Virtually a remake, albeit an updated one, of an almost twenty year old turn-based strategy game X-Com: Enemy Unknown is one of the most nerve-wracking games you'll ever play. Cast as the commander of an underground base of soldiers designed to fight against a mysterious alien invasion the game really comes in two parts.
The first part involves the actual day-to day running of the base, ensuring sufficient weapons and resources are made available and making sure you can rely on each of the worlds governments for funding are just two examples of the many tasks that you will face. Within just a few hours some very difficult decisions have to be made as losing the support of a country can severely diminish the chances of success. Refreshingly X: Com resists holding the players hand and is quite happy to let you make a mistake early on that makes eventual success extremely difficult.
The second part is a turn based squad tactical simulation that is more exciting than it sounds. Using an isometric view with a fully rotatable camera each soldier can perform two actions per turn from a set list, this usually means either moving or firing but each particular unit often has additional moves such as laying down covering fire that can also be selected. Real tension is added by the fact that should a unit be killed there is no to bringing them back, this is particularly painful when it happens to an experienced member of your squad that you've taken the trouble to level up, customise and even nickname.
If ever a game proved that you don't traditional endless cut scenes to provide an exciting, ongoing narrative then this is the game and even those usually adverse to the strategy genre may find X:Com an entertaining prospect.