Xenonauts vs Xcom Enemy Unknown

[boredcanadian]

Alright so I found out yesterday Firaxis is making a new Xcom called Enemy Unkown that is supposed to be very close to basically the best game ever, 94's UFO Defense.

So I become ecstatic, after figuring out how to download and setup the original and a few hours of that I started thinking about the choice of PC vs Console, which led me to do more research on the game, which led me to Xenonauts. Another Xcom: UFO Defense type game.

SO my question is whats up with that? I am getting the impression that Xenonauts is going to be a very close replication of the original with a different story line and a bunch of different proper nouns. Firaxis's game seems to claim to be going for a replica while slighltly simplifying the game (only one base, 4-6 man teams, no time units, which they may be able to make work).

I seem to be able to find more information on Xcom: Enemy Unknown though, so could you guys help me out and give me a detailed response comparing the two?

Edited September 18, 2012 by boredcanadian
spaced it out, everyones hates walls of text

[Max_Caine]

The easiest way to compare the apple of XCOM:EU to the orange of Xenonauts is go on Youtube and look at some Lets Plays of the various Xenonauts alphas (there are many, look for version 10 and beyond) to some videos and preview footage of XCOM:EU. Also if you look in Rock Paper Shotgun they did an article on some comparisons between the two. It isn't really fair to make comparisons yet as Xenonauts is not feature-complete and out of alpha, and while there is footage of XCOM floating about everywhere, none of us here has a copy of the game or a demo of XCOM:EU so we can't make informed choices.

[XenoMask]

Well, I think some interview with Solomon said it, but basically XCOM Enemy Unknown is modern reimagining of original game which takes what made original great to make new modern game while Xenonauts is remake of original game that updates it to modern standards while still retaining what made original great.

Or is that wrong way to say it?

[Gorlom]

Well, I think some interview with Solomon said it, but basically XCOM Enemy Unknown is modern reimagining of original game which takes what made original great to make new modern game while Xenonauts is remake of original game that updates it to modern standards while still retaining what made original great.

Or is that wrong way to say it?

I'm wondering what the difference between the bolded statements are? And I think Xenonaut and Firaxis XCOM are both described as reimagenings?

[XenoMask]

*shrugs* XCOM: EU has same basic gameplay concepts as first game, but done differently, but Xenonauts has same gameplay concepts done in same way as original game except polished to modern standards?

[Chris]

The journalists I know who have played XCOM say it's a genuinely excellent game (those bastards!) but it is quite different from the original mechanically, even if the overall feel is closer than you might expect from something with that many changes.

Xenonauts is basically an enhanced and updated version of the original. The two will play quite differently, I think.

[XenoMask]

And both games are done by fans of original!

Which is probably why some early prototypes of XCOM Enemy Unknown they showed in that video seemed to be updated version of original in 3D graphics before they decided to change things

[boredcanadian]

Well now I am very excited for both games

[Valok]

Alright so I found out yesterday Firaxis is making a new Xcom called Enemy Unkown that is supposed to be very close to basically the best game ever, 94's UFO Defense.

So I become ecstatic, after figuring out how to download and setup the original and a few hours of that I started thinking about the choice of PC vs Console, which led me to do more research on the game, which led me to Xenonauts. Another Xcom: UFO Defense type game.

SO my question is whats up with that? I am getting the impression that Xenonauts is going to be a very close replication of the original with a different story line and a bunch of different proper nouns. Firaxis's game seems to claim to be going for a replica while slighltly simplifying the game (only one base, 4-6 man teams, no time units, which they may be able to make work).

I seem to be able to find more information on Xcom: Enemy Unknown though, so could you guys help me out and give me a detailed response comparing the two?

Here you can find more info on Xcom: EU and drawn your own conclusions. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2933973

Personally, I got both games .

[gnarly]

I'm with Valok here: just get both.

They are completely different to each other, as what Chris has described; I don't think a comparison makes any sense. EU is a modern re-imagining, whereas Xenonauts is

basically an enhanced and updated version of the original. The two will play quite differently, I think.

[BobbyDylan]

Exactly.

Xenonauts is like £20 ( I think.... I preorded a long time ago), and you can Xcom on GMG for £24.

Get both! It's a good year to TBS.

[panzereich]

Its a great year if you like strategy games or have a pc. Creativity and taking a chance are sorely missed in the industry. In fact, some of the developers are already crying about how so called triple A titles are receding. Great news everybody. Some really good indie titles are coming out or already have. To name a few... xenonauts, Faster than light, mechwarrior online, minerwars 2048... great times.

[Kreny]

Exactly.

Xenonauts is like £20 ( I think.... I preorded a long time ago), and you can Xcom on GMG for £24.

Get both! It's a good year to TBS.

just wondering, where do you live? My price for xcom is 45 EUR after 10% discount on GMG. Xenonauts are three times cheaper for me but if xcom would cost 15 EUR as well, I'll pick xenonauts anyway

[hullwykearlfc]

I got Xenonauts for £19.99 and XCom for £22.50. Can't grumble as those prices :-)

[thothkins]

that's a very good price for X-Com. where was that?

[Xydonus]

just wondering, where do you live? My price for xcom is 45 EUR after 10% discount on GMG. Xenonauts are three times cheaper for me but if xcom would cost 15 EUR as well, I'll pick xenonauts anyway

Long-time lurker on the forums here ...

Just so you know, I got XCOM Enemy Unknown for 33 euro from Gamestop, although that was the Gamestop.ie. Should be able to find it cheap enough if you shop around, plenty of retailers listed on their main site.

