XCOM®: Chimera Squad
Developer Firaxis Games
XCOM: Chimera Squad is a turn-based tactical video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K as part of the XCOM series. It is set as a sequel to XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, after a tenuous peace accord between warring human and alien forces has been achieved. The player controls a mixed squad of human and alien special forces soldiers that help maintain the fragile peace of City 31, an experimental city… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
261 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
146 positive · 95 negative
95% range 54–67%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 146 | 95 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What players are saying
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 230 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (16,720 of 23,496 positive).
Many players find it a fun but smaller-scale spin-off, not a true XCOM sequel. [1][2][3] Some reviewers criticize the writing and characters as obnoxious or cringe. [4][5][6] Several players note unresolved bugs and glitches that affect immersion. [7][8][9]
- [4]
Yet another game that has fallen victim to the never ending trend of quipy Marvel humor "millennial writing." Every other line is a super lame joke. Nobody takes anything seriously. Characters will stop and have a full conversation with the lamest, most corny attempt at humor every single sentence in the middle of a firefight. They're being shot at and they're like, "Errrrm, holy Reddit, is THAT a golden narwhal?" …
- [17]
This is not an XCOM game. This is an abomination of a game set in the XCOM reboot universe. I bought this years ago, tried to play it, hated it, shelved it, and recently decided to beat it. There's a lot to unpack as to why this is the worst XCOM game I've ever played and I've played them all since PS1 days. The biggest issue is not just the repetitive nature of the fights, it's that there is ZERO build diversity in …
- [2]
Chimera Squad tends to get quite a lot of negative comments for one simple reason : it has XCOM in the title. Like many others, I was initially hoping for an XCOM 3 here, but that was never the plan with this game. It's a spin off, with a smaller budget and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Once I realised that, I found this game to be an enjoyable little strategy diversion for a few days, and one which comes …
- [12]
I really enjoyed it, despite a lot of negative reviews. My honest opinion is if you like Xcom in general, you're most likely going to enjoy this game. Of course there's a lot less to it in terms of upgrades, build diversity, and mission types, but considering you can get this game for dirt cheap either on sale from here or CDK/loaded, it's a no-brainer. The only bug I encountered was units sometimes teleporting out …
- [1]
I received this game as a gift from somebody who knows I love the XCOM-Franchise; however this will not have an impact on my review. In short: I recommend this game if you enjoy turn-based combat and/or (especially) if you like the XCOM-games. The longer-version: Since I always read negative reviews first I was sceptical whether I would actually enjoy "Chimera Squad"; the common tone in these usually is "It is bad, …
Summarised from 34 of the 243 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
The crowd is split on XCOM®: Chimera Squad: 136 recommend it, 94 don't. Which camp are you in?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Chimera Squad received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 71% of critics. One of the core changes between Chimera Squad and XCOM 2 – the replacement of randomly generated soldiers with the cast of eleven unique ones – was the subject of both praise and disappointment by critics. Ben Reeves, writing for Game Informer, praised the decision to have the characters be voiced and enjoyed the interactions that they had with one another, though Destructoid's Chris Carter found the voice acting poor and the contrast between bloody combat and lighthearted…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 261 · most liked firstFloaters I painted for the new @modiphius.bsky.social XCOM Miniatures Game. They were great fun to paint! 😊 #xcom #xcomminiatures #xcomminiaturesgame #modiphius
positive · AI labelView post →Yet another game that has fallen victim to the never ending trend of quipy Marvel humor "millennial writing." Every other line is a super lame joke. Nobody takes anything seriously. Characters will stop and have a full conversation with the lamest, most corny attempt at humor every single sentence in the middle of a firefight. They're being shot at and they're like, "Errrrm, holy Reddit, is THAT a golden narwhal?" One of my characters was shot, and the medic character said, "Erm, yeah, THAT'S…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not an XCOM game. This is an abomination of a game set in the XCOM reboot universe. I bought this years ago, tried to play it, hated it, shelved it, and recently decided to beat it. There's a lot to unpack as to why this is the worst XCOM game I've ever played and I've played them all since PS1 days. The biggest issue is not just the repetitive nature of the fights, it's that there is ZERO build diversity in the characters. The game forces you to chose from 11 of 14 set "heroes"…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is an insult to the XCOM franchise. While I did find some the aspects of the game cute such as the breaching system, there were far too many glitches for this game. I feel i got cheated out the purchase amount.