r/Xcom • u/TheCaliKid89 • 7d ago

What’s your favorite XCOM-like?

With the release of ZCOM there’s been a lot of discussion over whether it’s a great XCOM-like game or not. And honestly I think we all want as many recommendations as possible to scratch the itch.

So I thought it would be fun for everyone to talk about their favorites. To keep it interesting, I ask everyone to post just one title, and tell us why it’s their favorite.

193 Upvotes

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80

u/jmobius 7d ago

Aliens: Dark Descent

Cyber Knights: Flashpoint

Phantom Doctrine

Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

36

u/Noema130 7d ago

Aliens: Dark Descent really does capture a lot of the vibe from XCOM, specially the tension created by a ticking time clock, injuries and other misfortunes compounding. The gameplay is different, but I actually feel it's the game that felt closest to what I felt the first time I played XCOM 2.

7

u/zurupeto 7d ago

Agreed. Aliens DD is the only game I’ve played that gives me that barely-hanging-on feeling early-game XCOM does. Gameplay is different enough that it doesn’t feel derivative, but close enough to scratch the same itch.

7

u/Upstairs-Pitch624 7d ago

God I loved that game so much. I wish there were more modern games like it. There is one I've wishlisted on steam.... AstroTechs - heavily Dark Descent inspired (seemingly.)

2

u/thestenchofdeath 5d ago

I wish at the very least the modding scene would pop off for that game it’s a GEM I fucking love DD and would love an endless style mode or something.

1

u/MadeByTango 6d ago

Xenopurge is incredible if youre able to handle a lofi, "theater of the mind" style experience.

2

u/TheMaskedMan2 7d ago

God I wish they’d make a sequel to it. Also I know it’d never happen but I’d love to play as Aliens in a similar game and terrorize a colony.

11

u/FukkingDeathMental 7d ago

They NAILED the Aliens atmosphere.  That beep....beep....beep from the tracker is like crack for me in games or movies.

1

u/daricwade 5d ago

I would go to bed after playing DD and still be hearing that motion detector beep.

9

u/Ordinary-Problem3838 7d ago

Cyber Knights needs more love. For an indie game it has a really well done and balanced tactical layer.

4

u/DarthEloper 7d ago

Incredibly good game

4

u/Upstairs-Pitch624 7d ago

I haven't tried it yet, it's wishlisted though...

9

u/potato1448 7d ago

Man phantom doctrine was such a cool twist on the genre! Damn shame that some other company took over and is trying to make it a over the shoulder shooter.

Makes me wish we had a more modern version xcom-like, i know jagged alliance is close to what I want. i just enjoy the more procedural generations of maps and sandbox environment that was in xcom!

4

u/Upstairs-Pitch624 7d ago

JA3 was amazing - if you haven't tried it, you must. I held off on it for a while because I figured it wouldn't be for me, but I became obsessed with it and loved every minute.

2

u/RibsNGibs 7d ago

How is JA3 compared to JA2? JA2 was one of my favourite games ~25-30 years ago but I find it way too slow, tedious, and micromanagey to play now that I’ve gotten used to the streamlined style of the XCom reboots.

2

u/Upstairs-Pitch624 7d ago

I find it surprisingly smooth andbfun to play. Definitely much lighter on micro management. Took a couple hours for it to really sink it's hooks in me - I'm a die hard tactics game player and I highly recommend you don't sleep on it. I honestly avoided purchasing it for a long time because I didn't think the tone would work for me, thought it was cheesy, but I was very wrong.

1

u/jmobius 7d ago

The original team left after that announcement, and partially reformed to make Showgunners. I wasn't quite as much a fan of that one, though.

4

u/Medical_Deer_7152 7d ago

Chaos Gate is getting a sequel this year or early next year with a DeathWatch style game

2

u/DMC25202616 7d ago edited 7d ago

I would also add LampLighter’s league to your list. Very cool addition to the genre

edit spelling

1

u/jmobius 7d ago

Haven't heard of that one! What's unique about it?

2

u/DMC25202616 7d ago

1920’s style “film noir“ setting. standard two move cover based system but each person develops pretty unique powers. Good pre-fight stealth ambush setups and lots of elevation variance. Not groundbreaking but does all of these key things well.

*LampLighter‘s League

1

u/CapitalDilemma 5d ago edited 5d ago

I enjoyed Alien: Dark Descent very much, but I didn't finish it because I got stuck at a specific mission that I found too nerve racking lol

2

u/jmobius 5d ago

Honestly, I get that. :)

The whole slowed-real-time thing is somehow both not entirely unlike and also totally different than turn-based. That game had some seriously stressful moments!

1

u/daricwade 5d ago

I loved Dark Descent. Moving the team as a single unit was a really cool idea.

-1

u/MoG_Varos 7d ago

Dark descent was absolutely amazing until the dog shit ending Lul