So I just played about two hours of X-COM: Enemy Unknown, a turn-based strategy game that won many Game of the Year awards in 2012. I have to say it was a really good two hours. The tutorial didn’t feel forced, and it taught you that everyone in your squad is expendable. Over the two hours I played the tutorial slowly and subtly started to give me more options and faded away until the game’s mechanics were open for me to use as I wanted. I’ve done about four missions, lost a few guys, lost one guy because I killed him with a rocket launcher by accident, and managed to keep the character from the first tutorial mission alive. Permanent death is a really nice mechanic, as sometimes I’ve kept guys I cared about in much safer positions than my rookies. I’ve heard X-COM is a really good jumping off point for more hardcore tactical games with permanent death, like Fire Emblem.

People keep saying that I need to get Animal Crossing for the 3DS, but I think I might get Fire Emblem before I do that. I’m going to miss the Animal Crossing Zeitgeist, but whatever.

X-COM has been very fun so far too. I’ve chosen to mostly help out Europe and Asia from alien attacks, not that I’m neglecting North America, but if there’s one continent that I’m going to defend it’s Europe and Asia. As of right now it seems Germany and Russia are very well protected from Aliens thanks to me, and you know what? In an alien invasion German Engineering and Russian Fortitude are the things you want on your side.