XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a reboot worth getting excited for

In a period of gaming where old games are being rebooted just to be played in high definition, It's refreshing to see a game do more than just make itself prettier, but offer an entirely different experience as well. RTS mastermind Sid Meier is back again with his team at Firaxis Games, to bring us a remake of the 1994 title, UFO: Enemy Unknown.

It's not a traditional remake though, even the name has changed to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The game is set in the present day, an alien invasion has just hit causing a reaction from multiple nations to fend off the attack and save the world from decimation. You are given control of the XCOM project, the most elite military and scientific organization of all time. Your job is to eliminate the extraterrestrial army before they eliminate all of human kind.

Ladies and gentlemen... I present the "Geoscape"

Game-play will be similar to the other titles in the X:COM series. The real-times strategy elements will be confined to a global view called "Geoscape." In this view of the map, players will perform multiple task that include managing resources and personnel, conducting research of alien technologies, interacting with the governments of X:COM's funding nations, ordering aircraft to intercept UFOs, and dispatching troops to engage enemies in combat on the ground. There will also be a new view called "ant farm" which allows players to customize the X:COM headquarters as well as order research and engineering, equip troops, and observe various activities of X:COM personnel.

Basic RTS camera view

The actual action sequences of the game are all turn based, using a third person view. When commanding your units or planning your next actions, the camera is zoomed out giving the player a vast view of the landscape. When the player's turn is over, the camera will zoom in to show brutal kills performed by your squad and the enemy. The game provides some of the best AI I've seen to date. Each soldier in your squad is aware of what is going on on the battlefield and are emotionally expressive. If you are clearly winning a battle, your squad will be more confident and deliver some heroic sounding banter. If your squad is on a clear path to defeat, they will whimper, panic, and cry as the enemy presses on. Environments are also destructible, making this already beautiful looking game look better and feel more real.

Though the game is a reboot, it has gutted some core game-play elements and replaced them with modern-day conventions. The inventory system, grid map, and time units system have all been removed. The equipping of special weapons and items will now be controlled through a toolbar of various actions that stretches across the bottom of the screen. You will no longer have to disembark from carriers at the start of battles either, troops will already be deployed at the beginning of each mission. A new cover system has also been integrated into the game. In cover, your squad will react to enemy gunfire and lay down suppressive fire if needed. Stealth will be an element added into the game-play as well as special abilities for both humans and aliens.

Dynamic camera view during action sequence

Mission structure is deeper than just neutralizing enemy forces and rescuing civilians. Now each mission will come with sub-objectives that will need to be completed in order to progress through the story. The game runs on the Unreal 3 engine, so there will be some beautiful cut-scenes to look forward to during the campaign. Multiplayer will be featured in the game, but the only game mode will be a one-on-one tactical battle. Players can choose between humans, aliens, or have a mixture of both on their team. Each player will also be given a budget at the beginning of the match in which they will spend towards assembling the best squad possible.




This game will feature a unique experience for both hardcore and casual RTS players. To make this game a little more awesome, Fireaxis games will be releasing it on consoles as well. That's not the awesome part though. Unlike Civilization: Revolution, the console version of X:COM will not be stripped down and will be the same as the PC version, minus a mouse driven user interface and the ability to mod. The game is scheduled to be released on PC, Ps3, and Xbox 360 on Oct. 9, 2012, and will be available digitally, and in stores.

Check out a game-play video provided by Giant Bomb here.