XCOM: Enemy Unknown is out now

XCOM: Enemy Unknown – the highly-anticipated turn-based strategy game by Firaxis – has now been released. While gamers in the US have been enjoying the game for three whole days now, the game just got released for the rest of the world. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a successor to the old XCOM games from the 90s, where you had to defend the earth against alien invasions.

The game is said to be extremely difficult, in the vein of previous games in the series which have been widely celebrated by old school gamers everywhere as some of the best strategy games ever created. Recently, those who had pre-ordered XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Steam had received a free copy of Civilization V – a game from the same developers, Firaxis.

Show that alien scum who's boss

Earlier this week, Firaxis had released a launch trailer for the game titled ‘Our Last Hope’. The trailer essentially shows the essence of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, where you take control of a squad of highly-trained soldiers and attempt to defend the Earth against an alien threat. Though the trailer makes the game look much more dynamic and action packed than it actually is.

The main bonuses from pre-ordering the game off Steam were that those who pre-ordered got bonus cosmetic items to use in Team Fortress 2. These include a hairstyle from the old XCOM games, a new helmet for the Pyro and an insignia that you can proudly wear to show off that you pre-ordered XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

In August, Firaxis had released a trailer for XCOM: Enemy Unknown titled "Casualties of War". The game, showcased at E3 this year and other gaming conventions, is being developed my Firaxis. Gamers might recognise the name as the same studio responsible for the Civilization series of games.

Here is a description of the game according to the website for the game: “Threatened by an unknown enemy, the Earth’s governments unite to form an elite paramilitary organization, known as XCOM, to combat this extraterrestrial attack. As the commander of XCOM, you control the global defense team in a battle against a terrifying alien invasion by creating a fully operational base, researching alien technologies, planning combat missions, and controlling soldier movement in battle.”

XCOM: Enemy Unknown was announced earlier this year as a result of Game Informer’s cover for the month of January. Unlike the X-COM squad-based third person game being developed by 2K Marin, this one will be an out and out a strategy game, something that should get unanimous approval from fans of the franchise.

Firaxis' love for the franchise reflects in what Steve Martin, President of the studio says, “It’s been a dream of ours to recreate X-COM with our unique creative vision. We’re huge fans of the original game and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-envision a game that is as beloved as X-COM. We were careful to keep XCOM: Enemy Unknown true to the elements that made X-COM such a revered game while delivering an entirely new story and gameplay experience for both die-hard X-COM fans and newcomers to the franchise”.

The game is available on Steam for $49.99 (roughly Rs 2,624).