XCOM:EU is a great game. I played the original and many other strategy games in the past. This is a full, long review. It may have minor spoilers. I will cover as much as possible. I give Objective reviews whenever I can, not Subjective. I will state my personal opinions when I can. This review may be more subjective for me as I really like this game. Bear in mind XCOM:EU has immense replayability as long as you like turn-based tactical battles. The strategy base part of the game is awesome as well.
Graphics
Unreal engine, but they spent a lot of time on the graphics and they look terrific! Only a few minor glitches here or there. The Deco DLC is awesome, not yet available as of this writing (it was a preorder bonus).
Sound
The sound is good, with voices for the soldiers. The music is not as eerie as in the original game, but it is still very good. When aliens are being fought the music picks up for the action. Very nice sound.
Early thoughts
The game is pretty solid, I've only had a few freeze ups. The base is very cool, and tactical is as good as ever. Bear in mind, the official Strategy Guide is NOT going to give tactical training! You need to become a good player by playing and figuring out the strategies, that is why it is called a STRATEGY Game. I will give a few tips where I can. I beat this game in two days, took roughly 24 hours, and I missed a lot of sleep.
Difficulty - Easy/Normal or Classic/Impossible?
If you are new to this type of game, and especially to XCOM in general, I suggest at least Easy mode. On Easy mode there will be less threat to deal with and more special missions to help you. Also, the alien timetable will be a little longer, so you will have an extra monther or so before fighting the toughest monsters. Aliens are not easier to fight though, they have the same health and stats as Normal mode.
On Normal mode it took me 8 game months to win. I lost one country early on, Germany, mainly because South Africa asked for a Satellite they really did not need. Normal mode is just that, nothing differrent. This level of difficulty is the most fun in my opinion.
Classic and Imposiible difficulties really crank up the action. More enemies in missions and all the aliens get upgraded. Most get +10 Aim (they hit you easier), +10 Defense (-10 for you to hit them), and extra health. Even Thin Men will have 4 health, not 3. This means Grenades are no longer 100% to get kills. Less starting funds, Start with only one base facility (Satellite Uplink), More enemies, countries give fewer scientists/engineers.
Accessory slot
You get one accessory slot. The Support soldier can eventually have two. What should you bring to the battle? Early on you have no choice - Grenades. Useful especially if you are new to XCOM style tactical battle. To be honest, this is the ONLY time I use grenades.
Scope or Grenade or Nano-fiber/Chitin Armor?
Scope. Scope. Scope! Once you get the Scope, you should seriously think about all soldiers having one. Nano-fiber armor gives +2 armor, VERY useful early in the campaign when you only have Body armor (+1 armor), as Nano-Fiber's +2 gives a total of +3 armor and -may- keep a soldier out of the infirmary when hit by Sectoid/Thin Man pistol fire, although critical hits may still happen. Chitin armor is rare to acquire, and I use it on Assault soldiers. With the best standard armor and Chitin armor my Assault can have 9 life + 14 armor, which when combined with the Assault's Extra Conditioning skill will give a total of 27 health in combat.
Scope or Mind Shield?
Mind Shields are hard to get and thus rare, but take them in the Final Mission for your low-Will soldiers as much as possible.
Early Moves
Early in the game you need to concentrate on gettng as many satellites up as possible. This will hopefully lower Alert levels in the country the satellite is deployed and will increase your monthly income. Countries covered will also give scientists and/or engineers per month. When deploying satellites, alert levels are Top Priority, not the continent or credit bonus of the country. Save your satellites until near the end of the month to help respond to Alien alert activity. This is very important as it will allow you to have the most flexibility to repond to Alert levels.
The Alien Containment facility can wait. In my opinion, this facility is best built much later in the game. It takes up energy and resources better used for satellite facilities.
Workshops are neccessary to raise your engineer numbers, but only so you can build more satellite uplinks. Laboratories are nearly useless, unless playing on higher difficulty settings, then they are useful because research speeds are much longer.
One power generator + one thermal generator + one elerium generator, placed all in a row, will give enough power for the whole game.
All facilities get the +1 bonus if placed next to each other, either horizontally or vertically.
SQUAD
My squad typically has 1 Support, 1 Assault, 2 Heavy and 2 Sniper. This is what I use but other players favor Assault more. Your squad composition is up to you.
Support
The weakest offensive unit but the most relied on for support. Eventually can have 3 Medikits. NOTE: All soldiers can carry a medikit as an accessory!
Assault
Total offense. I believe making the first enemy reaction shot miss is best, that way you can lead with this offensive tank. Can have up to 27 health, Awesome.
Heavy
I always go for +100% damage against Robots. VERY useful when facing the tough robot enemies. I also like Shredder Rocket and 2 Rockets. The capability to take 2 shots in a row is also very nice.
Sniper
I like Squad Sight as it allows me to shoot at anything the squad sees. Less useful with Hover armor, but still a good skill. Double Tap is also awesome. I do not prefer the Sniper that can move and shoot, so I take +2 pistol damage.
Tactical Battles
Stay together but not all grouped up. If you can't Dash from one side of the formation to the other you are too far apart. Use two mini-squads of support/heavy/sniper and assault/heavy/sniper (different depending on your choice of soldiers or if main soldiers are in the infirmary). When getting ready to enter a doorway, have each mini-squad stand to the SIDE of the doors, never IN FRONT. You could try it the other way but there are certain encounters that may end Very Bad. Take high percentage shots. Sometimes the game will make you miss No Matter What, that's just the way it is.
Move forward slowly! Use Overwatch as much as possible! Almost never Dash to move forward, and only Dash when near 100% certain the coast is clear. I cannot stress this enough. Tactical battles are long, patient affairs.
Use cover as often as you can! Although soldiers in full cover can still be hit, get as much defense as you can. Defensive bonuses make harder to get hit, and you need every advantage you can acquire.
Interceptors
Emp or Plasma? Well, there are two ships you will encounter that are Main Story ships. No matter what you do, these ships will still have a good complement of soldiers. You can always get more artefacts from other missions, squad survivability is paramount so go with Plasma or the late tech Interceptor weapon. Use the EMP until you get Plasma or Fusion.
Grey Market
Almost everything you bring back from battle is useful. Only sell useless items on the Grey Market. Do not sell corpses as almost all have a use. Eventually some can be sold. Early in the campaign it is ok to sell some things, but usually unwise. For example, in my current game I have 4 UFO Power sources and 4 Navigations left. I built several key units and have no more real need for these items. However, they would be needed if I lost Firestorms. And these numbers are for most of the game! If I had sold any of these items I would not have been able to build all the stuff I needed. Therefore, Be Carefull selling on the Grey Market!
OVERALL
XCOM:EU is a great game. I am certain I may not have included everything I wanted, but this review is very long. I hope it all helps.
I LOVE THIS GAME!