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XCOM: Chimera Squad Image

XCOM: Chimera Squad (PC)

77
Metascore
74 reviews
4.7
User Score
322 ratings
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Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Game Details: XCOM: Chimera Squad delivers an all-new story and turn-based tactical combat experience in the XCOM
XCOM: Chimera Squad delivers an all-new story and turn-based tactical combat experience in the XCOM universe. After years of alien rule, humanity won the war for Earth. But when the Overlords fled the planet, they left their former soldiers behind. Now, five years after the events of XCOM 2, humans and aliens are working together to forge a civilization of cooperation and coexistence. Welcome to City 31, a model of peace in a post-invasion world. However, not all of Earth's inhabitantsXCOM: Chimera Squad delivers an all-new story and turn-based tactical combat experience in the XCOM universe. After years of alien rule, humanity won the war for Earth. But when the Overlords fled the planet, they left their former soldiers behind. Now, five years after the events of XCOM 2, humans and aliens are working together to forge a civilization of cooperation and coexistence. Welcome to City 31, a model of peace in a post-invasion world. However, not all of Earth's inhabitants support interspecies alliance. Chimera Squad, an elite force of human and alien agents, must work together to destroy the underground threats driving the city toward chaos. Your agents are unique: each of them equipped with special tactical abilities and driven by a different motivation for joining Chimera Squad. Deploy targeted team members to investigate and combat the dangers that pervade the districts of City 31. Lead Chimera Squad through a new experience that innovates on XCOM's turn-based legacy, utilizing strategy, teamwork, and new breach-and-clear gameplay to complete your mission objectives. The future of City 31 depends on you. Expand
Developer: Firaxis Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Genre(s): Strategy Turn-Based Tactics
Number of players: No Online Multiplayer
Cheats: On GameFAQs
Rating: T

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0/5000
(79)
Metascore Generally favorable reviews
56 Positive Ratings 75%
17 Mixed Ratings 22%
1 Negative Ratings 1%
100
Apr 23, 2020
"Xcom: Chimera Squad is proof positive that Firaxis are masters of the genre. The perfect starting point for newcomers, yet featuring enough depth for franchise vets, there is no reason to skip this title, especially at its bargain price." ... Read full review
85
Apr 24, 2020
"XCOM: Chimera Squad brings together a huge list of fresh new ways to play. Each change introduces a new layer of strategy, and the new turn system completely upends what you know about XCOM. This is a daring new take on this venerable series, and having just completed it, I can’t wait to run it again." ... Read full review
80
Apr 23, 2020
"XCOM: Chimera Squad is essentially the Agents of Shield to XCOM 2’s Avengers. It gently plays with the formula, and tells the peripheral stories of a much wider world on a much tighter budget and with much smaller stakes. In other words, it’s XCOM but chilled – and, in these desperate times, that’s just fine." ... Read full review
80
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
Jul 24, 2020
"A small tactical game that plays well and looks good. If you like XCOM and you don´t have a problem with more stereotypical missions and sometimes a bigger role of RNG, you will probably like it. [Issue#304]"
75
Apr 23, 2020
"More than anything, Firaxis appear to be testing the waters with XCOM: Chimera Squad, and as a field test it's mostly successful. However, it ditches far too much of what makes XCOM so fantastic in the first place. " ... Read full review
75
Apr 29, 2020
"Regardless of the difficulty level, Chimera Squad doesn't let your soldiers die. Too bad, because the game could hugely benefit from this single change. Despite that, this new, mini-XCOM is worth the time. It won't be as thrilling as XCOM 2, but it's still a bargain." ... Read full review
40
May 14, 2020
"To me this is an incongruent vision of the series where you have snake squadmates and meaningless banter instead of worldbuilding and replayability. It’s fine as a one-off, slightly fun but buggy (hopefully non-canon) entry, but if this signifies the future of the franchise, I am worried." ... Read full review
(139)
User Score Generally unfavorable reviews
95 Positive Ratings 29%
71 Mixed Ratings 22%
156 Negative Ratings 48%
10
VladRadu67
Apr 24, 2020
The game is fun. It has however a completly diferent feel from the other Xcom games ,the tension from trying to go around and hunting theThe game is fun. It has however a completly diferent feel from the other Xcom games ,the tension from trying to go around and hunting the enemy is gone.
The game is more action heavy.
I expected Xcom Swat , and that is exacly what i got.
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9
GabiTheRabbit
May 21, 2020
Great spinoff of a great franchise. Don't be discouraged by negative reviews. Half of them are from hardcore fans pissed that this game becameGreat spinoff of a great franchise. Don't be discouraged by negative reviews. Half of them are from hardcore fans pissed that this game became more inviting to new players, other half are people pissed about diversity. Diversity, omg, right? That must be SJW Agenda! pfff

On the downside game is too easy and suffers for some bugs /optimization issues. I recommend playing on highest difficulty.
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8
schindlabua
Apr 28, 2020
XCOM 2 was 60$ at release but somehow people are still expecting the same level of depth from a 10$ spinoff. "Feels like a stripped-down XCOMXCOM 2 was 60$ at release but somehow people are still expecting the same level of depth from a 10$ spinoff. "Feels like a stripped-down XCOM 2" I hear echo through the metacritic reviews, to which I can only say: Obviously. What do you expect?

