Wow, these guys did it again. I mean, I’m totally blown away (again) with this new XCOM: Enemy Unknown deep dive video. These are starting to become really addictive to watch. The first XCOM: EU “deep dive” video is also an excellent one. It makes an overview on the game, introducing the setting, the story and the overall gameplay. Now, this second video, focuses on presenting the XCOM’s base, or, the “Ant Farm” as the devs like to call it.
By watching the video you get to start to understand better why they “forgot” about allowing the player to build more bases across the globe, as the original X-COM games did. I think one of the reasons is because they invested so much in the base, the XCOM organization’s home, that any other base you would create after would just pale in comparison. And perhaps they thought additionally that if you would be allowed to build another of such magnificent bases, that would hurt the emotional bond you eventually establish with the “main base”.
I have to admit that although having more bases across the globe made all the sense back on the original X-COM games, now that I look back I didn’t really care much about the second, third or fourth bases I built. So, going with a single magnificent base was one way to go, and I totally get that now.
X-COM lovers will totally love this video. Series’ new-comers will at the very least wonder “What a hell is so special about XCOM anyway?”. Well, for you folks I invite you to read XCOM: Enemy Unknown vs Xenonauts – The Debate Starts, especially the part “What made the X-COM series fantastic in the first place?”, to get a taste of the X-COM cult. Xenonauts is also shaping nicely by the way, so this is not really a game about Firaxis vs Goldhawk, but really and totally about recreating what made the original X-COM games such landmarks of science fiction gaming. Till now I think both games look well underway on achieving that.
2K Games confirmed today that XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be available in North America on October 9th 2012 (and Oct 12th internationally). There will be a special package called the “Elite Soldiers Pack” available to people who pre-order featuring some aesthetic upgrades that you can apply to your armor. Then there will be a special package called “The Special Edition” that will be available exclusively for the PC for $59.99 and that will contain several goodies like “an art book, fold-out poster of the XCOM headquarters, XCOM insignia patch, and even some digital stuff like the soundtrack, special art, and more”. Read all about it here.
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Has it been confirmed somewhere if XCOM base attacks are in or not? From what we’ve seen about the base, it seems highly unlikely.
I was wondering about that too. And I also think it’s highly unlikely to have alien base attacks due to the “bunker” type of structure.
“in true x-com fashion you can’t build every one of this things”
I dont know what game have they been playing, but with 8 available bases there was plenty of room to build everything in original
Well, I guess they wanted to say “in a true x-com fashion you can’t build every one of this things all at once” :) But you could build everything yes. Just, not very fast. Sometimes we just had to sit and wait for another week or month to pass so that we could get funds from countries to build a new hangar or buy new gear.
But in this game you actaly can’t build everythins since there is only one base,
I didn’t get the impression that you can’t build all the building types available to you in the new XCOM, if that’s what you mean by “can’t build everything”. I got the impression that probably you will not be able to build as many of each as you’d like due to space limitations.
So, you will be forced to choose what to build next carefully. But this was the same with X-COM: UFO Defense. Your main-base size was limited. Yes, you could build more and different bases but the devs point was (what I understood) that in true X-COM fashion you always have to think and decide what you want to do in the base next, since resources are limited and you can’t have everything fast and done all at once.
But I guess that if you take the dev’s sentence “in a true x-com fashion you can’t build every one of this things” out of context then it would be an error yes. But I don’t think that was what he meant, I think he meant that you can’t build every one of those things all at once and as many as you’d like. In X-COM: UFO Defense you couldn’t also build all buildings at once, but you could probably build more of them :) But, imagine if the new XCOM main base has more tiles than all the original 8 bases combined? (unlikely) But, if you can’t build everything in the base (meaning all the different types of structures), then I think it could be a mistake.
Adam, he said “every time you play it’s sort of the different mix of the facilities”. So i do believe it’s actually meant to be this way. Once you play as science junkie, other time as soldier oriented general :)
But… let’s wait and find out.
Im somewhat disappointed that we won’t be able to control more troops 4 or 5 guys just doesn’t seem enough for a elite response unit. The first transport in the original held 12 guys or 8 + a tank.
Is that so? 4 or 5 troops seems too few in my opinion also. I don’t have hands-on info (yet) but all leads to believe that there will be vehicles in this new XCOM also no?
All the in game and UI footage suggests max 5 guys. Even their advertising looks to be geared at the 5 man team. More than happy to be proved wrong, would be a deal breaker for me.
Hi,
First, excellent articles on X-COM, and great job in general with the website.
About the “too few” comment – I believe that the new X-COM is closer to the RPG genre, because you have less characters in your “party”, but each character has a lot more options in his arsenal, and also you have a stronger system of classes and upgrades.
It might be too few for a real world response team – but inside a game, it might work better. For example, in Kotor or in Mass Effect, you have only 3 characters on your team (selected from a bigger list of candidates).
Saying that, I think that it is a huge challenge to make the tactical combat as thrilling and as deep as in the original XCOM. Time will tell..
Hi Ofer, thanks for your kinds words, and, welcome to the blog.
Now that I read your comment it made me remember that we usually shortened our squads to fewer numbers didn’t we? In the beginning perhaps you would start with 8 or even 12 troops, because they were no good and needed the numbers (plus the tank). But, then I remember that we tend to specialize and get only 6-8(?) team members in late games? At least I have a vague recollection of that.
Yes, it’s an enormous challenge to remake/reimagine X-COM. But, from what I’ve been reading, and watching, I believe these guys can do it. And, if not, we have Xenonauts, that when finished will, at least, give us back some found memories of X-COM: UFO Defense. If it only provided an underwater scenario perhaps also some Terror from the Deep memories.
Not that Xenonauts cannot be a good game on itself of course ;)
Ok, I’ve finally found reference to max squad size, it’s 6. Good or bad, it should be interesting.
http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/xcom-enemy-unknown/1220087p1.html
I hope this special edition is not bound to any kind of online DRM stuff. I would really go for this one if it does not force me to use steam or origin or so.
I would say Steam as their “DRM” of choice is most likely. Assuming of course Firaxis is going to stick with the same method they used for Civilization V.
I go back and forth on this game. In some interviews it sounds really good, but in the next, it sounds like concessions have been made to make it appeal to a broader audience and multiple platforms. I think I’m going to at least donate to Xenonauts and keep this one on my list of games to watch for now. I’m sure it will have a significantly higher launch price than Xenonauts ($20).