DEVELOPER FIRAXIS GAMES PUBLISHER 2K
Firaxis’ reboot of Julian Gollop’s 1994 game (known variously as X-COM: UFO Defense and UFO: Enemy Unknown) is another one of those great pivot moments of PC Gaming. Before XCOM, turn-based tactics was practically a forgotten genre. But Firaxis brought it screaming back, blending cinematic flair with ruthless tactical challenge to create a gripping, dynamic sci-fi drama. XCOM’s tactical scenarios could deliver the kinds of shocking twists you’d normally experience in a TV show like Game of Thrones, only the characters being mercilessly slaughtered were ones you’d created, in situations you’d got them into.
XCOM also fit right into the 2010s’ renewed appetite for uncompromising experiences, a more cerebral companion to the high-wire athleticism of Dark Souls. Its alien menace wasn’t afraid to just beat you, but to humiliate you too, and even the best outcomes came with losses. As such, completing a mission in XCOM always felt like a huge achievement. And winning a campaign? Well, pat yourself right on the back.