Special Feature: The Evolution of XCOM (Part 2)
This article is part of a series. Click here for an introduction to XCOM and Part 1: Enemy Unknown.
Part Two: Enemy Within
XCOM: Enemy Within (EW) was released as an expansion pack to Enemy Unknown (EU) in 2013. In addition to a wide range of bug fixes and balancing tweaks, EW introduced several new features to broaden the gameplay experience:
XCOM: Enemy Within (EW) was released as an expansion pack to Enemy Unknown (EU) in 2013. In addition to a wide range of bug fixes and balancing tweaks, EW introduced several new features to broaden the gameplay experience:
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A Seeker in action
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According to lead designer Ananda Gupta, the expectation was that EW would make Normal difficulty slightly easier than in EU, but Classic and Impossible would become harder. In the strategic layer, EXALT can continue to raise panic after abduction missions have stopped, increasing the threat of a campaign ending due to council members pulling out of XCOM. Research times and resource costs are increased, making it more challenging to rush through the storyline.
In the tactical layer, both the Seeker and the Mechtoid work to encourage a broader range of tactics than what was required to complete EU. The higher mission density means that soldiers sent to the medbay are more likely to sit out future missions, forcing the player to either win with fewer injuries or develop a deeper roster of soldiers. Lastly, Meld canisters have a time limit before they self-destruct, encouraging the player to move aggressively across the map to collect this powerful resource.
Despite these advantages given to the alien forces, EW Impossible Ironman can be completed using many of the same strategic concepts as EU: abuse poor enemy AI, use explosives liberally for guaranteed damage and cover destruction, and focus research efforts on completing the campaign quickly. The StratBuster EW campaign required 229 days to victory, with 11 soldiers lost over the course of 36 missions, which is fairly comparable to EU: 205 days to victory, and 9 soldiers lost over the course of 25 missions.
Constraint |
Evaluation |
Impossible Ironman |
Still hardest during the first month of the campaign, with a gradual decline in difficulty as the player gains access to tactical resources. While it does take longer to get ahead of the difficulty curve, it is no more difficult to stay ahead. |
No robotic units |
Ignoring MEC troopers may actually make the game easier. Attempting to collect Meld canisters before they expire will greatly increase the level of risk in early missions, which is when the campaign is most difficult. By the time fully upgraded MECs come online, the campaign should already be solved, so the additional firepower is unlikely to be necessary. |
No genetic modifications |
Largely irrelevant. Many of the benefits of gene mods, such as increased aim and crit chance, can be obtained through strong play without any need for enhanced soldiers. Other perks, such as resistance to psionic attacks, are only useful if the campaign drags on long enough for strong enemy units to appear on a regular basis, which shouldn't be the case. |
No invisibility |
Most detrimental for EXALT missions, which benefit the most from having cloaked units. The saving grace is that the damage output from most EXALT weapons is much lower than that of alien weapons, making it viable to simply tank shots when the stealth approach fails. |
No plasma weapons |
No difference from EU. The campaign can be completed before unlocking plasma. |