2021

Interesting that Polygon found the strategic layer much less fun than the tactical missions of the game. Still, the rest of the review looked solid.

2022

Silent Storm had the core of a really good tactical combat squad game… but apart from the famous problems with the mechs, the campaign was really linear and just a chain of missions, the maps small, the turns were reallyyyy slow, and other little flaws.

2023

I agree on Silent Storm – I actually mention this in my review. A much more detailed tactical simulator than Enemy Unknown, which can feel a little “game-y” at times.

2024

It doesn’t disprove that. Silent Storm wasn’t built on 3rd person shooter cover mechanics like XCOM is.

2025

Some people pointed out that they liked the streamlining of the TU system as it was too bothersome for them, apart of that, i can’t remember who showed that the new system that really didn’t detract anything. They expressed their opinion, which is not the same as prove.

My point was always that it added nothing to gameplay except an unnecessary layer of complexity.

And my point is that is not an unnecessary layer of complexity.

If anyone wants to consider performing tedious acts of arithmetic as “gameplay,” then I don’t want them designing games that I play. There are games like King’s Bounty they can buy.

You don’t need arithmetic for a good TU system. In fact the actual system is still a very streamlined TU system, just with 2 units.

It’s irrelevant to have a TU system when actions were based on a percentage of those TUs.

Then… don’t put it? I never said it had to be exactly like the old system.

My argument is that they streamlined too much. I believe the old system needed some “streamlining”, yeah, but not as harsh. There was a middle point between the old system and the new one that I would have preferred.

I liked it the options of not moving and firing a few times, or moving a little and firing a single well aimed shot, or moving a few squares and firing a snap shot, or move a little, shot, then move the rest. That freedom of basic movement & fire is what I find lacking. There are some characters skills in the new game to try to get some tactical depth, which in some cases they “imitate” specific actions or movements from the old game that you can’t do in the new one, but it’s not the same. It feels more limited and artificial.
I could understand it if the maps were huge and you still could control 20 soldiers, but it’s not the case. Even more, with only 6 soldiers, I prefer a more detailed tactical system.
I could write a lit of the combinations that the old system allowed and the new don’t seem to allow, to actually prove it, but I’m not that obsessed with the game! If you don’t agree with me, it’s ok.

Use of cover, climbing through a window and new stuff like that that is good could have compatible with a less streamlined system, so it’s not a factor in the discussion.

2026

I also wish Enemy Unknown put units with a move left into Overwatch automatically when you hit end turn. It’s really tedious doing that for all your soldiers all the time.

2027

Isn’t it just the “Y” button (on both PC and Controller)? That doesn’t seem like that big a deal. Doesn’t it also auto-center the view to the next soldier in the list?

I still agree it should be a toggle-able option though. However, there might be some times when you don’t want to wast ammo on reduced accuracy overwatch shots or something, perhaps.

2028

Contrary to popular console shooter belief, you don’t need a console style cover system to have the act of taking cover be important.

2029

Come on, you know the ammo in infinite know BleedtheFreak XD

Some more reviews

GameBlog (French) 3.5/5
Gamekult (French) 8/10
jeuxvideo.com (French) 17/20
jeuxvideo.fr (French) 8/10
SpazioGames (Italian) 9/10
Polygamia (Polish) 5/5
Gamer (Norwegian) 8/10
edit: JeuxVideoMagazine.com (french) : 18/20

2030

Actually cover is better used than in shooters, where it’s always a bother to use!

2031

LOL well, sort of. YOu still have to reload your gun, which takes an action. No ammo in your weapon is probably very bad. And since overwatch shots are (without Opportunist) lower accuracy, you might be thinking your Archangle flying assault soldier is better served not being on overwatch since he only has a few rounds left and no time to spare to reload. Or something. Then again I suppose if he’s got a free action he could always just reload then…

Yeah, I got nothin’ - It would definately be handy to overwatch all soldiers who have an action left when the turn ends. :)

2032

Well, if the overwatch shots count for the magazin/ammoe, in at least some weapons, it could be an issue. You got something there.

