It’s never easy to remake a well-loved game, particularly if it’s a game that’s inspired a novel or two.
But when fans of the strategy role-playing game XCOM series heard that
the seasoned Sparks, Md.-based developer Firaxis was taking up the
challenge, they dared to hope that it was in good hands.
For this latest title, Firaxis builds on the same basic
storyline of the original: XCOM, an elite force of soldiers, has been
formed and deployed to protect the world against alien attack.
Jake Solomon, the game’s lead designer said in a video preview
with The Washington Post that it was very important for his team to
preserve much of what made the original game stand out. The newest
title, “XCOM: Enemy Unknown,” maintains the feel of the original,
letting players essentially play two games simultaneously: they play
through combat missions while also playing a strategic, global campaign.
The graphics of the whole game have been updated, but the gameplay
stays true to the original title.
“The core elements that we
wanted to keep were the back and forth of combat, and making sure the
player always had the freedom to make the decisions in the game,”
Solomon said. “It creates a real sense of investment.”
Players can
name any unit in the game, as in the original, and the development team
has created an interesting menu view called the “ant farm,” which lets
you see your characters milling about their base during their off-hours.
From that screen, you can peek in on the soldiers you’ve hired, grant
them promotions, change their equipment and otherwise prepare them for
battle.
Which leads another key part of the game: If any soldier
you send into battle dies — even one you’ve groomed and come to rely on —
that soldier is gone for good.
“It’s an element that sets XCOM
apart from other games: permanent consequences,” Solomon said. “It
creates real tension and real drama.” He added that XCOM is a game you
can “actually lose,” and that sense of consequence and challenge makes
victory that much sweeter.
That element of gameplay, almost more
than anything else, puts a clear focus on battlefield strategy — what
else would you expect from Firaxis, best-known for its excellent
Civilization games? For combat mode, gamers will be given a mix of
soldiers with different support abilities and environments designed to
inspire creative thinking. Players will be able to choose from
different types of cover and the game’s destructible environments always
provide a chance for clever gamers to modify the terrain to their own
advantage.
In the demo Solomon put together, for example, a heavy
weapons expert opened up the perfect shot for a support soldier on his
team by simply eliminating a building’s ceiling.
Of course, that means players also have to be aware of what the enemy may be planning for the world around them.
“As
in the original, a player can’t take anything for granted,” Solomon
said. “With a big enough gun or a big enough alien, you can break
through just about anything that you see.”
Back at base, players
will have to consider a different type of strategy game, namely
balancing the planet’s needs, their own resources and the limits of
their own funding. Solomon said that XCOM is funded by 16 world powers
and players will have to work to keep each of those powers happy to hold
on to their funding and resources. Players select which combat missions
to pursue, which affects the entire narrative of the game.
Research
is another large part of the game, as players have to choose which
pieces of alien technology to develop and which to lay aside.
Solomon
hopes that the game will not only satisfy the series’ fans, but also
those in the “middleground of gaming,” who are just starting to
appreciate deeper games with complex gameplay. Because battles in the
new game don’t have a time element, even newer players can take the time
to plan out their strategies without the added pressure.
“It’s a
fun time to make the games that we do because we’ve seen a shift
recently in the market toward the big middle,” Solomon said. “We can
give you an experience you’ve never had before.”
