Tales of the Rampant Coyote

Adventures in Indie Gaming!

A Real X-Com?

Posted by Rampant Coyote on January 5, 2012

Okay. Here’s what would be incredibly funny (if unlikely). 2K Marin’s first-person shooter X-Com remake tanks, while Firaxis’s newly-announced X-Com: Enemy Unknown – which sounds to be a straight-up strategy game with turn-based tactical combat – sells near-Civilization quantities.

Anyway, we old-school fans of the original may have reason to rejoice…

Game Informer – X-Com: Enemy Unknown Cover Revealed

The excerpt that makes me fight to temper my glee and optimism with caution:

“Unlike 2K Marin’s previously announced XCOM shooter, which sparked tempers among longtime fans for turning its back on the series’ cerebral roots, this title is a full-on strategy game that puts players in command of a global anti-alien defense force. XCOM’s leader needs a worldwide perspective where threats are identified, populations reassured, and national leaders mollified – but a tactical mind is just as critical considering every shot XCOM’s soldiers fire on the battlefield is under the player’s turn-based control.”

Man, I hope it rocks. The fact that it’s going to be released on the consoles as well does make me a little concerned that it’s going to be too console-ized (which can be a good thing or a bad thing, but too often means “dumbed down” and a bad thing). But while I’m trying to temper my hope, there’s a very good chance this will be my first mainstream game pre-order I’ve made in years.

 


Filed Under: Mainstream Games, Strategy Games - Comments: 7 Comments to Read



  • McTeddy said,

    I’ve learned not to get excited until the game is released and its proven to be good…

    Oh hell with that… POSSIBLE REAL X-COM! WHOOOOHOOOOO!

  • Rampant Coyote said,

    Yup, that’s pretty much my exact reaction. I’m fighting a losing battle here trying to stave off the optimism. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

  • jwmeep said,

    “The fact that it’s going to be released on the consoles as well does make me a little concerned that it’s going to be too console-ized (which can be a good thing or a bad thing, but too often means “dumbed down” and a bad thing).”

    Agreed, one hundred percent. I’ve said it another forum, but I have absolutely no problem a game coming out for consoles. In theory. In execution however it usually means the PC gets a poor port of a console game, with a bad UI. And it really bothers me that too often console games have the parts that make you think removed. I’m not a big console guy (other than my trusty handhelds), but if I was, this would be truly insulting. Who says you can’t have strategy, just because you are holding a gamepad? I think console gamers have every reason to be just as insulted by this dumbing down, as the PC crowd does. Japan makes turnbased strategy games for the consoles and handhelds all the time, that are often filled with complexity.

    Oh well. That little bit aside, I had the same reaction “Wait, they are making a real XCOM? Sweet, now I hope they make a real Syndicate.”

    In the meantime, thanks to good old indies, we have other options, just in case:
    http://www.xenonauts.com/
    http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/09/21/paradox-announce-cartel-interview/

  • Demiath said,

    While it’s certainly true that consoles have their fair share of games with tactical turn-based combat (the SRPG subgenre being an excellent example of a challenging, UI-demanding and menu-heavy kind of console experience), it’s the whole world map/strategy part of X-COM which seems the most difficult to translate to a gamepad-oriented system.

    Then again, it’s not so much that the consoles can’t incorporate things like base building, navigating a sizeable list of build options and constantly switching between different menus – the problem is that it’s simply not the kind of experience which has come to be associated with modern console games (at least not the HD machines; handhelds are slightly different but I’m assuming XCOM is going to be a 360/PS3 game). And if Firaxis’ own Civilization Revolution is anything to go by, some radical changes are necessary in order to translate a well-established PC strategy gameplay formula into something which can make sense on the console marketplace…

  • Mart said,

    @jwmeep:

    And don’t forget UFO:Alien Invasion. That’s free btw!

  • Captain Kal said,

    I ‘ve spent so many hours playing the first X-Com. And I had the CD32 version, with no saving in the tactical battles. Unfortunatelly I never finished Terror from the Deep, or X-Com Apocalypse (But X-Com Interceptor was great fun too IMHO).

    If you can’t wait, the UFO Aftermath trilogy might be of interest (I really liked the pausable real time battle system, like Baldur’s Gate). And if a console version bothers you , you might want to check Jullian Golop’s “Rebelstar: Tactical Command” for the GBA, or “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars” for the 3DS. (Jullian Golop was the original X-Com developer).

  • Kresh said,

    I’m part of the minority that played almost all the XCOM titles (not enforcer and interceptor) and is more than willing to see either game and judge them based on their merits. I’ve found that it’s easier to enjoy new games if I ignore what my sense of nostalgia says the game should be like.

    I’m looking forward to both games. I like Firaxis games (nay, love) and I was more than surprised that they were coming to the table with this. I’m quite looking forward to their re-imagining (or remake, or whatever).

    I do hope that the 2K Marin title does really well, merely out of spite. I’m tired so very of the people of my generation (those who learned to finesse DOS so they could play CD games on a 486) whining whenever a game deviates from their nostalgic golden zone of awesome. I’m also tired of being blasted, by these same types, for saying “Well, let’s see what they do with it.”

    Sorry for responding a week after the post.

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