History VideoGame / XComEnemyUnknown

** How receiving the [[PsychicPowers the Gift]] works. The game uses [[http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/888002-psi-soldier-chance/ a complicated formula]] to determine if the soldier you enter for testing will emerge as Psionic, and can even be [[SaveScumming Save Scummed]] to get good results.

* BaldOfAwesome[=/=]BaldWoman: An option for your soldiers, male and female. Also, due to helmets and hats counting as hair styles, they're removed when off-duty, so you'll see a large number of shaved-head soldiers in the barracks if you like using them. The latter is changed as of ''Enemy Within'', and soldiers wearing helmets as hairstyles are no longer bald underneath, being given one of the conventional hairstyles while off duty in the barracks.

--> 4. If any enemy survived the KillStreak, simply break line of sight and go invisible again from Mimetic Skin.

** Alien weapons self-destruct when they're killed even if you don't use explosives (if you do, you won't get even the fragments). You can, however, capture intact alien weapons if you use an Arc Thrower on the enemy. You still can't swap them mid-mission, as they're not built to human ergonomic standards and would be awkward to use at best.
** In ''Enemy Within'', EXALT weapons are recovered after missions and can be used by your own soldiers. However, they're [[PaletteSwap mechanically identical]] to your own weapon counterparts and [[VendorTrash are meant to be sold to the Council once you decide you have enough]]; it's less pronounced with the Elites' laser hardware in case you didn't prioritize beam weapon production, so you can get your Heavies, Snipers and Supports or rifle Assaults all kitted out with lasers without spending a penny. Played straight with the unique gene mods on most of their Elite units, which are "Iron Skin" (Elite Heavies)[[note]]reduces damage by 25%[[/note]], "Regen Pheromones" (Elite Medics)[[note]][[HealingFactor regenerates the health of the Medic and nearby friendlies by 1 every turn]][[/note]] and "Adrenaline Rush" (Elite Operatives)[[note]][[TurnsRed increases Aim and Critical Chance by 10% with every injury]][[/note]]. EXALT Elite units also carry alien grenades, which self-destruct into fragments upon death as with aliens.

* LethalJokeCharacter: South America's "[[WeHaveWaysOfMakingYouTalk We Have Ways]]" bonus is kind of laughable in regular gameplay, because once you get plenty of scientists you'll be completing autopsies and interrogations in a single day. But turn on the "Marathon" option in ''Second Wave'', and suddenly South America's bonus becomes ''critical'', because all research times are increased several times over, and you can't afford to waste most of a month on autopsies and interrogations. Not to mention that the research credits from interrogations greatly reduce the lengthy research times on advanced technology, which is the difference between spending an entire month unlocking a new technology and only a dozen days working on it. Doubly so when starting in South America (even though the continent otherwise requires only two satellites), making a hell of a difference in the early game.
** As for characters, the security personnel in Enemy Within are expected to be nothing more than {{RedShirt}}s. However, with the Tactical Rigging Foundry upgrade they'll all have two grenades at their disposal, meaning the large squad size (up to eight compared to the usual maximum of six) and extra grenades can actually be quite the benefit.
* LevelsTakeFlight: The Battleship at the end of the ''Slingshot'' DLC and [[spoiler: the Temple Ship]] involve you attacking them while they're still in-flight. Despite being able to see the Earth sprawling below you, you're not at risk of falling.

** MEC Troopers are pretty quick on their feet if the "Kinetic Strike Module" Tactical Subsystem is chosen and/or the "Advanced Servomotor" Foundry Project is completed. They also have guns that hit even harder than a Heavy's and have a massive health pool due to their suits, as well as a number of skills/upgrades that reduce damage.

This is accentuated during [[spoiler:[[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs the defense of the XCOM HQ]], where you have access to XCOM base security as well as a few of your standard operatives. The difference is stark, to say the least. The base security is little better than your standard rookie, and by this point in the game you're fighting things like Chryssalids, Mutons and Sectoid Commanders.

