XCOM: Enemy Unknown Elite Edition - Mac

Very addictive. Very challenging.

I chose this game because I used to play when it first launched years ago and at that time I fell in love with the "mood."In addition, I love the fact that the action isn't live. It doesn't take place until you set your choices then "hit enter."That is easier to manage when you have a busy schedule and can't sit for long stretches of time in one go.I chose the classical play which is supposed to be the 2nd most difficult level, but found it quite straightforward and easy.I knocked a start because I believe the price I paid ($50) was a bit high for this product. Knowing better now, I would advise to wait until the price drops before I buy it at full price.

This is a fun game.Unfortunately, on the Mac or PC, the interface is clunky. It was clearly designed for a console, and little or no thought was given to refining the interface for computers.Hotkeys are not consistent--they change when switching characters, and even when just switching weapons. As a result, you need several mouse clicks for one turn. The clickable buttons are not in a consistent place--they move when you switch weapons or characters, and as a result you need to squint at the little buttons and choose them carefully every single turn.A better interface would keep all action buttons in one place (perhaps grey out disabled buttons), and allow the ability to map hotkeys to an action!Clunky interface aside, I enjoyed passing the game in single player mode.I never played multiplayer because I watched several user-submitted videos online detailing a host of bugs and glitches. Essentially, anybody who knows about the multiplayer bugs (scanner sweeps, etc.) will have a major advantage over anyone who doesn't. I didn't want to invest time learning a buggy game that will never be taken seriously in tournaments.Starcraft has a huge following because Blizzard fixes the bugs as soon as they're discovered. This game lacks the same level of support.When I bought this game, I was looking for something with the strategy element of Starcraft without the high stress level. This game fits the bill. It's just a shame the multiplayer is so buggy, and the user interface was given minimal thought.

Pros:- Game is very stable. Haven't had any crashes.- It plays just like the Console version.Cons:- Mouse control is a bit unwieldy at times- clearly this game was designed for a console game controller- Elite pack doesn't really add much more to the game play other than randomizing stats and providing additional cosmetic accessories to armor.- Sometimes the camera is a little out of control when it tries to position itself for a cinematic shot.Playing it on my two year old 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, with Intel HD Graphics 3000 (512MB) seems fine for the most part.All the graphics were set to low quality but the visuals all look sufficiently good. But I would definitely say that this is the MINIMUM config.