XCOM: Enemy Unknown 10 Years Later
Reboots are an important part of the video game industry, but they’ve gained significant traction over the past decade. It is often the case that an old game series pleases fable or Perfectly dark is revived after being inactive for a number of years, with a reboot that swaps genres, visual style, and gameplay elements. While these reboots number in the dozen, none have been as successful as XCOM: Enemy unknownwho turns 10 today.
Back in 2012, the XCOM Series had faded into distant memories, with the last entry being published back in 2001. over a decade later, XCOM: Enemy unknown released, relaunched the franchise and redesigned its identity for a modern audience. A decade later XCOM has become a relevant series again, with spinoffs and a popular sequel under its belt, but it all started with that XCOM: Enemy unknownthe game that saved a franchise.
Debut all the way back in 1994 with XCOM: UFO Defensethe XCOM Franchise started out as a strategy game that split its gameplay into two distinct segments. In the first of these segments, called the Geoscape phase, players explored the earth while establishing bases and taking calls for help. Once a mission has been selected, the next phase known as the Battlescape begins. Here, players control a group of XCOM agents who face off against aliens on the ground in a turn-based tactics system. fans of XCOM: Enemy unknown will know this gameplay loop very well.
Announced in January 2012 and released later that year, XCOM: Enemy unknown came out of nowhere and longtime fans were quite skeptical before launch. That XCOM Franchise existed for less than a decade before it fell into disuse, and the thought of restarting it seemed a little pointless. Not many people yelled at you XCOM reboot, so enemy unknown seemed like a pretty big gamble by Firaxis and 2K Games.
After the launch date in September 2012, however, word got around quickly XCOM: Enemy unknown was a game worth caring for. The critical reception XCOM: Enemy unknown was nothing short of spectacular, and critics deemed it an instant classic. The general audience reception was phenomenal as well, with the game selling very well for a relatively obscure reboot.
One of the biggest reasons behind it XCOM: Enemy unknownThe success of was its high accessibility. before XCOM: Enemy unknownthe genre of turn-based tactics wasn’t the most popular in the video game industry. XCOM: Enemy unknown acted as an introduction to the genre for many players, and it did a perfect job of making newcomers easier, gradually introducing new mechanics as the game progressed to ensure players weren’t overwhelmed. This is still especially true for those playing on PS3 and Xbox 360 XCOMStrategy games were not common on consoles.
XCOM: Enemy unknown introduced a plethora of players to the turn-based strategy genre, and in doing so, awakened not only that XCOM series, but for the genre as a whole. Along with a sequel that improves on its predecessor in every way imaginable, XCOM: Enemy unknown also paved the way for future games Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopeand those of Firaxis Marvel’s Midnight Sun. 10 years later XCOM is still a relevant franchise. Despite the release in 2016, XCOM2 still ranks high on best strategy games lists, and the legacy of the sci-fi franchise continues to grow rather than fade into oblivion.
XCOM: Enemy unknown is available for PC, PS3, PS Vita and Xbox 360.