I love x-com… for about 5-10 hours then it just becomes stupid hard. I think it is something people love about the fgame and that is fine but I don’t
However I love the genre. So are there any games like scones that keep the style but not the difficulty?
X-com with the difficulty turned down?
Xcom with cheats.
Wildermyth might work for you:
I'm surprised that nobody's suggested Mario+Rabbids yet.
I really enjoyed Wintermoor Tactics Club which may well suit your needs.
Edit to ask is it the tactical battles or base building that floats your boat or you find difficult? Wintermoor is more down the tactical battles but with a visual novel in between it lacks the base building elements of x-com.
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos was the first thing that came to mind. I loved XCOM2 and wanted more games like it, but of all the ones I've tried Naheulbeuk is the only one I actually finished entirely. I'm going to have to grab Mario/Rabbids at some point, I've seen it go on sale a few times but figured it was like a platformer or action game (just don't play those as often).
If you are talking about the original x-com there is a bug that changes the difficulty to the highest level at a certain point. The fan patch fixed it though. The newer games set to easy should be easy.
There is a game called Silent Storm but you might think it is harder. I thought it was about the same as x-com but maybe the setting and setup of your crew is more approachable.
Then there is the Jagged Alliance series. Is it easier though, maybe.
Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars for the 3DS and might be in the eshop for switch. This is easier than x-com but might be to easy. If I remember correctly there is no base building or loadout managing. You get your guys and do the mission. I don't recall if you can pickup weapons.
Gears Tactics is pretty solid, and scratches some of the same itch. I think it's a little easier than Xcom 2, and the production values are top notch.
x2 (pun intended) on Gears Tactics. Often dirt cheap.
Warhammer Chaos 40k Daemon Hunters (I think it’s called) is new, getting great reviews and strips out base building.
Phoenix Point Year One. Maybe? Often dirt cheap.
Recommendation, for all these games, just enjoy and play easy difficulty if you like.
Wldermyth is great. Pretty easy. More storybook choose your own adventure vibe in my opinion.
Card Hunter is kind of fun. Free to play. No real onerous purchases required.
Demeo is more like a board game but you are managing characters and utilIzing player specific cards. Multiplayer too.
I think I'd argue that XCOM2 with War of the Chosen is easy XCOM. On the strategic side, the resistance ring provides ways to
- Level up soldiers who aren't going on missions, so that you have a bench when you inevitably lose people.
- Manage the end-game timer so that you'll never lose because of the amount of time you're taking
- Recruit new, high level soldiers if you need
- Get more of whatever resource you're lacking
On the tactical side, there are difficulty spikes when new enemy types are introduced, and if you're bad at tactical games like me, you'll lose some soldiers in those missions (my only successful ironman game included a 3 mission stretch where I lost a total of 9 soldiers just after the first tech upgrade/new enemy bump), but by the end game your squad is so powerful that enemies won't have a chance to kill your soldiers because they won't get any shots off.
WOTC is great. More to manage but easier overall IMO.
For recent games...
Warhammer side of things:
- Chaosgate Demonhunters is unashamedly XCOM in design but more forgiving and fun. My highest recommendation in 2022 despite its imperfections (maps can be a little too big and mission variety is lacking)
- Mechanicus was an earlier entry into the franchise
- Battlesector is more of an army tabletop stlye game than squad based combat and no base building
Post apocalyptic side, you have the Wasteland games but they're more of a RPG than XCOM doom counter game.
Fantasy side there's the Larian Divinity games and D&D you have Solasta. Lowfi but I LOVE Battle Brothers; extremely fun low fantasy squad based battles. There's also Wartales in early access by Shiro Games.
It's been awhile since I played XCOM2 BUT Doom counter issues suggests that you're not running enough missions/month? Which in turn suggests your squad may be getting injured too often in combat. If you crank out the missions you should get enough resources to power through the strategic layer which explains why XCOM has an inverse difficulty curve.
Have you tried Battletech?
