XCOM 2 Gameplay Video Shows Off More Strategy Depth

[John Keefer]

XCOM 2 Gameplay Video Shows Off More Strategy Depth


If you weren't excited about the sequel announcement for XCOM: Enemy Within, this gameplay demo should rekindle the spark from the original.

E3 brought us news that the getting a sequel [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/9964-XCOM-Enemy-Unknown-Review]. Even better news was that it was going to be coming out at the end of this year. Now that Gamescom has come and gone, 2K Games has released the gameplay demo shown in Germany.

The backstory for the game, set 20 years after the original, has Earth losing the initial war against the aliens, with the XCOM organization in hiding and waiting for the right time to strike. In the process they are building a resistance network to combat the alien menace.

The demo, entitled "Welcome to the Avenger," shows off a bit more strategy depth, allowing players to "customize a mobile HQ, manage research and resources, recruit and customize soldiers, upgrade weapons, armor and abilities and ultimately build a global resistance network to save mankind from the aliens."

XCOM 2 will be available for PC only [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141052-XCOM-2-Had-to-be-PC-Exclusive-Firaxis] and is currently scheduled for release in November.

Permalink

 

[Stupidity]

Looks better than ever.
Hope they make cover less flimsy mid-late game, that was my biggest problem with the original.

 

[Lucane]

I hope they explain what happened to the rest of the higher staff members XCOM like Dr. Vahlen or Bradford or if rescue ops can be done to recover them. I mean it's been less than 10 years ingame time right?

Edit: or it'd be nice to run into them as apart of other Resistance cell groups.

 

[xxobot]

I for one enjoyed apocalypse; and this seems to be everything a sequel should be... to the point of making me want to risk a pre-order. Not sure what I think of the extra exposition though.

Looks better than ever.
Hope they make cover less flimsy mid-late game, that was my biggest problem with the original.

Could always go the dowII route and make it pointless once you get the right armor. (Terminator armor in dowII made you extremely resilient, at the cost of destroying/preventing use of nearby cover)

Though I guess the quadruple amputees technically count in this regard.

 

[Xan Krieger]

I hope they explain what happened to the rest of the higher staff members XCOM like Dr. Vahlen or Bradford or if rescue ops can be done to recover them. I mean it's been less than 10 years ingame time right?

20 years it says in the OP, I honestly though Dr Shen would still be alive, just mostly machine. As for the rest, yeah I'd like that. Love what I'm seeing, can't wait to get my hands on it.

 

[freaper]

So no more RNG for your troops' class? Cool stuff.

 

[Kreett]

Yes yes that's nice and all but when are the damn console ports coming?

 

[Draconalis]

Do I get to have more than 4 troops?

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Do I get to have more than 4 troops?

If you got the right skills in the officer training school in Enemy Unknown, you could have 6.

 

[Draconalis]

Do I get to have more than 4 troops?

If you got the right skills in the officer training school in Enemy Unknown, you could have 6.

I am aware.

And if you loaded up the original game without needing some arbitrary limiter, you could have 12.

That was one of the biggest reasons I didn't like the new one.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I wasn't excited before because they completely fucked over everyone who actually tried to win in the first one. And low and behold this did absolutely nothing for me because its the exact same thing but with a worse plot. What, are they talking points from Blizzard now?!

Christ, someone tell them to just release this game as a $5 DLC for the first game. That way they can maybe save a little face in the eyes of the fans.

 

[zerragonoss]

I really like the change from getting x number of scientist or engineers to getting one named one. In general the type of game they are trying to make just makes an insane amount more sense in this gorilla war style and feels better. Also hopefully the gorilla war style lends itself better to coming back from a loss. One of the biggest problems in the previous game is losing a mission or two made it almost impossible to win if it happened during the first 3 months.

 

[mad825]

I'm kinda hoping that they fix the DLC integration and do base attacks better than just making it another horde mode.

 

[Nooners]

I wasn't excited before because they completely fucked over everyone who actually tried to win in the first one. And low and behold this did absolutely nothing for me because its the exact same thing but with a worse plot. What, are they talking points from Blizzard now?!

Christ, someone tell them to just release this game as a $5 DLC for the first game. That way they can maybe save a little face in the eyes of the fans.

Speak for yourself. I'm looking forward to this a ton. Soldier customization and abilities look way more in depth, the strategic elements are massively different, and it makes SENSE to me that we'd lose against the aliens even if we squashed them in XCOM 1. When they come back for round 2 with us, I'd imagine they'd bring a far larger force and just steamroll us with superior numbers, hence the reason why they've taken over for the first game.

 

[redrefugee]

Loved the original, loved the remake, loved the expansion for the remake and very much looking forward to the sequel to the remake.

Although Terror from the Deep was the most infuriating game ever made. I DIDN'T BRING ANY GUNS THAT WORK UNDERWATER!!!

 

[KenAri]

Do I get to have more than 4 troops?

If you got the right skills in the officer training school in Enemy Unknown, you could have 6.

I am aware.

And if you loaded up the original game without needing some arbitrary limiter, you could have 12.

That was one of the biggest reasons I didn't like the new one.

Part of the problem with the old number was that half your force were to be used as cannon-fodder for soaking up mines and revealing enemy positions.

 

[Draconalis]

Part of the problem with the old number was that half your force were to be used as cannon-fodder for soaking up mines and revealing enemy positions.

That wasn't how I played, but really, why is that such a bad thing?

 

[Valok]

I hope they explain what happened to the rest of the higher staff members XCOM like Dr. Vahlen or Bradford

Bradford is back as central again, I am almost sure he is the guy talking to you throughout the video actually (you can see he though on the E3 demo gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_rDA0ZbPDs). When it comes to Vahlen they have not confirmed or denied that she will be back - my guess then would be that she is also probably there and that she is somehow connected to the main plot, therefor they decided not to speak.

Do I get to have more than 4 troops?

They confirmed that they will stick to the 4-6 formula. Although with the much better mod support the game will have it won't take long until someone increases the number.

@Topic
I know I shouldn't cause you never really know how it's gonna be but.. I am fucking hyped for this. Seriously, can't wait for november.

 

[Frankster]

I like most of what I see and approve of what firaxis is trying to do here...

But I feel like being bitchy so here are my own personal irks :

- Only 4-6 soldiers max still? Bloody friggin hell, at least it makes kinda sense given the guerilla theme but is still annoying. Will want mod to change this ASAP. I understand people's heads will explode if they command more then a dozen troops but c'mon, at least 8 so I can make 4 pairs sweeping the map separately or 2 combat squads please.

-A skill tree with only 2 choices at each tier is hardly what I'd call overwhelming customization. Yes I'm aware when people praise the customization they also refer to all the tattoos and scars and how much into detail you can go now when playing dress up with your toy soldiers...
But I've yet to see anyone point out the skill tree which determines how unique a soldier is in game terms is actually very, very shallow, just like in the previous game.

I really hope that option to randomize skill trees makes a return. And hopefully with that a mod to expand the skill choices to at least 3. If I want to make a stupidly unwieldy combination of 4 different classes in 1 soldier, that should be my right damnit.

Anyways that's the very worst I can say of Xcom 2 for now, which is probably a good sign.

 

[Lucane]

So no more RNG for your troops' class? Cool stuff.

well it looks like a way to opt out by benching them a few days to manually select what they'll be.