KickStarter Phoenix Point - the new game from X-COM creator Julian Gollop

[Au Ellai]

Of course the RPS derps whine that there are tactical options instead of such a limited amount of choices that it may as well be a CYOA game. "There are more options than shoot, run and gun, and pick one mission out of 3! Look at all this progress that was undone by giving the player options and choice! I don't want to use tactics in a tactical game, it hurts my brain having choices."

Fuck I know I shouldn't read RPS, it makes me mad every time. That raw fervent idiocy is so pants-on-head retarded I'm still not entirely sure it's not satire. How can anyone be so fucking stupid?

Anyways, this isn't about those asshats and their half-assed piece of shit "review" that serves as nothing but rage-bait for clicks as they slowly drown to death in an industry that no longer wants them. It's about Phoenix Point, which looks fucking terrible compared to X-Piratez or XcomFiles, but miles better than the abortion that is Nu-com.

 

[PhantasmaNL]

Not able to rebind keys...smh
maybe it is a DLC feature

 

[thesheeep]

Not able to rebind keys...smh
maybe it is a DLC feature

Does it also not allow to speed up turns?
In that case, they'd have kind of fulfilled every entry on the "unforgivable game development sins" checklist...

 

[Suicidal]

Saw a couple of streams of it and people were just complaining that this isn't Firaxis X-coms and that it doesn't have fancy cutscenes or named NPCs that constantly talk while you're playing. Looks like going after the Firaxis zoomer demographic wasn't such a good idea . Also it made me realize something - the modern X-COMs are essentially the Dark Souls of turn based games. Because this is not the first time I've watched people play something turn based and complain how it's not like X-COM or how it should be more like X-COM.

 

[PhantasmaNL]

They do have a Key Bindings tab, which just informs you of how the bindings are hardcoded and forever locked in the game.

You see this sometimes in small indie efforts.

I think Cleve included something like that in his CRPG Masterpiece Grimoire, after pressing F1. At least Grimoire shows a colorful keyboard layout with button descriptions, and also F1 can be used anywhere in game. Clearly superior.

 

[Van-d-all]

Looks like going after the Firaxis zoomer demographic wasn't such a good idea . Also it made me realize something - the modern X-COMs are essentially the Dark Souls of turn based games. Because this is not the first time I've watched people play something turn based and complain how it's not like X-COM or how it should be more like X-COM.

You don't say...

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Saw a couple of streams of it and people were just complaining that this isn't Firaxis X-coms and that it doesn't have fancy cutscenes or named NPCs that constantly talk while you're playing. Looks like going after the Firaxis zoomer demographic wasn't such a good idea .

That is, like, the least surprising thing in the world. I wonder how awesome the market performance on consoles is.

 

[Mazisky]

Few guys gonna admit it here, but Firaxis has set a standard for modern turn based with Nuxcoms. Deal with it.

 

[Van-d-all]

Few guys gonna admit it here, but Firaxis has set a standard for modern turn based with Nuxcoms. Deal with it.

You spelled "lowered the bar" wrong but yeah, lowest common denominator does tend to reach the widest audience.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Few guys gonna admit it here, but Firaxis has set a standard for modern turn based with Nuxcoms. Deal with it.

Firaxis has set a standard for many things in modern strategy and tactical games. It's absolutely obvious. And unfortunate.

 

[Jimmious]

Seems like it will be a good game when it comes to Steam, cool

 

[thesheeep]

Seems like it will be a good game when it comes to Steam, cool

That's really something I can't wait for.
Not necessarily for this game, but in general, to see how games that took the "dirty" money will be received on Steam. Will they just get review bombed, will they sell less, or even more?
Will be interesting.

 

[Mazisky]

Another problem for Gollop is that by the time Phoenix Point will be "complete" with Dlcs, patches and released to steam, it may face the Xcom 3 announce or even release.

 

[Child of Malkav]

Another problem for Gollop is that by the time Phoenix Point will be "complete" with Dlcs, patches and released to steam, it may face the Xcom 3 announce or even release.

They'll probably announce it, not way is it going to be released a few months after announcement. They don't work that fast.
And even so, I still prefer Phoenix Point. As long as that retarded chance to hit mechanic doesn't exist, I'm happy. Plus that it simulates bullets and trajectories and destructible environment and with high caliber weapons you can shoot through cover, yeah, very happy. Not to mention the free aim.

 

[Raghar]

Hiring external teams for art typically ends badly.

