The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

About

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a single player tactical shooter game with fantasy, historical and science fiction themes. It was developed by 2K Marin and was released on August 22, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

In "The Bureau: XCOM Declassified," play as Special Agent Carter and lead your squad to investigate a top-secret facility that has gone silent. Uncover the mystery behind the radio silence, eliminate threats, and bring the facility back online to turn the tides of the secret war. This tactical third-person shooter game requires strategic planning and quick decision-making.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified screenshot

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,070 reviews

story1.3k positive mentions

optimization68 negative mentions

Unique blend of tactical shooting and strategy gameplay set in a captivating 1960s Cold War atmosphere.
Engaging storyline with unexpected twists and well-developed characters.
Fun gameplay mechanics that allow for squad customization and strategic combat.

Clunky controls and poor AI for squadmates, requiring constant micromanagement.
Repetitive gameplay with limited mission variety and lack of depth in tactical elements.
Technical issues, including crashes and performance drops, especially related to PhysX settings.

story
4,634 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The story of "The Bureau: XCOM Declassified" is set in the 1960s during an alien invasion, blending themes of government conspiracy and sci-fi horror. While the narrative features some intriguing twists and character development, it suffers from pacing issues and plot inconsistencies, leading to a mixed reception among players. Overall, the story is engaging enough to keep players invested, but it may not meet the expectations of those familiar with the more strategic and lore-rich elements of the main XCOM series.
- “Despite some technical flaws, the strong story, beautiful world-building, and immersive setting make this a journey worth taking.”
- “Reimagining XCOM as a 1960s covert operation gives the story a strong identity, blending government paranoia, Cold War politics, and sci-fi horror.”
- “The story is surprisingly engaging, with a few twists that keep you hooked until the end.”
- “My only regret is that they didn’t invest more in the story and relationships between squad members, which could have elevated the gameplay even further.”
- “The story, despite its strong setting, is a missed opportunity.”
- “The emotional stakes feel hollow, not because the story lacks big ideas, but because it fails to ground them in characters we care about.”
gameplay
1,904 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
61%
12%
The gameplay of "The Bureau: XCOM Declassified" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its blend of third-person shooting and light tactical mechanics reminiscent of the "Mass Effect" series. While some appreciate the unique squad command system and the game's atmospheric setting, others criticize the repetitive nature of combat, clunky controls, and poor AI, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as competent but lacking the depth and strategic elements that fans of the XCOM franchise might expect.
- “The gameplay blends third-person shooting and tactical gameplay, allowing players to control a team of agents with unique abilities and weapons.”
- “The infusion of XCOM mechanics into the cover shooter gameplay works quite well, and the narrative and characters are solid enough.”
- “The biggest highlight was the mechanic to order around customizable squadmates - this did make it feel like you're one of the guys on the ground you usually control from a bird's eye view in the other XCOM games without losing too much tactics.”
- “The gameplay is a mix of tactics and action third-person shooter.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth.”
- “The gameplay is frustrating, working against you in every battle.”
graphics
950 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
44%
6%
The graphics of *The Bureau: XCOM Declassified* receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the retro 1960s aesthetic and detailed environments that effectively convey the game's atmosphere. While some praise the visuals as surprisingly good for a title from 2013, others note that the graphics have aged poorly, with issues such as graphical glitches and subpar animations detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the art direction is often highlighted as a strong point, even if the technical execution falls short at times.
- “The game nails its retro Cold War aesthetic, pairing 1960s government offices with eerie alien corruption.”
- “The graphics are excellent for 2013, and the art direction does a good job of operating within the technical constraints of the era in order to give it the timeless look that some games have.”
- “The graphics hold up well after 10 years.”
- “Overall, the game just felt sort of generic with little to invest in regarding the characters and the tactical aspect, paired with middling graphics and a slow and awkward combat system that saps the fun away.”
- “While the 1960s aesthetic carries charm, the graphics haven’t aged gracefully.”
- “The graphics are poorly designed, the gameplay is repetitive with controls that are difficult to use, and voice acting that feels stale and bored.”
atmosphere
264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
2%
The atmosphere of "The Bureau: XCOM Declassified" is widely praised for its immersive 1960s setting, effectively blending Cold War paranoia with sci-fi elements. Reviewers highlight the game's strong world-building, detailed environments, and atmospheric sound design, which collectively create a nostalgic and engaging experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and character depth. Overall, the game's unique aesthetic and thematic execution stand out as its most compelling features.
- “The atmosphere, gameplay, and squad mechanics are all really solid.”
- “While the plot itself is fairly straightforward, the atmosphere and world-building do much of the heavy lifting, making the narrative engaging even when the writing doesn’t fully capitalize on its premise.”
