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Be Still, Heart: Firaxis Tasked With Remaking X-Com

2K Games decides to give fans of alien strategy the best of both worlds.

No Caption Provided

There have been rumors of Firaxis working with the X-Com license for years, but the reality seemed an impossible dream when 2K Marin’s first-person reimagining was announced as XCOM.

We’re actually getting the best of both worlds, with XCOM coming in the next few months, and Firaxis working on a remake of the original X-Com for this fall--yep, 2012-- entitled XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

Yes, XCOM, not X-Com. We’re getting a Firaxis-developed X-Com, though, so let’s all get over it.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is meant to be a completely different take than XCOM, as the linkage to the original game implies. 2K Games is promising a “equal emphasis on deep strategy and intense tactical combat” that includes “managing resources, advancing technologies, and overseeing combat strategies and individual unit tactics.”

It’s unclear how much XCOM: Enemy Unknown will borrow from Firaxis’ hugely popular Civilization Revolution, but given that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there’s reason to believe the approach may be similar. Thankfully, Civilization Revolution was a pretty good game.

If you’ve never played XCOM (the most I remember touching was a few missions of X-Com: Terror from the Deep), the games are available for just a few bucks on Steam.

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patrickklepek

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Edited By patrickklepek
No Caption Provided

There have been rumors of Firaxis working with the X-Com license for years, but the reality seemed an impossible dream when 2K Marin’s first-person reimagining was announced as XCOM.

We’re actually getting the best of both worlds, with XCOM coming in the next few months, and Firaxis working on a remake of the original X-Com for this fall--yep, 2012-- entitled XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

Yes, XCOM, not X-Com. We’re getting a Firaxis-developed X-Com, though, so let’s all get over it.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is meant to be a completely different take than XCOM, as the linkage to the original game implies. 2K Games is promising a “equal emphasis on deep strategy and intense tactical combat” that includes “managing resources, advancing technologies, and overseeing combat strategies and individual unit tactics.”

It’s unclear how much XCOM: Enemy Unknown will borrow from Firaxis’ hugely popular Civilization Revolution, but given that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there’s reason to believe the approach may be similar. Thankfully, Civilization Revolution was a pretty good game.

If you’ve never played XCOM (the most I remember touching was a few missions of X-Com: Terror from the Deep), the games are available for just a few bucks on Steam.

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Chris2KLee

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Edited By Chris2KLee

I'm in. Still looking forward to the FPS X-COM because it sounded like the team had some good ideas, but with that game in limbo, I'll take this while I wait.

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Svampson

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Edited By Svampson

Just hoping they resist the urge to make it real time and keeps it turn based!

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Dread612

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Edited By Dread612

Hell yes!!!

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buemba

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Edited By buemba

How happy would I be if this sold more than the XCOM FPS...

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TheHT

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Edited By TheHT

X-Com complete package on sale today on Steam too.

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Rayeth

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Edited By Rayeth

The Original game was an AMAZING turn-based strategy game. Anyone who doesn't know the lineage, should check out the original XCOM and then if they like it, throw in some Terror from the Deep and if you REALLLLY like it maybe some Apocalypse. Avoid the last one like the plague.

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MattyFTM

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Edited By MattyFTM  Moderator

Will this be the first Firaxis game without "Sid Meier's" in big letters at the top of the box? That'll be weird.

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frootsnax

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Edited By frootsnax

The only team I would entrust this classic remake to is Firaxis, because who else makes super high quality turn based games anymore?

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ChaosDent

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Edited By ChaosDent
@Svampson: This is Firaxis... All they've ever done is turn based games.
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Edited By eznark
It’s unclear how much XCOM: Enemy Unknown will borrow from Firaxis’ hugely popular Civilization Revolution, but given that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there’s reason to believe the approach may be similar. Thankfully, Civilization Revolution was a pretty good game.

Uh, why would this game be anything like Civ: Rev?

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234r2we232

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Edited By 234r2we232

@buemba said:

How happy would I be if this sold more than the XCOM FPS...

