Thorondor Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 https://media.pcgamer.com/files/2013/08/thebureau9-610x343.jpg The Bureau pays lip service to series essentials like permadeath and technology acquisition, but it fails to include these mechanics in the final product in a way that makes sense. But the biggest sin is that the terror and consequence that made me agonize over each and every decision in Enemy Unknown is absent here. The Bureau misses all of the things that make XCOM thematically interesting, and all that’s left is some imposter wearing nicely stitched XCOM clothes. :: PC Gamer review, 62/100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbes Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 From the 19 hours of gameplay footage I've seen there's a few things I noticed: 1) M14s are your best friend in case of an alien invasion. They can be used to kill any alien badass that decides to show, even during the final mission. 2) Squad tactics aren't too imaginative. The gameplay I watched was on Normal difficulty and the player used a Sniper and a Support throughout the entire campaign, with the same tactics over and over (Stims, Silacoid, Drone, Shield Sphere, etc.)3) The maps were most the same, with the half-cover positions being repeated over and over.4) Why does the female officer shown at the beginning as an Infiltrator appears later at the base?5) There were slight inconsistencies between the conversations and the events.6) Weapons and ammo are laying everywhere, including the XCOM base (don't these people know a thing about gun safety?). Security at the XCOM base is a joke, regarding POWs. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencer_pl Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 But the biggest sin is that the terror and consequence that made me agonize over each and every decision in Enemy Unknown is absent here. His is lying or playing on easy/normal. The terror is if you issue wrong command your agent might end dead. And trust me soloing Muton is not that easy. From the 19 hours of gameplay footage I've seen there's a few things I noticed: 1) M14s are your best friend in case of an alien invasion. They can be used to kill any alien badass that decides to show, even during the final mission. 2) Squad tactics aren't too imaginative. The gameplay I watched was on Normal difficulty and the player used a Sniper and a Support throughout the entire campaign, with the same tactics over and over (Stims, Silacoid, Drone, Shield Sphere, etc.)3) The maps were most the same, with the half-cover positions being repeated over and over.4) Why does the female officer shown at the beginning as an Infiltrator appears later at the base?5) There were slight inconsistencies between the conversations and the events.6) Weapons and ammo are laying everywhere, including the XCOM base (don't these people know a thing about gun safety?). Security at the XCOM base is a joke, regarding POWs. Period. 1. Let's see, we are attacking aliens that aren't armoured, and in EU you could kill Sectoid, Floater, Snakeman with normal rifle too. Don't forget M-14 uses 7.62 rounds which are very powerful. 2. Well if you can't breeze through normal you shouldn't play tactical games. On normal you probably even could go solo without using any skills. I never found good use for Support here. At first I was using Sniper / Commando but then switched to Commando/Engineer. To be honest every mix of those 3 could be possible. 3. Well ain't that similar to most game - and let's not forget about our grandfather. The variety of maps wasn't overwhelming.4. Probably re-used face? Hello, I saw 6 scientists in a row that looked liked x'let's. Let's not forget about most of the guards in the base.5. Can't comment here as my memory is not used for that.6. Ehm, mostly it's lying where there were fights? You know police, military and civilian skirmishes against aliens? It's america and mostly it was countrysides missions and there a single police station can have arsenal of small army. And XCOM base? It was under attack, so imagine that guards/other agents died there. I didn't find any single weapon during free roam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Well, ouch. I'll pass. Who am I kidding, I'd pass in any case, my comp is unable to run games younger than 3 years. With rare exceptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 But the biggest sin is that the terror and consequence that made me agonize over each and every decision in Enemy Unknown is absent here.His is lying or playing on easy/normal. The terror is if you issue wrong command your agent might end dead. And trust me soloing Muton is not that easy. Eh... I dunno, I too think the terror is a bit lacking, even on Commander difficulty. With the Bureau the only real difficulty comes from bullet sponges and to be frank that's a little more boring than terrifying. You just de-buff it, shoot it a bit, then run away while you re-charge/heal. Lather, rinse, repeat. For an XCom game there is a significant lack of 'oh crap' moments. Now the original UFO: Enemy Unknown (1994 edition), that had some masterfully done terror, and pretty much all of it revolved around the same concept: sudden, foreshadowed, inevitable, visible death. The classic example being the chryssalid; it pops up from out of the fog of war, runs half way across the map and turns half your squad into zombies. What makes it, though, is that you know there are chryssalids about - you've probably heard them during the alien's turn - but you don't know where they are, so you're already on edge. Then *bam* it's there, and you have just enough time to see it, fully understand what's about to happen, and watch as your team *just* fails to kill it before it reaches them. You just don't get that with the Bureau. Pretty much all the cards are on the table, and if you bite off more than you can chew it's your own fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencer_pl Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 and watch as your team *just* fails to kill it before it reaches them. This can also be boring Like I said - it's OK game, nothing breath taking and there were faaaar worse games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 *Erm... Prior warning: Not Safe For Work * See Escapist Magazine's video review of the The Bureau here. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 https://downloads.2kgames.com/community/2K_TBXD_HANGAR6RD_SECTOPOD.jpg :: Hangar 6 R&D DLC for The Bureau is coming to XBox on October 8th as detailed in this devblog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencer_pl Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Is it me that is more excited about the DLC for XCOM: EU rather than this? Now especially since it's shitbox exclusive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NKF Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Another phase in the evolution of The Bureau: Discounts. https://www.amazon.co...&tag=amzn07f-20 Amazon/Steam bundle of The Bureau and XCOM EU at 72% off. My thoughts on seeing that were: "This early?" and "that high?" - NKF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencer_pl Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I love ZP reviews... Even the lack of punctuation doesn't bother me that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 https://cdn.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/66000/capsule_467x181.jpg :: Now on Steam, two DLCs for The Bureau. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencer_pl Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Wasn't it suppose to be free ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 https://cdn.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/66002/capsule_467x181.jpg In the days leading up to the events of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, Agent Nico DaSilva volunteers for a series of dangerous secret experiments to identify and treat a terrifying new pathogen. Maximize your combat skills and push your team to its limits to protect a friend from his own hallucinated terrors. :: Now available on Steam here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 :: The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is now also available at GoG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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