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It may not share the full breadth of the game that spawned the franchise, but it would be difficult to accuse Enemy Unknown of "dumbing down" the core gameplay. If you're a fan of the original, being limited to a single base might seem cause for concern, as might the subsequent loss of the oft-challenging base invasions. The choices are more limited than the ones in the original X-COM, and this is the only base you manage through the course of the game. Near the beginning of the game, you select a location for your base of operations from one of several possibilities. Gameplay is divided into two portions: base management and combat scenarios. And so it's up to you, the commander of the super-secretive XCOM organization, to make Earth a safe haven once again. Almond-eyed greys and floating saucers ripped from popular culture need no explanation: they're clearly not of this world, and they're clearly out to destroy us. This might be a modern rendition of an older game, but developer Firaxis relies on old-fashioned fears to drive its narrative.
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This isn't District 9-it's The War of the Worlds, and extraterrestrial invaders are to be annihilated, not welcomed or bargained with. Earth is under attack by aliens, and the game makes no attempts to humanize the attackers.
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Now Playing: Video Review - XCOM: Enemy UnknownĮnemy Unknown isn't a simple remake of the original X-COM: UFO Defense, but like that game, it cannily instills a sense of fear.
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