XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Hot take incoming: I like this game WAYYYY more than XCOM 2. Like seriously, Enemy Within is the best XCOM experience and I'm tired of pretending it's not just because XCOM 2 exists

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a great way to revive the series, and it's one of those games that completely sucked me in. Every mission feels crucial because your soldiers aren't just disposable units; they become your squad, and you start caring whether they make it home or not, whether they'll be playable in the next missions or be stuck in infirmary for several turns, adding to the pressure of not taking stupid risks and planning everything ahead, as much as possible. The unit customization is in-depth and offers a lot of branching paths to improve your squad, like psionic powers (mind control, psi attacks), gene modifications, and cybernetic augmentations, transforming your characters into powerful MEC troopers. The combat is tense, satisfying, and full of those unforgettable moment-to-moment decisions that completely change the flow of combat. Even when the game is frustrating (and it really is at times, especially when you keep missing multiple 95% shots in a row), it usually makes for a good/funny story afterward. The game is brutally punishing, and playing on Ironman might be one of the most grueling challenges I undertook, but it was also one of the most satisfying victories. I'd say it's a must-play for fans of modern turn-based tactics games, as it's challenging and complex, but also incredibly rewarding.

While this game is great, the reason XCOM 2 will always be better comes down to 1 thing; the AI in XCOM 2 at least pretends to be consistent. For whatever reason in XCOM 1, the AI does not always behave the way they "should". You often notice that sectoids, for example, on the higher difficulties will sometimes make highly illogical moves, like moving out of cover into the open, and then shoot at your soldier and hit aa crit. Other times, they will actively abuse your soldiers LOS by making moves that your soldiers cannot make (for example, curving their movement to avoid your overwatch shots, something the player can only do in XCOM 2) even when your squad hasn't triggered the enemy yet. Some of this behavior is so egregious, that on Classic difficulty, you will notice Aliens *only* get aggressive with their positioning when they know they will hit a critical. In contrast, on Impossible difficulty they are always aggressive, so their AI ends up being more fair on the least fair difficulty. This game is great, but be prepared to be extremely frustrated. In my mind, the systems and overall gameplay in XCOM EW far exceeds what ends up in XCOM 2, as XCOM EW seems simple on the surface, but is actually quite complex. In contrast, XCOM 2 seems highly complex, but is relatively simple on both the tactical and meta-game layers. I'm still upset they didn't do more with the interrogation feature in XCOM 2, as it adds a lot of depth to how you approach the tactical layer of XCOM EW. TL;DR buy this game if you want a more "classic" XCOM experience, complete with absolute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, and buy XCOM 2 if you prefer a more fair and simple experience. XCOM 2 is pure fun, and XCOM EW is... XCOM. You will have fun playing, but you will also rage quit.