Diversis Viribus.

XCOM: Chimera Squad is a new spin-off title in the XCOM series, which many of you already know is one of my favorite video game franchises. Taking place five years after the events of XCOM 2, Earth has been liberated and now finds its population trying to live at peace with their new inhabitants, the aliens and the ADVENT human-alien hybrids. Set in City 31, you take command of Chimera Squad, an elite police task force consisting of humans, aliens, and hybrids, as you try to keep the peace while battling against different criminal factions and solve a murder investigation linking them together.

This game came as a suprise to me. I wasn’t expecting any new XCOM games any time soon, and as a huge fan of the franchise I’m not gonna complain. While this game has classic elements of XCOM it still feels very different. For starters one of the biggest changes is removing the recruiting and customization of your members of Chimera Squad. Instead your unit consists of established characters. That’s not so bad but part of the fun in the XCOM series was when you could customize your soldiers any way you wanted.

On the other hand, what the game does give you give you is a whole squad of unique soldiers—a mixture of humans, aliens, and hybrids—all complete with their own set of weapons and abilities to help you in battle. You have a medic who can use a drone to heal other squadmates; a hybrid agent who uses a shield to block enemy attacks; and a viper agent who can use her tongue to pull enemies toward her and constrict them. I actually like this part of the game because it gets me thinking about who do I want on my squad before I enter a mission. And like in previous XCOM games, as your agents level up you can unlock new abilities that can either aid your squad or do some serious damage to your enemy.

I also do like these characters too. Their backstories are pretty interesting, some relenting to stuff that happened in XCOM 2 and its expansion War of the Chosen. They're all very well voice acted too. If I had to pick my favorite squad member it would have to be the viper agent (which is probably every fans' favorite character) mainly because I like her voice, her design, her attitude, and she has the best abilities of all the other squadmates. I also like some of the dialogue exchanges they have in and out of story. Sure the dialogue comes off as cheesy but that's part of the entertainment. It reminds me of an old cheesy cop show or Police Academy.

This one is probably the best example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvhizD9ojrc&ab_channel=Javelin%27sStudio

Unlike previous XCOM games where your squad takes a turn in moving and firing, the game introduces a new mechanic where each individual unit on both sides take a individual turns. For example, you can take an action by moving one soldier to a different position and shoot at an enemy. After that the enemy then takes similar actions. Both sides will keep rotating different units until all units are eliminated. It’s definitely a new twist for the XCOM series and a welcome one. Although I still favor for having your whole squad move and make their actions and then the opposition makes their move. But it helps keep you on your toes and makes you plan everything out. I also like how the start of each mission there's a new game mechanic called 'Breach mode' where you can bust through a door or window, ultimately surprising enemy units and getting free shots off them. The more enemies successfully you kill it'll help your squad gain an advantage in the long run. I hope this is a mechanic that returns for XCOM 3, if that is something Firaxis is still making.

The story is a little interesting but it’s mainly helped with the world building this game has. As I previously mentioned this game takes place after humanity wins back planet Earth and how they must coexist with the stranded aliens that are on this planet. And it’s not even the aliens fault. We learn they too were under mind control from the alien masterminds, the Elders. So it’s interesting to see how they try to live in harmony and it’s neat exploring this new dynamic in the game. And the fact that we can play as alien units makes me hope when XCOM 3 comes out we’ll get the opportunity to do so again and even customize them.

One thing I don't like is how this game likes some sort of time cycle. In the previous entries you would normally have a world map where you can scan the planet and as you scan there would be a passage of time. In this game it doesn't have that, which kinda makes sense since you're located in a single city, but the passage of time feels very slow. In your base you can assign your agents to help craft upgradable items or train them to unlock extra abilities, but the time passage operates either once you've completed a mission or completed some activity and a day would pass. If feels like the projects take forever. I also miss the ability to build your base of operations ant farm style like in the previous games.

Also, it wouldn't be XCOM without some big time bugs/glitches and boy did I come across my share. A couple of them are hilarious like when I killed an enemy unit their body goes flying across the map. A couple others were confusing like some times when enemy units, or even your own squadmates, look like they are floating above the ground. And then there was the one game breaking glitch that annoyed me where all the gear for one of my agents completely disappeared.

While this game really doesn't hold a candle to its more successful predecessors this was still a pretty fun game to play. It's definitely no XCOM 3 and I don't think the developers were going for something like that. It's a fun spin-off title that any XCOM fans would enjoy. It's available on Steam right now for $20 and I can say it would be money well spent.

Positives:

-Story and world building

-Some of the new game mechanics

-Chimera Squad and their abilities

-Breach mode

-Plenty of fun

Negatives:

-Bugs and glitches

-Lack of a world map/time cycle/base building

-No customization for units

Final Grade: B-

I've been wanting to talk about this game for a while now and it took forever to put it to words. Now it's here, have you played this game? What were your thoughts? Played any of the other XCOM games? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and check out my other reviews here on Prose!

