12 Biggest Video Games That Are The Most Value For Money

5. XCOM: Enemy Within/XCOM 2

Depending on whether you're a console or PC gamer, you'll have access to either XCOM: Enemy Within (the 2013 definitive edition of Enemy Unknown) or XCOM 2, the recently-released PC/Mac sequel that's currently wowing fans all over again. Regardless, both games are top-down isometric strategy-fests, letting you build up a custom team of soldiers purpose-trained to repel an alien horde. The second game goes with the idea that humanity actually loses this fight in the preceding two games, therefore making you a rebel faction slowly reclaiming the land, whereas the first two posit you in an 'all or nothing' war for Earth itself. The sheer depth of playability on offer is consistently staggering. Just take any mission as an indication of the possibilities therein; you'll deploy on a mission, taking team members that can be customised with everything from clothing to cybernetic implants, fight aliens that if captured alive, can be studied, harvested and repurposed into all sorts of additional equipment. You'll then set your scientists off researching weapon and armour upgrades, unlock flying armour suits, cloaking technology, submit certain soldiers for biomechanical augments - and that's all within the first half hour. XCOM has one HELL of an addictive gameplay loop at its core, asking you to figure out precisely what's going to turn the tide in battle every step of the way. Once it has you, there's no escaping - at least not without pondering your next mission in the process.