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