Alright, I’ll fess up. XCOM: Chimera Squad has spoiled me. In a strategy series where the aliens have long been the enemy, the mere concept of having squaddies from beyond Earth turned the tables completely. Taking down human foes dates back to XCOM: Enemy Within, but battling alongside aliens? Aliens that have shot, smashed, poisoned, constricted, and psionically tormented countless groups of my squaddies, who could not hit the broad side of a barn? It was a bold direction to take XCOM, but not only did it provide a tight, action-packed slice of tactical action; Chimera Squad has fundamentally changed what I want from the future of XCOM.
That future is Sectoids. I want them in my squad, and I want them to crush my enemies with psionic powers (powers that cannot miss; that part’s important).
In XCOM 2, humanity was under the yoke of ADVENT, the alien puppet government having its strings pulled by the mysterious Elders. When XCOM overthrows ADVENT and defeats the Elders, they not only have their planet back…but also have entire populations of aliens now stranded on their world, unable to return to their corner of space.
XCOM: Chimera Squad builds on this premise, where a tenuous peace between humans and aliens is the foundation for the eponymous Chimera Squad, an integrated peacekeeping force taking down those trying to destabilize the human-alien government. It’s a lot more lore-heavy than you’d expect from the series, but really, the important part is this: XCOM is no longer a group of humans fighting aliens. It’s a group of humans and aliens fighting the darker elements of both their worlds. And I defy anyone who says that concept isn’t cool as hell.
There’s just something that feels so darn good about having aliens and abilities you dreaded back in XCOM 2 not only friendly, but at your full disposal. That Viper acid spit that would leave you poisoned? Use that to disperse enemy groups. The rage and counterattack of a Muton can be your best friend with the right positioning. And little needs to be said about the awesome psionic powers you can employ with your Sectoid and hybrid agents. You don’t need a Gallop Chamber or a Psi Lab to mind control your foes.
Image Credit: Firaxis Games (via XCOM)
It really shakes up how you play the game. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen went a long way in spicing up your usual four-person squad makeup, but Chimera Squad is on a new level. And in my opinion, which is not at all addled by four years without the franchise, developer Firaxis Games cannot take a step backwards from this premise in a seemingly inevitable new installment in the XCOM series. I mean, sure…recruiting aliens to your squad probably wouldn’t be an easy affair, nor should it be. Vipers and Mutons are always going to pretty strong compared to your first few squaddies.
But there are certainly ways around that. Psi operatives were never accessible at the start of the game, you had to work for them. The same goes for War for the Chosen‘s killer faction classes, the Reaper, Templar, and Skirmisher. To not let alien squadmates stand among these badasses in the next XCOM game would be a massive misstep. Aside from being a mechanical backslide, it’d also be an unfortunate step backward in the world of XCOM itself. I would hate to see the next conflict to again be reduced to humans versus alien invaders, whether they come from the dark of space, society, or sea (probably sea).
Let alien squaddies stick around for the next XCOM. I want to be able to whiff a 90% chance shot with a Muton, too.
What are your thoughts on the subject? Should we stick with human faction heroes? Should we fill our base with Chryssalid hives and construct Gatekeeper shells? If we’re taking the X-COM: Terror from the Deep teases seriously, I wouldn’t mind some Andromedon suits for diving. Drop your thoughts in the comments, or let us know on Boss Rush Network’s Discord and Facebook.
Featured Image: Firaxis Games (via Firaxis Games)
The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord.
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