XCOM: Enemy Unknown 
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One of the best strategy games ever made is now less than $2Apr 9, 2024 - PCGamesNIt's perhaps a critical dead end to try and define and singularize what videogames 'ought to be,' but Firaxis, beloved creator of Civilization and the overlooked Marvel's Midnight Suns, has come the closest to what I think is the philosophical essence of great game design. You've got crisp, clear mechanics that are intuitive, understandable, and yet still allow for variation and player creativity. From those mechanics emerge not only a robust and entertaining confluence of systems - a really great videogame experience - but also drama, tension, and something deeply narrative. Firaxis uses game mechanics - and virtually very little else - to catalyze and tinder a rich, dynamic story, which is also driven entirely by player actions. In short, the studio pioneered by Sid Meier, Brian Reynolds, and Jeff Briggs has created not just one of the best strategy games, but one of the best games, period. And now you can get it for cheaper than ever, at the irresistibly low price of less than $2. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: XCOM: Legends is real and is an official XCOM game XCOM reboot was originally real-time, and had vehicles The best XCOM mods XCOM designer Jake Solomon is done with turn-based strategy for now: 'I felt like I didn't have anything more to say'Mar 22, 2023 - PC GamerJake Solomon is a name synonymous with turn-based strategy. As a graphics programmer at Firaxis, it was Solomon who first pitched XCOM, which years later, when it launched in 2012, sparked a renaissance in squad-based tactics. Last month, following news that the superb Midnight Suns had not been the hit publisher 2K was hoping for, Solomon announced he was leaving the company where he'd worked for over two decades... Read more.XCOM 2: WAR OF THE CHOSEN PLAY FOR FREEFeb 10, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsPlay XCOM 2: WAR OF THE CHOSEN for FREE on Steam this weekend. Reclaim Earth from alien invaders and save humanity! XCOM 2 available to buy at a discounted price through 2/14/22 https://store.steampowered.com/app/268500/XCOM_2/ Twenty years have passed since Earth's leaders offered an unconditional surrender to alien forces. XCOM, the planet’s last line of defense, was left decimated and scattered. The aliens rule Earth, building shining cities that promise a brilliant future for humanity on the surface, while concealing a sinister agenda and eliminating all who dissent from their new order. Always on the run, and facing impossible odds, the remnant XCOM forces must find a way to eliminate the alien threat once and for all. That's where you come in: TAKE COMMAND of the Avenger, an alien supply craft converted to serve as XCOM's mobile and customizable headquarters. RECRUIT RESISTANCE FIGHTERS with five distinct skill trees and assemble the perfect squad to fit your playstyle and execute your tactical plans. RESEARCH, DEVELOP AND UPGRADE weapons and armor for your soldiers aboard the Avenger. Turn the aliens' technology against them! TACKLE UNIQUE MISSIONS around the world, from wildlands to the hearts of alien-controlled megacities and the depths of alien installations. Countless combinations of maps, missions, and goals await. EMPLOY GUERRILLA TACTICS to ambush alien patrols, loot enemy gear and artifacts, and rescue fallen comrades and VIPs. CONFRONT POWERFUL ENEMIES including previously unseen alien species and the regime's ADVENT peacekeeping forces. TEST YOUR SKILLS in head-to-head multiplayer battles that pit squids of humans and aliens against each other on randomly generated maps. Ex-XCOM developers open new studio dedicated to turn-based tactics gamesJan 20, 2022 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunA small group of former Firaxis developers who worked on the XCOM games, led by the series' art director, have opened a new studio dedicated to making turn-based tactics games. Bit Reactor is their name, and turn-based tactics really is their only type of game. They haven't announced any specific game yet but say they have several titles in development. Read more XCOM: Legends is real and is an official XCOM gameJul 18, 2021 - Strategy GamerA few details hit the internet this weekend about a possible new XCOM game called XCOM: Legends, a mobile title made by a new developer called Iridium Starfish. We reached out to 2K Games and have received confirmation that XCOM: Legends is real, official, and one of the "new experiences" 2K is exploring to offer its fans. Rumours of XCOM: Legends stretch all the way back to last year, where leaked ads started appearing on Facebook that linked to a Google Play store that didn't exist, making people worry it was a fake. This week the game's store page finally appeared and some people managed to get access to XCOM: Legends, posting videos like the one below. Since fans were concerned about whether it was real or unofficial, we contacted 2K and a representative confirmed to us that the game is a real, official XCOM game. "We are constantly exploring and testing new experiences to offer our fans the best entertainment and value," they said, confirming that developed Iridium Starfish has "soft-launched XCOM Legends in limited territories." Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: XCOM reboot was originally real-time, and had vehicles The best XCOM mods Humble Bundle have an E3 Digital Ticket, with a lot of DLC and a few full games XCOM reboot was originally real-time, and had vehiclesFeb 7, 2021 - PCGamesNWe're nine years removed from XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the incredible reboot of the sci-fi turn-based strategy game. One of its lead developers has shared part of the pitch document for what became Enemy Unknown, revealing some potentially massive changes. On Twitter, Jake Solomon, the lead designer on Enemy Unknown, put up an image of the front page of his vision for bringing back the classic war game back in 2005. A lot of what's described, like the suspenseful, squad-based combat, doing research, and managing the panic levels around the world, made it into the final game, but a few elements are distinctly different. In the 'action' section, you can see "real-time 3D battlefields", suggesting the plan initially was to make more of a real-time strategy game. Thankfully, Solomon and developer Firaxis Games ended up sticking to the turn-based roots of the series, keeping that nail-biting, chess-like feel. Vehicles were planned, but didn't make the final cut for whatever reason, and still haven't been implemented. The initial premise involved a very X-Files-like human conspiracy that you'd to uproot, as well as stop the invasion. This isn't in Enemy Unknown, but shades of it exist in XCOM 2, where humanity has ultimately surrendered to the aliens. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The best XCOM mods Humble Bundle have an E3 Digital Ticket, with a lot of DLC and a few full games XCOM Long War modders to Kickstart UFO invasion strategy game: Terra Invicta The best XCOM modsOct 8, 2020 - PCGamesNWe've covered the best XCOM 2 mods, but what about Firaxis' first fantastic foray into our favourite universe? Well, despite being a seminal entry in the history of turn-based strategy games, it turns out introducing user-generated content into the mix is a lot harder than we remember. The sequel had Steam Workshop support, so installing new mods was as simple as clicking subscribe and ensuring you have the necessary DLC. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (and its expansion, Enemy Within) have no such support and require a more hands on approach, in some cases requiring you to voyage into your game files and change values and replace files. Don't worry: each mod on this list will show you what you need to do in the mod description - just make sure you read the instructions! For a more in-depth look at modding XCOM, we actually recommend following the Nexus Mod's guide to installing mods. They summarize the process very well and all of the mods listed below are found on that site anyway. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Humble Bundle have an E3 Digital Ticket, with a lot of DLC and a few full games XCOM Long War modders to Kickstart UFO invasion strategy game: Terra Invicta XCOM gets re-made by a fan... in Microsoft Excel The Best XCOM ModsAug 4, 2020 - Strategy GamerWe've covered modding XCOM 2, but what about Firaxis' first fantastic foray into our favourite universe? Well, it turns out it's a lot harder than we remember. As XCOM 2 has Steam Workshop support, installing new mods is as simple as clicking subscribe and ensuring you have any necessary DLC installed. XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within have no such support and require a more hands on approach, in some cases requiring you to voyage into your game files and change values and replace files. Don't worry: each mod on this list will show you what you need to do in the mod description - just make sure you read the instructions! The Best XCOM Mods * XCOM Long War; * XCOM:EW Map Pack; * ... How to Install XCOM mods For a more in-depth look at modding XCOM, we actually recommend following the Nexus Mod's guide to installing mods. They summarize the process very well. XCOM Long War A full overhaul of the campaign, the Long War mod was such a massive success that the modders (Pavonis Interactive) actually worked together with 2K and Firaxis to develop mods for XCOM 2 and refine their modding software. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Strategy Gamer News Bulletin - August 7th 2020 Review: Codex of Victory Review: XCOM 2 XCOM: Chimera Squad - Available Now on SteamApr 23, 2020 - Community AnnouncementsWe’re excited to share that XCOM: Chimera Squad, an exciting new story set within the XCOM universe, is now available on Steam. To celebrate the launch, we’re offering the game at an awesome discount. This deal won’t last forever so if you’re interested in taking a trip to City 31, now’s the time! https://store.steampowered.com/app/882100 Your actions in XCOM: Chimera Squad will shape the fate of City 31. Five years after the events of XCOM 2, humanity has driven back the Overlords and City 31 has emerged as a beacon for cooperation and coexistence. It’s home to a melting pot of humans, hybrids and aliens - all trying to find their way in this new post-war world. Many have chosen the path of peace, but there are sinister agents lurking in the shadows who work to destroy the fragile peace forged in City 31. Enter Chimera Squad, an elite group of agents tasked with keeping the peace in City 31. Each agent in Chimera Squad has their own story, unique set of skills and motivations driving them, all of which you’ll learn in XCOM: Chimera Squad as you uncover conspiracies, breach enemy strongholds and work to keep City 31 from descending into chaos. The future of City 31 depends on you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39fhpegVBQQ Be sure to follow the XCOM: Chimera Squad community hub and add the game to your wishlist here on Steam. Follow the XCOM social channels below to keep up to date with all things XCOM. You can play XCOM: Chimera Squad when it launches here on Steam on April 24, 2020. http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/502449d1dd8117b53a03174fda1dd89aa6521816.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/b62237b18cae88de04912e2082da9641a34f2603.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/6f16509b782f5bfc64bc517a3fd392b5419eda7a.png https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/25030453/1666f7d74619cafadb009ab872dadc9a8f84b30e.png XCOM: Chimera Squad, all-new story in the XCOM universe, launches April 24Apr 14, 2020 - Community AnnouncementsWelcome to City 31, the epicenter of XCOM: Chimera Squad -- a new game set in the XCOM universe. Five years after the events of XCOM 2, humanity has driven back the Overlords and reclaimed Earth. Now humans and former alien soldiers work and live together as they strive to forge a civilization of cooperation and coexistence. City 31, the setting for XCOM: Chimera Squad, has become a model of peace in the post-invasion world; however, not all who dwell here support interspecies alliance. Enter Chimera Squad, an elite force of human and alien agents who must work together to identify and thwart the hidden threats that seek to upend this fragile peace in City 31. Each agent in Chimera Squad has their own story, unique set of skills and motivations driving them, all of which you’ll learn in XCOM: Chimera Squad as you uncover conspiracies, breach enemy strongholds and work to keep City 31 from descending into chaos. The future of City 31 depends on you. Features: Unique Alien and Human Agents: Each of the 11 agents have their own distinct personality and tactical abilities, including species-specific attacks like the Viper’s tongue pull. Specialized and Complementary Classes: Execute devastating combos by teaming the right agents and utilizing cooperative actions. The difference between mission success and failure can depend wholly on team composition. Re-Envisioned Tactical Combat: Missions are structured as a series of discrete, explosive encounters, keeping the action intense and unpredictable. Breach Mode: Shape the battlefield to your advantage with a new combat phase that injects your squad right into action. Strategically assign your agents to different entry points and coordinate their assault with a range of Breach-specific skills. Interleaved Turns: An automatic initiative system slots individual agents and enemies into an alternating turn order, creating new strategic possibilities based on what unit is queued to act next—and what unit is at the greatest risk when they do. Suspenseful Strategy Layer: Outside of combat, manage the operations of a high-tech HQ, where you must prioritize competing tasks, investigations, and agent assignments in the face of a ticking clock: the constantly rising unrest in the city’s various districts, driving City 31 closer and closer to total anarchy. https://store.steampowered.com/app/882100 Be sure to follow the XCOM: Chimera Squad community hub and add the game to your wishlist here on Steam. Follow the XCOM social channels below to keep up to date with all things XCOM. You can play XCOM: Chimera Squad when it launches here on Steam on April 24, 2020. http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/502449d1dd8117b53a03174fda1dd89aa6521816.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/b62237b18cae88de04912e2082da9641a34f2603.