I didn’t notice in the pc demo I could press a key to go overwatch.

Some other shortcut to fire at an alien face without having to confirm the shot with the second click?

2033

I know in the demo the “Y” key (keyboard) is Overwatch, and there isn’t a confrmation when you use a mapped key. So in theory, you can map “Fire Weapon” to a key and then not have to do the confirmation. I didn’t test this, but I just read in the Gamespy review that’s what Dan Stapleton did for all his actions after he got fed up with the confirmation, so I’m reasonably sure it will work.

2034

Yes. But it’s still tedious when you’re moving your whole squad up incrementally but want to make sure they shoot at anything that moves into your soldiers’ visible range. I usually do this in preparation of breaching a UFO to make sure that everyone is fully reloaded and will have both their two moves when I send them all in at once.

Maybe you’re right, though, but I’m going to use this to segue into what I suspect is a major problem with Enemy Unknown.

I don’t think the game really has much A.I. Let me explain: Solomon talked about an “overmind” A.I. before release, one that was about communicating between individual alien squads to tackle your squad. But I get the distinct impression that aliens are not hunting for you on the map – they seem to be merely waiting for you to show up.

You’ll notice this when you move just close enough to a little group of two or three aliens huddling in a circle but not close enough for them to see you yet. When you end your turn, they don’t usually move. When it’s your turn again and you move, you’ll “activate” them (for lack of a better term), and you get this little reveal cinematic that gives the aliens a free move during your turn. (This actually has a side effect of activating any soldiers already on Overwatch on your own turn, which seems odd to me. Shouldn’t reaction fire always happen on the alien turn? Then again, why are the aliens given a free move on your turn?) You won’t be catching any previously unseen aliens with their pants down in Enemy Unknown.

I don’t know the extent of this because sometimes aliens I haven’t spotted before will come into view … but only if I’m already in a tactical skirmish with some others. I’m curious what would happen if you never move your troops from the dropoff zone. Would the aliens ever show up? I’m not so sure.

So, maybe my obsessive compulsiveness with putting everyone into Overwatch isn’t necessary. I still think it should happen automatically.

2035

This is absolutely right. The more granular TU system allows for much more freedom of movement and action just as you write. But while I enjoy that, the two-action system has some benefits, too.

The two-action system is more about forcing you to make choices and then accepting the consequences. Here’s the thing that few people are talking about: Spotting a new alien in Enemy Unknown does not interrupt your soldier’s current action. This is kind of a big deal because it means that wherever you click to move, you are committing that soldier to that spot even if the alien reveal puts her in a poor position. This is a limitation of the two-action system, sure, but it has the effect of making each move much more meaningful.

The TU systems lets you baby step around, thus making this situation much less likely to happen. UFO Defense also interrupted your move if you spotted an alien.

2036

It seems well thought, that’s a fair amount of problems produced by the free use of destruction in the scenario.

Still, as it’s typical by me :P, I can’t help but think that maybe there was a solution “in the middle”, like maybe keep the free aim but reduce the damage to the scenario of most weapons except the explosive ones.

Speaking of explosive weapons. What about items? Do we still have items? I know there are medkits, as a minimum. And smoke grenades (again, both are skills from classes, not real items).

But… and mines? c4 charges? Scanner? Stun baton? Anything more?

2037

Yes, there are items. But each soldier can only carry one. And somethings that were items are now abilities (like the scanner and smoke grenade).

2038

Does anything in EU replace the tension of stumbling upon random aliens? It was pretty creepy when units stopped in their tracks facing a quiet sectoid. No dramatic cameras, just an eerie frozen moment in time. Does this new game achieve that oppressive atmosphere some other way perhaps?

2039

They get a free action when you first spot them, the cheaters! :P

2040

Are you playing on Normal? You are describing the shackled AI as it was talked about on some of the developer videos. The AI sort of puts on the kid gloves on Normal, but on tactical and strategic. If you are on Classic that’s a different (and worrying) story.