Trailers: XCOM - Gameplay Trailer

[Team Hollywood]

XCOM - Gameplay Trailer

Players are going to need to use some clever strategy rather than just big guns to take out the Outsiders in XCOM.

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[AJax_21]

I honestly don't know what to think. I hate to judge games before playing them but this literary looks like a Mass Effect FPS in the 1960s. Heck, the disruptor ability works exactly the same as overload.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Okay, I'll be honest here. The game looks like it might have some promise when taken on its own merits.

It still has nothing to do with the X-COM series though, aside from lifting a few recognizable words like Elerium. I might have been more receptive if it was marketed as a "reboot" (or better yet, given its own unique IP) but trying to make it an origin story makes no sense (the original game's manual explicitly stated that X-COM was founded in December 1998).

In short, I don't blame the fans screaming "BETRAYAL," simply because 2K is trying to sell a game that resembles the series in name only.

 

[Wicky_42]

I dunno. The guy talks about stuff like it's new, but I don't really see anything about the mechanics as such. Even the whole squad commands and diversionary tactics seem artificial, especially when his smg rinses the aliens so fast the AI needn't even be there for the most part if he were to be a little more patient with his regenerating health (sigh). So yeah, Packie said, Mass Effect in the 1960s. Researching stuff is nice n all, I guess. Kinda all hangs on whether the mechanics all come together in a positive, cohesive way, or if it's just a Mass Effect clone with a different skin job, lazy AI coding and a research gimmick.

In short, not seeing anything that would make me go out and buy it :/

 

[orangeban]

Alright, just gonna put it out there, I hiss at this game. It is not X-Com, because X-Com is a turn-based strategy game with some base management stuff set in a near future, at a world-wide setting with a semi-cartoony aesthetic. This game is not those things.

It is in fact a shooter involving aliens that is set in a 1960s ish period with a realistic artstyle. Which could be great! But it isn't X-Com.

I think this game would do better as an original IP. Those who have fond memories of X-Com don't want to see it become a shooter, and everyone loves an original IP.

Edit: To clarify, I genuinally think this game has excellent potential. I'm really big on setting and like the person in the trailer says, 1962 is a fascinating year, and the game could really go into the politics of both America and of the Cold War as a whole. But that's a lot to ask and from what I saw in the trailer it seems we have:

Stupid and Cliche one-liners ("Now THATS what I call firepower!")
Coverbased shooter combat (the person says that you can't stand toe to toe with the aliens, it doesn't look that tough, the smg is powerful and your health regenerates fast)
No real strategy (I say this because look at how fast time units regenerate. It's crazy. Also, once you level up a few agents, why ever use anyone else?)

Not convinced people.

 

[NickCaligo42]

I honestly don't know what to think. I hate to judge games before playing them but this literary looks like a Mass Effect FPS in the 1960s. Heck, the disruptor ability works exactly the same as overload.

Yeah... except Mass Effect has an exploration element and this is pretty well a series of scripted combat sequences. This isn't X-COM and they should quit pretending and insisting that it is. If they slapped a new name on this thing before shoving it out the door, I bet they'd get a way better reception.

The thing that really got me was all the talk about the aliens being a metaphor for political unrest and how the 1960's were the perfect timeframe for this thing. I mean, let's be honest with yourselves, the aliens in UFO: Enemy Unknown weren't a metaphor for anything, they were just aliens. The other thing that bugs me is all the artificial magic powers they had to add to create "strategy," when in the original it was simple: you had your guys, their equipment, the aliens, and random terrain you had to adapt to, never knowing what was around the next corner or what would meet you on the battlefield as you sent your troops off in the Skyranger, often until it was too late. Here? Cheap spectacle, overly scripted level design and battles. One gets the sense they've micromanaged it down to the exact order in which you're supposed to shoot individual enemies and use specific powers.

They really don't have to try this hard to modernize the X-COM concept, and it really comes off as them being stubborn and just not wanting to admit that this isn't what gamers want. Look. I get it. I get the intellectual/sci-fi thing 2k's got going. They really want to make legit science fiction, they really want to emphasize storytelling, and I respect that. But there's a time and place for it, and you don't go dragging fans into it, especially when it comes to a series so heavily founded in emergent gameplay and not scripted storytelling. This is literally like trying to make the next Civilization game into a Dynasty Warriors knockoff.