Granted, I've been a fan of the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe for a very long time and that's a factor in my having put hundreds of hours into it. But my experience of XCOM was similar to what you describe, and I found that Battletech had a similar tactical layer combined with a simpler strategic layer that I found much easier to manage.
SallyNasty wrote:X-com with the difficulty turned down?
I have tried - several times. There must be something I don’t understand. I beat every battle without losing anyone, I research things quickly and equip my teams well but alway at some point about 3-4 hours in suddenly every country goes to red and is in a panic.
So to answer a question posted I do great at the battles it is the timer and management side that I seem to flub but I don’t have a clue why. To me it seems like is am doing great but almost without warning things turn to crap
I will be adding the suggestions! Thank you all
Oh... original xcom (or original reboot anyway). Ok. The key to the strategy layer in XCOM is satellites. That's it. Nothing else matters. Get started building satellites ASAP. You'll also need to start building a second uplink in the first or second month. You'll probably still lose a country or two over the course of the game, but getting satellites up over different countries will prevent you from losing too many. There are some good tips on satellites here.
Bfgp, what do you like so much about Battle Brothers? Some good recommendations I have not heard of.
Chad
Have you tried Battletech?
Granted, I've been a fan of the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe for a very long time and that's a factor in my having put hundreds of hours into it. But my experience of XCOM was similar to what you describe, and I found that Battletech had a similar tactical layer combined with a simpler strategic layer that I found much easier to manage.
Gonna second this, as someone who had no background with the setting. The mechs being far more durable than XCOM soldiers, and the battles being much more about attrition and positioning, meant that there was a lot more margin for error compared to the XCOM games, where one round or even one attack could be death for someone. This made it much more pleasant to play to me.
And I can't not mention Troubleshooters: Abandoned Children, which is the best anime XCOM game around. I don't think it really gets difficult until the endgame/postgame DLC, but there's an endless amount of build tweaking and general crunchiness to sink into, if that's your sort of thing.
Just started King Arthur: Knight’s Tale. XCom but story-focused and saving/loading.
I love XCOM: Chimera Squad. I found it much easier and closer to a typical RPG.
Have you tried Gears Tactics? It’s much easier in that the skills synergies so well it becomes normal to string long kill streaks together and roll through a map.
How are you liking King Arthur? I’ve had my eye on that game and Warhammer Chaos Daemonhunters. Trying to decide between the two.
Thanks,
Chad
How are you liking King Arthur? I’ve had my eye on that game and Warhammer Chaos Daemonhunters. Trying to decide between the two.
Thanks,
Chad
Extremely early in. I haven't unlocked all the non-combat mechanics. With that caveat aside, it makes a good first impression. The story is a neat idea (King Arthur has died and you, his killer Mordered, have been resurrected to stop him) but it's told in such a self-serious grim dark way that I find it a little eye rolling. Every mission has involved running around with your party then engaging in turn-based XCOM-style combat. It's similar to Mutant Year Zero (which I highly recommend if you haven't played) that way. So far, it's been fairly linear and crafted but it sounds like their are procedurally generated missions eventually. There's loot, skill trees, variety of abilities, side-missions, and a upgradble home-base (Camelot!).
I was actually also trying to figure out which of those two games to play and decided to play King Arthur because the reviews, and comments here from a while ago, mentioned how it was pretty different while still keeping with the basic XCOM combat.
Bfgp, what do you like so much about Battle Brothers? Some good recommendations I have not heard of.
Chad
In Battle Brothers, you are the commander of a mercenary group (geez, this is always the premise - whether it's Jagged Alliance 2, Battletech, or Daemonhunters).
You hire battle brothers who come from a very diverse range of backgrounds; they could be beggars, fishermen, farmers, poachers or thieves - or they could be adventurous nobles, hedge knights or sellswords. But even brothers from humble beginnings can rival more prestigious (expensive) brothers; it's a combination of stats, gear and perks that make each brother play an important role in the warband.
