Last week saw the debut of Volition's Saints Row IV, Ubisoft's Splinter Cell Blacklist and Disney Infinity, which have all claimed the top rungs on the UK chart ladder. Saints Row IV is 2013's fourth biggest launch. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition came 4th, followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and FIFA 13. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified enters the UK chart 10th, just behind The Last of Us.
Lead designer Ananda Gupta from Firaxis has said the team has "definitely changed" the power curve for players with XCOM: Enemy Within. Classic and Impossible modes have longer research times. They've also slowed down soldier progression. He also reveals the studio never thought Ironman would become so popular - that it would be just "this little thing".
Firaxis has released a new trailer for the upcoming downloadable content for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Enemy Within. It focuses on the biological augments coming to the game, including alien bionanotechnology that will give humans more resistance and better psi powers, and cybernetic platforms that will turn soldiers into cyborgs.
Gamers who are worried that the new weapons like the flamethrower and new enemies such as the "flying spider shark" in the Enemy Within downloadable content for XCOM: Enemy Unknown was not actual content dropped from the original game. Rather, they were concepts that were discarded in favor of better options.
Some gamers have been anxiously awaiting for mod tools for the PC version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but designer Garth DeAngelis has stated that modding tools aren’t “on the table currently.” He did offer a little hope saying that they may come "someday".
Firaxis has released a new developer diary demonstrating gameplay in the upcoming XCOM: Enemy Unknown downlodable content pack Enemy Within.
The Enemy Within downloadable content pack for XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be adding new options for the players like nano-tech psionics and powered armor, but the enemy aliens will be getting an upgrade as well. One of the them is the Mectoid, which is a Sectoid in its own powered suit.
2K Games has announced that the Xbox 360 version of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will be getting exclusive DLC next week called "Hangar 6R&D", which takes place before Agent Carter was recruited into XCOM. The DLC features a new protagonist, Nico DaSilva.
A new trailer for add-on XCOM: Enemy Within for Firaxis' excellently received XCOM: Enemy Unknown highlights a rogue human organisation that works to "undermine XCOM operations" by acquiring alien tech. They're called EXALT and will harass us XCOM Commanders until we locate the source of this menace and put a stop to it. Enemy Within adds a whole suite of new agent upgrades.
While XCOM: Enemy Unknown has an Iron Mode that doesn't allow players to save and continue, the upcoming Enemy Within DLC will add a Save Scum mode, designed to let players, well, save scum, with a randomizer on loading so that the same result doesn't always occur when loading a quick save.
2K Games has confirmed that 2K Marin was suffered significant layoffs. The developer worked on The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and assisted Irrational Games with BioShock Infinite.
The secret organisation of XCOM isn't the only game in town with the arrival of XCOM: Enemy Within, as a rival group known as EXALT starts putting the moves on the alien invaders too for their own purposes. Developer Firaxis has blogged a little bit more about them, and how they ultimately plan to "rule what's left of the world" once the aliens are finished stomping on humanity.
As the first expansion to XCOM: Enemy Unknown is near launch, 2K Games has also gone live with an interactive trailer for Enemy Within showcasing the new features like gene modded agents scaling buildings. It also previews one of the new mission types against XCOM rival organisation EXALT. Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuits are another major addition with over 40 new battlefields.
Julian Gollop is well known for creating XCOM, although you can also credit him for creating the ZX Spectrum strategy game, Chaos: The Battle of Wizards, which was released in 1985. Gollop is now planning to remake the game under the new name of Chaos Reborn for PC, Mac and Linux. The original Chaos: The Battle of Wizards was about battling other wizards in an area with an aim to be the last one standing in order to win the game.
Julian Gollop, creator of the XCOM series, has said that "AI should be a lot better now," but that it hasn't really improved since the original XCOM's AI of a "few Kb" designed for 80386 PC. It hasn't leaped with hardware. While XCOM: Enemy Unknown "does a good job" with its AI, it still "relies a lot on the player triggering stuff." It's behaviour-based and predictable patterns soon emerge.
Reus developer Abbey Games is giving elemental titanhood a rest as they now look to explore the world and plumb its depths for treasures with Renowned Explorers, their first turn-based strategy title. Think XCOM for the "entry point" of the game's strategy, which is joined by an overworld metagame where we recruit and globe-trot for fame and riches. Random maps are planned.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Civilization developer Firaxis will be announcing a "new AAA game" tomorrow, according to 2K Games teaser for their PAX East 2014 'pre-show checklist'. More XCOM or Civilization? The 'Firaxis Games Mega Panel' will commence tomorrow at 4:30pm BST for one hour at the DragonFly Theatre. 2K promise an "exciting sneak peek" at their latest project.
Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown has had its cover blown by a nosy-parker who spotted the turn-based strategy lurking within the Steam database with penguins of a dubious nature. It's possible they're extra-terrestrial. Steam has been making a big push for Linux especially as their SteamOS is based off it. It makes sense Firaxis would want their XCOM reboot ready for Steam Machines.
Feral Interactive will bring XCOM: Enemy Unknown and all its DLC content, including expansion pack Enemy Within, to Linux operating systems this Summer, the developer has announced. The Linux version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be a SteamPlay title that runs on Ubuntu 14.04 and Valve’s SteamOS.
PlayWay is hoping to bring tactical turn-based strategy to the Wild West with its Kickstarter project Hard West."Think X-Com combat with Heroes of Might and Magic world map," the developers claim, tantalisingly. Banditos and lever-action rifles in place of mutons and plasma guns? Colour me interested.