10 Bullsh*t Video Game Mechanics You Had To Go With

By Scott Tailford / June 2, 2023

9. Inaccurate Percentages - XCOM

Firaxis

Okay, why even have percentage-based actions in games, if there's no consistency in their supposed execution?

That's a flowery way to say that if I'm pushing a rifle into an alien's face and the shot's likelihood is 90%, I'm kinda gonna lose all hope if it doesn't connect.

Over the years, XCOM has become synonymous with this huge disparity between visuals and action, leading to fans thinking "Screw it, why not!" when faced with both 5% chances and 95%.

Ultimately, XCOM - and more recently, Disco Elysium's - percentage-chance exchanges are either going to work or not, so maybe it's easier to just think of them as 50/50 coin flips?