Each starting background comes with a different range of stat rolls and your goal is to build a roster of battle brothers capable of taking on brigands, orcs, goblins and undead hordes. Some brothers will never make it to the mid or late game - they act as fodder while you build your fortunes and hire brothers from better backgrounds. Even so, each one can be memorable as you fight your way through battlefield after battlefield.
What makes this game come alive for me is that you can grind hundreds of hours and keep trying to perfect your little warband - and along the way, battle brothers come and go; and the more you play, the more you can really work the battlefield in terms of positioning, slaying enemies in priority, retreating wounded brothers, tanking troublesome foes while your band focus fire on the weaker horde...for such a small game, there's a heap of fun and tinkering to be done - and the best part is that even well laid plans can fall apart at the whim of RNGesus (it's not overly problematic but it adds a degree of chaos to the battlefield).
I'd also strongly recommend Battletech - it's less about the low HP / battlefield - puzzle that XCOM is about - and more about working positioning, farming loot and weapons, and staying alive long enough to get experienced pilots, with no doom counter.
But if you're an XCOM fan, seriously, I know Gears Tactics gets a lot of praise (personally I didn't get into it that much), but Daemonhunters is like the love child of both XCOM and Gears Tactics - it's not AAA level (probably A level in my mind) but well worth it especially if it's on sale.
Thank you both for the great write ups. Hoping Daemonhunters goes on sale during the Steam sale.
Same with King Arthur and Battle Brothers.
Chad
I’ve been playing through Valkyria Chronicles 4 and it’s fantastic. One of the best turned based strategy games I’ve played. I played the 1st one years ago on ps3 and it’s really good too. Never played 2 or 3 because I think they were only released on psp or vita and maybe only in Japan.
Another game to look at is Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children. (It’s on sale on steam right now for $15) I’ve only put like 10 hrs in and really enjoyed it. I say only 10 hours because the game seems huge. It’s amazing how much content it seems to have for the price.
And I can't not mention Troubleshooters: Abandoned Children, which is the best anime XCOM game around. I don't think it really gets difficult until the endgame/postgame DLC, but there's an endless amount of build tweaking and general crunchiness to sink into, if that's your sort of thing.
Heard nothing but good about this one. On my wishlist.
I love XCOM: Chimera Squad. I found it much easier and closer to a typical RPG.
Love it. Been meaning to replay and try to win with other characters.
I’ve been playing through Valkyria Chronicles 4 and it’s fantastic. One of the best turned based strategy games I’ve played. I played the 1st one years ago on ps3 and it’s really good too. Never played 2 or 3 because I think they were only released on psp or vita and maybe only in Japan.
Yes Valkyria 1 and 4 should be available. Excellent SRPGs.
And then down the more fantasy sword and magic RPGs there are tons that haven't been mentioned...
FF Tactics has a couple versions, even on phone.
Disgaea has 6 games from PS2 to DS to Vita to PS4 to Switch to PC.
Fire Emblem series is available on pretty much every Nintendo console ever.
Even the SMT series has 2 SRPGs in the Devil Survivor games for DS and remade for 3DS.
Fell Seal Arbiter's Mark is a newer one on Steam. Played a bit of it and it is up for vote again soon in RPG club.
Probably more I'm forgetting. XCOM might be the most popular sci-fi but there are tons of other grid based combat games in various genres.
I mentioned it in another post but give Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden and Corruption 2029 a try. Same developer with similar mechanics but completely different stories and settings. Free roam until you engage enemy in combat then it becomes XCOM-style combat.
And Mutant Year Zero was free on Epic a while back. I have that in my library but never tried. Perhaps I will now.
And Mutant Year Zero was free on Epic a while back. I have that in my library but never tried. Perhaps I will now.
The characters in that game are really good. Far more interesting and better voiced than a lot of games.
Stele wrote:And Mutant Year Zero was free on Epic a while back. I have that in my library but never tried. Perhaps I will now.
The characters in that game are really good. Far more interesting and better voiced than a lot of games.
It’s so good! You shouldn’t care that much about a talking pig and duck but they nail it. Even more surprising how small a development team it is.
