XCOM - Enemy Within expansion

[Nvidiaguy07]

I was really hoping the first big expansion to this game would let you play as the aliens, but it doesnt seem like this is the case.

To be honest for a 30 dollar expansion, im not all that impressed. This is whats listed for features:

-New Soldier Abilities: Construct the Genetics Lab to physically enhance your operatives’ abilities including augmentations to the chest, brain, eyes, skin, and legs or build the Cybernetics Lab to enable the construction of the new Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuit, or MEC. The new MEC Trooper class has specialized abilities and each suit can be upgraded with new weapons including the flamethrower and grenade launcher.

-New Weapons and Equipment: Give your operatives an extra tactical edge with new projects from your engineering team and the Foundry.

-New Enemy Threats: Adopt new tactics to counter the threats from two new alien types.

-New Strategic Resource: A valuable new alien resource, known as Meld, has been discovered. Secure it on the battlefield and use it carefully back at base to unlock new research and upgrades.

-New Multiplayer maps, units, and abilities: Create your custom squad from a wider array of options and dominate your opponent in intense, one-on-one, turn-based matches.

It just seems like some tweaking and balancing out the game, but nothing really all that exciting.

I hope im wrong since I love this game, and have been waiting for something like this to dive back in.

:\

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yes, if it's the exact same single-player maps and story I'll probably wait for a 75% off Steam sale next Summer.

 

[SonyaUliana]

Actually, Enemy Within offers a whole lot more than what its official description provides, if one takes a look at all the interviews, gameplay vids, and articles about it the past few weeks:

- 47 new singleplayer maps, including farm maps, snow maps, and UFO Crash maps in urban areas,
- New MELD game mechanic that allows access to MEC Troopers and Genetic Modification. The additions and changes here would take up an entire page.
- New alien enemies: the Mechtoid and the Seeker.
- New enemy faction: The Exalt
- New Foundry upgrades (ex. Tactical Rigging, which provides two item slots to all classes)
- New items (ex. Flashbangs, mirror beacons, needle grenades, gas grenades, Reaper rounds etc).
- Rebalanced and reworked soldier perks (ex. Up Close and Personal now allowing the first attack made to an enemy within 4 tiles to be free; Snap Shot now having only a -10% aim penalty)
- New Second Wave Options (ex. Training Roulette, which randomizes character perks - want to see an Assault with Bullet Swarm?).
- Bug fixes (teleportation and flanking bugs)
- New mission types (ex. Covert Extraction and Base Defense)
- New soldier customization options, including the ability to give individual soldiers voices in Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, and German.
- New singleplayer missions: Operation Progeny, and Exalt-related missions.

And that's just the ones we know.

Here's a some vids showing off some of the new features:

War Machines trailer
Official Narrated Gameplay Demo
Destructoid demo walkthrough

 

[surfsatwerk]

Actually, Enemy Within offers a whole lot more than what its official description provides, if one takes a look at all the interviews, gameplay vids, and articles about it the past few weeks:

- 47 new singleplayer maps, including farm maps, snow maps, and UFO Crash maps in urban areas,
- New MELD game mechanic that allows access to MEC Troopers and Genetic Modification. The additions and changes here would take up an entire page.
- New alien enemies: the Mechtoid and the Seeker.
- New enemy faction: The Exalt
- New Foundry upgrades (ex. Tactical Rigging, which provides two item slots to all classes)
- New items (ex. Flashbangs, mirror beacons, needle grenades, gas grenades, Reaper rounds etc).
- Rebalanced and reworked soldier perks (ex. Up Close and Personal now allowing the first attack made to an enemy within 4 tiles to be free; Snap Shot now having only a -10% aim penalty)
- New Second Wave Options (ex. Training Roulette, which randomizes character perks - want to see an Assault with Bullet Swarm?).
- Bug fixes (teleportation and flanking bugs)
- New mission types (ex. Covert Extraction and Base Defense)
- New soldier customization options, including the ability to give individual soldiers voices in Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, and German.
- New singleplayer missions: Operation Progeny, and Exalt-related missions.

And that's just the ones we know.

