"XenoSWAT: A Tighter, Smaller, Buggier XCOM Spin-off"
About
XCOM: Chimera Squad is set in a near-future Earth where aliens and humans coexist following humanity's victory in the original XCOM conflict. You command a diverse squad of both human and alien soldiers through procedurally-varied tactical missions in an occupied megacity, managing squad composition, equipment, and positioning in turn-based combat encounters. Between missions you manage your base, gather intelligence on enemy activity, and respond to civilian threats while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the fragile human-alien peace.
Verdict
Chimera Squad strips XCOM down to its breach-and-clear core and replaces faceless soldiers with named heroes, which trades nail-biting permadeath for snappier, more controlled tactical puzzles. The interleaved turn order and breach phases genuinely freshen the formula, but tiny maps, short encounters and a save-bricking final-boss bug keep it from the heights of XCOM 2. Worth the price on sale, never quite worth the franchise's name.
You'll like it if …
- +you want snappier, more controlled tactical puzzles over drawn-out battles
- +you enjoy named heroes with fixed abilities more than interchangeable soldiers
- +you prefer predictable encounters without random enemy pod activation
You'll dislike it if …
- −permadeath roster anxiety is what makes tactics tense for you
- −you live for long-range sniping and big open battlefields
- −you want high replayability and post-game content beyond a 20-hour run
Breakdown
- +Breach phases and interleaved turn order force deliberate action-economy decisions and positioning in ways mainline XCOM doesn't
- +Area effects and ability synergies create genuine tactical interest within constrained encounters
- −Tiny maps and three-turn skirmishes flatten the tactical depth XCOM is known for
- −Elimination of long-range play narrows the toolkit and reduces strategic options
- +Named heroes with distinct abilities offer enough squad-composition variety for 20-hour campaign
- −Limited agent pool and predetermined breach points blunt replayability and long-term pull
- −Campaign wraps in around 20 hours with no endless mode or substantial post-game content
- −Hero permadeath removal strips away the roster anxiety that made XCOM's runs bite
- +Aliens and humans working as a tactical unit provides a fun thematic pivot from the franchise
- −Relentless quips and grating zingers undercut the game's stabs at mental health and discrimination themes
- −Leaner, reused-asset approach to XCOM 2's visual language feels thin next to franchise standards
- +Snappier, more controlled tactical structure delivers faster encounters without bloat
- −Save-bricking final-boss bug lingering since launch is reason enough to avoid Ironman mode entirely
- −Visual glitches intrude in longer missions and compound with iffy balance issues
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