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For years, I was a fan of the X-COM franchise. I love me some tactical turn-based combat and I played the ♥♥♥♥ out of Enemy Unknown, Enemy Within, XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen. I couldn't get enough. Until Chimaera Sqad came out. In theory, it's a game I should've loved. You get to play with character belonging to the different alien races that invade Earth in previous games, you get a million new options in matters of abilities, gear, missions. But the characters are so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ obnoxious and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I received this game as a gift from somebody who knows I love the XCOM-Franchise; however this will not have an impact on my review. In short: I recommend this game if you enjoy turn-based combat and/or (especially) if you like the XCOM-games. The longer-version: Since I always read negative reviews first I was sceptical whether I would actually enjoy "Chimera Squad"; the common tone in these usually is "It is bad, the characters are shallow/annoying, there is no base-building, you are not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a product of the time period it was released. The writing and characters are so cringe.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pre Order Now! XCOM: The Miniatures Game, is on its way in November with a Core Rulebook and Plastic Miniatures Sets. Take a look here: tychosgames.com/collections/... #xcom #miniatures #wargaming #modiphius
neutral · AI labelView post →Wow, everything about this game was a step down from the other xcom games. No swagger, no epic feel, annoying characters, lack of customization, cartoonish animation, limited ability upgrades. Very disappointing. Big fan of the other xcom games, but this was a big let down.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even if you are a big fan of the XCOM franchise and the Firaxcom remakes, this game is probably not worth the trouble. What I kind of feel from this game is an increasing lack of confidence from the developers in the XCOM formula. First there was Firaxcom 1, a janky prototype that tried to put a modern cinematic spin on the original with some light horror leanings. Then there was Firaxcom 2, more polished, going a bit more into the hero side of things rather than the tactical commander fighting…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Games like this make me wish there was "Mid" rating. It's a perfect step back from it's predecessor in every way.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still one of the best games ever created. Might be the game I come back to most often. #retrogaming #dosgaming #xcom
positive · AI labelView post →i dunno. 5.1/10 ? its... ok? if you really want some XCOM nostalgia? - lots of werid bugs that break immersion (but enough people have covered those) the cartoon art direction for a lot of the chars interactions really didnt click. and everyone is just... really unrealistic ? personality wise? they are all just quip heavy architypes. the main thing this game achieved was to make me wish the teaser at the end of XCOM2 had happened instead of... this? a lot of the missions really bug me as they…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unless you got this in a bundle with the other actual good XCOM games, don't buy this. It's extremely buggy, crashed a few times, and the story is beyond cringe inducing for what XCOM usually is. Played it just to get it out of my backlog, do not recommend.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have been avid enjoyer of the Xcom franchise. I loved all the spinoff games they did until this one came out. the mechanics just don't work well and like many others have said, it has all the bad of Xcom and none of the good. Even at a discount and buying the game at $3.79, I still wouldn't recommend. Go buy a Snickers bar, I bet you'll have more satisfaction and joy than if you bought this game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chimera Squad tends to get quite a lot of negative comments for one simple reason : it has XCOM in the title. Like many others, I was initially hoping for an XCOM 3 here, but that was never the plan with this game. It's a spin off, with a smaller budget and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Once I realised that, I found this game to be an enjoyable little strategy diversion for a few days, and one which comes highly recommended. There is still the occasional graphical glitch in the tactical…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just play XCOM 2 War of the Chosen instead. This is an almost objectively (and definitely subjectively) worse game than 1 and 2. Subjectively I think the breach mechanics are better than wondering around in the fog of war until one of your guys get ganked by a squad of aliens, but other than that this is pretty much a dumbed down WOTC. Having unique characters could be fine, but most of them are just slightly different versions of the basic XCOM classes. That could still be fine, except…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chimera Squad as a strategy game is Not a bad game, but when you attach the XCOM logo on it, it's below average at best. While I do understand that it's Not a sequel but rather an off shoot of the XCOM franchise and it's also a 10$ game, it's still a DISSAPOINNTEMENT to say the Least. The writing is right down awful and cringe, the gameplay is extremely repetitive after the first 10 hours, it was probably a side project for Firaxis to to do while they were working on their next flop which was…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You have almost no freedom at all — every mission is broken down into rigid “pushes,” which completely kills any real strategy. The whole game feels like “thinking on rails.” Your choices don’t matter; you’re just stuck with tiny, poorly designed maps that make no strategic sense. There’s often a large obstacle in the middle, and instead of acting intelligently, your squad runs all the way around it because the enemy is hiding behind it. I’ve rarely experienced such a poorly thought-out game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great direction for the canon Xcom plotline. Solid implementation, though the complete package is shallow and unloved. The base gameplay is good. Aliens as a police unit - works. Smaller arenas allow for faster, tighter encounters, and there is a proper turn queue now. Having a limited number of named operators, that must survive, is definitely a brave design decision, but it works. Most operators have unique archetypes, which allows for great synergies and plenty of fun gameplay scenarios.