The story in XCOM is minimal. There aren’t many cutscenes. The dialogue is sparse. The characters are functional archetypes. And yet, the MicroProse and Firaxis strategy series boasts some of the most shocking, tense, and memorable dramatic moments in the history of PC gaming. This is what makes XCOM special. It’s all mechanics, but out of its fastidiously designed turn-based tactics and combat, you inevitably get personal takes of sacrifice, defeat, and victory – everyone has that one XCOM soldier, that nightmarish, ill-fated mission. While Civilization 7 has Firaxis attention for now, hopefully, XCOM 3 will happen one day. In the meantime, the entire series – every game and DLC – is available for the single price of $10.
It’s hard to pick a favorite here. Enemy Unknown is maybe the most accessible and purest expression of modern XCOM – while I’d encourage everyone to start with the superlative UFO Defense from 1994, its systems and menus are less than welcoming, and getting to know how it all works takes some research. XCOM 2, the most recent game, is definitely the biggest and toughest, especially if you combine it with the War of the Chosen DLC.
But you know what? I’ll even go to bat for The Bureau, the oft-maligned third-person shooter spin off from 2013. It’s not much compared to the mainline strategy games, but it has a few great levels, especially in the finale.
The Humble XCOM deal gives you all 17 games and every piece of DLC in the series for $10 / £7.51. Here’s the full list:
- XCOM: UFO Defense
- XCOM: Terror From The Deep
- XCOM: Apocalypse
- XCOM: Interceptor
- XCOM: Enforcer
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown
- XCOM: Enemy Within
- The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
- XCOM 2
- XCOM: Chimera Squad
- XCOM: Enemy Within Slingshot Pack
- XCOM 2: Anarchy’s Children
- XCOM 2: Resistance Warriors Pack
- XCOM 2: Shen’s Last Gift
- XCOM 2: Alien Hunters
- XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
So that’s $10, and you get the entirety of one of the best PC game series in history. If you want to pick this particular Humble bundle up, just hit the button below.
Otherwise, you might want to try some of the best 4X games, or maybe the best grand strategy games on PC.
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