#harrysituationreviews #gaming #videogame #opinion #XCOM #tactics #strategy #scifi #aliens

She lies in calmness,

but her lair claims many souls.

The sea has no friends.

Delicate gown-shaped blooms hover above a cloud of silver-green leaves; we planted the first seeds years ago, light pink and deep fuschia and royal purple and fairytale blue. I didn’t expect them to last - the plants look insubstantial, and our frosts strike mercilessly. Yet somehow they thrived, the new leaves sprouting in silver haze every spring. Something went wrong, some cross-pollination or fluke mutation, which turned the clean flare at the bell of the petals to ruffles. The princess-gown silhouettes now flounce multilayered petticoats in pale purple-blue. Nearby the plant with pink flowers nods prettily in the breeze, fuschia shoulders giving way to crisp cream skirts. Most of the current generation is in shades of purple, and I can’t help thinking of Mendel and his pea flowers. The flowers fade into coronet seedheads who wave and rattle and tip their lustrous black beads to the soil, sowing next summer’s beauty. A hummingbird darts by, startled by my presence into an emerald blur. When I leave she will feed, maneuvering easily as though buoyed up by some unseen force as her slender beak dips to drink from the nectar. For now, though, the gowned ladies dance to the rattling of the seeds.

The movie was sold out. "Sit with your sister here," my mom said. She pointed to two empty seats in the third row near the wall. "Your father and I will be over there." I couldn't make out where she meant. It was too dark. By the time the previews started, she was gone.

I was twelve, my sister nine. Her eyes widened as she moved her head to get a clear view of the screen. Three teenage boys sat in front of us. They joked with each other and talked about what they thought James Bond would do.

Instead getting excited over the movie, I grew anxious about finding our parents after the movie. My stomach churned. I twisted in my seat. As the film started, I let out a huge fart. Instant relief. And it didn't make a sound. 'Now I can enjoy the movie,' I thought.

The teenage boy in front of me covered his nose. "Man, you farted! God!" He elbowed his friend. "Come on man! Can't you hold it?"

I clamped my hand to my mouth. For sure they would hear my muffled chuckles. Snot dripped over my finger as I tried to suppress the laughter that welled up.

"I didn't fart man. You farted!" the friend said.

"I didn't fart. It had to be you. You're the one always letting loose."

"Wasn't me man. It had to be Jimmy."

"Don't blame me. I didn't fart," Jimmy said. "But damn, that stinks."

And it did. The rotten egg smell surrounded us. "Peeyoo Mike," my sister said.

"Be quiet Dana," I said. "The guys in front think it was one of them." My sister saw the older boys elbowing each other and holding their noses. Then her hand clamped to her mouth.

"Shhh." I whispered. But it only made me laugh. One of the boys turned and we snapped to attention, eyes glued to the screen.

"Can't believe you farted man," the boy in front of me said.

"I didn't fart," the friend said.

"Can't go with you anywhere. How are we supposed to meet girls?"

I'm going to climb a mountain almost completely covered in snow/ice despite the fact that it's summer, and will have to wear crampons and bring an ice axe with me. When I asked why I needed an ice axe, this is what I was told:

Me: so why do I need an ice axe again?

My dad: In case you start sliding backwards, you can self-arrest.

Me: *thinking* why would arresting myself help with anything?! (I discovered later that self-arresting actually means stopping yourself before you go sliding down a steep, icy, snowy, and rocky mountain to your doom...)

My dad: But you probably won't have to use it, only inexperienced people that haven't used ice axes and crampons before will slide.

Me: Soooo this is my first time using crampons and I don't understand the concept of self-arresting, and from the look of the axe I'll probably impale myself before I actually can stop sliding. Does that count as inexperienced? Because if so, I'm toast!

...should be a fun weekend!

I would have given up

trying

if it wasn’t for you.

But you taught me that I can’t move on

if I’m still tethered to the past like a balloon tied to the ground.

You showed me it was okay to let go,

to cut my string so that I could float through the fluffy clouds of life and soar to my dreams captured in sparkling stars.

(and I've never been happier)

What I actually

fear most is that I forget you.

That I forget the feelings.

I used to think that I was

afraid that

you would forget me,

but as I drift away, I realize:

no,

I am losing you.

You.

My anchor for two years,

even if you never knew it.

And the high of seeing you smile

and the twisting knowledge that

you never knew the truth.

And all those burning, swirling, enticing

emotions.

I'm losing them.

I'm letting you go

because I'm losing myself

because I think I forgot

how

to feel.

under all

the horse bells

cat calls and

bell boy

whistles

I'm a sham

a showman

like every

yes ma'am

I am

a rope

beneath

the cultural

yoke

something

like a public

joke in private

cloaked

a bunch of cells

beneath the

skin

whose locks

were picked

until the pick

is broke

along with

the string

that fells

in final stroke

...the hand

will no doubt

draw back

another line

beneath

in due time

*

I'm still

changing

my figurative

mind

05.28.20