I'd say that is actually the only part of game development that can very well be made by external hires. That and music.
A game can be "finished" (or say, beta stage) before a single final piece of art is in as long as you know what you are doing.

Now, does everyone who hires external people for art & music know what they are doing? Hell, no.

Actually when I wrote art, I meant THE Art like movies, not specifically art assets. Of course textures, character portraits, and other stuff can be made by external artists, when BOTH sides know what they are doing.

Hiring external company for making your game is disaster.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Seems like it will be a good game when it comes to Steam, cool

That's really something I can't wait for.
Not necessarily for this game, but in general, to see how games that took the "dirty" money will be received on Steam. Will they just get review bombed, will they sell less, or even more?
Will be interesting.

Even more interesting question is whether for this kind of game, where the money was received upfront and the sales probably won't be too amazing, the devs will feel any motivation to develop and improve it. There's something in the epic contract about it for sure, but real effort versus I just have to do it jeez can be a very significant difference.

 

[Cross]

Saw a couple of streams of it and people were just complaining that this isn't Firaxis X-coms and that it doesn't have fancy cutscenes or named NPCs that constantly talk while you're playing. Looks like going after the Firaxis zoomer demographic wasn't such a good idea .

It wasn't. Especially when some of those zoomers are also game journalists.

https://www.vg247.com/2019/12/03/phoenix-point-review/

Like XCOM, then, Phoenix Point is a gripping tactical strategy game. Like XCOM, it’s frequently lovely to look at, wonderfully tense, and there’s a lot of depth and customisation to be found in its almost endlessly replayable combat scenarios. I like most of its unique ideas – the more freeform overworld and faction setup – but that overwhelming sense of deja vu is inescapable in much of its design. Regardless of whether this game is borrowing, stealing or reclaiming ideas from the series that inspired it, it sort of doesn’t matter: Phoenix Point is all a little too like XCOM to move the genre forward in any huge way.

 

[Jimmious]

They'll probably announce it, not way is it going to be released a few months after announcement. They don't work that fast.

Firaxis is kinda known for announcing games only a few months before their release btw

 

[Child of Malkav]

They'll probably announce it, not way is it going to be released a few months after announcement. They don't work that fast.

Firaxis is kinda known for announcing games only a few months before their release btw

XCOM enemy unknown was revealed in January 2012, released October 2012.
XCOM 2 was announced in June 2015 and released in February 2016.
I expect the same time frame for XCOM 3 as well, probably even larger depending on how much content they're putting in.

 

[cvv]

Like XCOM, then, Phoenix Point is a gripping tactical strategy game. Like XCOM, it’s frequently lovely to look at, wonderfully tense, and there’s a lot of depth and customisation to be found in its almost endlessly replayable combat scenarios. I like most of its unique ideas – the more freeform overworld and faction setup – but that overwhelming sense of deja vu is inescapable in much of its design. Regardless of whether this game is borrowing, stealing or reclaiming ideas from the series that inspired it, it sort of doesn’t matter: Phoenix Point is all a little too like XCOM to move the genre forward in any huge way.

This is why reviews are pointless. Who gives a shit if a game X is too much like a game Y or if it moves the genre forward? Wtf? Did XCOM2 moved the formula forward from XCOM1? Not even a pinch. So what. All that matters is if it's fun to play.

 

[thesheeep]

cvv Yours is a gamer's perspective. And as we all know, that perspective has become irrelevant in most mainstream media game reviews.

 

[Suicidal]

Few guys gonna admit it here, but Firaxis has set a standard for modern turn based with Nuxcoms. Deal with it.

I enjoyed the Firaxis X-Coms (after applying an assload of mods) but I don't think shit like cinematics and "memorable characters you get attached to" as the zoomers put it are very necessary things for the turn-based tactics genre.

 

[Adidas-Clichèd Cringe]

Few guys gonna admit it here, but Firaxis has set a standard for modern turn based with Nuxcoms. Deal with it.

"memorable characters you get attached to" as the zoomers put it are very necessary things for the turn-based tactics genre.

Don't know about NuXCom, but for Jagged Alliance these were absolutely essential.

 

[Shog-goth]

So, in the end, this "release" is officially nothing more than a "glorified" Early Access, as expected. But calling it 1.0 most likely it will turn out as a boomerang, because you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

 

[Starwars]

I played NuX-Com a fair amount, only tried X-Com 2 briefly, but one of the things I disliked the most about them was their attempts at storytelling. Complete waste of time, not well written in the least, and shitty characters. It just served to get in the way of the gameplay as far as I'm concerned.