With a tropical rainforest climate outside all week and nothing too exciting happening in the game world until this fall, my Xbox hours are getting few and far between lately. When I do power on, I find myself surfing the dashboard for something to get into. Thank the stars for Games On Demand. My find this week is a little gem called The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. Twenty bucks on the dashboard, 3rd person shooter and squad based action got my attention quickly. You can check out screenshots and game info here: http://www.thebureau-game.com/us/#index

Allow me to set the scene. It is the JFK era. The country is gripped by the fear of communism. But the real threat to humanity is the coming alien invasion by the Outsiders. As William Carter, a secret government agent, you head the team that will save Earth’s existence as we know it. This squad based, customizable, shooter was just my cup of tea, reminiscent of Mass Effect.(BioWare) You have a team of yourself and two other agents, each with their own perks and special abilities, that you control. Upgrades are earned by playing and new agents can be recruited and customized. The story is compelling enough to hold my attention and wonder what happens next. The controls were familiar and easy to maneuver. Of course, it is powered by Unreal and developed by one of the most lovable studios, 2K.

I will not give any spoilers to the story but I will recommend this game to anyone who loves shooters. The price cannot be beat, replay value is present and the cheevos is plentiful. Also there are a couple of DLC add-ons, which adds to the fun.

Frag Out!

Cya on the box!