Firaxis and Take-Two Interactive’s 2K Games have spilled more details about the upcoming XCOM 2 sequel.
The game is a follow-up to XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a turn-based strategy game that debuted in 2012, and its expansion pack XCOM: Enemy Within from 2013. These rebooted the original XCOM series from the 1990s.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":1748523,"post_type":"preview","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"C"}']Sid Meier’s former company, MicroProse, created the X-COM turn-based strategy sci-fi titles in the 1990s. That series was a cult favorite, and Firaxis, which Meier also founded, finally capitalized on that cult status a few years ago with a widely acclaimed remake. The new game will be the 12th in the series (which, yes, is now spelled XCOM and used to be spelled X-COM).
And this turn-based XCOM 2, which is a slow paced, one-round-at-a-time game, shouldn’t be confused with Irrational Games’ shooter, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, from 2013. OK, you can be confused. But just don’t say I didn’t try to straighten it out for you.
In XCOM 2, the aliens have taken over Earth, and it’s 20 years later. It has all kinds of alien enemies, such as the Sectoids, which are imp-like creatures with psionic powers. That Sectoid is countered by a soldier known as a Ranger, who carries a mean-looking katana sword. Another alien enemy is the Viper, a snake-like creature that looks pretty darn scary.
The new video below takes place on the anniversary of Unification Day, which is the day that Earth surrendered to the aliens. It looks like an interesting combination of grid-based tactical turn-based combat and cinematic videos, combined into a more movie-like experience.
