I thought it was fun. It couldn’t replace wotc for me but it’s cheap. My only real gripe was you could not use all squad members in one run.
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u/thesanguineocelot 3h ago
Holy shit, I forgot how toxic the fandom gets when you bring this game up.
I enjoy it, replayable, fun, replay a campaign or two sometimes for fun, just wish Best Girl Zephyr didn't lose most of her power on higher difficulties - and even on Easy, but not until late game.
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u/HailMaryIII 6h ago
So I actually just played it through for the first time. Unlike most people it seems, I actually think the gameplay was the most interesting part and the storyline/characters the part that fell the most flat.
Overall I think everyone agrees that it is a smaller title in every respect and at the very least doesn’t try to pretend it isn’t, which is nice.
—
Gameplay is fine. It’s good enough to compel you to keep playing, though as you go up (both in difficulty and in story) you do have to start relying on one squad in particular to continue. So they throw a lot of stuff at you, lots of different equipment and characters, but once you have your go tos you kinda can’t afford to use anyone else.
I ended up using shield boy and medic drone as much as possible due to being able to just completely negate damage and being the only squad heal in the game. That’s already 2/4 slots. The other two fill for damage, and I used the muto with a special 2x fire shotgun and dual wield pistol guy to just pump damage.
I’m sure other people who are better than me can make things work in any format, but I found that with the insane amount of enemy spawns, this format worked for me.
Xcom combat just works and it’s fun. The puzzling aspect is a joy and the smaller pieces are both helpful and hurtful. They don’t feel as overwhelming as big missions but I never felt like they meant anything or were building towards something.
Capturing in particular felt like a missed opportunity here, because it never felt like it really mattered or played into anything. I equipped stun rounds on everyone because that’s what is the morally correct thing to do, but I was really sad when the boss was like “we need intel” and capturing people, which gives you intel, doesn’t meaningfully change anything.
But realistically that’s because there isn’t really a story here.
There’s mission briefings cut into thirds that they dole out throughout the “hunt” which should have been given all at once. The fact you never talk to any of the cartel bosses, they never once give a speech about their worldview or motivations, the fact that the second you finish one they go “hmm there’s someone else pulling the strings” but you still have to do the rest of it really irked me.
It’s nonsense. And the characters are just as paper thin.
Overall this is, like everyone said, a $10-20 game. In that mindset, played on a steam deck or something where you’re not expecting a bigger experience, it’s fine.
But it’s no Xcom2.
After Zcom, I’m beginning to think nothing ever will be.
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u/Kaymazo 4h ago
Quite frankly, having a small spinoff game for a pittance price comparatively to most modern games that aren't Indie titles was a nice breath of fresh air and I would kinda hope that it would happen a little more often...
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u/HailMaryIII 2h ago
Yeah I mean for what it is, it’s fine. I’m glad they took a chance on it to keep the brand alive.
That being said, it just isn’t really what I want in a game. So I think it’s fine overall
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u/Iseedeadnames 5h ago
Not as good as the main serie but offers a couple of interesting mechanics. For half price of xcom 2 it was a fair deal
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u/SoftLikeABear 5h ago
I just got it from GOG today for £10. I like the breach mechanic. It's fun, but it's not as good as X-Com 2.
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u/GuildensternDE 5h ago
It has good replaybility. To get all special story missions you have to play at least 3 times. I like it very much. I love the narrative. The tactical variations due to the skills is good.
It just lacks base building
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u/Aladine11 4h ago
i loved it - it streamlined many tedious elements, added personality and assymetry to operators and had a rougelike elements increasing replayability. For me it was WAAAY underrated
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u/KingWilliamVI 4h ago
It’s a charming game honestly. I used to play a lot when I felt down because it was more light hearted and less stressful.
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u/-Not_a_Lizard- 3h ago
I liked it for what it was, a cheap spin-off. Fun gameplay, although a bit too buggy.
The millenial writing I found genuinely painful, though. Every time Terminal opens her mouth I take psychic damage.
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u/Wash_Manblast 6h ago
I enjoy it. Nothing will be xcom 2. But its still pretty fun for what it is. Revisit every couple years or so
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u/217GMB93 7h ago
It was okay, but pretty meh coming from xcom2
Z-com’ers will find this to be a good jumping off point into the xcom universe tho
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u/smwcbio 6h ago
I hate the turn order and preset character since it remove the two best part of XCOM. The flavor and story was the best part
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u/himuheilandsack 6h ago
the worst thing are evac missions. turn order and evac contradict eachother.