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not great. I will admit the idea has potential but the soul of the games before it are gone. You can't grow an attachment to an annoying character with a personality a toddler made for their imaginary friend. When you play this game it feels like the epitome of "my character's the best at this and yours isn't" and it feels... different. The game has good mechanics however having every character take a leisurely stroll to where they're directed is pretty annoying. XCOM 2/WOTC had it's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →They have had 6 years after release to bug fix and optimise this game and after 7 hours in the game iv had 2 game breaking bugs, 6-8 save reverts to fix broken breach animations that freeze the game and iv just given up. The breach system felt pretty good at first but you quickly get bored of it and the maps are tiny (especially compared to xcom 2). Go play Xcom 1&2 you'll have have a far better experience.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really enjoyed it, despite a lot of negative reviews. My honest opinion is if you like Xcom in general, you're most likely going to enjoy this game. Of course there's a lot less to it in terms of upgrades, build diversity, and mission types, but considering you can get this game for dirt cheap either on sale from here or CDK/loaded, it's a no-brainer. The only bug I encountered was units sometimes teleporting out of the map momentarily but it didn't effect gameplay at all. Once, again, if…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game but very different from Xcom2. The game is much smaller in scope and the art style is very different. Don't expect a Xcom3 here and you will have a good time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Game Bundle] XCOM Complete. $3: | Game Name | Steam Link | |-----------|------------| | X-COM: Enforcer |https://store.steampowered.com/app/7770/XCOM_Enforcer | | X-COM: Interceptor |https://store.steampowered.com/app/7730/XCOM_Interceptor | | X-COM: Apocalypse | https://store.steampowered.com/app/7660/XCOM_Apocalypse| | X-COM: Terror From the Deep | https://store.steampowered.com/app/7650/XCOM_Terror_From_the_Deep| | X-COM: UFO Defense…
neutral · AI labelView post →Xcom 2 is a brilliant game. Good mission structure. Good writing and story missions that are well integrated with the rest of the game. Robust customization that really attaches you to your characters. Permadeath which causes me to play the game differently but never feels overbearing. This game has none of those things. Xcom Chimera Squad is a bland, repetitive game with horrible writing, no customization and a storyline that feels more like busywork then actual progression. Do not pay full…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →XCom in name only, Chimera Squad diverges from the traditional franchise categorically. Those looking for a gritty, military strategy/tactical game with a global scope will find themselves playing a light-hearted, cheery police game, more akin to a visual novel, with some light turnbased combat. Gameplay: Many mechanics will be familiar to returning fans of the XCOM franchise, including choosing which mission to pursue in order to get which variety of resources, assigning units to different…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I rarely write reviews but feel compelled to say my piece because I feel so misled by all the positive reviews. Yes, I've chosen to play the entire game through three times, but that was only to fuel my 100%ing addiction - I was bored before finishing the first playthrough. This is a sub-par, rushed game that isn't worthy of the XCOM title. Sure, it will keep you amused for a while, particularly if it's your introduction to the franchise, but it does very little to expand on the earlier games…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Decent xcom game for the price but please use xcom 2 for the template for xcom 3. Gameplay is decent but story and characters are terrible. Go darker with story not this cartoon rubbish.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a lover of the XCOM franchise I enjoyed this game and would suggest anyone who likes the franchise to check it out. It is a nice hold over while we wait for XCOM 3 or whatever Firaxis is cooking up. Gripes: -The format becomes repetitive, Breach, Sweep, Repeat. -The story is interesting, but completely undeveloped. -The tactical depth is not what XCOM enthusiast would find challenging Likes: -The breach mechanic is actually pretty cool. It just shouldnt be the lynch pin of the entire…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is mid. it doesn't have nearly the depth of 1 and 2 and the wirting is bad. the reason I give it a thumbs down is because this game feels worse then 1 and 2 in everyway. Still if you want a easy xcom game or got this game on discount then it's fine
