XCOM: Enemy Unknown was one of my most favorite game from
2012, and by far the best turn based strategy game I have ever played. So I was
very excited when news of a new XCOM game began surfacing a month ago. Finally 2K
games has officially taken of the covers from their new game - The Bureau: XCOM
Declassified.
The game is set in the 1960s with the backdrop of the Cold
War. Unlike the previous games, there is no XCOM at the start, and players take
on the role of agent William Carter, who is assigned to The Bureau. Through
Carter’s eyes, players will see the “secret story” behind the birth of the XCOM
initiative.
“Secret invasion” is the key word in this version. The
earlier XCOM shooter stories are all set in a world ravaged by alien invasion.
On the other hand, XCOM Declassified gets more secretive, with the all-out
global invasion replaced by a more covert assault. It hopefully won’t make a
ton of difference on the battlefield, as the idea is still to put players in
the shoes of the agents on the field.
With the added twists from the Cold War, keeping the thing a
secret from the Russians and other enemies is certainly a part of the game. So
part of the story that you’ll be experiencing is how the war is kept in the
shadows. How XCOM is started and then slightly hidden from the world until it
is needed again.
Other than the jump from first-person to third-person, the
game will largely be the same as it was back in 2012 in gameplay terms. You
control one soldier on the battlefield – Carter – but you also issue tactical
commands to a squad of agents using the game’s new “Battle Focus” interface.
The Battle Focus interface according to 2K is the method to
direct your squad and keep yourself alive at the same time. The creative
director Morgan Gray explained that “our mission statement here is to move
beyond the turn-based isometric God’s Eye View on the battlefield and to put
you into the boots of this squad leader, where the bullets are flying in the
middle of the mix, having to basically direct your squad and keep your own head
from being shot off all at the same time.” Will wait out to see what this
actually means in terms of gameplay.
The rest looks to be quite similar, improving soldier skills,
researching alien life forms, building advanced weapons and defeating the
aliens. At least that is what the fans of last year’s game are hoping.
Will this game developed by 2K Marin outdo the last year’s
title developed by Firaxis. Only time will tell. The game releases on 20 August
in the US and on 23 Aug in Europe. It will be available for PlayStation 3, Xbox
360, and PC platforms for $59.99.
Expect more previews and details over the coming months,
providing us with more insight as we move toward this June’s E3. You can watch the teaser trailer below.
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