** Greatly upped in the [[spoiler: XCOM Base Defense mission]]. In addition to 4 to 6 of your best soldiers (depending on your squad size limit), you get around 6 base security personnel, essentially Rookies with conventional weapons. Your squad can also be reinforced at certain points, if your soldiers (not the base security) get killed.

** The ''Slingshot'' DownloadableContent pits you against Mutons with full-sized Plasma Rifles rather than the Light variant, usually well before you'd expect to have the weapons or armor needed to have a good chance against them. They also pack a grenade each. It's saying something that the game tosses a Chryssalid at you on lower difficulties instead of one of these Mutons. However, if you know they're coming and plan accordingly, [[DiscOneNuke you can net one of those Plasma Rifles to research and reverse-engineer and the Muton himself to interrogate and cut down on the plasma research time by a LOT]].

* EasyLevelTrick: The FinalBattle can be won in a very anticlimactic way by [[spoiler:sending in a mimetic-skinned Sniper packing plasma heat and the Double Tap skill. There's cover aplenty to activate their cloak, the [[InstantWinCondition Uber-Ethereal]] is an easy target that won't do anything because they have no target in sight, and two good hits from a plasma sniper rifle are enough to kill them, starting and ending the battle in the same turn.]] Actually ''getting there'' in the first place is the tricky part, however, considering the MarathonLevel that comes before.

** Any alien corpses, enemy weapons and recovered [=UFOs=] are instantly transported to your base, with no mention of just who is coming in behind you once the shooting stops to carve up the UFO, pack everything up and ship it back to your base – sometimes from the other side of the planet – on a moment's notice. You also don't have to worry about having proper storage facilities for alien corpses, power generators, Elerium, or anything else you recover. It's merely held for you until you're able or willing to use it for something.

** The XCOM Project's headquartered in one. Instead of the classic top-down view flat base, this game uses a side-view multi-level base nicknamed the "Ant Farm". Unlike the original game, this is the player's only base; the developers noticed most VideoGame/{{XCOM}} players focused on a single base and built others solely to expand their radar range, which is done via launching satellites in this game.
** [[spoiler: The aliens have one too, using it as a gathering points for specimens from all the {{Alien Abduction}}s they have been doing. It forms a DiscOneFinalDungeon early in the game.]]
* EleventhHourSuperpower: For the final mission, [[spoiler: the Volunteer gets a powerful area of effect attack called the "Rift". However, the Etherials have the same power as well, although they rarely use it.]]

** Sectoids -> Sectoid Commanders[[note]]far more health, innate 20% defense, higher Aim, one Alien Grenade and most importantly, PsychicPowers[[/note]]

** Mutons -> Muton Elites[[note]]Vastly increased aim and armor and Bombard to extend grenade throw range, but no Intimidation ability[[/note]]

* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:The Ethereals to humans. As it turns out, the Ethereals have been experimenting on other species, modifying them genetically and mechanically in hopes for them to be able to obtain the Gift but none of them succeed.]]

** Furthemore, the 'Genetics Lab' and everything associated with it. The idea that the aliens would use genetically modified troops is not far-fetched. However, using genetic modification to change the physical abilities of existing, adult soldiers completely ignores what DNA is actually for in the body. That kind of technology (which is to say, selectively modifying the genetic content of only specific adult somatic cells, such as for gene therapy) is still decades away from us in the real world, if it's possible at all.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Sectopods can launch [[DeathFromAbove Rocket Barrages]], which can really rain explosives on your parade... unless if they [[ArtificialStupidity do so while inside]], where the missiles simply explode on the ceiling harmlessly. Keep in mind, the Sectopod will have wasted ''two'' turns doing it.
** EXALT versus XCOM. While EXALT ''does'' employ sneaky, underhanded tactics befitting a cellular terrorist group, they fall short in actual combat, which is likely why they emphasize secrecy and avoid combat with XCOM whenever possible. [[CurbStompBattle In general, it goes about as well as you would expect a team of civilians-turned-terrorists going head-to-head with a squadron of hardened military veterans to go]]. This becomes even more noticeable after XCOM acquires Plasma weapons and PoweredArmor, since EXALT never [[spoiler: (except for a high priority target like Annette)]] directly engages with the aliens and therefore never acquires and reverse-engineers the tech to move past Laser weaponry and Alien Alloy armor plus a few Gene Mods.

