XCOM 2 Announced For PC

Firaxis Games is now working on a sequel to their strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown. They expect to release XCOM 2 later this year.

XCOM 2 takes place 20 years after the first game. The aliens have succeeded in taking over the world and now rule humanity with an iron fist. The organization designed to defend against extraterrestials, XCOM, must strike from the shadows against this regime.

In the first trailer, we see a squad of XCOM ambush aliens in a crowded city. The short battle introduces a new cobra-like enemy that can coil around XCOM soldiers that get too close. Fortunately the humans have some new gear at their disposal as well. They can deploy a flying drone that stuns enemies from above. One XCOM soldier wields a giant sword to fish off one of his foes.

The trailer closes with a look at XCOM's new command center. Because they're outnumbered, they have to operate from a giant aircraft constantly on the move. During this trailer, its hiding spot is the Grand Canyon.

The story of Enemy Unknown never really gripped me because it never felt like humanity was in danger. Yes, an occasional UFO would attack a city but the player was still in control of the world. The story's far more interesting with the aliens in the position of power. I think it's going to make every won battle feel all the more important.

One of the weak spots of Enemy Unknown was the limited number of maps for missions. Firaxis Games is addressing that problem in XCOM 2 with procedurally-generated levels. That should ensure that each mission feels fresh and surprising.

Firaxis promised a few other features in their announcement. Players will have extra customization options and all five character classes have been updated. Furthermore, they say the game's turn-based combat has "evolved" in some vague way.

XCOM 2 will be released on PC this November. Feral Interactive has been brought in to create Mac and Linux versions. There's no mention of a console release. By contrast, Enemy Unknown debuted on Xbox 360 and PS3 along with PC. Firaxis also doesn't mention whether the game will come to mobile devices like its predecessor.