- “The atmosphere is great: a 1960s setting mixing cold war paranoia and mysterious alien forces.”
- “The bureau: XCOM Declassified shines with its 1960s conspiracy-driven setting and moody atmosphere, but shallow abilities and pacing issues hold it back.”
- “While the story is extremely well written and exceptionally executed, so long as you take the time to talk to people and review letters and recordings, XCOM Declassified really shines when it comes to overall atmosphere.”
- “Unfortunately that takes away from what is a very well crafted atmosphere, leaving you playing a game that you neither relish nor hate.”
optimization
170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
42%
40%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, particularly when using PhysX settings. While some users found it playable on modest hardware, others experienced severe lag and bugs that hindered the overall experience, leading to a consensus that the game is poorly optimized for modern systems. Despite its engaging gameplay, the technical shortcomings have left many players frustrated and unable to recommend it.
- “The bureau runs well on modest hardware, with stable performance across most systems.”
- “Performance-wise, I had no issues with the game aside from some errors on my second session.”
- “Overall, the game plays fine performance-wise.”
- “Do note that there are technical issues with this game on modern hardware: PhysX tanks your performance even when it works, high frame rates will make you stumble on level geometry, and some triggers may fail to trigger, leaving you stuck and having to restart from a checkpoint.”
- “The game's performance was also subpar, with frequent frame rate drops and long loading times.”
- “This game suffers from horrible optimization, random hitches, and low framerate in areas, making it unplayable.”
stability
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
1%
97%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. While some users noted minor glitches that were manageable, many described the game as "buggy," "unfinished," and "poorly optimized," leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Overall, the technical issues detract from the potential of the game, making it difficult for players to recommend it without reservations.
- “Crew mechanics function in real time with no glitches and very cool specialization.”
- “I've seen a bunch of posts about this game being glitchy, and in truth, I saw almost no glitches.”
- “While this game is repetitive and is not completely bug-free, I did have fun with it.”
- “The game is unplayable; it loads up, shows NVIDIA for a second, and then the game freezes. If I don't react fast enough, it crashes my PC.”
- “We are not talking about some random freezes; I had around 20 crashes during the whole campaign, and it has been very frustrating, especially when it occurred in the middle of long fights.”
- “The game itself is buggy, with graphical errors, hit detection problems, constant crashing, and framerate issues that hamper the gameplay.”
music
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The music in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its atmospheric fit for the 1960s setting, while others find it forgettable or underwhelming. Some tracks effectively enhance the game's tension, but issues like audio glitches and a lack of memorable compositions detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the soundtrack has its moments, it often fails to leave a lasting impression, with many players wishing for a more diverse selection of licensed songs from the era.
- “The soundtrack leans heavily into suspense and paranoia, using subdued orchestration to reinforce the era and tone.”
- “The atmosphere, music, level design, and aesthetics are very immersive and brilliant to listen to and look at.”
- “The music fits very well with the theme and setting - it is appropriately intense whenever the action calls for it.”
- “The music was also standard and annoyingly tied to rendered scenes, meaning the only way to hear the story is to keep the music at full blast.”
- “Music isn't very inspiring and the sound effects are just okay.”
- “I found the music forgettable and underwhelming.”
replayability
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
65%
24%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as low, with many players noting a lack of significant choices or varied outcomes that would encourage multiple playthroughs. While some reviews mention a few redeeming qualities, such as different endings or challenges, the consensus is that the game offers limited reasons to return after the initial playthrough, making it more suitable for a one-time experience rather than repeated enjoyment. Overall, players recommend purchasing it on sale rather than at full price due to its minimal replay value.
- “The game features multiple ending scenarios, providing replayability and the opportunity for players to uncover various outcomes.”
- “Replayability is not huge but still it gives you good reason to go at it a couple more times and still enjoy it.”
- “The game has a nice 13-hour campaign with side missions and minor story choices adding replayability, especially with the higher difficulties.”
- “If you’re a hardcore fan of the franchise, it’s an interesting curiosity, but don’t expect anything close to the depth or replayability of the main series.”
- “The major reason I do not recommend it is the lack of replayability and how short it is.”
- “There's not really much 'replayability' in it because it's just a once-through game; the only change in another playthrough would be the ending, but it's only determined by a choice late in the game.”
grinding
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the lack of variety in combat and the overwhelming micromanagement required. While some appreciate the potential for strategic gameplay, the overall experience is marred by long, drawn-out battles and excessive backtracking, leading to a sense of monotony. Players recommend caution, suggesting that the game may only be worth playing during sales due to its grind-heavy nature.