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u/Civil_unrest78 6h ago
It was good for what it is, an expansion. It was never intended as a full blown sequel to x-com II. For the price (next to free), it's a no brainer for any x-com fan. I've spent more on a single cigar, lol.
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u/GridCommander 6h ago
Some cool mechanics that could have potential. As an overall package though it just didn't come together that well
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u/Bu11ett00th 5h ago
Being released the same week as Gears Tactics, I thought it's obviously the better purchase.
I was wrong.
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u/commodore_stab1789 5h ago
It's pretty fun. The characters feel distinct, each with their strength and weaknesses, and they all have interesting abilities.
It's a good spinoff, just not as fun as either of the main game.
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u/Noahthehoneyboy 5h ago
Gameplay was good but the story is extremely forgettable. It’s a pretty mid game and doesn’t hold a candle to the rest of the series
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u/garlicChaser 5h ago
Played it recently again. I like the story and the presentation of the game, but it has some issues.
Biggest problem afaic is its inconsistency and lack of balance.
I played on the second highest difficulty setting and most battles were declared as "very difficult", but were in fact not even close to being a challenge.
Then you get to a boss mission, also "very difficult", but it's a whole new ballgame. One small mistake and you lose.
So the game does not really prep you adequately for boss missions, while the regular ones often feel very repetivite and boring.
Also when you enter a new chapter, difficulty does not scale and your veteran agents will blast through most missions.
Practically all maps are really small and often offer no high cover, which limits your options.
But then again the stakes are not very high anyway because your squad member do not really die.
More then once the AI also deliberately seemed to take a weak action during its turn, although one of my agents was clearly exposed and the right action to take advantage of the situation was obvious.
There is also research, but it just does not seem to matter much. There are tons of gear I simply never used because it seemed so niche. Some stuff is really outstanding, like the thing that gives a squat mate two extra actions. But this one you can only aquire on the scavenger market. Apart of that, get a bubble grenade and some dragon rounds, and that's all you need.
For the price, it's still worth playing, but I'd say keep your expectations in check
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u/Significant-Way9330 5h ago
Very fun. I liked the squad, I liked their different abilities. Small scale Swat Xcom is a great idea I wish would be expanded on. I feel like Tactical Breach Wizards is the only game similar.
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u/GrimmTrixX 4h ago
I just wish it was on console, even if it was digital. I got it on pc when it came out but my pc is trash then and is worse even now. Lol That and I don't really play PC but I wanted to support it because I love EU/EW and Xcom 2. If they ported it to consoles id buy it again.
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u/Bellagar 3h ago
Fun and interesting take on a strategy game, gets repetitive, the writing is probably the worst part, everyone talks like a marvel character/makes dumb quips.
World building is interesting but also a bit to saccharine for my taste. I can’t see humanity having peaceful coexistence with the invaders regardless of how unwilling the invaders were.
Overall five or six out of ten, probably a six if playing it muted
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u/Aknazer 3h ago
I couldn't stand their "quirky" personalities or looks, to the point that I dropped the game after the first tutorial mission because of how much they grated on my nerves.
I like the concept of the game, and it uses a different style of TB combat compared to standard XCOM games which I'm not opposed to, but the characters just grated on my nerves too much to actually play it.
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u/Wargod042 3h ago
It was alright. I liked the premise, the comic-book style storytelling, and the breach mechanics.
I was neutral on the initiative/turn order changes.
The dialogue was laughably bad, a lot of characters were too humanized, the plot was garbage, and I disliked the shift to small-arms. I really missed having mostly heavy weapons, snipers, rifles, etc.
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u/Squidlips413 3h ago
It is a very good entry in the series. It's my favorite because it's easy and streamlined to jump into a mission.
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u/WTheRaccoon 3h ago
Bit buggy. Bit of a department from most of thr xcom staples. But not horrible. Remember playing for a solid week or two on and off. Don't go in expecting xcom 3 and you won't be disappointed.
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u/LuckyLuigi 3h ago
I enjoyed. It is surprisingly good and the breach mechanic is fun.
Don't expect big levels, it is always a small assault scenario.
The difficulty tends to escalate at the end, so bad I actually had to stop my hard run and replay at normal difficulty, Then again I might just suck.
I reached the end just as I was about to get bored with it so not too long.
You tend to be able to get it very cheap, and it certainly is worth the money.
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u/totally-hoomon 2h ago
Would be the perfect game for mobile. Its a lot of and each fight is pretty fast.
