XCOM...the shooter? Two Great Tastes that Taste Great Together!

Andrew

Hey! You got shooter in my XCOM!

Hey! You got XCOM in my shooter!

From Kotaku

X-Com, the classic 90's turn-based strategy game pitting mankind against alien invaders, is set to make a comeback as a first-person shooter, courtesy of the 2K studios behind BioShock 2.

The game, which is actually called XCOM, is in development for the Xbox 360 and PC at 2K Australia and 2K Marin, and makes substantial changes to the original series, combining research and planning elements not with overhead, turn-based strategy sections, but with first-person shooter action.

"With BioShock 2, the team at 2K Marin proved themselves as masters of first-person, suspenseful storytelling, and with XCOM they will re-imagine and expand the rich lore of this revered franchise," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "Players will explore the world of XCOM from an immersive new perspective and experience firsthand the fear and tension of this gripping narrative ride."

It's funny, for years, people kept repeating the same rumour, that 2K Boston and Ken Levine would be making a new X-Com game. Don't think anyone expected it to come from 2K's other BioShock studio. Actually, I don't know if anyone honestly expected this at all.

Omnutia

So it's XCOM themed Bioshock as opposed to an XCOM game.

Walker

Well, that's exciting. I suppose a direct, modernised copy of the mechanics X-COM: UFO Defense would be a waste of time. If they're going to revive the IP they might as well take it in a new direction, rather than take the route that the other sequels did and make a worse version of the gameplay that was almost perfected in the original. If it wasn't 2K Marin/Irrational I might be worried, but with Bioshock 1 & 2 they proved themselves more than competent in making FPS games. I really hope they take the aesthetics of the game in an interesting direction, instead of the "We're making an Aliens game (but not really)" image that popped into my head as soon as I saw that they were making a shooter.

So it's XCOM themed Bioshock as opposed to an XCOM game.

Ideally they're making a heavily tactical shooter where the high-level strategy has a major effect on the ground battles. Clearly they're making it an FPS to stay competitive, but if they're smart they'll at least make it look like real-time X-COM to draw in the cult following.

Omnutia

Ideally they're making a heavily tactical shooter where the high-level strategy has a major effect on the ground battles. Clearly they're making it an FPS to stay competitive, but if they're smart they'll at least make it look like real-time X-COM to draw in the cult following.

Much as it'd be nice to hope. When was the last time a game made by a major studio lived up to that level of idealism?

Rym

I am not optimistic. The RTS world map combined with the turn-based squad combat COMBINED with the pausetime management game were what made XCom great. Take any one of these out, and you have something far less worthwhile.

Never, ever confuse theme with game. While the playing experience itself is holistic (for most people, at least), the two must be analyzed independently. The theme means nothing if the game isn't worthwhile, unless you want a long-form minimally interactive movie. The theme of Xcom wasn't unique, and wasn't even that interesting: it had nothing to do with the value of the game as a whole. The novelty of the game is why Xcom is so well remembered. Every sequel pretended to be an Xcom game, but fucked up some important aspect of the underlying mechanics of the game.

I predict an ok-to-above-average FPS that has nothing to do with Xcom game-wise.

Cremlian

Didn't they already make a X-com shooter.

Nine Boomer

Didn't they already make a X-com shooter.

I prefer to imagine they didn't.

Apreche

Didn't they already make a X-com shooter.

It was third person.

MrRoboto

Incubation (X-com knock off with poor gameplay and graphics), had the option of going FPS when the action happened if you wanted, but it was a bit more for cinematic value than control.

AaronC

Man I was so excited when I saw the XCOM headline. Now I'm so .... meh, I guess I'll reserve judgment until it comes out, but it doesn't sound like X-Com to me.

MrRoboto

Give X-com I Starcraft II graphics, more guns, more research, more balanced AI = GAME OF THE YEAR.

Apreche

Give X-com I Starcraft II graphics, more guns, more research, more balanced AI = GAME OF THE YEAR.

Multiplayer.

Omnutia

Nine Boomer

Here's some info about this.

I remain ever pessimistic about this endeavor, but this may turn out to be a pretty good game. It might work as an fps, but I'm concerned by the AI of the companions seeing how you can seemingly only control your own character.