To make it clear from the start, XCOM: Chimera Squad is not XCOM 3. It is a spin-off of the tactical series that tells its own story. Of course, it is strongly oriented towards the big brother, but also adds a lot of new ideas to it. These appeal primarily to newcomers to XCOM, but there are also a lot to deal with for veterans.
XCOM game fans will feel right at home. The tactical gameplay, upgrading his agents and their equipment and many well-known alien adversaries are back. But what catches the eye right from the start is the staging of the game. XCOM: Chimera Squad is much more cinematic in the fights and also looks much more detailed. This is primarily due to the smaller levels and the positioning of the camera, which is closer to the action. As a result, one of the larger changes comes into its own: pre-made agents.
For newbies and fans
Customizing agents has always been one of the most popular features of XCOM games. Above all, renaming the names. Every XCOM player knows the feeling between malice and anger when one of his best friends or a family member misses a game-critical shot and then tragically blesses the timing. This is no longer possible in XCOM: Chimera Squad. Each agent is unique, from its name, to its appearance, to its capabilities. You can only change rudimentary things, such as the color of your outfit.
<a href = "https://img.gameswelt.de/public/images/202004/cee57eecb1fbe277586a69af26dc777e.jpg" data-title = "XCOM: Chimera Squad Image 1
Platform: PC | Date: April 14th, 2020 "data-lightbox =" cee57eecb1fbe277586a69af26dc777e.jpg ">
Thanks to the permanent agents, the well-known classes such as rangers, snipers and specialists are no longer required. Each agent has his own skills that he can use in combat. You unlock new talents on the one hand by leveling up in the skill tree or you can learn special skills in the training area.
Your own agent pool consists of many different characters, who are not only composed of humans, but also lead aliens in their ranks. Among others, the Sectoid Verge or the Snake Torque. So XCOM players can finally carry out the nasty attacks of the aliens themselves. At the top of the favorites list is the “tongue train” from Torque. It's just a very satisfying feeling to pull an opponent out of cover with his tongue and then put him in a full-body stranglehold.
Almost like a JRPG
Chimera Squad, like all XCOM games, is divided into two areas. On the one hand there are tactical battles, on the other there is the management of the base. In contrast to the direct predecessors, the base construction at Chimera Squad is very simplified. You can no longer build your own buildings, only basic functions such as research and the black market for exotic weapons are included.
The organization is done on an overview map of the city "City 31". The missions to be accomplished are shown here, as well as the general addition of the city. Because three different gangs keep City 31 in constant unrest. Your task is to find the leaders of each course and to eliminate them in the end. However, as usual with XCOM, you cannot always start any mission. There is only one per day. This leads to unrest in the individual city districts, until anarchy may even break out across the city. If you exceed a certain anarchy limit, your campaign is over.
In tactical battles, everything has largely remained the same. You move your agents on a kind of chessboard and try to kill as many different opponents with numerous abilities as effectively as possible. But here too there are a few small changes that have a major impact on the course of the fighting.
<a href = "https://img.gameswelt.de/public/images/202004/d90663ab2c73d3b511a2b774fe35b8b7.jpg" data-title = "XCOM: Chimera Squad Image 1
Platform: PC | Date: April 14, 2020 "data-lightbox =" d90663ab2c73d3b511a2b774fe35b8b7.jpg ">
The "Breach Phase" begins at the beginning of each mission. So you always surprise your adversaries. You have to pay attention to various things. So it is crucial which input you choose. If you take the main entrance, you are at greater risk than if you choose a side entrance or a window. But for many of these detours you first need special equipment such as key cards or explosives, which you have to buy in the armory beforehand. Or you use agents with special breaching skills. For example, “patchwork” gives each agent a bonus on target accuracy or replenishes the life energy of all agents.
Another significant difference from other XCOM games concerns the order in which the units act in combat. Usually, in XCOM games, all of your units first perform their action. Then it's your opponents' turn. Not so with Chimera Squad. Depending on their values, all of the units are wildly mixed up, as is known from turn-based role-playing games and JRPGs. A list on the right side of the screen always shows which unit is next in line. This is somewhat unusual for XCOM veterans and takes some getting used to.
Death is not the end
A hotly debated topic in all XCOM games is the level of difficulty. For many long-time XCOM fans, it cannot be demanding enough. The beginning phase of the games is particularly notorious among newcomers. You can tell that XCOM: Chimera Squad especially wants to appeal to new players, because one of the most famous features is completely missing: Permadeath.
Here is the first gameplay for the new XCOM: Chimery Squad.
Since each agent is a ready-made character with his own personality and you cannot draw from an endless pool of faceless agents, the agents cannot die. If an agent is fatally hit in a fight, you have three rounds to stabilize it. If you fail to do this, the missions are considered to have failed and you must either load a previous game or start the mission from scratch.
But don't worry. Firaxis has also thought of the hardcore fans who are looking for a bigger challenge. So there is the well-known "Ironman mode", in which only one game is available and each decision is final.
