X-Com-Like Fun--Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Since the remake of the classic turn-based strategy XCOM in 2012, I've realized that I actually enjoy the genre.  I'm always keeping an eye out for other TBS games that might scratch that itch for doing a lot of thinking (and usually a lot of messing up and getting team members killed).  Mutant Year Zero:  Road to Eden is the the perfect game for someone who is looking for some TBS action.

Bormin, Selma, and Dux are your badass mutant squad.

The story in MYZ involves a post-apocalyptic scenario where humanity has been virtually wiped out by a devastating plague (...odd, right?).  A few plucky humans have managed to survive and establish settlements that are located in safe areas.  Due to the lingering dangers of the plague, humans cannot venture outside of these safe zones and require the assistance of special scavengers called stalkers.  The stalkers are mutants whose backstory is very hazy--Bormin is a bulky, wild boar; Dux is...a duck!  As stalkers they are sent on missions to recover resources throughout the area (Norway or Sweden).  The stalkers aren't the only ones who are after the resources left rotting around the game world--a wide array of enemies prowl the lands.  Ghouls are mutated humans who want to eliminate the non-muties (and your mutants, of course); the land is also patrolled by packs of wild dog-like creatures and deadly robots--the remnants of an automated police force used during the plague.  The story gets complicated as a very essential character goes missing and is found to have been kidnapped by the ghouls.  The ghouls appear to have some sort of insidious plan for the remnants of humanity.  It's your job to figure out where the missing character has been taken and to unravel the true motivations of the ghouls.

Pros:
+ Even though the basis of the gameplay is TBS, there's a good story underneath.  The XCOM games lean more heavily on the gameplay and the story is much more forgettable.  The core story of finding the lost character gets more complicated the farther you advance and the mutants learn more about their own origins.

+ Squad of fun characters.  In XCOM your soldiers are merely pawns with specific abilities and they don't have personalities or backstories.  The mutants in MYZ are voice acted well and players are able to get to know their quirks.  As you progress through the game you find other mutants who will join your squad.

+Exploration aspect.  Each area can be searched for resources (scrap, weapon parts, chests) which can be used for upgrades or, in the case of chests, can contain consumable items or weapon or armor items.  You're not simply plopped onto a map and told to find the baddies and kill them and should try to search as much of the map as you can.  The resources you find can be used to upgrade your gear (weapon parts) or as currency to buy items (scrap).

+ Stealth.  One of the things I really enjoyed about the combat in MYZ was the fact that your squad can sneak around and, with good positioning and planning, can pick off certain enemies before engaging the entire contingent of enemies (in XCOM, once you engage the enemies you're in combat and can't strategize as much).

+ Swappable talents.  As you gain experience from encounters, you can use those points to invest in specific talents for your squad of stalkers.  You can choose from health and movement upgrades or from mutations which can give each character special abilities--for example, you can take a talent that lets certain characters grow moth wings and move to higher ground in one move.  You can swap out these talents to help fit the specific scenario you are facing--there are a couple characters that have talents that are geared toward fighting robots, but aren't useful when fighting ghouls--you can pick when to equip those talents.

+ Lots of items to find.  The best thing to find are the golden glowy chests--they contain weapons and armors.  There are short-range shotguns, long-range rifles, mid-range semi-automatic rifles, and an array of silent weapons that can be used for stealth kills.  Each character can also equip one (or more depending on talents) throwable item--grenades, glow sticks, molotov cocktails, or EMP grenades.  There are also numerous weapon mods that can be swapped out at your base.

+Goofy items to find which offer up special perks.  These items are remnants of human society and the stalkers will often make guesses as to their purpose.  These items are accompanied by a purple glow and can be turned in at the bar on your base and offer special perks (for example, one will increase the number of throwable items each character can equip).

+ Different enemy types and classes.  Strategizing means taking into account the type of enemy you are facing.  Shamans are obnoxious and should always be killed first because they will summon additional enemies when they are alerted to your presence.  Robots have the ability to jump vast distances and cover lots of ground.  They can also use a stun ability that will lock a character down for three turns.

Cons:
- Gameplay is challenging, but is a bit easier than XCOM.  There are multiple difficulty settings and there is an "iron man" mode if people want a more difficult experience.  If you're wanting a more "hardcore" experience, you might want to start on a higher difficulty level.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed MYZ.  It's not as strategic as XCOM but it does have a much more enjoyable story and characters.  It's perfect for someone who is looking for a game that requires some strategy but still wants to feel invested in what is happening.