Firaxis and 2K Games’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown is already available in several App Stores around the world and will hit the U.S. App Store later tonight. The game, which was first released for the Mac in April, is a re-imagined version of the classic 1994 title X-Com: UFO Defense.

xcom2
The iOS version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a port of the full game that was originally designed for consoles and computers, with a few minor interface tweaks to make it suitable for a touchscreen. Essentially, it’s a complete console game at fraction of the price. Our sister site TouchArcade has posted a full review of XCOM, noting that the controls are intuitive and well-suited to the game.

You can break down Enemy Unknown into two distinct parts, the latter of which would make a great iPad game all on its own. There’s the tactical, turn-based shooter part that has you assigning a group of marines to, most of the time, engage alien activity. With touch gestures, taps, and clicks on the UI, you command each marine in battle, slowly creeping into a fog of war that veils the alien threat. There’s several different classes of dude and all have their own unique abilities.

Snipers, for instance, can fire from a distance that a basic bullet-spewing Heavy would have a zero percent change of hitting from. Most fights boil down to insanely tactical skirmishes, which hinge on your ability to set up, and bunker down into, smart firing positions with each dude covering the other. As alien bad guys lumber or scuttle into the picture, your commander-ness will be tested; enemies are smart and lethal: you will lose guys. This is just the harsh reality of XCOM.

TouchArcade’s full review is well worth checking out, and the site has also provided a TA Plays hands-on video of the gameplay.


XCOM: Enemy Unknown
can be downloaded from the App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Nightarchaon Avatar
157 months ago
Everyone should buy this, Baulders gate, and Kotor on the iPad, and i mean EVERYONE !! this is the quality of game we want, and ill happily pay $20 for a game ill play for months, rather than $0.99 for something ill have forgotten ive installed by next week (Or worse, pay nothing for a game that wants me to spend $100s to play it over time)

We need to support this level of quality, and the only way to do that is to pay them what they are worth, and its not 99cents, $20 is, i feel, a fair asking price for a game that was $60+ on all other formats with the depth and longevity that this has.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
157 months ago
Good luck selling a game at that price.

This is the problem with the App Store right here. Back when it first came out, and the iDevices weren't all that powerful, apps just being .99-$5 was completely understandable. They had a bunch of neat apps back then, made by tons of talented developers, sure. No one's denying that. But there wasn't anything out there that you could justify spending any more than that on. I mean you wouldn't want to spend more than $5 for a Yellow Pages app, more than .99 for a glorified browser game.

Things have obviously changed since then. The iDevices are finally getting some beefy hardware behind them, and are able to offer up apps that are coming dangerously close to matching their more expensive desktop counterparts. If you could get a perfect touch enabled port of Photoshop that's feature parity with the desktop version, would you scoff at it being more than $5? If you could get a game that's just as good as what you'd get on the PS Vita? Would you get pissed if you had to pay more than 99 cents for it?

As long as people keep this attitude going on, no one's gonna want to make any serious apps for the iPad or iPhone. Not when everyone gets all whiny when something up for more than 10 bucks.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
157 months ago


You know, this really makes me feel like I'm living in the future. It is...so rad. :D

edit: I should also add it turns your iPad into a very cozy space heater. This game does EVERYTHING!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yield85 Avatar
157 months ago
I don't understand people complaining about the price. I would rather drop $20 on a full, console quality game that spend on free to play rubbish.

I'm trying to make my ipad2 last until the next ipad so if anybody with an ipad2 or mini takes the plunge could you let me know if it runs ok?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattInOz Avatar
157 months ago
Its free on Playstation Plus right now.

"Free" after paying $70 a year.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
157 months ago
Did I read that right, this is a RE-IMAGED game from 1994???? They want $20 for it. Something isn't right here...

It's a port of a 2012 semi-sequel/remake of a game that came out in 1994. At 20 bucks, the thing is a flat out steal.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...