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “28.3 hours game beaten on veteran (not too tedious and sometimes a bit easy, sometimes a bit hard. If you intend to play veteran, it's a good start. If you go to the max level, it may get tedious. The battles are hard sometimes. Mostly, I found the game very easy, but I'm a strategy guy. Note: this is not an action game; tactical wins and losses drive the game, not being a hero.)”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Every moment of gameplay was tedious and repetitive, and I kept begging for the end to come.”
- “Unrewarding gameplay mostly involving spamming abilities and grinding through waves of repetitive enemies.”
- “The game itself is fun at the beginning, at least I could stomach it for a while, but it gets tedious after a few missions.”
humor
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny due to quirky dialogue and unexpected glitches, while others feel it falls flat or is unintentionally amusing. The comedic elements, including humorous character interactions and absurd AI behavior, add charm but lack consistency, leading to a perception of the game as both entertaining and frustrating. Overall, while the humor can enhance the experience, it often feels overshadowed by technical issues and a lack of depth in character development.
- “The occasional humor in the dialogues adds some charm, but it's not consistent enough to stand out.”
- “The cover mechanics can feel clunky, and the AI occasionally makes some hilariously poor decisions.”
- “The game's riddled with glitches and other technical problems, some of which are hilariously nonsensical.”
- “Almost all the characters are unlikable, with the main character resembling an unfunny archer (not a ha-ha narcissist, more like a total jerk).”
- “But then again, it's not funny for the reasons it should be, if at all.”
emotional
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and connection to the characters, with many reviewers noting that the protagonist, William Carter, and the supporting cast are underdeveloped and uncharismatic. Emotional moments feel forced and fail to resonate, leaving players feeling detached from the narrative. Despite some attempts at emotional storytelling, the overall execution is deemed flat and uninspiring, overshadowed by a boring plot and poor character development.
- “The emotional stakes feel hollow, not because the story lacks big ideas, but because it fails to ground them in characters we care about.”
- “Sad fact because William Carter's history is deep and emotional, but despite this, I recommend it.”
- “The main character you play - Carter - is a slightly emotionally disturbed individual, because of what happened to his family in the past.”
- “A lot of people have said that this game is bad with a lot of glitches, a boring story, and other problems.”
- “The terrible and boring story or the atrocious animations and lack of proper lip sync.”
- “I was met with a boring story that felt cliched but not fun cliche; you're working with 1950-1960s themes and could have so much fun with a story like this, but none is to be had.”
character development
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
55%
24%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the memorable characters and their relationships, while others criticize the lack of depth and cohesion in character arcs. Many reviews highlight that while there are moments of character growth, the overall execution feels thin, with some characters lacking personality and emotional impact, particularly in the context of permadeath mechanics. Overall, the game offers a decent narrative experience but falls short of delivering the rich character development that players might expect.
- “The game has a strong focus on character development, with a cast of memorable characters whose relationships and motivations drive the story forward.”
- “Most of the explanations make sense according to the logic of their world, and the character development is good enough to make me care somewhat about most of the important characters.”
- “Well thought out character development; the agent system was cool with many different ways to challenge the variety of enemies.”
- “Predictable story with weak character development.”
- “The character development is pathetically thin; they don't really flesh out the agent's powers and they don't really give any of the fellow agents a real personality; it matters little if they die because you can just get a replacement.”
- “The general lack of character development was a drag.”
monetization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for its reliance on ads and data tracking, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience, labeling it as a "cash grab." While the game is affordably priced, many reviewers express disappointment over its perceived lack of depth and innovation, suggesting that the monetization strategies overshadow its potential. Overall, the advertising campaign is seen as misleading, failing to accurately represent the game's content and quality.
- “Ads can be shown in games, as if it were a free mobile milking machine.”
- “This, on the other hand, is the poster-child for 'cheap console port' and the very definition of a 'cash grab.'”
- “The DLC is an obvious cash grab, not something that adds to the game, but something that should have been included in the first place!”

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

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14h Median play time

14h Average play time

10h Main story

17h Completionist

10-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 52 analyzed playthroughs

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The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a tactical shooter game with fantasy, historical and science fiction themes.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, PlayStation 3 and others.

The main story can be completed in around 10 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 17 hours to finish. On average players spend around 14 hours playing The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified was released on August 22, 2013.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified was developed by 2K Marin.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a single player game.

Similar games include XCOM: Chimera Squad, Halfway, The Technomancer, Of Orcs And Men, Lost Planet 3 and others.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

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