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XCOM 2 Preview - E3 2015

The rules have changed in this turn based strategy sequel

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There’s no subtitle at the end of the XCOM: Enemy Unknown sequel, no colon which extends into a series of bland buzzwords. It’s simple and elegant. It’s a testament to what the franchise has become. As a re-envisioning of an old classic, XCOM: Enemy Unknown needed a stamp to separate itself from the long languishing franchise, needed branding to establish something fresh and new. Three years after Enemy Unknown, the XCOM brand no longer needs such titular flair. Those who have sunk hundreds of hours into the first XCOM know exactly what they should be getting in a sequel. And they’re getting it in spades.

XCOM 2

If you actually beat Firaxis’ Enemy Unknown, there was an ending where your team would blow up the alien mother ship and save humanity. It was cliché and melodramatic, and not many players saw it on their first try. More likely, you got to experience the dark, bad ending of Enemy Unknown, where you are told that the XCOM project is to be abandoned and humanity must make peace with their alien invaders. This is what Firaxis is dubbing the canonical ending for XCOM, setting the stage for XCOM 2.

With XCOM defeated and the humanity living in “harmony” with their alien invaders, it seems like all hope for freedom has been lost. History has been rewritten by the winners and the story of a war which occurred only twenty years ago has been fabricated to make our alien occupiers seem like victorious heroes. Monuments to mankind’s alien overlords have been erected in future cities reminiscent of the dystopia, complete with body scans and big brother surveillance. All of this is perpetrated by the ruling human-alien alliance called the Advent.

With no main base to hunker down into, XCOM 2 takes your team on the run around the world in a mobile command hovercraft. From this airborne command unit you can recruit more soldiers to join your cause as one of five classes, research the new alien species, and develop new technology for your fight.

The mission shown to me was an effort to destroy a statue which commemorated the 20th anniversary of Earth’s unconditional surrender. The mission starts by demonstrating the game’s new cinematic design. Enemy Unknown only allowed you to glimpse humanity through the scope of the game’s mechanics. You could see the panic meters for specific countries or rescue people off the street, but you didn’t really interact with them beyond that. XCOM 2 relies on propaganda efforts and reaching out to the people to rally around your cause. The mission’s opening cinematic is a compilation of new reports detailing the new monument and its importance to the Advent.

Upon landing and getting into position, it’s obvious that XCOM has seen a face lift since its previous outing. The colors are more distinct, the voice over work is more dynamic to the action on the battlefield; the whole product seems more refined and the budget expanded. Little cinematic cutscenes popped up throughout the demonstration based on the action unfolding.

XCOM 2

After insertion, the squad carefully worked its way forward attempting not to alert any enemies. While the previous XCOM had elements of exploration while you searched for the alien threat, XCOM 2 conveys a feeling of caution and stealth as you attempt to move your team into position. But much like the first game, the ambience before the battle is quiet and foreboding.

Instead of the repetitive responses such as, “Moving out!” or “Copy, Commander” XCOM 2 features responses more detailed and situation specific. The best example was when all the soldiers were in place and a shot was being lined up, you could hear a member of the team say, “You’ve got the shot. Take it!”

The soldier fires, brings down their target and the enemy springs into action as the dynamic music kicks into full gear. I can feel the XCOM rush you get when you jump into the combat phase of the game.

The enemy returns fire and it quickly becomes apparent that environments are more destructible. The cement barriers the XCOM team hid behind are destroyed and they are forced to find more cover. This yields a more strategic and fast-paced style of play. There’s no leaving soldiers camped behind cover, because that cover can vanish quickly.

While the main team engages the enemy in a firefight, a lone squad member sneaks behind the Advent soldiers and attaches the bomb to the designated target. This is managed without too much trouble, but no sooner is the bomb placed than a fresh batch of enemies are dropped into the fray. These big brutes are tougher to bring down and are joined by the snake-human hybrid glimpsed in the game’s trailer.

In order to hold off these new enemies, one of the squad hacks a nearby turret gun which they use against the Advent. They also manage to take out the snake-human hybid, but not before losing a member of their squad.

However, unlike the previous XCOM title, the goal isn’t to clear out an alien threat and evacuate. The aliens are the rulers here and their resources seem unlimited. Before the squad can clear out the enemy, two more Advent soldiers enter the fray and soon the XCOM squad is outnumbered and another member goes down.

XCOM 2

The goal isn’t to win the battle straight out, but to operate in guerrilla hit-and-run warfare. Now is the time for running. One of the squad calls in evac, which can be placed anywhere you want on the map. One of the downed members is picked up by a teammate and carried to the extraction point to be later revived. Just as the enemy is closing in and defeat is eminent, the squad is evaced to safety.

With procedurally generated levels and this new hit-and run style of play, XCOM 2 looks like it is a game which is designed to keep players on their toes. The small cutscenes that accompany kill shots, new enemies, and other events are much more impressive and visually engaging than in the previous game. It is truly an evolution of XCOM.

XCOM 2 is coming exclusively to PC in November 2015.

Comments
XCOM 2
XCOM 2 box art Platform:
PC
Our Review of XCOM 2
75%
Good
The Verdict:
Game Ranking
XCOM 2 is ranked #861 out of 1953 total reviewed games. It is ranked #55 out of 138 games reviewed in 2016.
860. Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition
PlayStation 4
861. XCOM 2
862. Gears of War 4
Xbox One
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Screenshots

XCOM 2
15 images added Feb 17, 2016 22:50
Videos
XCOM 2 - Moment of Truth Trailer
Posted: Jun 3, 2015 00:25
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Posted: Dec 10, 2015 15:36
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