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2013 video game From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
XCOM: Enemy Within is an expansion pack for the turn-based tactical video game XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The expansion pack primarily adds new gameplay elements to the base game, as well as introducing new themes of transhumanism via aggressive gene therapy.
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XCOM: Enemy Within | |
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![]() North American cover art of XCOM: Enemy Within Commander Edition | |
Developer(s) | Firaxis Games |
Publisher(s) |
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Producer(s) | Clint McCaul Garth DeAngelis |
Designer(s) | Ananda Gupta |
Programmer(s) | Justin Boswell |
Artist(s) | David Black |
Writer(s) |
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Composer(s) | Michael McCann |
Series | XCOM |
Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Linux, OS X, iOS, Android, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Turn-based tactics |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
XCOM: Enemy Within was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in November 2013 and received generally favorable reviews from critics. In June 2014, Feral released both XCOM: Enemy Within and its base game XCOM: Enemy Unknown for Linux. The game also came to the iOS App Store and Google Play Store a year after the initial release, on November 12, 2014. On March 22, 2016, the game was released on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation Vita.
The Windows, OS X and Linux editions require XCOM: Enemy Unknown to play; Enemy Within was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as part of the Commander Edition bundle with Enemy Unknown. The iOS and Android versions were released as stand-alone apps not requiring the original mobile port of Enemy Unknown to play. The PlayStation Vita version is only available bundled with Enemy Unknown under the title, XCOM: Enemy Unknown Plus.
The gameplay and plot of XCOM: Enemy Within largely remains the same as XCOM: Enemy Unknown with some additional features. The player manages the XCOM headquarters in almost real time progress, but much of the gameplay consists of turn-based battles against the invading aliens and some with the rogue human faction EXALT across the globe. Similar to the numerous expansions of the Civilization series, the pack retains the core storyline but adds a broad variety of content.
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XCOM: Enemy Within was originally announced with a scheduled release date of November 15, 2013.[8] XCOM: Enemy Within was released in stores on November 12, 2013 in the US, and November 15, 2013 internationally. The game was released for digital distribution via Steam on November 11, 2013.[9]
Long War is a partial conversion mod originally developed for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. After the release of Enemy Within, development of the mod switched to Enemy Within.[10] The mod makes changes to many of the game's existing features, adds entirely new features, and brings back concepts from X-COM: UFO Defense.[11] Changes include the ability to send a larger number of soldiers into battle, additional soldier classes, psionic abilities, weapons, and items, and an expanded technology tree. In the mod aliens and EXALT conduct their own research and get stronger over the course of the game, a process that speeds up or slows down based on the player's success in stopping missions launched by the hostile forces.[12][13][14][15] The mod was heavily praised by Enemy Unknown lead designer Jake Solomon and producer Garth DeAngelis.[16]
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | PC: 86/100[17] PS3: 88/100[18] X360: 88/100[19] iOS: 92/100[20] |
Publication | Score |
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Destructoid | 9/10[21] |
Eurogamer | 9/10[22] |
Game Informer | 9.25/10[23] |
GameSpot | 8/10[24] |
GamesRadar+ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
IGN | 9/10[26] |
TouchArcade | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
VideoGamer.com | 9/10[28] |
XCOM: Enemy Within received generally favorable reviews from critics. Ben Reeves of Game Informer lauded the game, advising that "anyone who loves an intense firefight should test their mettle on Enemy Within," although also noting that "Despite Firaxis' improvements, the developer wasn't able to fix the line-of-sight issues" of the main game and that "acquiring new squad members still feels unbalanced; since you can't assign your soldiers' roles, and they only learn their specialty once they've ranked up, it's easy to end up with holes in your squad".[23] Eurogamer's Stace Harman echoed similar statements, stating that despite its flaws, "Enemy Within is an improvement on an already excellent game,"[22] Destructoid's Chris Carter proffered similar praise, headlining his review with "It almost feels like a sequel." Regarding all the new content, he thought that it was "a really weird way" to approach an expansion due to its blending of old and new content, but summarized his review by saying, "If you haven't played the newest XCOM yet, now is a perfect time to do so with the Enemy Within package."[21] Matt Lees of VideoGamer.com similarly summarized his review with, "The best game of 2012 is back, and it might be the best game of 2013."[28]
IGN's Dan Stapleton criticized the late-game, stating that all the new content and unlockables make the later half of the game too easy; however, Stapleton still ultimately awarded the game a 9/10, calling it "an amazing expansion to a brilliant tactical game", and that it "is best enjoyed in Iron Man mode on Classic difficulty to enhance the emotional highs and lows of victory and permanent defeat."[26] Conversely, GamesRadar's Ryan Taljonick argued that "Enemy Within's new additions don't make the experience any easier [because] the added benefit of having access to gene mods and MEC Troopers is offset by new alien types and a whole new faction of fanatical humans. If anything, saving the world is harder than ever."[25] Although GameSpot's Leif Johnson applauded the game, he was critical of the expansion pack's pricing disparity between PC and consoles: "All of [its content] is certainly enough for PC players to fork out the $20 for the upgrade, but unfortunately, console players face the more daunting task of buying Firaxis' new creation for almost the price of a new game."[24]
During the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded XCOM: Enemy Within with "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year".[29]
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