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Xcom EU Demo available


Vivoune

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Hey there, like most of you guys know the Xcom EU demo is available since yesterday. I was wondering what you guys think about it? It's pretty short but it still gives a tiny view of the game. Personally I'm still going to wait for the reviews before making my mind.

In my humble opinion, after playing the demo and watching a bunch of gameplay vids it looks like the pros are:

-the base view and animations, which is a nice change, makes it look alive (I still kinda prefer top view though)

-Combat/movement actions that are clear and very smooth

-The background/story telling

the biggest cons in my opinion being that

-you only are allowed to have 1 base

-the squad number fully upgraded won't go higher than 6 members.

-Heavily simplified AP system.

-From what I could see not much will happen on the world map in terms of gameplay, doesn't really feel like it's a real interface now but more like an eye candy convenient link between events

-the cartoonish design which lacks finesse, but art direction is just personal taste

-the Camera work, they did a good job I'd say, but it's just too action oriented for me

There's still a bunch of good ideas that Xenonauts could really use like the on-the-go cover information or the way the game deals with doors and windows for example but all in all that's a big step away from micro management to focus more on action, i.e the combat missions. It's a shame cause as much as i like the ground combat, to me like I'm used to say, it's just a tool to protect the planet through careful management and tactical choices. I'm disappointed with it and too many sacrifices had to be made in order to simplify the game to a point that I know it just won't satisfy my need for a good Xcom-like. Xenonauts, I figured it would be like that but it's now official, all my hopes fall back on you. :)

Edited by Vivoune
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Camera rotation is consolized, no fidelity to it just "press Q or E to turn by the amount we will allow"

Half the buttons didn't even respond to mouse clicks, every action had to be confirmed. Obviously not a UI designed for PC (despite them talking about how they had a different team design it)

The action camera can be turned off in the options though, so try it with that off to see if you prefer it.

The strategy layer is almost turn based now. You wait for events to happen, and pick one of them. No more possibility of sending out interceptors on pre planned patrols to try to catch UFO's outside of radar range.

I actually quite liked the borderlands-but-not graphical style, it felt very clean cut.

Unfortunately the scope of gameplay just feels completely neutered with a lot of the management taken out. I'm sure i'll run it through its paces a good few times, but i don't imagine i'll be watching let's plays of it 20 years from now.

It also made me appreciate how much more fun and challenging xenonauts can/will be, you simply don't know how good your cover is or how much health the alien has left. It forces me to play more organically, to prefer the overkill to keep my men safe. Rather than making easy decisions. XCOM EU Has too many easy decisions. group of enemie son 3hp? throw a grenade, there's no better option.

Free scientists or 200 simoleans? The scientists obviously etc etc etc.

Overall, disappointing but probably still get more out of it than anything else in the last 5 years.

Ohhhh also, my personal biggest gripe is that there's no way to choose to shoot at a piece of cover. I.e if you know an alien is behind a wall, you can't shoot it to pieces to get to them. You only seem to be able to destroy scenery by missing shots.

Edited by Scrimpton
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Well I'm sorry I never check the Off-topic sub forum and I just don't feel like checking every forum nor do an extensive search every time I want to share something, if the result is that thread getting locked and/or deleted so be it, though my intention isn't to spam everyone's day. Just wanted to share my thoughts and read yours but it could be that I'm indeed too lazy for that.

Edited by Vivoune
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You don't need extensive research, just a bit of common sense.

This is the General Xenonauts Discussion section which means it's meant for discussions about Xenonauts. Using the same logic you can eliminate pretty much every sub-section except the off-topic one (in the absence of a "general game discussion" or something), there's no other place for it really. Since it's both very recent and a "hot topic" it's sure to be on top or near it, no need to "look for it".

It also stands to reason that something like this would be reported very quickly what with this being a forum of X-Com fans and all. So if it's been, let's say, more than 12 hours since the demo was released there's like a 95% chance it's already been mentioned and/or had a thread made about it.

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I know it's hard for some people to appreciate but having a semblance of order is actually important. It makes it much easier to find relevant info when you can logically deduce where it can be found but only if everyone respects the established logic just as we do with traffic lights for example. It only seems a non-issue while everything is relatively fine but I've seen how terrible an unkept forum can be. Anyone can be lazy, neglectful and snarky, it's easiest thing in the world and we already get more than enough spam-bots.

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The demo holds your hand too much to really get a feel for the game. It is basically the tutorial with 1 mission that is not the tutorial. That said, I don't know what to think about it at this point. I'm still looking forward to Xenonauts and I have not pre-ordered X-Com: EU.

The tiny bit of the game you are allowed to see feels constricting for some reason. In some ways it feels like Silent Storm done wrong, don't ask me what that means, it is just the feel I get from it. Maybe a non tutorialized demo would allow one to get a better idea of how the game plays.

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