Ewok's Strategy Recommendations

Ewok Recommends:

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a remake of the the 1994 classic UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-COM: UFO Defence in the North America), was perhaps my most anticipated game of 2012. Having been a huge fan of the first game I was eager for a reimagining that would capture the essence of the original, but also nervous that such a reboot would not live up to my (astronomically high) expectations.

I needn't have worried. Not only did the Firaxis Games remake meet my expectations in every way, but it actually exceeded them by modernising, streamlining and improving the overall XCOM experience in a number of different ways; from the intuitive new movement system to the fantastic new levelling and skill system.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown recaptures the spirit of the 1994 original. The game begins as a desperate struggle against a superior foe and gradually evolves as your research and engineering teams examine and replicate the technology your men scavenge, interrogate captured aliens and as your troops improve. You'll grow to love your elite team of veteran soldiers, and it will break your heart when one of them fails to return from the field.

Alternatively, try:

Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai

I love the Total War series, but for a long time I was torn as to which was my favourite. I loved the regimented gunpowder units in Empire: Total War, but I loved the setting and improved gameplay in Total War: Shogun 2. Well, I was just pleased as punch when the standalone expansion Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai turned up, combining the refinements and setting of Shogun 2 with the modern gunpowder based units of Empire.

Fall of the Samurai concentrates on the struggle between tradition and innovation, as Japan is brought through a forced cultural revolution throughout a bloody civil war between the Imperial and Shogunate factions. The setting isn't exactly historically accurate, as the actual Boshin war was substantially less bloody, but it lends itself perfectly to a brilliant, and very different, Total War experience.

Crusader Kings 2

Crusader Kings 2 is a totally different strategy experience from anything I've ever played before. On the surface, it looks similar to many 4X turn-based affairs (although it's actually pausable real-time), with the player indulging in kingdom management, warfare and expansion on a grand campaign map. Dig below that, and what you'll find is an incredibly complex 'nobility' simulator with a focus on establishing a lasting dynasty through diplomatic marriages, selective breeding, intrigue, politics and religion as well as plain old honest-to-goodness murder and warfare.

Getting to grips with Crusader Kings 2 is an intimidating experience, with dozens of data-packed menu screens, complex game mechanics and the potential for things to go horribly wrong at very short notice. Be prepared to sit through lengthy tutorials, online FAQs, video guides and a heck of a lot of trial and error; but those with the patience to explore the title will find it to be one of the most deep, engrossing and unique strategy titles in gaming history.