The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions XCOM: Enemy Within Special Edition | Page 34

XCOM vs. Dishonored - Game of 2012 XCOM vs. Dishonored Game of 2012 R oss D. Brown and Kirk McKeand just can’t agree on one thing -- what, definitively, was the best game of 2012? Ross, a lover of the roguelike and strategy genres, is hunkering down against the alien menace in XCOM, but he’s so focused on defence that he can’t see the silhouette perched above him, in the shape of Kirk. Part 1: Why I Love Dishonored Kirk Everything about Dishonored is fresh. The setting transports you to an alternate, steampunk reality that is as convincing as it is awe inspiring. Atmospherically, it was one of the most immersive games this generation; with its overheard conversations providing exposition, drawing you into the game, instead of cutscenes ripping you away from its rat-infested alleys. Mix this with scifi undertones providing some otherworldly, and sometimes chilling sound effects and you have yourself a recipe for environmental perfection. Another thing it gets right, is the balance of power and vulnerability. If you get surrounded by a handful of guards, they can easily overpower the player, sending you spiralling towards the plagueXCOM: Enemy Within Special Edition 2013 34 • GameOn Magazine