Side by side
Into the Breach vs XCOM
Into the Breach
8 positive (67%) · 3 mixed (25%) · 1 negative (8%)
Trust + time weighted: +61%
Top excerpts
it scratches that Into The Breach itch of "alright how do I weasel out of this one?"
It feels like there was absolutely zero respect given to the adage of "sometimes less is more" that FTL and Into the Breach are essentially built around.
It is a 10/10 masterclass in efficiency. Battles take place on a tiny 8x8 grid where you have perfect information about enemy moves.
It’s short and sweet and feels like a mix between xcom and Into the breach.
In the intervening years I played Subset's later title Into the Breach, which I found to be strategically quite deep and rewarding, though it was punishingly difficult.
XCOM
7 positive (70%) · 2 mixed (20%) · 1 negative (10%)
Trust + time weighted: +58%
Top excerpts
Parent context: I personally think XCOM is massively better than it, but I guess it depends what you are after. I think it is extremely forgettable but it can be good for a target audience who likes the idea of XCOM but doesn't want it to be hardcore (or what you call "frustrating"). Reply: I think that's fair and I also think that you're objectively probably right in the assertion that XCOM is a better game, for some abstract measure of objective game quality.
I played a bit of XCOM, and while I definitely see why people like it, the permadeath was just too much for me. ... it retains much of the charm without bogging me down in the details like XCOM did.
Turn based games and games that don't require a long block of uninterrupted mental investment are where it's at. XCOM comes to mind.
I'm a big fan of Firaxis' XCOM games; their focus on tactics and conflict management felt puzzle-like, and the world events were streamlined enough to not be tedious but could still make or break a playthrough.
One thing about turn-based tactical games is the sheer length of some combat encounters that can drag, especially if there are no checkpoints mid-encounter and the player messes up or is surprised. The most prominent eg would be XCOM, but that design explicitly expects you to lose a couple of soldiers while being able to withdraw.