The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions XCOM: Enemy Within Special Edition | Page 31

Know Thy Enemy - The Aliens of XCOM: Enemy Unknown corner would reveal a form of Alien that you hadn’t yet encountered. It could be stronger, more deadly, have unusual abilities or...control your trooper’s minds. Discovering a new opponent in XCOM is both a point of interest and a painful assault on your well laid plans. Can you remember the first time you encountered the Thin Man? “Only a few points of health, he’s going to hit the dust quickly!” Unfortunately, he’d probably already poisoned one of your men, making the mission a dash for time before he succumbed to the dosage. Of course, the Thin Men are pretty easy to avoid once you work out how best to combat them. The aforementioned Cryssalids can be a problem throughout your campaign, however; largely due to their infuriating speed, not to mention the heavy melee damage they inflict. Outsiders and Sectoid Commanders each bring a new element to gameplay and are undeniably cool, but never offer a really tricky battle. Aside from the Cryssalids, the Floater’s appearance is one of the first big mix ups of combat in XCOM, their flying ability makes them unpredictable and highly dangerous. It takes a whole new level of cohesion The other Aliens you encounter during the first between your troops to take them on successfully. section of the game have a tendency to lull you into a false sense of security. The standard Sectoids, That sense of security is violently interrupted by the whilst deadly in numbers, are easy to deal with so time the Mutons and Cryssalids show up in force. long as you are careful and plan in advance. The While the Sectoids always feels like inferior beings XCOM: Enemy Within Special Edition 2013 31 • GameOn Magazine