* RealityEnsues:
** Sectopods can launch [[DeathFromAbove Rocket Barrages]], which can really rain explosives on your parade... unless if they [[ArtificialStupidity do so while inside]], where the missiles simply explode on the ceiling harmlessly. Keep in mind, the Sectopod will have wasted ''two'' turns doing it.
** EXALT versus XCOM. While EXALT ''does'' employ sneaky, underhanded tactics befitting a cellular terrorist group, they fall short in actual combat, which is likely why they emphasize secrecy and avoid combat with XCOM whenever possible. [[CurbStompBattle In general, it goes about as well as you would expect a team of civilians-turned-terrorists going head-to-head with a squadron of hardened military veterans to go]]. This becomes even more noticeable after XCOM acquires Plasma weapons and PoweredArmor, since EXALT never [[spoiler: (except for a high priority target like Annette)]] directly engages with the aliens and therefore never acquires and reverse-engineers the tech to move past Laser weaponry and Alien Alloy armor plus a few Gene Mods.

* FinalDeathMode: Ironman mode.

* WarMemorial: In the Barracks you can go to a memorial to fallen soldiers, which will list all of the units that have [[FinalDeath fallen in gameplay]] (including the three [[ButThouMust killed off in the tutorial mission]]). Strangely, any base security personnel killed during the Base Defense mission are not listed on the wall. Apparently, they're not important enough, despite being willing to defend their base from heavily-armed aliens with the most basic body armor and weapons.

* OnesieArmor: body armor is one single piece statwise, though various protective vests may be worn under it for additional protection as a utility item, and purely cosmetic CharacterCustomization allows you to individually change headgear or body armor

* DummiedOut: Within days of the official release, enterprising programmers discovered some mostly-finished functions that weren't implemented in the final game. These include the ability to intercept Terror Ships and Abductors before they land, making it possible to avoid the associated Terror and Abduction missions altogether. [[GameMod Modders have managed to reactivate some of these options]] (Terror Battleships, for one), and others have since been officially patched back in (for example, you'll get Abductor ship landings instead of abduction missions if you have full satellite coverage).

* {{Mondegreen}}: It's "Med'''i'''kits", not "Medkits". This is a remarkably common mistake.

The first {{DLC}}, ''Slingshot'', was released in December 2012. It added additional soldier customization options, a series of inter-connected Council missions in China with a unique soldier, and earlier access to certain technologies/upgrades. A second {{DLC}}, ''Second Wave'', was released in January 2013 for free. It added 16 previously DummiedOut difficulty modifiers, including options that make the game more like the original ''[[VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense X-COM]]'', or [[NintendoHard even more extreme]].

** The ''Slingshot'' {{DLC}} adds a raid on a Battleship ''still in flight''.

** The ''Slingshot'' {{DLC}} pits you against Mutons with full-sized Plasma Rifles rather than the Light variant, usually well before you'd expect to have the weapons or armor needed to have a good chance against them. They also pack a grenade each. It's saying something that the game tosses a Chryssalid at you on lower difficulties instead of one of these Mutons. However, if you know they're coming and plan accordingly, [[DiscOneNuke you can net one of those Plasma Rifles to research and reverse-engineer and the Muton himself to interrogate and cut down on the plasma research time by a LOT]].

* FacelessGoons: You can have your own squad of them, provided you have the {{DLC}} packs.

** Some designers also mentioned that the "Impossible" difficulty is literally supposed to be {{unwinnable}}. For most players, it's just a question of how many missions they can complete before failure. According to the staff, beating Impossible difficulty on Ironman mode is only ''theoretically'' possible. Some players have managed to pull it off, though, and as if in retaliation, Firaxis released the ''Second Wave'' {{DLC}}, which includes gameplay modifiers even they thought were too cruel. This was taken further again in ''Enemy Within'', with ''both'' Classic and Impossible difficulties getting a significant spike in toughness.

* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: Your troops normally don't wear helmets, and they aren't even available without {{DLC}}. It gets especially noticeable when they're wearing Titan armor, which has an isolated filtration system that protects against poison clouds and a built-in cooling system to protect against flames, both of which should require a helmet or at least a mask. The ''Elite Soldier Pack'', ''Slingshot'' and ''Enemy Within'' [=DLCs=] add helmets, but only as cosmetic customization options.

** The achievements for upcoming {{DLC}} are uploaded to the list of global achievements on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} before the {{DLC}} is released. They can easily be picked out by being listed as 0.1% other players getting them (aside from the usual NintendoHard ones) and don't show up on the stand alone list, and can spoil the presence of certain missions and/or enemies.

** Completing the ''Slingshot'' {{DLC}} nets you [[spoiler:an intact alien battleship]] possibly less than two months into the game, which yields a tremendous amount of alloys and Elerium, plus an earlier route to endgame weapons. Chances are, you'll have to try extra hard to even come close to running out of resources again. On the other hand, you'll be facing [[spoiler:said Battleship]]'s guards, albeit toned down. Fighting Mutons and Chryssalids with only Ballistic or Laser weapons, Kevlar or Alloy armor, and a small team of somewhat inexperienced troops can make it all into a sequence of {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s, even on easier difficulties, though still worth the huge payout. [[spoiler: However, the real prize besides the Fusion cores is not the Elerium and Alloys... it's the corpses and interrogations. If you stun the Muton and capture him, then destroy the Drone, Cyberdisk, and Chryssalid without blowing them up, you can shave literally '''months''' off of the research and Foundry trees.]]

** [[http://www.2kgames.com/blog/xcom-enemy-unknown-release-date-special-edition-and-more The pre-order bonus]] and the ''[[{{DLC}} Elite Soldier Pack]]'' includes a blonde dude with a humongous flat-top, as well as a [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 TF2]] Hat depicting the same hairstyle. In the original game, the sprites for male X-COM soldier had this same haircut, and this was one of the four available in-game art for male soldiers.

* NewGamePlus: ''Second Wave'' mode. Initially only available via mods, it was officially added to the game in the January 7, 2013 patch for PC, while consoles got it as free {{DLC}}.
* NiceHat: The ''Slingshot'' {{DLC}} adds about a dozen new hair/helmet options, amongst which is a ten-gallon cowboy hat and a beret. There's also a beret-and-shades combo, for added badassitude. ''Enemy Within'' then added a fedora.

* RageHelm: From the ''Slingshot'' {{DLC}}, the final helmet has [[http://cdn3.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/7286641/2KGMKT_XCOMEU_Screenshot_DLC_Slingshot_09.jpg a head-encompassing faceplate with a skull imprint]], a la [[VideoGame/HaloReach Emile]] and [[http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4144/4969654691_e4660762d3_z.jpg his distinctive helmet]].

* UpdatedRerelease: Unlike the PC version, ''Enemy Within'' was released as the ''Commander Edition'' for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}} and UsefulNotes/XBox360, which includes the base game and all {{DLC}}.

** Dr. Vahlen asserts that the hulls of alien ships must be at least an order of magnitude stronger than any currently-known material. They are easily destroyed by garden-variety hand grenades. She also seems to neglect that interceptors are capable of shooting the UFOs down with conventional earth weaponry.

** Sectopods in ''Enemy Within'', thanks to the new "Reinforced Armor" passive ability that [[DamageReduction halves]] ''all'' incoming damage save for [[Emp Electro Pulse]].

** Sectopods in ''Enemy Within'', thanks to the new "Reinforced Armor" passive ability that [[DamageReduction halves]] ''all'' incoming damage save for [[EMP Electro Pulse]].

** Sectopods in ''Enemy Within'', thanks to the new "Reinforced Armor" passive ability that [[DamageReduction halves]] ''all'' incoming damage save for [[{EMP}} Electro Pulse]].