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cool premise, but weak characters and story. The breach element is cool the first couple times but wears thin. Just get Xcom 1 and 2 unless this is on a huge sale. I want to stress that the dialogue is extremely cringe-worthy. It doesn't feel like you're leading a team of badass aliens and humans, it feels more like a bunch of theater kids are doing their best marvel impressions.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SHORT This is a very cool turn-based game that is quite similar to the previous XCOM titles, though not quite as polished. While it can be slightly buggy, it doesn't compromise the overall experience. If you can catch it on an 85% off sale, I highly recommend picking it up; it should take about 67 hours to finish the game and unlock all the achievements. LONG A very enjoyable turn-based strategy game. Much like its older brothers, XCOM 1 and XCOM 2, this game retains that same classic vibe,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried to like Chimera squad, but it just feels a lot more unfair than the first two in the trilogy, its also probably one of the most buggy games I have ever played.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After rebooting the X-COM franchise and giving us two incredible instalments, culminating with the genre defining XCOM 2, Firaxis created Chimera Squad. A budget spinoff to the series. Released without much fanfare and probably intended as a test bed for various ideas rather than a fully-fledged experience, I didn't quite know what to expect of this game. However it does carry the name XCOM and that's not something I can easily ignore. So I bought it and after waiting for the by-now customary…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a patch on xcom 2. Small maps, rarely need to move, just stand and shoot. Interface clunky, strategy limited, no real base building. It feels like it should be an old game, not one of the newer ones.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't listen to the naysayers. I did for a few years, but then finally saw it on sale and said...well...I've played through my third full playthrough of Xcom 1 and 2 with expansions...why not give this a try now. It was fun. Sure it's not the exact same recipe as the originals, but still a fun remix of sorts. Definately worth a wee little playthrough. It kinda reminds me of that Will Smith movie where the Orcs are cops etc. Same vibe/theme. Do I want them to prioritize making more Chimera Squad…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Juvenile, cringe, and boring. An insult to the XCOM franchise.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is easily the worst of the Firaxis X-Com games. The premise of an X-Com force comprised of humans, aliens, and hybrids is great, but having almost no control over what sort of soldiers you can recruit is not. Being dropped directly into combat where your units just scatter in the first turn is not, and the new turn system that leaves you no way to recover from the odd unlucky roll is terrible. Just went away from everything that made X-Com 2 so great.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A sad stain on the XCOM franchise, mostly because of its deviation from the original formula. The game having "heroes" instead of "faceless soldiers" doesn't feel very XCOMy. Playing on small maps takes away from the tactical aspect of the game, since it's more about hoping that the room layout isn't terrible rather than finding advantageous positions, which also completely eliminates long range (I might be biased here because that's what I prefer). The skills the heroes get to choose from are…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not bad. Some bugs are still unresolved. The difficulty curve feels a bit uneven. Runs great on the Steam Deck with a few control tweaks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A worse version of XCOM. No more managing a resistance, instead you are basically the police. There is a very limited amount of soldiers and more importantly, there are NO SNIPERS. WHY? Also, now missions are just encounter after encounter after encounter. And there is no exploring, or sneaking up on enemies. I did found the game a lot easier compared to XCOM 2. I will still play it and got it as part of a bundle, so if you do own the other XCOM games ( XCOM ew and XCOM 2) I would say its still…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not like other Xcom games, but it's still really fun. :D
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun turn based strategy game. However, XCOM veterans should note that this game does not exactly follow the same rules you are used to. Turns are organised per unit rather than per team, and there is a strong emphasis on a pre-combat breaching mechanic at the start of encounters. Highly recommend if you have played Tactical Breach Wizards and enjoyed it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think it's worth stating that this is not XCOM3. If you are expecting base building and a randomly generated set of soldiers where permadeath is a thing and you can get yourself into a game-over situation by failing too many missions... it's not that kind of game. The difficulty options are flexible meaning you can make this as easy or as hard as you like. This is more of a tactical A-Team where you have a squad of 8 soldiers each with a vastly distinctive skillset. You have healer, tank,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →People seem to think this game is Xcom 3 but its just a spinoff and an ok one at that The new artstyle and the writing gave some marvel one liners vibes at first but it gets betteer by the end as for gameplay the breach mechanic was fresh at first but kinda got old and by the end game I wasnt even moving my soldiers just using thier abilites to clear to rooms with nearly no tactics
