Enemy Known
XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a successful entry into the franchise and revived it after a period of time in limbo. I have to admit, I’m not great at these types of games and wasn’t with the original. Enemy Within comes across as the same game, but with a number of new features. Is it enough to be called an expansion pack and is it worth the price of admission?
XCOM: Enemy Within puts you in control of XCOM, a secret paramilitary organisation. As XCOM commander, your job is to defend against a terrifying alien invasion by managing resources, advancing technologies, and overseeing combat strategies and individual unit tactics. Only you can control the fate of humanity by researching alien technology, creating and managing a fully operational base, planning combat missions and controlling soldier movement in battle.
The campaign from the original remains intact with some new bells and whistles like new classes and extra resources to research. The gameplay feels as familiar as before and is unpredictable at times, thanks to the “fog of war” effect. There are a large number of new maps and 2 new enemies to face on the battlefield. Combat is still turn-based and the AI still does silly things like run away during the campaign battles, but the amount of new content is encouraging.
Having said that, it doesn’t add a whole lot to the XCOM experience that was well received upon release. Like I said though this isn’t really my forte, but the new maps are a welcome addition to the overall package.
The presentation doesn’t seem to have improved that much, the visuals look dated…which is a shame, but I know that graphical power isn’t a huge “must have” with these types of games. The voice-acting is average, but the soundtrack does well to compensate.
The Verdict
XCOM: Enemy Within provides a nice selection of new content to the original game, while slightly improving the campaign experience. However it does still suffer from presentation issues and the flaws of the original still remain and I personally don’t think it offers enough for players of the original to buy. However, newcomers will be more than pleased with whats on offer and I recommend giving it a go.