Hate to break it to you, but people enjoy fun, new games :)

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Seppli

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Edited By Seppli

YEEEEEEEES!!!!!

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vaportra1l

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Edited By vaportra1l
@Frootsnax Total War series is excellent.
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ChaosDent

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Edited By ChaosDent
@MattyFTM said:

Will this be the first Firaxis game without "Sid Meier's" in big letters at the top of the box? That'll be weird.

Yes, but it's not too late for this one to be revised to "Sid Meier's XCOM Enemy Unknown!"
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Zelnox

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Edited By Zelnox

Wahoo! On the flip side, no Alpha Centauri spiritual successor in the pipeline then.

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swabbleflange

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Edited By swabbleflange

This is the perfect solution to that problem of resurrecting an old game series - just make two! Do the inevitable FPS, and simultaneously get someone to do a game that's actually in the same genre as the originals. Win-win.

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Incapability

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Edited By Incapability

OH JESUS GOD YES FIRAXIS.

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ArbitraryWater

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Edited By ArbitraryWater

This certainly sounds better than what they were actually making. Civ Rev as a comparison though Patrick? Really? Have you ever played a X-COM game?

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Winternet

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Edited By Winternet

Oh god yes! This is great news. 2012 is having a fantastic start.

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Cday

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Edited By Cday

So the AI will be dumb as hell and they'll nickel and dime us with DLC? WOOP!

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lockwoodx

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Edited By lockwoodx

I just came.

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sparky_buzzsaw

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Edited By sparky_buzzsaw

Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!

Marry me, Firaxis. Make me the happiest man in all the universe.

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@sofacitysweetheart said:

@buemba said:

How happy would I be if this sold more than the XCOM FPS...

Hate to break it to you, but people enjoy fun, new games :)

Hate to break it to you, but people enjoy fun, old games too ;)

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Phyreball

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Edited By Phyreball

Best news I heard all day

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charlie_victor_bravo

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Game boner!

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Edited By FreakAche

@eznark said:

It’s unclear how much XCOM: Enemy Unknown will borrow from Firaxis’ hugely popular Civilization Revolution, but given that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there’s reason to believe the approach may be similar. Thankfully, Civilization Revolution was a pretty good game.

Uh, why would this game be anything like Civ: Rev?

It's made by Firaxis and is going to be a console port. It's a bit of a stretch I guess, but meh.

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MeatSim

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Edited By MeatSim

They certainly picked the right people to do a X-Com remake.

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Zabant

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Edited By Zabant

Gh great, make the subtitle Enemy Unknown. Now its even more confusing for people in the UK...

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CptBedlam

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Please, Firaxis ... don't fuck this up!

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Edited By TheGorilla

I'm pretty excited for the FPS. I really like the setting and themes they've shown so far but I'll have to see some footage of this strategy game before I can form an opinion either way on it. Generally I'm not a fan of remaking or making a sequel to old games in the same style as the original.

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Edited By dragonzord

@sofacitysweetheart said:

@buemba said:

How happy would I be if this sold more than the XCOM FPS...

Hate to break it to you, but people enjoy fun, new games :)

translation: boneheads like to shoot stuff

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xite

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Edited By xite

Imagine how huge the game would be if they went into Civilization levels of depth for the base building... *drools*

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Packie

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Edited By Packie

So is that why they delayed the FPS Xcom?

Either way, fuck yeah I'm interested now.

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Edited By Alphazero
@zoner said:

@sofacitysweetheart said:

@buemba said:

How happy would I be if this sold more than the XCOM FPS...

Hate to break it to you, but people enjoy fun, new games :)

translation: boneheads like to shoot stuff

Whereas brainy intellectuals like to tell things to shoot stuff on their behalf.
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Edited By hermes

@Swabbleflange said:

This is the perfect solution to that problem of resurrecting an old game series - just make two! Do the inevitable FPS, and simultaneously get someone to do a game that's actually in the same genre as the originals. Win-win.

Absolutely...