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/6f16509b782f5bfc64bc517a3fd392b...Gears Tactics will appeal to XCOM fans and classic Gears Of War fans alikeApr 2, 2020 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Show me someone who says I’m not a fan of our excellent VidBud team, and I’ll show you a liar. Recently, VidBud Matthew got an in-depth demo of Gears Tactics, a turn-based tactical entry into the Gears Of War series, and my admiration only grew. Set 10 years before the events of the very first Gears Of War game, you’d be forgiven for thinking this’d have more in common with the alien-sniping fun of XCOM than the big, boot-stompin’ FPS action of the Gears games. But in his excellent video, Matthew explains why Tactics will win hearts among both long term XCOM fans and die-hard Fenix stans alike. (more…) The best games of the decade on PCDec 6, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun It’s been an eventful decade for PC games, and it would be hard for you to summarise everything that’s happened in the medium across the past ten years. Hard for you, but a day’s work for us. Below you’ll find our picks for the 50 best games released on PC across the past decade. (more…) PC Gamer plays: XCOM, One Finger Death Punch 2, Hades, and Woodwork SimulatorSep 27, 2019 - PC GamerIn the monthly 'now playing' section of PC Gamer magazine we spend a few pages discussing the games we've been playing recently—good or bad. Sometimes they are old-ish games we've been meaning to reinstall for ages, like XCOM. Sometimes they're strange meditative woodworking sims because, sometimes in life, you've just gotta build a nice birdhouse. This is also the last thing former UK editor-in-chief Samuel Roberts wrote before departing to some strange otherworldly plane called 'Brighton'. Let us know what you're playing at the moment in the comments. The social politics of naming your XCOM: Enemy Unknown squad—Samuel Roberts This is my last Now Playing for PC Gamer. In fact, it’s the last thing I’m writing for PCG full-stop, at least for now. You never know, I might write a Now Playing for issue 400, before complaining about the cover price on Instagram (this is an inside joke). An office PA annoyingly threw all my old PC Gamer issues out, so I’ve been perusing the few I’ve got at home. I’m reading them while I’m supposed to be packing to move to Brighton. We did slightly too many lists when I was editor, but damn, each issue was packed with features. I think I gave editing this magazine a solid shot, for a 25 year-old with no qualifications who didn’t know what he was doing. I give my editorship 81 per cent. It was no Dragon Age 2. Anyway, here’s a filthy secret—I’ve been denying myself a proper XCOM 2 campaign since the game released, because I’ve never finished an Enemy Unknown campaign with the Enemy Within stuff installed. That is, with the mechs, deadly new aliens, that sort of thing. I thought I should do that before throwing myself at XCOM 2, with its nine million things to micromanage. I’m enjoying it, but because I’ve loaded an old save file, it’s presenting a few dilemmas. Naturally, when I play XCOM, I rename all my soldiers to people I know. But there are a few problems with this. For example, my ex-girlfriend is my best sniper. I could just rename her, but I feel it breaks the theatre of the game to do that. So what do I do? Get her killed on purpose? She’s a good sniper, so it’s a tough call. And Enemy Within is actually a touch harder than Enemy Unknown was. Now, her and my current girlfriend, a new recruit, are on the same squad. It seems wrong. The other problem is I don’t really know some of the other people who are in my 2014-era XCOM squad any more. And yet, I’m sending a bunch of them into battle. When should or shouldn’t you name a game character after someone from your real life? To me, there’s a kind of invisible line you cross in your head when it’s someone you barely know, which is why I only pick people I regularly interact with. And, annoyingly, I’m running out of those. My go...Have you played XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen?Mar 27, 2019 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunHave You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day, perhaps for all time. My favourite XCOM is XCOM: Enemy Unknown*, a pure and direct, no mess/no fuss modern-day remix of metagame-augmented turn-based tactics. My second-favourite XCOM is the polar opposite, XCOM 2 DLC War Of The Chosen, an absurd explosion of superheroics that throws internal logic to the wind. (more…) XCOM 2 is free this weekend (and DLC discounts a-go-go too)Mar 22, 2019 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunStandard-issue XCOM 2 is probably my least-favourite of the four different flavours of XCOM now available to us (i.e. including the Enemy Within and War Of The Chosen expansions), but that’s a bit like saying I don’t enjoy 29 degrees of heat quite as much as 26, 27 and 28 degrees. They’re all great! Make it like that all the time, please. Only, y’know, without the heat-death of the planet. And, yeah, keep on releasing more XCOMs. If you’ve avoided Firaxis’ reimagining of The Greatest PC Game Of All Time (If You’re An Old Man Like Me), XCOM 2 can be a rather full-on point of entry. On the other hand, it’s currently free all weekend (and 75% off if you want to keep it forever), which