Definitely give it a shot. For a completion run, it’s a 25-30 hour game. The expansion adds a lot too.
I'm replaying Battletech right now and it's better than launch, but oof performance is bad. I have it on an NVME drive and load times and stuttering is still bad.
I'm not running a top tier PC, but 3700x with a 3060 TI and it constantly lags and stutters.
There's a fun game in there, but I think Harebrained is done with it so it'll never perform any better.
Battletech is easier in that you can fly around and grind out levels and buy better gear and mechs. But learning how to equip those mechs is like a whole other game layer.
Invisible, Inc. is excellent. It's interesting in that you CAN kill people, but in general you're better off being stealthy. It also has a ton of user-adjustable settings to tweak it if you're finding it too difficult. It's about $6 on GoG right now if you get the expansion too (which I highly recommend):
https://www.gog.com/game/invisible_inc
The Banner Saga is also excellent. You can adjust the difficulty, but the game DOES have random events that can impact your status at times. You have a fairly small group of characters, so it can be difficult. But I don't think it has as many scenarios that can randomly wipe your entire team. Each game is $5 on GoG right now:
https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_bann...
Into the Breach is by the FTL folks. It's grid-based tactics, but the gameplay is more boardgame like. Levels are kind of puzzles. If you lose, the gameplay hook is that you can send 1 of your pilots back in time to try again. So you can't really lose ALL progress at any point. $7.50 on GoG, but I also quite enjoyed playing this on Switch.
https://www.gog.com/game/into_the_br...
Shadow Watch is a bit older, but it's also $1.50 on GoG right now. You've got a team of Tom Clancy spies, each of whom has their own specialty, and I don't remember it being especially difficult. I do remember it being short, though.
https://www.gog.com/index.php/en/gam...
Fallout Tactics might be the lesser of the 2D Fallout games, but it's still pretty fun. The RPG mechanics are kind of sidelined in favor of a more combat focused structure. But if you like the Fallout universe it's fun to get a taste of it again. And it's only $3 on GoG right now.
https://www.gog.com/en/game/fallout_...
Another vote for Silent Storm and Rabbids, too. And Silent Storm is $2.50 on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/en/game/silent_s...
I think something that also increases the difficulty of XCOM is whether or not you're willing to:
A) Carry on even when you take a significant loss. You can stagger to victory more often than you might think.
B) Lose and start over, sometimes just down to chance and no specific "bad" strategic decision. Plus the frustration of how the game is happy to let you miss four 97% shots in a row. "That's XCOM, baby!"
And if neither of those things seem fun, that's totally reasonable.
Invisible, Inc. is excellent. It's interesting in that you CAN kill people, but in general you're better off being stealthy. It also has a ton of user-adjustable settings to tweak it if you're finding it too difficult. It's about $6 on GoG right now if you get the expansion too (which I highly recommend):
https://www.gog.com/game/invisible_inc
The Banner Saga is also excellent. You can adjust the difficulty, but the game DOES have random events that can impact your status at times. You have a fairly small group of characters, so it can be difficult. But I don't think it has as many scenarios that can randomly wipe your entire team. Each game is $5 on GoG right now:
https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_bann...
Into the Breach is by the FTL folks. It's grid-based tactics, but the gameplay is more boardgame like. Levels are kind of puzzles. If you lose, the gameplay hook is that you can send 1 of your pilots back in time to try again. So you can't really lose ALL progress at any point. $7.50 on GoG, but I also quite enjoyed playing this on Switch.
Yes
No
Yes
Haha. Invisible is a blast. Another sci-fi/tech game atmosphere at least. Into the Breach, yes, it's more of a puzzle game. Still thought it was so fun that I got 100% achievements on it.
Banner I absolutely hated because there are dozens of out-of-combat ways for your characters to die. Some random, some choice, some nonsense. And then, maybe a character you had leveled up, used in combat, and really liked, is just gone. And didn't die in battle. I thought it was dumb and frustrating, and wish I'd never played the first. And I definitely will never play the sequels. If random punishment appeals to you though, by all means...
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