X-Com: Enforcer

X-COM: Enforcer is the odd one out in the X-COM lineage. Developed by MicroProse and published by 2K Games, it strips away every shred of the base-building, squad management, and turn-based tension that defined the original series and replaces it with a top-down, twin-stick-adjacent arcade shooter. You control a robotic Enforcer unit, tear through waves of alien enemies, collect scrap to upgrade your hardware, and move on to the next arena. That is essentially the entire loop. On its own terms, as a budget-era action game, Enforcer is passable but unremarkable. The weapon upgrade system gives you something to chase between levels, with attachments and power-ups that meaningfully change how your Enforcer handles. Crowd control options like the Tesla cannon add minor tactical texture to what is otherwise a reflex-and-positioning exercise. Enemy variety is limited, and the level design rarely asks you to think beyond "move to the next cluster and shoot it." The AI offers no real resistance beyond numbers, and there is no late-game complexity worth planning around. From a strategy depth perspective, the honest assessment is thin. There is no base to manage, no research tree to optimize, no soldier permadeath that makes every decision carry weight. The upgrade path is short enough that most players will max relevant systems before the campaign ends. If you are here because the X-COM name signals something about decision density and consequence, reset those expectations before launching. The connection to the mainline series is cosmetic, essentially borrowed lore and alien designs stitched onto a genre entirely different from what the franchise built its reputation on. That said, the game does function as a short, low-friction arcade session. It runs on modest hardware, the controls are responsive enough, and blasting through alien hordes for a couple of hours is not an unpleasant way to spend an afternoon if you walk in without expectations. The 58% positive Steam rating and a Metacritic score of 65 roughly match what you should anticipate: a game that works but does not distinguish itself. The mod ecosystem is nonexistent, multiplayer is absent, and replayability is close to zero once the campaign wraps. For newcomers to the X-COM universe, this is emphatically the wrong starting point. Start with X-COM: UFO Defense or Firaxis's XCOM 2 if you want to understand what makes the franchise worth caring about. Enforcer belongs to a specific collector's-completion mindset or to someone who genuinely wants a short, throwaway shooter with a familiar logo on the box. It is not a hidden gem. It is exactly what the mixed reviews suggest. Diego, Scout Team