Here's a some vids showing off some of the new features:

War Machines trailer
Official Narrated Gameplay Demo
Destructoid demo walkthrough

Ipad now

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Actually, Enemy Within offers a whole lot more than what its official description provides, if one takes a look at all the interviews, gameplay vids, and articles about it the past few weeks:

- 47 new singleplayer maps, including farm maps, snow maps, and UFO Crash maps in urban areas,
- New MELD game mechanic that allows access to MEC Troopers and Genetic Modification. The additions and changes here would take up an entire page.
- New alien enemies: the Mechtoid and the Seeker.
- New enemy faction: The Exalt
- New Foundry upgrades (ex. Tactical Rigging, which provides two item slots to all classes)
- New items (ex. Flashbangs, mirror beacons, needle grenades, gas grenades, Reaper rounds etc).
- Rebalanced and reworked soldier perks (ex. Up Close and Personal now allowing the first attack made to an enemy within 4 tiles to be free; Snap Shot now having only a -10% aim penalty)
- New Second Wave Options (ex. Training Roulette, which randomizes character perks - want to see an Assault with Bullet Swarm?).
- Bug fixes (teleportation and flanking bugs)
- New mission types (ex. Covert Extraction and Base Defense)
- New soldier customization options, including the ability to give individual soldiers voices in Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, and German.
- New singleplayer missions: Operation Progeny, and Exalt-related missions.

And that's just the ones we know.

Here's a some vids showing off some of the new features:

War Machines trailer
Official Narrated Gameplay Demo
Destructoid demo walkthrough

They better fix that shit for everybody regardless of if you buy the expansion or not. Nothing worse than losing a bunch of guys because of some random spawn.

That being said there are some interesting items in there, but I still can't see myself spending 30 bucks on this considering how quick xcom went from 50 to 10 bucks on sale. If they added the option to play as the aliens then I may have purchased right away, but I have too many games to play, when its <10 bucks ill buy it.

 

[SonyaUliana]

They better fix that shit for everybody regardless of if you buy the expansion or not. Nothing worse than losing a bunch of guys because of some random spawn.

Firaxis has always done patches for the base game to coincide with the release of an expansion pack, which brings some of the bug and technical fixes from the expac into the base game. We also have steamdb confirming the upcoming patch.

If they added the option to play as the aliens then I may have purchased right away, but I have too many games to play, when its <10 bucks ill buy it.

I don't understand why you'd want to play from the alien perspective when no other XCOM game has done that before. Even so, you could still play the aliens in MP.

 

[Ganeedi]

I'm looking forward to this expansion. I would rather have base defense missions than play from the aliens perspective - but sadly neither appears to be part of this.

I picked up the mediocre XCOM bureau declassified game to help get back into the xcom mood. Hoping that will carry me over to when Enemy Within releases.

 

[acheron]

I'd be pretty excited about this, though I wish it had come out a few months ago -- my wife is a couple weeks away from having our second baby, so there's basically no chance of me having time to play this in November.

 

[clok1966]

Love the game and still have a tough time with it (since everybody seems to think its easy). Snap shot needed some fixing.. 30 missions in and i was still hitting like 20% on snap shots.. I'm not looking for massive upgrade.. but even a 50/50 would be better..

I still have not won it, but have to be close, fighting the Mech guys.. that missle rain type crap is annoying..

I have pr-ordered already.. Now I wish they would use this combat engine in a good RPG (fantasy, swords, bows, magic)

 

[IEC]

I'm looking forward to this expansion. I would rather have base defense missions than play from the aliens perspective - but sadly neither appears to be part of this.

I picked up the mediocre XCOM bureau declassified game to help get back into the xcom mood. Hoping that will carry me over to when Enemy Within releases.

The Steam achievement hints at base defense missions...

 

[irishScott]

The Steam achievement hints at base defense missions...

They've also hinted at it in interviews.

TotalBiscuit interviewed them at PAX, asked about new mission types.
Response: "I am really looking forward to the day when I can talk about new mission types."

^^^ Paraphrasing, but I'm pretty sure I got that right. Full interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqqSRxuD_TM

 

[darkewaffle]

I'd like to pick it up, but I'll probably wait on it as well. Maybe I'll put it on my secret santa list or something

 

[darkewaffle]

Also just got a mail from GMG today with a 25% off voucher for XC:EW. Check your email if you've purchased from them before.

 

[QuantumPion]

I hope they release the iOS version by xmas because I don't have much time to sit down and play an addictive TBS game for hours on end any more but it's great on the ipad for trips and vacations.

