XCOM: Enemy Unknown (on 360/PS3)

[noiseredux]

So I fell asleep playing the third (?) tutorial level. Boooooooring.

These games are for those who love good tactical strategy and don't have ADD.

they're also for people who didn't make up their minds about them prior to playing and just loaded them up so they could be like "I tried it, and I was right, like I always am." So...

[dsheinem]

So I fell asleep playing the third (?) tutorial level. Boooooooring.

These games are for those who love good tactical strategy and don't have ADD.

they're also for people who didn't make up their minds about them prior to playing and just loaded them up so they could be like "I tried it, and I was right, like I always am." So...

I didn't say I wouldn't give it another shot. And the only thing I'd be "right" about is that the game isn't for me, I have no doubt that it is a fine game for folks who enjoy the series/sub-genre

[noiseredux]

I didn't say I wouldn't give it another shot. And the only thing I'd be "right" about is that the game isn't for me, I have no doubt that it is a fine game for folks who enjoy the series/sub-genre

well "boooooring" comes across a little differently than "it is a fine game for folks who enjoy the series/sub-genre."

But you DID like Shining Force and Tactics Ogre, right? Or am I remembering wrong? Battle-wise, I think Enemy Unknown trumps both.

The only thing EU has going for it that I can see turning you off is the base-management stuff, which can be tricky for sure. But once you wrap your head around that portion of the game it's pretty second nature.

[dsheinem]

I didn't say I wouldn't give it another shot. And the only thing I'd be "right" about is that the game isn't for me, I have no doubt that it is a fine game for folks who enjoy the series/sub-genre

well "boooooring" comes across a little differently than "it is a fine game for folks who enjoy the series/sub-genre."

But you DID like Shining Force and Tactics Ogre, right? Or am I remembering wrong? Battle-wise, I think Enemy Unknown trumps both.

The only thing EU has going for it that I can see turning you off is the base-management stuff, which can be tricky for sure. But once you wrap your head around that portion of the game it's pretty second nature.

I do like those games. It isn't that it any part of it is "tricky," it is that I find it all very dull and tedious, and it is a story/universe that does not interest me at all to sludge through.

[noiseredux]

I do like those games. It isn't that it any part of it is "tricky," it is that I find it all very dull and tedious, and it is a story/universe that does not interest me at all to sludge through.

what specifically are you finding dull/tedious though? If you're still in a tutorial then, you really haven't played a mission on your own. The battles in EU are far more exciting than anything in SF or TO. The base management I could see someone finding tedious I suppose, but again, once you get used to it it just becomes "the stuff you do between battles" and makes sense.

Story/universe... well I guess if you don't think aliens are cool that's something. (?)

[dsheinem]

I do like those games. It isn't that it any part of it is "tricky," it is that I find it all very dull and tedious, and it is a story/universe that does not interest me at all to sludge through.

what specifically are you finding dull/tedious though? If you're still in a tutorial then, you really haven't played a mission on your own. The battles in EU are far more exciting than anything in SF or TO. The base management I could see someone finding tedious I suppose, but again, once you get used to it it just becomes "the stuff you do between battles" and makes sense.

Story/universe... well I guess if you don't think aliens are cool that's something. (?)

I'll give it more time - I've just been searching this week for something to play for a fair chunk of hours before I dive into the next generation (Dragon's Dogma, XCOM, Tomb Raider, the Batman Arkham City game, the new Bioshock Infinite DLC, etc.) and have concluded that I think I'm pretty ready to leave these games behind for the time being. I think I've played the vast majority of games on the 360/PS3 that interest me, and the games I've had interest in "giving a shot" aren't grabbing me as I try them out.

[Jmustang1968]

The combat is more complex than shining force, but I think it and Tactics Ogre are on par or slight edge to TO.

Towards the end of the game EU maps started recycling too much and you employ the same slow and steady battle strategies. I think TO throws a lot more varied enemies, maps, unique battle experiences, and relevant story tie ins. Even though these share some gameplay elements, they are hard to compare. EU also has some seemingly extraneous base mods and research. Or the pacing of research and such is off to where you never really use a good portion of your equipment. I wish there to be more variance in gun and weapon types. It would also be cool to have a melee trooper.

EU also doesn't really have a story beyond save the world from aliens under these constraints. So you make your own story which is a unique draw in of itself. You can also actually lose or back yourself into an unwinnable scenario, whereas TO plays out like a book with branching paths. I love them each for their own strengths.

That being said the tutorial is boring. It is there for those who have no idea how to play the game so a new person to the franchise isn't immediately overwhelmed. Get the mechanics down and start a non tutorial scenario from scratch. It is what I did and had a lot more fun.

[noiseredux]

Towards the end of the game EU maps started recycling too much and you employ the same slow and steady battle strategies.

John, you are going to love EW. There's a lot of risk/reward that pushes you to be less conservative. There's canisters called MELD now that time out in a few turns once you see them (sort of like the bombs you have to diffuse in some missions). Meld you need to collect to be able to upgrade your troops in the new labs (bio or mech). So you have this reason to take chances and collect the stuff while you can, often putting yourself in harm's way.

Also, new maps!

[Jmustang1968]

Yeah I am looking forward to the new maps and bionic upgrades.

[Stark]

@dsh FWIW, I also had a lot of trouble being interested in XCOM when I first played it too. I stopped early on and wouldn't have done back if it weren't for some insistence by friends that it was the greatest thing ever. I'm not sure when it clicked but I'd say it was several missions in.

Also, did you try Tomb Raider and not like it?