is the easiest point of entry of all. (more…) How a lifelong diet of games influenced The Seven Deaths of Evelyn HardcastleFeb 7, 2019 - Eurogamer"I forget everything between footsteps. "'Anna!' I finish shouting, snapping my mouth shut in surprise. "My mind has gone blank. I don't know who Anna is or why I'm calling her name. I don't even know how I got here. I'm standing in a forest, shielding my eyes from the spitting rain. My heart's thumping, I reek of sweat and my legs are shaking. I must have been running but I can't remember why. Read more… Celebrate six years of warfare with XCOM 2 s Tactical Legacy Pack, free at launchOct 2, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunSix years ago, Firaxis pulled off the impossible with XCOM, re-envisioning a DOS classic – next week, they’re celebrating this feat with the Tactical Legacy pack for XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen. It’s pure fan-service of the less-sexy kind (unless Carapace armour turns you on, in which case fly your freak flag high), featuring old favourite equipment and environments used in a new series of tactical mini-campaigns. Better still, it’ll be initially free to owners of War Of The Chosen. It’s out next week, October 9th. Check the reveal trailer below. (more…) XCOM designer Jake Solomon hints at 'something special' for the sixth anniversaryOct 1, 2018 - PC GamerBelieve it or not, it's been six years, almost to the day, since Firaxis very successfully brought back the X-Com sci-fi strategy series with XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In fact, on October 9 it will be six years to the day, and it's possible that the developers might be doing something to celebrate the birthday. Solomon was the designer on XCOM and XCOM 2, while Garth DeAngelis was the producer on both projects and Greg Foertsch was the art director. In other words, it's the top trio of XCOM execs just shooting the breeze, speculating idly about "doing something special" for the fans. Could there be more to it than casual chit chat? Six years is an odd sort of anniversary to make a big fuss over, and there's no obvious reason for it that leaps out at me. But it's interesting that games from the original X-Com series were released in 1994, '95, '97, '98, and '99, but not 1996. Coincidence? Hey man, I just work here. XCOM Retrospective - Legacy Devs LivestreamSep 25, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/4128336/1b6a8012298ed451b9d061d3f6d8278ad4e31137.jpg XCOM: Enemy Unknown turns six years old on October 9. In the weeks leading up to its birthday, we'll be celebrating XCOM with a series of livestreams. Join us this week on Thursday, September 27 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm GMT, as Jake and Garth pull back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes look at XCOM, with Firaxis employees who have given years to our beloved series. If you're an XCOM fan, you don't want to miss this! What: XCOM Retrospective - Legacy Devs Livestream When: Thursday, September 27 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm GMT Where: XCOM: Enemy Unknown Steam page, Twitch and YouTube Twitch: http://twitch.tv/firaxisgames YouTube: http://youtube.com/xcom Be sure to follow XCOM on social media to keep up to date with the latest information. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for Inside Looks at new characters and enemies, features and insights from the development team! http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/502449d1dd8117b53a03174fda1dd89aa6521816.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/b62237b18cae88de04912e2082da9641a34f2603.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/6f16509b782f5bfc64bc517a3fd392b5419eda7a.png https://store.steampowered.com/app/200510/XCOM_Enemy_Unknown/XCOM Retrospective LivestreamSep 19, 2018 - Community Announcementshttps://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/7a8aad72cab7b42836dbadb5666ed6b0162b64cf.jpg XCOM: Enemy Unknown turns six years old on October 9. We're kicking off the celebration this Thursday at 8pm CET / 3pm ET / 12pm ET with the first in a series of XCOM retrospectives. Join Jake Solomon and other devs at twitch.tv/firaxisgames! We may even have a few surprises to come. What: XCOM Retrospective Livestream When: Thursday, September 20 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm CET Where: http://twitch.tv/firaxisgames Be sure to follow XCOM on social media to keep up to date with the latest information. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for Inside Looks at new characters and enemies, features and insights from the development team! http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/502449d1dd8117b53a03174fda1dd89aa6521816.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/b62237b18cae88de04912e2082da9641a34f2603.png http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/9756027/6f16509b782f5bfc64bc517a3fd392b5419eda7a.png
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