I freaking loved the first two XCOM games and I am someone who struggles with strategy games usually. XCOM: Chimera Squad is a sequel, but it feels more like a side game than a full-on sequel if that makes any sense. While it may not be reinventing the wheel, I have had a fantastic time with this slightly scaled back XCOM game.
How to Download XCOM: Chimera Squad
You can download the program by clicking the Download button at the end of the review.
The Game Review
The setting of the game is five years after the events of XCOM 2. This means that mankind survived and how is trying to live in “harmony” with aliens on Earth. I really liked the idea of the story and the fact you are in control of a team of what feels like a SWAT team made up of humans and aliens is really cool.
The stakes are not as high as they were in the two previous games. Rather than trying to save the world, you are trying to keep your city in check. There has been a political assassination and you are sent to try and figure out what is going on. I loved the story and a huge reason for that was the characters.
Gone is permadeath and I for one am happy about that. I say that because this time around the characters feel far more unique and developed and drive the story forward more. I loved the banter between them and if anything, I wish the game went more in-depth with the various characters.
The gameplay of XCOM: Chimera Squad is pretty much what you would expect. Characters have unique abilities and in regards to the aliens, this is especially cool. I love the snake lady who can coil around people! Knowing when to use these abilities and on who is really the key to victory.
New to this game is the breaches. As you are basically a SWAT team, you get to start each round by breaching into an area. You choose who you want to lead the breach and what you want to do. I loved this part of the game and would often come up with some pretty ridiculous ways to start a round.
Speaking of rounds, XCOM: Chimera Squad is playing things much simpler. Each “level” has rounds, kind of like in Mario & Rabbids. You do one, then move onto the next. This means no wasting tons of turns moving around and this is something I like about what they have done here. I get some may think this simplifies things, well this and the non-permadeath. I like it!
Ok, so while I have enjoyed what I have played so far, XCOM: Chimera Squad does have a few issues. I have read a few things (and a friend of mine has complained also) that there are more than a few technical bugs. From weapons and items disappearing to your characters acting weird, too strange animation errors. It is clear that a patch is going to have to come sooner than later.
While I enjoyed the first two XCOM games, they were brutally difficult. That is why I much prefer the more simple gameplay style of what XCOM: Chimera Squad is offering. On the flip side of this however, if you liked the crushing difficulty and challenge of the previous games this one may be a tad simple for you.
