E3 2012: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (impressions)

by: John - posted: 6/7/2012 10:54:00 PM

If there's one thing XCOM fans want, it's an update to the original game. Those that love XCOM.... LOVE XCOM. So when XCOM: Enemy Unknown was announced, many old school fan rejoice.

Sitting in the demonstration, Firaxis showed off some of the cool features of the new game. It's a turn based game with a flair for the dramatic as there are many cut scenes interlaced into the action between some of the turns. It's definitely more cinematic as you combine that with the great way the characters move on the screen, XCOM Enemy Unknown shown it's greatly grown up from the simple animations from the original game.

The traditional and dangerous Chrysalids were shown along with a few new aliens such as the berserker which looks like a brute and a floater which is a hovering alien with a UFO like body.

Both rookies and veterans on the XCOM forces were shown and you could see the major differences between the two. The rookies got possessed by one of the sectoid commanders and made to drop a live grenade at its feet, killing himself. Another got taken down by a Chrysalid and morphed into another Chrysalid as a result.

Now the Reaper Squad was called into action at this point and they arrived in full gear updated from researched alien technology. One of the XCOM forces had what was called an ArchAngel Armor, which allowed him to fly far above the reaches of any Chrysalid. He unloads his rifle into them from above and takes down an alien easily.

Another XCOM operative had psychic powers and possessed the floater making it throw a grenade onto itself as sort of a payback for what happened earlier.

Finally, one operative was equipped with Ghost Armor which made her invisible. She was able to sneak up to a berserker on top of a building and take it down stealthily with a shot in the head.

XCOM Enemy Unknown certainly looks impressive and as I said earlier, fans of the original game will love the new game mechanics yet keeping the traditional turn based action intact. XCOM Enemy Unknown is slated for this October 9 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.