* GameBreaker: Both Plasma Pistols, but the Light pistol in particular, due to dealing heavy damage, having a large clip size, oh, ''and it's available after the first main mission.'' Also a case of BribingYourWayToVictory since it's a piece of DLC bonus content. Though it is slightly balanced out by its relatively low ammo pool.
* PortingDisaster: If you're on PC and don't have an Nvidia graphic cards, expect the game to barely run better than a slideshow. Even on completely optimum hardware that's several years more current than the game itself, it can still turn into a slideshow in certain areas (the university campus is one of the earliest offenders) if you don't have the right graphics settings disabled.
* SoOkayItsAverage: Generally seen as at least enjoyable, but definitely inferior to other games in the genre such as ''Franchise/MassEffect''.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
** The initial reaction to the games announcement. The release of ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' won back the crowd, but that's another story.
** Ironically, when ''The Bureau'' was revealed, some gamers complained about the removal of investigation aspects, alteration of gameplay to make it play like a low-budget ''Videogame/MassEffect1'' knockoff, and alteration of enemies to make it more like ''Enemy Unknown'' despite the questionable canonicity.
* TooBleakStoppedCaring: XCOM in the game seems to be fighting an uphill battle with no chance of winning and odds always in the alien's factor... until, if you made the right decision, [[spoiler: the game turns into a SurprisinglyHappyEnding with all the alien influence disappearing as well as the afflicted civilians survived and healed.]]
* VindicatedByHistory: A mild example. In spite of the TroubledProduction and the game's mixed reviews at launch, nowadays it's liked by a significant subsection of the ''XCOM'', being viewed as a [[OddballInTheSeries fun, retro sidestory in a different genre]].
* TheWoobie: Bureau Agent Ennis Cole, who's the star of several of the videos. [[spoiler: Cole's wife Ann and son Kevin are victims of an alien attack on Pima, New Mexico, and were either killed or infected by the Sleepwalker virus and [[MercyKill put down]]. Cole has a HeroicBSOD, and is scrambled for a mission before he can submit his resignation. He ends up walking into an alien ambush. The last thing heard on the radio is a single gunshot.]]
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