We get to play with a few new mechanics and it is decently engaging for 20 or so hours. I like that they explored all the ways of manipulating the timeline; you can get pretty silly combos and take out 4-5 enemies in one go simply by pushing actions up and down the queue. While I'm not sure I'd want to play a whole game based on timeline mechanics, I could see it make a comeback for the occasional close-quarters mission in XCOM 3. I would also not be mad if we get to see more breaching in future titles.

It's a refreshing little spinoff. I think the game fully achieved what it set out to do. For 10$ it's a STEAL.
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5
apeot2002
Apr 1, 2021
X-Com Chimera Squad tries to inject a bit of RPG into X-COM, but it goes too far and not far enough

X-Com 2 is a great game and one of its
X-Com Chimera Squad tries to inject a bit of RPG into X-COM, but it goes too far and not far enough

X-Com 2 is a great game and one of its greatest strengths is its ability to generate emergent stories within the mind of the player. I suspect that someone at Firaxis had this idea to push the envelope on this aspect of the game, and thus X-COM Chimera Squad was born.

The place is City 31, Earth. The time: A few years after X-COM won the war against the Elders. Humans and leftover aliens have tried to build a new society together, and Chimera Squad is a fully integrated SWAT team tasked with supporting the local police. Naturally, as soon as our team of up to eight plucky special forces rides into the city, the excrement hits the ventilator, and Chimera Squad has to swing the mop.

The gameplay framework is basically the one from X-COM: There are tactical battles you have to win with a squad of four. Between battles you manage the squad itself, use the three resources you earn to improve the team’s gear and reduce the value of the doom counter, this time called “City Anarchy”, and, given the chance, level up your troops. So far so familiar for the X-COM franchise.

Unfortunately, all these familiar mechanics are but a shadow of their former selves. The battles take place in smallish, mostly interior maps against almost exclusively humanoid enemies, who are all immediately visible. No more sneaking up on clumps of opposition. There are only two classes of weapons, standard and unique, and the latter ones don’t show until the last third of the game. Class talent trees have lost a level and only offer options on two of those levels. There is no base building. There is no permadeath. No more randomized looks for your troops.

What’s new is that your troops are no longer voiceless randos wandering in from the street. Each of the eleven agents you can recruit are a fully formed character with voiced lines, a backstory and an individual look. They banter with each other, have unique reaction lines, unique talent trees… all good things.

Is that enough to make up for the complexity that was lost? Not even close, in my opinion. None of these characters have an arc. Chimera Squad as a whole doesn’t have one, either. So all these interactions are inconsequential fluff. Their individual back stories never come into play. The individual looks are way less distinct than what was possible in the past.

On top of that, the overarching plot also feels half-assed. Earlier X-COM-Titles offered far more intriguing mysteries. All Chimera Squad has to offer is the classic whodunnit. It doesn’t even offer much of a twist.

So gameplay is rather lackluster and the story is meh, but I have one more bee in my bonnet
I have to excise: Graphics. Past Firaxis X-COM games were grim affairs, but they were colorful: Crimson and emerald rays melted green and violet alien flesh, while gorgeous explosions athed the darkened landscapes in gorgeous shades of yellow and orange. So why was someone allowed to dump a metric ton of pink dust over everything. Suddenly the main color scheme is pastel! Who thought that was a good idea?

I don’t have much more to say. Chimera Squad tried to be an RPG with defined characters and a directed plot while still being X-COM, but it didn’t go far enough, and gave up way too much of it’s X-COM heritage. Skip this one.

TLDR: Not worth it. Instead of playing this dumbed-down boring derivative, go play X-COM 2 War of the Chosen.
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3
bohdanpodlaski
Apr 26, 2020
Maybe it's only me but, all the X-Com, UFO games were for me about being a part of my own story. Customizing my character and all the team asMaybe it's only me but, all the X-Com, UFO games were for me about being a part of my own story. Customizing my character and all the team as my closest friends so I would care about each of them and want to keep them alive.
When an alien or one of the main characters from Chimera fells down ... I just can't care less.

That's just subjective opinion but lack of customization killed it for me.
I hope they will release mod/addon whatever (even without this story mode which I don't care about) where I will be able to play missions as it used to be and make my own personalized team.
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2
Mxm0
May 8, 2020
Firaxis - who has allowed xcom to be pushed in this stupid direction?! You are one of the only studios that make serious tactical games, whyFiraxis - who has allowed xcom to be pushed in this stupid direction?! You are one of the only studios that make serious tactical games, why the hell would your long time customer base (played xcom before firaxis 20 odd years and counting) want to see your excellent game model deteriorated to bring in teenagers? What the hell? Do not do this again. XCOM 2 / WoTC was a masterpiece. Get back to what you are excellent at, let the kids play fortnite. Expand
0
PapaJustifyTV
Jun 11, 2022
Russian nazi language is there, but no Ukrainian. 0 from me. I'm so tired of this...
Game is great tho.