By the end of XCOM 2, human resistance has overcome the impossible odds of overcoming the weird hegemony that dominates our world. Now, once freed from their chains, humanity must find a way to live in harmony with the eclectic alien races that now call the Earth home. The pieces on both sides of the fence are not happy with this new world order. The Chimera squad is an independent strategy game in which you manage an elite group of powerful warriors from the universe, extinguish cultural fires and hunt for anyone who intends to disrupt the global revolution. Their methods are strong and often explosive, and sometimes they make a few movements that do not match the game itself.
The Chimera squad is built on the atop XCOM 2 standard with good action, which is a great place to start. You manage a group of fantastic soldiers in conjunction with certain turn-based times with fearsome foreign monsters. The stats are always high, poor posture and poor shooting can have serious consequences, but that sense of high risk is very exciting.
Firaxis is cleverly expanding its existing mechanics with a new program called Breach Mode. At the beginning of each encounter, your soldiers can arrange their entry into the battlefield. During the breach, it is introduced with a few entry points, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, an attack from behind a surprise door can give your units an objective advantage, but the first unit through the door is marked by an enemy and easy to hit. Looking at the costs and benefits of each break point is fun, and clearing several enemies off the board during the first attack is always satisfying. Overall, the new Broker method is a clever way to add an XCOM formula without overloading an already focused strategy.
Some other changes of the Chimera squad are unsuccessful. Instead of issuing orders to all your units at the same time, the Chimera squad installs a new joint command. Each word change is listed in the timeline on the side of the screen, and your attack units are often confused between enemy attacks. I'm not overly aware of how much this XCOM fight changes, because it changes the way you approach each encounter. On the other hand, the timeline adds a nice element of strategy; most soldiers have special moves that can change that timeline, such as gathering your troops in action early or delaying an enemy attack. I liked to think in sequence, and clearing enemy groups before they have a chance to move is empowering. On the other hand, this new method makes it difficult to integrate your attack units. Since enemies often attack within each of your units, they have a greater chance of disrupting your plans. Because of this, I have returned to the same attack and understanding of each hero that seems to be most effective, rather than linking context-based attacks. The Chimera squad throws a few scary things at you, but near the endgame I was just repeating it.
The XCOM series has never put much emphasis on narrative. Instead, it often goes through periods of engineering where you tell your stories with your design team. The Chimera squad replaces this system of 11 pre-made heroes, completing their unique abilities and character quests. Each hero is portrayed in full, allowing them to interact more in narrative times. I loved the little character moments that pop up during my trip – listening to one character complain about their digital space, or hearing someone agree to eat everything left in the fridge. These soldiers feel more fully accomplished characters than the units in previous XCOM games, and I liked using them in battle. But you can't hire new heroes any time you want, which means they are a limited resource. As a result, Firaxis removed the permadeath; whenever one of your heroes dies, the game ends. Losing a unit in the previous XCOM games has been a powerful punch, now it's the frustration that forces you to reload the battle, which removes some of the friction in each encounter.
Instead of a global battle involving all the games shown in the previous XCOM games, the Chimera squad action took place in the City of 31. The present-day city was the home of Starport active during alien rule, so it explores the best and worst of the galaxy you have to offer. Among the firefighters, he manages city crime rates from the HQ of the Chimera squad. From this central heat map, you can see crime rates in each region of the city. You can also send field teams and issue urgent commands that help control the escalation of conflict. This city-level approach is less complicated, but offers a change of pace from turn-based combat, and the HQ Chimera squad is a great place to regroup after a battle as you train your troops and lower your loading.
The XCOM series is best known for its sophisticated deviation action. The Chimera squad expanded those plans with a few smart ideas, but some new programs don't play well with the existing XCOM base. Turnaround switches and permadeath releases are fun experiments, but ultimately weaken XCOM's balanced action. The Chimera squad is a clean standout project, but it's not as tall as the rest of the series.