It didn't ended up well for Bionic Commando, but we can't blame that on the idea...

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Boiglenoight

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Edited By Boiglenoight

Oh. My. God.

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Volts

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Edited By Volts

Great news!

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digitaloctopi

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I couldn't imagine a better team remaking my favorite game of all time. Hell yes!!!

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Edited By EtherealSlayer

"It’s unclear how much XCOM: Enemy Unknown will borrow from Firaxis’ hugely popular Civilization Revolution, but given that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there’s reason to believe the approach may be similar."

That worries me a great deal. Civ Rev was a great game for people that knew nothing about Civ. For fans of Civ, it was awful. I would hate to see two XCOM games come out, and have neither appeal to the fan base of the original.

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@eznark said:

It’s unclear how much XCOM: Enemy Unknown will borrow from Firaxis’ hugely popular Civilization Revolution, but given that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there’s reason to believe the approach may be similar. Thankfully, Civilization Revolution was a pretty good game.

Uh, why would this game be anything like Civ: Rev?

They are both turn-based console strategy games, developed by Firaxis.

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eznark

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Edited By eznark

@Milkman: The games aren't even remotely similar.

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Edited By BeachThunder

Jeez, how many X-com/X-com inspired games are going to be out this year o_o

Anyway, I'll be really happy if they remake TFTD too.

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Edited By huser

@Alphazero said:

@zoner said:

@sofacitysweetheart said:

@buemba said:

How happy would I be if this sold more than the XCOM FPS...

Hate to break it to you, but people enjoy fun, new games :)

translation: boneheads like to shoot stuff

Whereas brainy intellectuals like to tell things to shoot stuff on their behalf.

Barring the highest end of gun kata in some fictional universes, that's actually how anyone wins any major conflict. You get some people to go kill some other people and do it better than those other people. Tactics being the lowest end of that, strategy being the next, and other things being comparable, logistics being the highest level.

AMAZINGLY, those are all covered in classic X-COM to varying degrees.

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fisk0

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Edited By fisk0  Moderator

Fantastic news, though as others pointed out, other than the turn based part there is no relation at all between the X-COM games and Civilization, making the comparison to CivRev odd.

Ghost Recon 3DS, Tactics Ogre and Rebelstar are the closest semi-recent comparisons I can think of.

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Edited By fisk0  Moderator

@BeachThunder said:

Jeez, how many X-com/X-com inspired games are going to be out this year o_o

Anyway, I'll be really happy if they remake TFTD too.

Yes! Terror From the Deep is surprisingly underrated. Given how popular Chtulhu has been in recent years I'm surprised there have been no indie remakes of that or anything (at least no known to me, and I've seen several 'traditional' X-COM remakes).

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Edited By Milkman

@eznark said:

@Milkman: The games aren't even remotely similar.

Who said that this was going to be anything like the old X-COM games?

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eznark

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Edited By eznark

@Milkman: If it has "intense tactical combat" it is nothing like Civ: Rev. I guess Firaxis could be lying though?

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Edited By vinsanityv22

Good. I really don't care about XCOM one way or another (though I think 2K Marin's game looks like shit), but seriously - ALL companies should ripoff Capcom's Bionic Commando model in this day and age if they're going to reboot something. A big budget "mass market" re-imagining, and also a true-to-the-original remake/reboot for downloadable channels. Why not? You do not want to piss of the fans of the original, even though I understand you want to build a new fanbase...

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Edited By fisk0  Moderator

@vinsanityv22 said:

Good. I really don't care about XCOM one way or another (though I think 2K Marin's game looks like shit), but seriously - ALL companies should ripoff Capcom's Bionic Commando model in this day and age if they're going to reboot something. A big budget "mass market" re-imagining, and also a true-to-the-original remake/reboot for downloadable channels. Why not? You do not want to piss of the fans of the original, even though I understand you want to build a new fanbase...

Yeah, that's the way I want them to do it too, especially as Bionic Commando showed them that the smaller downloadable game could become the big success.