 

[Fox5]

Based on the "Enemy Within" name, I'd guess the new faction is just humans turned into enemies.

Still, disappointing it's an expansion to the original campaign and not a new campaign.

I'd also have liked 4 way or 2v2 multiplayer.

 

[SonyaUliana]

Well, what do we have here...

 

[Clinkster]

Expansion was released today, been reading some good things about it.

Unfortunately I won't have any impressions until tomorrow night since I'm on the road

Anyone try it out yet?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Actually, Enemy Within offers a whole lot more than what its official description provides, if one takes a look at all the interviews, gameplay vids, and articles about it the past few weeks:

- 47 new singleplayer maps, including farm maps, snow maps, and UFO Crash maps in urban areas,
- New MELD game mechanic that allows access to MEC Troopers and Genetic Modification. The additions and changes here would take up an entire page.
- New alien enemies: the Mechtoid and the Seeker.
- New enemy faction: The Exalt
- New Foundry upgrades (ex. Tactical Rigging, which provides two item slots to all classes)
- New items (ex. Flashbangs, mirror beacons, needle grenades, gas grenades, Reaper rounds etc).
- Rebalanced and reworked soldier perks (ex. Up Close and Personal now allowing the first attack made to an enemy within 4 tiles to be free; Snap Shot now having only a -10% aim penalty)
- New Second Wave Options (ex. Training Roulette, which randomizes character perks - want to see an Assault with Bullet Swarm?).
- Bug fixes (teleportation and flanking bugs)
- New mission types (ex. Covert Extraction and Base Defense)
- New soldier customization options, including the ability to give individual soldiers voices in Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, and German.
- New singleplayer missions: Operation Progeny, and Exalt-related missions.

And that's just the ones we know.

Here's a some vids showing off some of the new features:

War Machines trailer
Official Narrated Gameplay Demo
Destructoid demo walkthrough

3 posts all related to XCOM, well written with neat YouTube links, I think I found a paid poster.
More seriously I'll pick it up, just not at $30. Xcom remake has been a favorite of mine

 

[pchelpdesk]

I have the new XCom before I play it should I get the expansion? Or just play it through first then buy the expansion. What I am saying is is the expansion really necessary for a first time play through of the game?

 

[clok1966]

Anybody tell me if i get the expansion will it some of the stuff like "Snap Shot now having only a -10% aim penalty)" transfer over to the original campaign? Some of the changes would be nice to see in original game.

 

[Clinkster]

I have the new XCom before I play it should I get the expansion? Or just play it through first then buy the expansion. What I am saying is is the expansion really necessary for a first time play through of the game?

The expansion enhances the game play, and provides more maps, units, etc and a flurry of bug fixes.

So you can play the original by itself, but I would jump right into Enemy Within, even for a first timer.

 

[Borealis7]

i love TBSs, but XCOM scares the heck out of me! do aliens really attack your base and destroy everything you've worked for??

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

I have the new XCom before I play it should I get the expansion? Or just play it through first then buy the expansion. What I am saying is is the expansion really necessary for a first time play through of the game?

I would do a first play through without it, and then once you've gotten comfortable with that, add the expansion.

I obviously havent played the expansion yet, but I played the base game, and even just to refresh my skills im going to play it without first, and then use the expansion.

My reason would be to make it sort of like the PvZ way of introducing new concepts in the game, instead of having more to master all at once.

And like someone else posted, I will also be waiting until I can get this for under $15.

 

[IEC]

i love TBSs, but XCOM scares the heck out of me! do aliens really attack your base and destroy everything you've worked for??

Not if you kill them first!

 

[slpnshot]

I have the new XCom before I play it should I get the expansion? Or just play it through first then buy the expansion. What I am saying is is the expansion really necessary for a first time play through of the game?

I would advise playing an hour or two of the regular game just to see if you even like the game play. There's no point aiming for the expansion if you can't stand the style of the game itself.

If you don't mind paying full price and you liked the style of the game, I'd say get the expansion and just jump right in.

Getting 'comfortable' with the game seems rather excessive. There isn't an overwhelming amount of new things to learn because of the expansion. Either save scum your way to making better decisions or just experience the fun/terror of losing your good soldiers forever by trial and error.

Personally, I never really cared to get games at release so I'll probably wait for the Thanksgiving/Christmas Steam sale that's around the corner.