That perma-death is looking like it'll sting a bit more in XCOM this time, going by an in-depth look at the management side of the next installment in the turn-based strategy game. XCOM 2 promises an experience that's both more alien and more human.
Developer Firaxis has already shown off bits of the earth defense game's tactical combat side. But over the weekend, the developer showed off the other half of the game in a 12 minute trailer.
The trailer walks the commander, the player, through the avenger, a re-purposed alien transport ship that's been converted to a mobile HQ for the XCOM team. Though the humans have gotten a lot better and marrying alien tech with their own, they still need require the unique insight of player commander.
The commander is back in charge after being held prisoner by Advent, the alien faction. As commander, players will have to find some offense in order to defend the overrun earth.
"The aliens may have the world in their grips, but a small number of us are trying to change that," says the narrator in the video. "Right now, we're in scattered pockets. We need to get organized."
Striking back against the aliens won't be easy, as the pickings of human soldiers have grown slim. XCOM is pulling soldiers from all walks of life, ranging from civilians to combat vet, the narrator says.
"Can't say I'd ever imagined seeing some of these recruits in an XCOM uniform back in the day," added the narrator. "Still, they've got the guts to go up against advent and that's enough for me."
XCOM 2's classes are a lot like Enemy Unknown's, though there are slight improvements. Here's a run-down of the classes:
Ranger -- these reconnaissance specialist can operate independently to gain intel and they can dispatch enemy forces in close quarter with their swords
Grenadier -- experts in heavy ordinance and demolition
Sharpshooter -- they're snipers, but that accuracy with their ranged rifles also translates into precision with their side arms
Specialist -- able to operate as strike team members or combat medics, specialist handle the most nascent technologies on the battlefield, specifically drones
XCOM 2 launches in November for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. In the meantime, check out XCOM 2's latest trailer shown:
