Had this been the ORIGINAL release to XCOM, this literally would have been a nearly flawless reboot the the XCOM saga. HOWEVER - Because this xpac really changes absolutely nothing... but adds a few details and a couple classes.. this should have been a simple DLC pack to the original game, *not* it's own seperate game. (Steam REALLY sticks it to you by making you buy *both* the original game AND this one in order to play it.. proving it's just a DLC pack gone wild.) Still, everything that was great about the original is still great here! Plus, you get even MORE great stuff! It's a must buy, and a must play. But only if you havent played the original.. if you have, wait for a steam sale/price drop before buying this.
This "game" is a complete and utter embarrassment to the Might and Magic legacy. Ridiculous amounts of game breaking bugs, terrible framerate drops for no apparent reason on certain hardware, a paper thin storyline, the most drawn out, long winded, tedious, eye droopingly BORING introduction to any game I have EVER seen.. ever. Nevermind that if you try to create an original party (something that was always oodles of fun in previous M&M games.. the game outright punishes you and can actively PREVENT you from proceeding in the game! Game routinely either outright limits the mobs w/ no respawn or even different areas to go to. When it's NOT limiting (re-crippling) your options, it's outright slamming you. Turn a corner in an area? Suddenly get smashed by monsters WAY out of your league. Previous MM games? RUN AWAY.. this one? Nope. Screw you, die. You CANNOT disengage or run away from anything.. once you get into combat.. you either win or die. While this might sound amusing.. akin to Dark Souls, at least Dark Souls had SOME pacing to it.. this does not. In the Undercity, I literally discovered the hard way by simply taking the "wrong" tunnel in the SAME map as I was directed to go too... only to get my party 2 shotted by Ravenous Ghouls that were WAY above any level I could have possibly achieved at that point in the game. Bottom line - This is a turd that will quickly (hopefully) be forgotten.
I cannot in good faith reccomend (LOAD SCREEN) this game at this time. Quite honestly, there are WAY too much bugs and issues (LOAD SCREEN)with the game that really prevent a full enjoyment of the title. The character (LOAD SCREEN)creation is very rich, but provides NO explanation (LOAD SCREEN)as to what certain abilities mean or even how (LOAD SCREEN)they affect your character in any way shape or form. It's honestly in desperate (LOAD SCREEN)need of a complete overhaul, and should not have been launched in it's (LOAD SCREEN)current state. In case you can't figure out the other serious problem with this game.. lemme clue you in.. you will see the Load Screen so often and so long any real enjoyment of the story or plot gets completely lost in the dreary times you sit and stare at the same 3 screens and 5 tooltips over.. and over.. and over.. and over .. and over again. In the first chapter I counted 17 LOADING PLEASE WAIT... about 15-25 seconds each. Do the math yourselves.
