This week we saw the release of XCOM Enemy Unknown, a remake of an old 90s game that’s a turn based strategy rpg. In XCOM you play the commander of an elite force that’s fighting against an extraterrestrial invasion. There's a lot of things going on here. First there's the underground base where you decide to build stuff, managing your research, assign load outs for your teams, etc. The teams go out and fight the aliens, and you control them one character at a time, one turn at a time. Also, you have to keep countries from panicking as you place satellites to watch over their territory. The game play itself seems to be much faster pace than a lot of the other turn based games I’ve played. Troops move quickly, getting into place to take on the alien threat. Each encounter takes about 20 to 30 minutes to resolve, with all the restarting from save games so you don’t end up losing veteran soldiers.

Overall it’s a complicated game, with some depth, that makes you think about every choice you make. The world can shift in a moment with panic taking over several areas at once. If you do too poorly, the council that appointed you will dismiss you. Or so it seems. I haven’t gotten that far. But I am trying to stay away from that.

With all that’s going on, it becomes an engrossing game that pulls you in.

- D

Currently Playing: XCOM Enemy Unknown