![Image](http://cache.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/293318_S/xcom-enemy-unknown.jpg)
I've been playing this every free moment I've had since its release. For fans of the classic, it's just about everything you could hope for. A few changes have been made to make it feel more modern and the interface has been streamlined--but neither of these "dumb down" the game. At first glance, it DOES look like the game got the Civilization: Revolution treatment... but that isn't the case. The changes are thought-out and there is plenty of depth and complexity throughout. Reducing the maximum deployment team size and forcing you to operate out of a single H.Q. (while outposts are only used to house interceptors and utilize increased satellite coverage) are both great changes that actually force the user to focus more on precision strategy. Resource conservation is critical, and you can't simply throw everything you've got at every single UFO that shows up on the radar. On a similar note, they've also incorporated other subtle penalties for playing recklessly. A good example is explosives. You get access to rocket launchers almost immediately, and they prove to be useful throughout the game. But every time you decide to disintegrate a group of aliens hiding out in their downed UFO, you'll be destroying the precious equipment, alloys, and extraterrestrial elements that you'd otherwise have an opportunity to research and use to your advantage further down the line. Eventually, you realize that explosives are meant to be use as a tactical tool rather than a weapon of semi-mass destruction. Rockets and grenades are best for creating paths, exposing groups of enemies, and increasing your field of vision by destroying obstructions.
I'm happy to elaborate more, but I highly recommend to anyone who is already considering this purchase to simply go out and buy it ASAP. I was going to get it for PS3, but Steam was selling the PC edition for cheaper and they threw in Civilization V for free. I'm extremely happy with that decision. Supposedly the console ports are nearly identical, but the keyboard + mouse setup seems pretty ideal for the controls... and any mods or DLC will probably be most widely available for the PC version. In fact, now that I'm working with semi-decent laptops, I think I'll be doing most of my gaming on PCs for a while. The modding communities are intense--and they offer more for each title than official DLC could ever dream of.
The game isn't perfect, but I'd be hard pressed to identify many specific "flaws." I simply want more of everything. The game isn't "small" by any standard, but I'd love to see more maps, more weapons/armor/items, new research trees, new soldier classes, more alien species, etc. But those aren't complaints per se. Just a request for more of a good thing.
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![Image](http://cdn.overclock.net/8/83/8389a648_torch2.jpeg)
Also... as I've mentioned, Torchlight II is what we all wanted from Diablo III. If you're a fan of the genre, grab yourself a copy now. The developer stuck to their word regarding keeping the $20 price point. So it's a steal. You can even go in with some friends and get a 4-pack for $60 (making it $15 per copy).