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A skirmish-based spin-off that builds off the storyline of the last entry, for better or for worse. Control a spec-ops team that takes all types, w/ human ingenuity & alien abilities at your disposal.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →as an avid fan of the 2 previous X-COM games, i decided to finally pick this up as it was on something like a 75% discount. I have not made it very far as the whole game is just annoying so much of the time. one of the things i liked to do in previous games was make soldiers based on my irl friends and inform them about how their charatcter was doing. instead we have comic book style still image dialouge boxes of lackluster characters wasting my time with unnecessary dialouge and robbing me of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →XCOM Chimera Squad tries some new ideas but I think most fail. While the breaching of rooms seems cool in the beginning I feel that it actually interrupts the game's pace. They also should have rather expanded unit management back to the old iconic original XCom: UFO Defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown and it feels way too much like an arcade instead of a tactical strategy game with strong RPG elements. There's no base building and I find the UI unergonomic. So it's really not that good. I fell even…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chimera squad is OK. Its not amazing. Its not even great. Its just OK. Maybe the most 6/10 tactics game released. It has some weird bugs that does not really cause any game breaking issues - atleast for me. Its just weird these have not been fixed. Such as characters getting displaced after the end of their turn only to return to their original position - this happens ALOT. Another annoying thing is that sometimes the turn "freezes" for a long time - you kinda think the game has frozen but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If I could use one word to describe this game, it would be "unexpected". I didn't expect it to exist, I didn't expect it to be what it is, and I *certainly* didn't expect it to impress me in the manner that it did. Let's start off with the positive. The big one: the writing. There's really not a whole lot drawing your attention *to* the writing, but once you notice it's there, it's probably the best thing about this game. A fully realized world where ADVENT is defeated, but the aliens are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game kinda got a lot of hate, but honestly it's a solid game. It's nothing like XCOM, this is much smaller in scope and deeper in story. Gameplay is fun and presentation is solid. Worth a buy to me, it stands well on it's own. I think the downvotes mostly come from people wanting this to be XCOM 3, and it's definitely not that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just realized that there was a ton of bad reviews recently. This makes me sad, I enjoyed the game a ton. I am die hard for all Xcom type games. Did it evolve from the older Xcom? Not really but I cannot count how many sequel games that come out and try and reinvent themselves just to be horrible. I will continue to support this franchise. Have Fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story and characters are aiming for the modern audience. The first text I read is badmouthing Bradford who doesn't want to include everyone in XCOM. Of course, one of the many strong female characters is opposing him. At each mission start, the squad is storming a room from multiple openings if available. Each soldier gets one free shot and is automatically positioned inside the room by the game. The combat now rotates individually between a soldier and an enemy. The order of character…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game SUCKS. It's bad enough that it's a terrible game on its own, but the fact that it killed XCOM 3 is the nail in the coffin. Don't waste your time on slop like this.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After xcom 2, this is just a massive disappointment.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →game has a bug that bricks your save on the final boss fight for the major enemies. has been happening since launch and the only fix is: dont play ironman. wow, easily makes this the worst xcom game which is sad because there's a good game buried here past the jank and bugs.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →XCOM 2 doubled down on the awful narrative and mechanical changes from XCOM: EW, and this game somehow triples down on those. Go play Xenonauts 1 for a proper X-COM experience, Xenonauts 2 for something a little different.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: I got this game for nearly free and I still feel like I got ripped off. -Is this a great struggle about 'your men' that you get invested in and strive to keep alive? No. You're babysitting the cringe, unserious, endlessly quippy, insufferable, 'quirky' OCs of the inept developers and they cannot die. -Is this the highly anticipated, baited sequel that we've been waiting for since XCOM 2? No. Let's play cop in a single city instead. -Tell an engaging story with cinematics multiple years…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun, inventive tactical tweaks that will click with XCOM 2 fans, but it feels smaller and rougher around the edges compared with Firaxis’s bigger entry. What works (the fun stuff): Fresh mechanics: The breach system, alternating turns between the squad members and enemies , and distinct agent personalities add a fun new approach to the game. Different enemy factions add more diversity to enemies than XCOM 2. What falls short; Less polish than XCOM 2: UI rough edges and the game graphics are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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