There are few things finer than pleasantly subverted expectations. Hear the words ‘strategic, turn-based combat’ and you probably picture the alternate reality alien invasion of XCOM: Enemy Unknown or another similarly blue-tinged setting from the XCOM series’ ever-popular catalogue. But you probably don’t think of 1960s London and its seedy underground crime scene.
Resistance Games’ Company of Crime, available to buy now, takes this subverted expectation and runs with it – tinkers with it, too, adding a number of intriguing mechanics to the XCOM formula. There are plenty of unique elements in here, for sure, and tactics lovers will find much to sink their teeth into.
Take this vastly different setting. Resistance Games says that “this is a story of 1960s London with beatniks, mods, lemonheads, rockers, and every other cultural identity of the time. It’s also a story of a falling empire. The Cold War UK is shining in the cultural world, but is facing ever-increasing pressure from inside and out.”
This pressure from the outside comes in the form of a “mysterious order” that wants to dismantle the British Empire – criminal or copper, it’s a threat that must be taken seriously. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at what genre fans can expect.
Tactics meets in-your-face bone crunching
XCOM is famous for its unique blend of combat and strategy. Company of Crime offers a delicious spin on this, providing the same style of turn-based tactics but with a great focus on close-quarters melee combat. Units operate within a zone of control that ties them to the choices you make. Using this system, you can block enemy movements, build superiority through unit numbers, and take advantage of flanking bonuses by attacking from behind. Pleasingly, you can also just kick enemies right between the legs to down them.
This all makes for a combat system that’s both familiar but uniquely intimate. Positioning is key within the more enclosed spaces of Company of Crime’s levels, while the zone of control mechanic allows you to escape sticky situations or press an advantage when the opportunity arises. Less squatting behind cover at a safe distance, more a strategic ‘kick in the nuts’. Can’t say fairer than that.
Unlikely bedfellows: play as gangsters or Scotland Yard’s finest
That aforementioned shadowy order makes a common enemy for bobbies and brutes, both of which you can have a go at playing. You can either take control of a crime duo, à la the Kray twins, or the brow-beaten, no-nonsense coppers. It’s not just a superficial moral choice, either, as you’ll need to take those differing roles into account when playing the game.
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If you’re playing as the criminals, you’ll need to hide evidence and not bring too much attention to yourself – keep the heat off, in other words. While tackling the streets of London as a copper will require you to react swiftly to crimes that take place, assigning sergeants to tasks and patrols, and building your case by speaking to informants and raiding potential evidence beds. This makes for two very different styles of play, and a level of tactical nuance that’d make even XCOM fans blush.
Build a seedy squad or a righteous force
Just like in XCOM, you can build your own tailored squad. If you’re playing as the criminals, it’ll be composed of seedy underground mobsters. Lovely. It’s probably not a good idea to commit your latest crime with Joe ‘can’t rub two sticks together to make fire’ Bloggs – you want Mr. Mean, Mrs. Fearsome, or perhaps just someone you can trust. Strategy isn’t a solo endeavour – you’ll need to find the team that can get the job done. On the other side of the tracks you’ll need detectives “that have mastered the art of investigation”.
Ultimately, Company of Crime’s setting and smart mechanics give the game a unique flavour: turn-based, but close quarters; team-based, but maybe a bit sleazy; tactical, but fresh concerns to consider. Tactics fans will have a field day, certainly, but so should everyone else.