Live Update
The spin-off of the relaunched XCOM series, consisting of two numbered installments from 2012 and 2016 and a couple of major additions, feels optional but adds some interesting gameplay mechanics. We tell you more in the review.
Five years have passed since the events of XCOM 2 by Friv2Online. The aliens have been defeated, the Elders have retreated, but the world will never be the same: people have to learn to live side by side with representatives of other races. City-31, in which the action of Chimera Squad unfolds, has become an experimental model of society, in which the hosts and guests of the planet Earth peacefully exist together. At first glance, this is a realm of universal tolerance and understanding, where those who recently waged a war of annihilation are now friends, go to cafes and perhaps even start interracial families.
However, behind the glossy exterior lies the unsightly truth: in City-31 operate underground cells of factions seeking revenge or world domination. And in the background looms an even bigger threat. Long arms of terrorists reach the mayor of the city, and now the operatives of the police squad "Chimera" will have to investigate and bring the criminals out into the open.
Each of the characters subordinated to the player can boast a detailed biography and a unique character. Each of them was affected by the war, and previously they were on different sides of the barricades. On these contradictions it was possible to build an interesting story, make the mood of the game gloomy, perhaps even devote a couple of missions to conflicts within the team. But no - the heroes are only able to sluggishly poke fun at their superiors and each other, without risking to do something more. Such discipline is impressive, but the screenwriters could have developed the potential of their own initial conditions.
However, if we abstract away from the personalities of the characters (since they have no influence on the plot), we have a very curious friv game in front of us. It is still XCOM, but more chamber, where the war for the planet and the future of mankind gave way to a police investigation in the scale of a metropolis.
Instead of a globe of Earth, there's a small headquarters where you can choose your gear and assign characters to the next mission (only four operatives can fit in an APC). This is also where research is done, fighters are trained, and gadgets are bought (at the warehouse and black market). Heroes can not only be sent on missions, but also attached to additional activities: for example, order to patrol the city or meet with sponsors, which will give a certain amount of local currency - credits, ailerium or intelligence. And you also need to make sure that the level of anarchy in the city does not rise (for this purpose you need to distribute field units in the districts, perform story and secondary missions): if the scale fills up to the end, the operation will be failed and you will have to start again. In general, there are enough worries in the friv game, though not as global as in previous XCOM releases.
Traditionally for the series, the strategic gameplay of XCOM: Chimera Squad alternates with tactical gameplay - the actual battles. And this is where the main innovation of the friv game - assault - comes into play. As in real police missions, you need to place your fighters on points: for example, a couple of them near the main door, one near the window and one more to break the door of the back entrance. Each of these points gives certain bonuses and penalties: for example, the first operative who ran in is guaranteed to hit the target, but the closing one will have his weapon disabled after the shot.
Properly conducted assault will significantly increase the chances of success of the operation, allowing you to thin out the enemies before the battle begins. You should not neglect planning, especially at high difficulty levels. If you focus your fire on the enemies ready to fight back immediately (they are marked in red), you can avoid unnecessary damage.
After the storming phase, the familiar XCOM battle begins, but there is a novelty here as well - now the player's fighters' moves alternate with the enemy team's moves (like in Divinity: Original Sin), and this makes adjustments to the tactics. You need to constantly intercept the initiative, stun and kill those enemies who are closer to the others in the queue, and use abilities that allow you to interfere with the sequence of actions.
Otherwise, the rules are standard: two actions per character, end of turn after a shot, squares on which fighters move, cover, observation mode, even annoying misses with 98% probability of hitting the enemy. Locations - small cells, where you can't throw a grenade without hitting your own or civilians in the epicenter of the battle. As a result, there are fewer tactics, but matches last no longer than ten minutes.
Since the friv game has become more chamber-like, the operatives here are not faceless representatives of given classes, but heroes (for this reason, by the way, they can't change their appearance, except for painting their armor in different colors) with unique abilities. Psionic Verge is able to pull opponents out of hiding and throw enemy fighters into a state of rage, Stormtrooper Terminal supports the group with a drone "Gremlin", and Agent Zephyr relies on close combat, distributing blows left and right. As characters gain experience, they unlock new abilities, and by practicing in a designated area, they remove scars and pump up characteristics like health, evasion, critical damage, and so on.
Alas, in XCOM: Chimera Squad you have to fight not only with terrorists, but also with the wayward camera, which made me miss the right cell more than once. No less unpleasant are bugs and regular crashes, which the developers didn't fix even a few days after the release. Finally, I didn't like the jagged "cartoonish" animation of characters at all. There are questions to the atmosphere, to the story, and to the lack of expensive cut-scenes (especially in contrast to the released "next door" Gears Tactics).
Nevertheless, it's a friv game to pay attention to. It fits into the XCOM universe, is inexpensive, supports mods (waiting for Long War) and will keep you busy for 15-20 hours. Don't expect too much from it and you will enjoy it.