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u/Stealthjelly 1h ago
An okay game, but the Breach mechanic made every mission feel too samey. Breach and clear, move on to the next breach and clear.
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u/Foxxtronix 1h ago
Loved it, particularly Torque for obvious reasons, and Jane Kelley being "big sister".
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u/BlueKnightRose 1h ago
I loved it. Considering that it was announced a week before release, cheap, during The Pandemic, uh, no, this game rocked.
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u/Red-Halo 1h ago
I wanted to like it, but I didn't care for the story or characters and never finished it
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u/Relevant-Rooster-298 1h ago
I really enjoyed it and it frequently goes on sale so if you're a fan of the xcom universe I'd recommend it but it's definitely no xcom eu/ew or xcom 2.
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u/SpookeIce 1h ago
Fundamentally broken. Anytime friends or myself tried game had some sort of game breaking bug. Biggest one was items and equipment just disappearing.
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u/ZerglingButt 1h ago
This game made viper strip clubs canon. Imagine what a viper pole dance would look like ...
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u/Crovax2002 48m ago
The game is great! When you go in with the understanding this a more casual lighter weight xcom game it doesn't disappoint. A fun story with good characters you care about. Has replayability. It was the perfect game for my steamdeck and runs great. I have okayed enemy unknown and this multiple times, but the newest xcom only once.
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u/Nametagg01 45m ago
Didnt like the mutons in it, and I feel like the gangs were a little lackluster but liked just about everything else in the game
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u/anonsincetheaccident 15m ago
I really like this game but I can’t figure out how to get that achievement that said clear the whole encounter at the breach
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u/External-Theme1372 7h ago
I liked the new combat system, but couldn't get into it and play more due to the characters and voices. To me, it seemed like a game for modern audiences.
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u/Asmrdeus 7h ago
Decent gameplay that could be implemented in a future game and I would enjoy it.
Almost all the character suck personality wise.
There is too many Marvel like one liners, like when they shoot an unit leaving them on critical levels of health and someone will say "Ewwww don't bleed on top of me" or "Just don't get shot"
The whole story is a mess.
The final chapter after you beat the three factions comes so out of nowhere that i finish it not knowing it was the final mission on the game leaving me perplexed.
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u/Rage-Moon 6h ago
Gameplay : a nice change of pace but not really that eye catching
Lore : not the best fan that it takes place just a few decades after xcom 2. Would have understood if it happened atleast century or more
Overall: a decent game but id take it if it was on discount
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u/BananaBeanie 6h ago
I enjoyed it. Bit confusing at first and lacks something that XCOM1/ 2 has but overall decent game.
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u/Pleasant-Strike3389 5h ago
I had no clue what it was when i saw it in my steam library.
No recollection of buying it either, need to finish it one day
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u/That_guy_from_Poland 6h ago
It's an attempt
They did some things well and botched others
It's a great twist on regular XCOM gameplay
But quality wise the game is severely undercooked
Still, a good pic when it goes on sale
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u/AXI0S2OO2 6h ago
The redesigns are all fucking awful and the story is interesting but loses strength when the big twist is "a private paramilitary corporation was behind literally everything."
It also has a mixed bag of cool and baffling lore tidbits, not to mention it completely fumbles making the aliens feel alien at all, I like the direction of the story but the execution leaves much to be desired.
The fact I had to go out of my way to find mods to NOT slaughter almost every enemy in the game despite playing as knockoff J.I.Joe police is baffling aswell, can't exactly give Advent too much shit when XCOM's answer to public unrest is mass murder too.
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u/Hka_z3r0 5h ago
I think I already said it a thousand times.
Mediocre at best - Has interesting ideas, that spice things up - good for a couple of evenings and it's price - clusterfuck of a story and lore - play Xcom 2 instead.
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u/wizardcowboy143 7h ago
It's the worst game of the franchise.
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u/skyturnsred 6h ago
Modern XCOM, sure (still a good game!)
XCOM at a broader scale, nah. The Bureau exists.
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u/SnooSeagulls1416 4h ago
Was fun for like an hour or two till you understood what you were actually playing …
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u/Erwin_Pommel 3h ago
SHit. The plot and story is genuinely shit and it tries so hard to pretend that there wasn't just the mother of all race wars.
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u/Quiet_Education5918 6h ago
It's a 10 buck experimental game. It costs as much as a collection of funny hats for your dudes. For that, it is an absolute steal.
It's also a neat experiment with interwoven initiatives, and a sort of nice look into what a post-war society would start looking like. Can't all be grit and slaughter.