XCOM: Enemy Unknown Features

XCOM: Enemy Unknown features four distinct classes of soldiers that you can use at your disposal. Each soldier can train to specialize in Support, Assault, Heavy Weapons or Sniper, all of which have their own abilities, equipment, pros and cons. Class abilities can be combined and chained into one another to get specific bonuses and add extra damage to attacks. During a play session at an event last week, we were able to see some class-specific abilities and moves, including one in which the Assault class used his Suppressing Fire ability to immobalize an enemy, while another class moved around the back to flank the enemy.

Countless abilities can be chained into each other for limitless combos and attack opportunities. On top of it all, you can customize your squad layout, meaning you can mix and match classes to suit your style of play or the demands of the level. Want three Snipers and a Support class? Go for it. Four Assault soldiers? That's fine, too. Your squad, your call.

XCOM's classic enemies return with a facelift that keeps the nostalgia intact: the Sectoids scamper around in packs and the Mutons hulk around the landscapes dangerously. In addition to the familiar foes, new enemies will be thrown into the mix. The Berserker, a variation on the classic Muton, for example, seemed to be leading a pack of Mutons. Each enemy will have to be approached differently and cautiously.

When moving in on the pack of Mutons, the Berserker devastated a soldier in a single blow by bursting through a solid wall. Destructible environments will become a big part of how the squad approaches and avoids enemies.

The player's base in the game has been referred to as "the ant farm" by the XCOM: Enemy Unknown development team due to its segmented, underground nature. The base is fully customizable and will grow as the player progresses through the game, adding more space to their own personal ant farm. The command center will look familiar to fans of the original game and provides the squad with new missions, locations and assignments. The training room allows squad members to stay healthy and level up. Player's can issue their squad members promotions to learn new abilities and techniques. Lastly, player's can build a research lab to study artifacts and unlock new weapons and equipment. Once researched, these new items can be distributed and brought into battle.

The combat has been tweaked, simplified and focused since the original game. XCOM: Enemy Unknown features turn-based combat where players tell each of their squad members what to do and where to go. Fog of war obstructs the view of the landscape until units move forward to investigate. Once enemies are discovered, the action plays out in mini-cinematics and a camera zooms.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is very much about placement and strategy. A few turns will be spent getting into position, setting up ability combos between squad members and trying to predict enemy movements.