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The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Review for Xbox 360

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Review for Xbox 360

Get Ready To Lose Some Squaddies

First of all, if you have never tried an XCOM game, do yourself a favor and check one out. Last year’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown was an amazing addition to the already beloved franchise, and is easily worth your time. As with previous games in the series, it offered the same traits that has made XCOM a standout title among its competitors – character permadeath, squad personalization, and research and development, among others. I am happy to report that, not only do these features survive in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, they absolutely shine.

At its core, this installation of XCOM has all of the components of previous titles in the series. You are responsible for a squad, you carry out various missions in the interest of the human race, and you conduct field reconnaissance of alien technology. But this time around, instead of being the head of the XCOM organization and managing resources and building up your research capabilities and weapon technologies, you are cast in the role of Chief Field Agent William Carter. Those of you who have had the pleasure of playing an XCOM game before can think of him this way – Agent Carter is like your team leader (except not expendable) who goes on every mission. He controls the actions of all his squadmates just like in other XCOM games, just from a ground level view.

Combat as Agent Carter is an enjoyable experience, on par with other third-person shooters of this generation. The controls are tight and familiar, so any experienced shooter fan will be able to pick up this portion of gameplay pretty quickly. But you can’t survive this game without your squad. And if you go off wasting the alien hordes all by your lonesome, your squadmates will pay the ultimate price. And remember, if a member of your squad dies, they are dead forever, no matter how much time you have sunk into them. So it’s a good thing that controlling your squaddie’s is just as gratifying as playing as Carter, or else this might be a problem.

You control the actions of your squad through an easily accessible menu (on Xbox 360 it was the B button) and an on-screen wheel of character actions. These character actions range from simple movement to specialized combat actions like a critical shot or turret placement for different classes of squad members. Accessing the menu slows down time, but doesn’t stop it completely. So, even though you are making decisions and assigning tasks, the action doesn’t stop completely. This comes into play predominantly in major combat sequences, when beset upon by forces far outnumbering your own, so be aware of your situation at all times. While controlling your squad is a requirement, it never feels like a chore, and it is wholly rewarding to see the head pop off an alien with you pulling the trigger.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Screenshot

But as any XCOM fan can tell you, it’s not all about the combat, and The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is no exception to that rule. Instead of the normal resource management and economy of previous XCOM titles, this game charges headlong into a story, something that XCOM games are not particularly known for. Throughout the game you will be able to interact with other members of the XCOM Bureau, listen to various recordings that bring to light precious information, and attempt to uncover the truth about the alien invasion. This all occurs between missions in the XCOM main base, where you can also recruit new squaddies, unlock new weapons and tech, and keep an eye on the current national crisis. You can continue on your quest for the truth as long as you like, or until the XCOM Director calls you up to his office and tells you to get back to work. As far as the story goes, I won’t tell you exactly what happens, the details are too interesting to spoil here. But a fleshed-out story was an exceedingly welcome addition to the XCOM mythos. But I’m sure you can gather that aliens attack and it’s your job to fight back. And fight back you will.

One thing XCOM has never been about is outstanding visuals. While The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is easily the most graphically capable title in the series, there are some issues with the overall. They mostly show their ugly head in cutscenes and story sequences – flickering textures, minor bouts of screen-tearing, and pixelated backgrounds tend to be the biggest offenders. On the flipside, missions are graphically superb. Locales are varied, environmental effects work well and add to the ambience, and switching in and out of combat focus looks great. Character animations are clean and natural as well, delivering additional believability to the unbelievable circumstances within the game.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Screenshot

While it is by no means the prettiest game on the market, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a quantum leap forward from XCOM games past, even last year’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Typically, the character models in previous titles, are meant to be viewed from a distance, and look very blocky up-close. This game dispels that notion completely with detailed and customizable character models. Environments were meant to be viewed from a distance as well, and suffered from the same pixilation as character models. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified looks pretty damn good, especially compared to its predecessors.

As it should, the sound of this XCOM title seems to pull some inspiration from last year’s counterpart. The score has similar undertones of eerie and foreboding themes, but still manages to feel unique. But the best part of the soundscape has to be the inclusion of voice-acting. Don’t get me wrong, some of the voice work in the game is horrendous. But for the most part, the acting is well-done. It has a noire undertone and kind of feels like writing from a 50’s or 60’s cop show with, you know, aliens in it.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Screenshot

Although, I did have some issues in the sound department. Some ambient noise seemed to be inconsistent or overly loud, especially during conversations, which I found annoying at points. And when listening to recordings, the directional sound was off, and as I got further away or turned in another direction the audio would get unbearably loud or whisper quiet, when it should have been the other way around. It was an oddity, but nothing too annoying, I just had to position myself and stay put while I listened. But these minor gripes don’t really impact the total quality of the audio, which is decidedly well done.

But, before I close this out, I do want to say one thing. I really would have liked to see a Co-op mode in this game. Not so you could play through the game in co-op, but a mode where you could play through towns as you completed them in the game, with another team backing you up. Maybe next time, who knows?

Being an XCOM fan, I was sincerely hopeful that they didn’t destroy the name of this franchise with a generic third-person shooter, which could have easily been the case. But they didn’t. They did so much more. They expertly crafted the beloved gameplay elements of the XCOM universe into an intuitive third-person experience, while delivering an interesting story, which is no easy task. And if one thing can be said about The Bureau: XCOM Declassified it’s this – you can’t find a gameplay experience like this anywhere else (even in other XCOM games.) If you are a XCOM fan, you need to try this game. If you’re not, well, you may be very soon.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.8 Graphics
Definitely the most visually capable XCOM game to date. 4.0 Control
Tight third-person controls add to the original XCOM experience, which remains intact. 3.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The overall soundscape is well done and complete. 4.2 Play Value
XCOM takes their unique experience into a whole new place with this title. 4.0 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Uncover the Mystery- Fight through the streets of 1960’s America as you uncover the declassified truth behind mankind’s first enemy invasion.
  • Be the Field Leader – As William Carter, a highly intelligent special agent, call the shots and pull the trigger. Formulate the plan of action, execute well-timed ambushes and flank your attackers to obliterate the threat.
  • Tactical Combat – Use your strategy to your advantage: enter Battle Focus to slow down time and execute your next move, commanding your squad with a variety of tactical actions to turn the tide in your favor.
  • No Second Chances – Pay the price for mistakes – permadeath will make you value your squad mates more than ever, and make losing one of them all the more painful.
  • Strategic Reflexes – Turn an enemy misstep into your strategic advantage. Give tactical commands on the fly to outsmart the enemy and make split-second decisions to save the lives of your squad.
  • Customization that Counts – Train each of your squad mates into unique specializations, allowing for a dynamic combination of skills to compliment your play style.

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