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2K Games Announces XCOM FPS Reboot
Publisher 2K Games announced that its 2K Marin studio is working on a re-imagining of the classic series X-COM, simultaneously revealing the game and swatting down longstanding speculation that Irrational Games was working on the project. Aside from de-hyphenating the title, the new XCOM appears to be ditching the series' strategic elements in favor of an FPS with a "suspense-filled narrative," according to the 2K Games news release. It's certainly possible that elements of X-COM, such as weapons research, could be integrated into the new game, but this looks like a massive franchise overhaul.
“With BioShock 2, the team at 2K Marin proved themselves as masters of first-person, suspenseful storytelling, and with XCOM they will re-imagine and expand the rich lore of this revered franchise,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Players will explore the world of XCOM from an immersive new perspective and experience firsthand the fear and tension of this gripping narrative ride.”
Details are still vague, but 2K Games says that players will be taking the role of an FBI agent in the middle of a growing alien threat. That threat, according to 2K, is a foe "beyond comprehension," and players will have to overcome the odds through the use of "risky strategic gambits." We'll have to wait and see whether those strategic gambits are meaningful additions or simply a code for a cover system.
So far 2K Games has only released one screen from the game. In it, we see a strange, presumably alien, craft blasting the ground as an unfortunate victim is disintegrated nearby. It's not much to go on, but there are a few interesting clues. A red car along the side of the road looks as though it was plucked from the late '40s or early '50s. If that's the case, either someone is a fan of classic autos or this game is set in the past. The FBI agent angle definitely fits with that era, given the public's obsession with G-men.
Stay tuned for more details, and visit the game's official site in the meantime.
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