XCOM: Enemy Within

XCOM: Enemy Within is the game that convinced me turn-based tactics could carry genuine emotional stakes. When a squad member you have been using for fifteen missions gets one-shot by a Muton, you feel it. The base management layer adds a strategic dimension that pure tactics games skip, and the campaign structure gives the whole thing direction. It landed here rather than the main list because the hardware requirement is less forgiving than the games above it: older CPUs show hitches during transitions and effects-heavy moments. On a modern low-end machine it runs acceptably. On something truly ancient, manage your expectations.