X-Com Enemy Unknown, the first shock gaming announcement of 2012 will be a “re-imagining” of the original X-Com game and will play as a mix of real-time and turn-based strategy, according to the first tantalising details revealed by Game Informer magazine today.
The upcoming fall 2012 console and computer game, which is being made by the legendary Civilization strategy game studio Firaxis and which is decidedly not like the upcoming first-person shooter X-Com in development at BioShock 2 studio 2K Marin will harken back to the original PC classic, but with some tweaks.
“Firaxis is undeniably streamlining aspects of the game and removing no small amount of micromanagement,” GI‘s Adam Blessener writes on the magazine’s website today, “but from what I’ve seen I wouldn’t call it ‘dumbing down’ the game so much as getting rid of tedium and uninteresting mechanics. Soldiers still die permanently, fog of war and line of sight are hugely important in combat, and you absolutely can lose the game if you screw up too badly.”
The game plays out in real-time at the global level, charging players with tracking UFOs and abductions. In player’s bases, where management and research is done, time is paused. Battles are turn-based.
GI‘s writer is “personally thrilled” about this game. We’ll know more about it as the month rolls along at the magazine doles out more coverage.
First Screens And Details Of XCOM: Enemy Unknown [Game Informer]
McGarnical
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 8:18 AMI just know there will be a vocal group of gamers who simply won’t like that this is on console as well as PC. I can understand some worry, if Firaxis were likely to not bother implementing mouse controls but I really don’t see the developers of Civilization doing that.
As for the simplification (dumbing down) I reckon this is a good thing if it’s done right. I thought Civilization V was fantastic, so with this too I am confident Firaxis will see us right.
Obviously time will tell.
Steengo
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:15 AMHave you played Civ Revolution? ‘Nuff said, really. It’s going to be a barrel of turds.
McGarnical
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 10:41 AMThat was a console exclusive and I’m pretty sure most people thought it was pretty neat.
Thom
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:04 AMNo way. Look at metacritic. Revolutions was not well recieved.
Steengo
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:23 AMThat’s what happens when you’re forced cater to a largely impatient, anti-strategy lowest common denominator.
AzizCat
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 9:22 AMSounds promising… so far.
Jiff
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:14 AMLooks good, but the term “re-imagine” makes me cringe..
NegativeZero
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 11:42 AM“Battles are turn-based”
That’s all I needed to hear.
captain Planet
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:41 PMMy nerd boner for this remake could topple mountains.
Small mountains, made mostly of sand.
DesmondTutu
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 5:00 PMSo could mine… until I saw that screenshot above. I know graphics don’t make a game, but seriously? wtf is that?
NOT IMPRESSED CAT
Tigerion
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 12:27 PMWhich screenshot are you not liking?
The base view, or the one with the gangly human impersonating aliens?
unlustig
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 3:02 AMbase entrance looks like a skull
(valuable comment)
Steve
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 9:50 PMCiv Revolutions was crap. Civ V was great but released unfinished/buggy and they tried to sell DLC for it before it was patched.