This is the announcement you've been waiting for: One of the most beloved strategy titles of all time re-imagined by one of the best strategy studios in the world. Firaxis Games' XCOM: Enemy Unknown introduces a wider console audience to what made the storied franchise great in the first place.

Unlike 2K Marin's previously announced XCOM shooter, which sparked tempers among longtime fans for turning its back on the series' cerebral roots, this title is a full-on strategy game that puts players in command of a global anti-alien defense force. XCOM's leader needs a worldwide perspective where threats are identified, populations reassured, and national leaders mollified – but a tactical mind is just as critical considering every shot XCOM's soldiers fire on the battlefield is under the player's turn-based control.

"It’s been a dream of ours to recreate X-COM with our unique creative vision. We’re huge fans of the original game and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-envision a game that is as beloved as X-COM," said Steve Martin, president of Firaxis Games. "We were careful to keep XCOM: Enemy Unknown true to the elements that made X-COM such a revered game while delivering an entirely new story and gameplay experience for both die-hard X-COM fans and newcomers to the franchise."

If you're lost, you can find out what all the fuss over the original X-COM is in the in-depth Classic GI feature we printed a few months ago (now available online for the first time), which includes rare insight from series creator Julian Gollop. 

The huge feature in February's Game Informer goes into all the gory details of XCOM's destructible tactical environments, the interaction between the real-time strategic view and the turn-based combat, how the XCOM organization improves its capabilities as the war rages on, and much more.

In addition, the February issue has our lengthy love letter to the top 50 games of 2011, an exclusive look at new Mass Effect 3 details, and the final word on Final Fantasy XIII-2 along with all the usual goodies.

Click the images below to see the full-size images of the February cover.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown comes out for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this fall. Until then, check up on our XCOM hub page all month long as we bring you exclusive new content including video interviews with the team leads and the legendary Sid Meier himself.

The February issue of Game Informer should be arriving in mailboxes and newsstands over the next week. If you can't wait for a physical copy, click here to subscribe (or to switch your physical subscription) to our digital edition for when that version goes live on January 10th.