 

[teqrevisited]

I don't know.. If it were by any other name it might've gone by as a good game. What they've done here is taken everything that is XCOM and just binned it. It's inspired by XCOM at best.

TBS to FPS. No recognisable enemies from the existing series. The guys are going to fight in trousers & ties... Why, 2k? Why?

 

[vrbtny]

Can't I have big guns and strategy mixed together in a cocktail game?

Oh, and Health Bars? You have got to be kidding me!

 

[mexicola]

It looks interesting, for the retro art style of nothing else. Yes it doesn't seem to have much, if anything, in common with the old franchise but I never played the XCom games before so I don't bear any resentment in that regard. It didn't really grip my imagination so far, but it might yet prove to be a good game.

 

[jericu]

This would look like such a good game... If they weren't trying to tell us it's X-com.

I don't even understand the logic of calling it XCOM. It won't sell more copies to fans, because it differentiates so much from the original games, and it won't sell to people who aren't fans, because they have no prior basis for whether or not it's a good series, if they even know it's supposed to be a continuation of a series.

 

[Wuvlycuddles]

X-com fans don't want an fps game and fps fans couldn't care less about an x-com game, it baffles me why they would do this. But in all honesty I think I **could** enjoy this game, if I can get over it not being the x-com sequel I always wanted. If only they had named it something else.........

 

[Frankster]

"When we played the original xcom, we felt sort of, almost overwhelemed with choices in between missions"

Original xcom was felt to be too overwhelming with choices for these devs?

 

[Mariena]

"When we played the original xcom, we felt sort of, almost overwhelemed with choices in between missions"

Original xcom was felt to be too overwhelming with choices for these devs?

Kinda says it all, doesn't it?

Let's dumb it down! Only linear stories from now own! You get 2 choices, and not more! We wouldn't want to overwhelm you!

This game... It feels so wrong. It looks like a generic cover-based shooter with chest high walls everywhere, scripted levels and yet another "paused tactical overview". Mass Effect, Brothers in Arms come to mind.

Boooooooooooooooring!

 

[ZeoAssassin]

its looks...alright i guess

aesthetically i actually like it a lot, 1960s America that is BRIGHT and has more primary colors instead of just greys/browns. the aliens look very cool too....at least when they do stuff other than holding guns.

the squad stuff is alright despite it feeling tacked on (mainly because it is and i love how the commentator is basically saying that between the lines).

although i have to ask, why not disrupt the alien shield directly instead of that ONE dude so you can flank....and if the idea was to flank why cant you just order your men flank when you have the aggro...after all when the player had all the fire drawn to him the generator was COMPLETELY exposed to your squad but apparently they are too dumb to take it out for you.

i think the developers are really wasting the potential for alien enemies...the primary ones you face are basically no different from any other generic enemies that happened to have weird metal skin. the ghost-snake and the recon alien were interesting can we get more of those instead of generic gunmen please?

i dunno like i said, it looks slightly above average for an fps but at the end of the day it seems like "COD: Aliens in the Suburbs Edition"

and of course my opinion is one from someone who never played or even knew about the original XCOM so i can only imagine how pissed they probably are.

 

[The Random One]

I was ready to be disappointed, and it didn't disappoint.

 

[GrayJester]

"When we played the original xcom, we felt sort of, almost overwhelemed with choices in between missions"

This bit forced me to repeatedly hit a table with my head. Seriously, devs? Seriously?! It also feels like you were overwhelemed by number of operatives in the original game, variety of alien species, and the fact that there was a whole planet to save, not just USA, huh?

 

[otakon17]

It just won't work. They don't even have portable video camera's with sound for Krom's sake! How do you expect contemporary '60s scientists to analyze and even utilize the tech picked up from the aliens. The tech level between now and then is pretty damn big, and even the original X-COM was only set in, what 2000 or so? On the other hand it could be a good game with decent characters, fun gameplay and a chance to play with zany alien weaponry. Who knows, I'll give the demo when it comes out a shot.

 

[Rad Party God]

It's Mass Effect in the 60's!

Seriously, the game is looking like it could be fun, but still part of me refuses to accept it as an "origin" story of X-com, or even related to the series in any form. Also, "overwhelmed by choices" sounded stupid to be frankly.

 

[Ayay]

This looks like a really old game idea and the scripted gameplay....sigh.Now i get why they need to use the X-com name.