This year was pretty tough. We had plenty of fantastic games this year, as well as some highly-anticipated bombs. I actually spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out which game I loved most this year, and I finally decided on XCOM: Enemy Unknown. No other game this year hooked me as well as XCOM. As a person who really hates strategy games, this surprised the shit out of me. But the game's excellent presentation, easy to learn tactics, and wonderful base building and research elements were just about a perfect combination for me.
And then there are the soldiers...
Watching my stable of wet-behind-the-ears rookies grow to alien slaughtering badasses was an intensely rewarding experience. Every time one of my soldiers gained a new rank or pulled off a particularly awesome kill, I was filled with pride. These were my boys and girls that I'd trained, doing it right. This makes losing soldiers hurt even more. All the missions and training they've been through, all down the tubes if one of your soldiers bites it. Protip- If you want to minimize the hurt of a soldier's death, avoid temptation and never name them after people you know in real life.
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| Oh well this is just heartbreak waiting to happen |
Trying to figure out which tech to research, which base facilities to build, and which nations would be getting my help was nothing short of an amazing, almost addicting experience for me. With everything that I'd heard about this game and its spiritual predecessor before launch, I expected to hate XCOM. After seeing the game firsthand at this year's PAX East, though, I knew I had to play it. I'm so very glad I did.
Runner-Up- Dragon's Dogma- I'm always glad to see devs trying something new, even if the result turns out to be merely good, not great. Dragon's Dogma definitely got some things right, though, and I'd love to see a sequel that uses some things they learned the first time around.
Rock plans on pouring one out for all his alien slaying homies who didn't make it back...
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I had so much hope in my eyes...
ReplyDeleteRIP Pat. With him out of the way jokes about his sister will go unchecked.
ReplyDeleteI should probably play this at some point, but strategy makes me feel dumb and sad about being dumb.
ReplyDeleteOh believe me, Dan, I know exactly what you mean. I normally can't stand strategy games for that reason. XCOM really didn't have that problem, though.
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