In regards to the OP, I've been a harsh critic of Firaxis XCOM since I heard about it, heard about the changes and saw the released screenshots. I'm a huge fan of the original and really do take a dislike to any developer who attempts to cash in on a name title with a crap game (Codemasters OFP)... Now that I've watched over 3 hours of gameplay footage, I'm sold. Have to get out of the frame of mind that its a remake, it isn't. It is more a re-imagining with their own spin.

However, sadly, 2K studio are doing what Codemasters did to the Operation Flashpoint name, butchering it with their own godawful game, and that's a game that will have no hope of changing my mind.

In regards to Xenonauts, I've been holding out but keeping an eye on it. Xenonauts seems every-bit like the remake of X-com that I would want.

[XenoMask]

Funny enough there is canceled FPS XCOM called XCOM Alliance that does feature sectoids and such

2K FPS one isn't even planned to be XCOM from start, they just named it XCOM once they realized they own series about defending humanity from aliens and figured out they could cash in on that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-COM:_Alliance

Ya know what is bizarre? That screenshot on wikipedia is alone 1000% more XCOM than 2K FPS one

[Xydonus]

2K FPS one isn't even planned to be XCOM from start, they just named it XCOM once they realized they own series about defending humanity from aliens and figured out they could cash in on that.

Which is exactly what I'm saying and that's the problem I have with it, that they are using the XCOM name on a product that is vastly, vastly different, butchering the name almost. Which is why there was a lot of outcry (still is) and possibly one of the reasons that forced them to freeze development on it, do a few rehirings, then continue development with the exact same game yet call it "different, with a few new touches"...

[LFSmaSh]

OP, i got to know about Xcom EU 6 month ago and found it interesting. Then after the discovery, i never bothered checking again.

In the past 6 month, i've found a couple of times news about Xenonauts and never bothered checking it out. I've seen screenshots and all but never tried it.Then i found it on Kickstarter and decided to get the kickstarter demo(version 9.2 or 10.2... i forgot) I fell in love with it right away. It just felt like Xcom.

Xcom EU: Lately, I've seen the one hour gameplay and liked what i saw. I've read review sites that got a copy of an Xcom EU build. They are all giving positive feedback and some gameplay footage. There are a lot of Let's play videos on Youtube.

In my case, i've pre-ordered both games. Having tried Xeno, I'm happy that i pre-ordered premium. I also pre-ordered Xcom EU from Steam since we might be able to get Civilization 5 for free if the Tier 3 gets to 100%. I like what i see in Xcom EU and know already that the gameplay will be a bit different. Still the game also looks good.

Try Xenonauts and watch some Xcom EU footage, Then take a decision.

For EU: go on the 2kforums. The guys over there are always up to date whenever new footage/reviews are out regarding the game

[peirceg]

Only problem with XCOM are no random maps and base battles which I think is a game breaker.

[XenoMask]

Only problem with XCOM are no random maps and base battles which I think is a game breaker.

Eh, 100 handcrafted maps that are all different from each other vs technically unlimited maps that look similar to each other because they all have same tilesets, take your poison

Also, with base battles you mean base defense or alien bases? Because there are alien bases.

[Gorzahg]

Because there are alien bases.

Sauce? The only stuff I've read is them dancing around alien bases, they've been pretty vague about it.

[XenoMask]

Firstly, there is achievement for finding an alien base Secondly, if you have watched preview videos, you have at some point seen that Outsider shard(which you get from stunning an outsider. Heck, its its own mission to stun outsider in crashed UFO raid I think)'s research text says its somehow important for finding alien base. And since preview that journalists have is something like quarter of whole game(kind of like how Xenonauts alpha's research tree, alien amount and ufo amount doesn't include everything from full version), its kind of unlikely that its referring to "the" alien base.

[carnesaur]

i dont know, the firaxis game might try to be xcom in spirit, but in body its just a different game.. its gonna play like halo wars, or commandos more than it will play like xcom..

and to me having the name, but not same gameplay isnt enough. the game might be good and might be fun, but its not xcom.

this is just like the reisdent evil argument where people are saying resident evil 4 and 5 are good games. yeah theyre good games, but play 0 1 2 and 3 and cv, they are how resident evil games play. 4 and 5 are fun, and in spirit are resident evil, but they arent in body or gameplay..

[mutantmaggotx]

I can understand being old guarded. I like to think of it more as a board-game / table top variant of XCOM. Sure it might of look downsized. But there is more justification than just simply not to bore modern players with too much. I was pretty displeased at what happened to some of my favorite franchises, but mostly it has been story-wise butchering than I could recall more than game play-wise. (except for Fallout, I will not forgive Bethesda for what they did)

For me at least, I don't see game play as a full on driving force, I think all the elements are important and must be synced properly. or it just won't have any weight.

But in a way, I had that thought due to 'DOOM: The Board game' which simply was fantastic and more in depth than the actual series was, but it was DOOM. Even the game play was vastly different. I don't wish to shoot down your opinion.

(XCOM:EU reminded me of it due to the Move/Move or Move/Action type system, also had a type of Perk cards.)

I digress, I like they're attempting to bring a more board game / table top experience, I have found myself over the years going back to those things, as I find most modern games getting rather dull over the years and nothing truly beats enjoying a beer and pretzels whilst either you or your opponent just messes up and has to suffer the consequence of such.

At least it did not get butchered as Jagged Alliance recently did.

I wouldn't compare neither Xenonauts nor XCOM:EU. As both tickle my fancy.

It would just be unfair to myself to corner up in a hole.

A bit of great nostalgia and an electronic table top experience. That's what made me invest both.

That and.. I really don't want either to fail.

I really want Fantasy Flight Games to be making a board game..

Yeah, I'am pretty lame.