The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

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Summary

The year is 1962 and the Cold War has the nation gripped by fear. A top-secret government unit called The Bureau begins investigating a series of mysterious attacks by an enemy more powerful than communism. As agent Carter, call the shots, pull the trigger and lead your squad in a gripping third-person tactical shooter set within a covert war to protect humanity from an otherworldly enemy.


The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Activation Instructions

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Reviews & Ratings

100
Review by GPReS [user]
February 12, 2017

1st review - Oct 19, 2013 / Score - 7Boring, unlogically created plot, boring main hero, boring missions. Boring, boring, boring, boring.1st review - Oct 19, 2013 / Score - 7Boring, unlogically created plot, boring main hero, boring missions. Boring, boring, boring, boring. And ending is also boring... I am really sad I've preordered this nonsense.The only thing I relly liked fighting/leveling system, but this game is really mediocre and I am pretty not sure I will replay it soon enough...2nd review - Dec 25. 2015 / Score - 10It took me 2 replays with half a year and 1.5 year periods to re-estimate the game completely =) Also I bought all DLCs =)Hangar DLC is good for those, who'd prefer to spend more time shooting without extra dialogues in The Bureau, and also it's quite a good prequel to the main story :)Game's replay-ability is fine (as you can see I had re-played it 3 times already, even that I didn't like it on my first round) :)Advice: replay games that left unsure impression after a long period of time, you may really change your mind =)

100
Review by kappapi99 [user]
February 11, 2015

This is not XCOM. It tries to mix XCOM and Mass Effect, taking the best from both genres, but it falls horribly short. The developers reliedThis is not XCOM. It tries to mix XCOM and Mass Effect, taking the best from both genres, but it falls horribly short. The developers relied on the XCOM name to sell a game that is poorly designed. You cannot save at all. The plot destroys the XCOM universe. The gameplay is clumsy. The graphics are decent for an FPS, but that is the only thing going for it. If you are an XCOM fan, then this game is not for you. Worst game to bear the name XCOM since Apocalypse.

80
Review by Diaord [user]
October 9, 2013

The Major issue most people have had with Xcom Declassified is that, in short, it was not Xcom. The developers attempted to create a differentThe Major issue most people have had with Xcom Declassified is that, in short, it was not Xcom. The developers attempted to create a different game set in a universe similar, but not the same as, the universe XCOM and its predecessor, UFO resided in. They then took this altered reality and said "we're going to try something different" and made The Bureau into a 3PS. In short, if you're looking for an expansion to XCOM Enemy Unknown, you're barking up the wrong tree.So, how does this 3PS differ from other 3PS?Well first of all, you're not alone in your fight. While you are a badass, if you run in guns blazing alone, you will get yourself killed. For this reason, the game gives you a pair of sidekicks that accompany you on missions (the characters themselves are unimportant) these two can do any range of jobs from pissing off giant alien quadrupeds so you can shoot them in their rear, to deploying laser cannons to cover your advance or do massive amounts of damage in a single shot.Secondly, the game penalises you heavily if you aren't in cover. IT utilises a similar cover system to XCOM EU with a half and full cover, with damage being reduced based on where you stand. Also like XCOM EU, if an enemy is in a position where your cover is useless against him, he flanks you, that is, he will do a lot more damage as you aren't expecting the hit. These combined features make The Bureau one of the most cover-intensive modern games, and makes a good position the difference between life and death.A good position is not everything, however, as your opponent's AI, a stunningly complex and intelligent system on heavier difficulties, is always on the move, always changing position and trying to get into places from which the most damage can be done. For this reason, constant movement, literal island hopping is needed to ensure the safety of your team. There is never a single map where you can't gain an advantage as the fight progresses, and there is not a map where you can be safe in any one place for long.To top off a gripping, battlefield motivated gameplay, the game contains a novel plotline that you can truly get into, and offers many interesting plot twists. This along with adequate voice acting and enjoyable graphics makes for an inspired, if not what you expected game.Ratings:Gameplay: 10/10UI: 7/10AI: 9/10Story: 8/10Voice acting and graphics: 6/10

60
Review by IncGamers
September 1, 2013

Like the redacted CIA documents featured so heavily in the game’s marketing, The Bureau comes across as disjointed, baffling and inconsistent. But moments of clarity may well keep you interested in what lies beneath that faltering surface.

50
Review by Evilcalyptic [user]
August 31, 2013

I have been watching this game since late 2009 waiting for its release. I have no prior exposure to any of the xcoms or anything from theI have been watching this game since late 2009 waiting for its release. I have no prior exposure to any of the xcoms or anything from the series except for what I have read on the lore. Upon finally playing it what I will say is; it could have been so much more than it was. IT was a serious letdown in terms of the storyline. I could live with gameplay inconstancies which it has its fair share of. Such as voices not matching characters later on in the story or unexplained lapses in time. The storyline just doesn't deliver and that is why this game gets such a low rating from me. It felt as though had they brought in good writers it could have excelled even having very little to do with the other xcoms and original lore. Not everything is gameplay as seen by games like Telltales walking dead and The last of us, Both stellar games with central focus on story. Xcom at time also feels like it tries to steel from bioware's mass effect series, which is the right direction if you want to implement intuitive character dialog and progression, but its only a shadow of what it is in dragon age/mass effect. This game was an alright play and I completed it all the way through, meaning to me it wasn't horrible. However the whole time I couldn't wait to complete it to free up the SSD space to play the next game. Don't expect too highly with this game.

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Game Information
Release Date August 6, 2013
Publisher 2K Marin, 2K Games
Content Rated M (Mature)
Game Modes Single player
Player Perspectives First person
Genres Shooter, Strategy, Tactical
Themes Action, Fantasy, Science fiction, Historical
Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac