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Well, it's official: XCOM 2 is coming in November, and it looks pretty wicked.

Looks like they're getting somewhat back towards XCOM: Apocalypse. I'm thinking the mobile base will allow them to liberate nations from under the influence of ADVENT, maybe allowing them to set up a more permanent residence there, but able to evacuate if the aliens launch a counter-attack. Thinking back to the first Apocalypse, where you had XCOM HQ in a city, and had to protect that, the city, and Megapol, and superdynamics, etc. Also, as I noted yesterday, Exalt hacked into Advent's systems as part of the ARG, which helped set them up for this attack. So, that should mean that EXALT are now allies of XCOM: they may well fill the same role as an underground network of cyberterrorists.

While that's possible, also remember that EXALT were alien sympathizers in the previous game, at least to some degree. So they may (still) have their own, separate agenda, and it would certainly be cool if we learn more about it.

I'm also glad the guns (at least in this trailer, which doesn't include any actual gameplay footage) look a lot less like oversized toys than they did in the previous game.

Wait, they're making another one? How is it I only heard of this now?

2K did a fantastic job last time, it's earned the benefit of a doubt, but I'm unsure if my computer would be able to handle the new one. It tends to lag when I play the remake, see.

Also... XCOM 2? Really? They couldn't be more imaginative with the name? Come on! It's a world where the aliens won and effectively rule Earth! How about XCOM: Resistance? Or XCOM: Underground? XCOM: Ethereal Empire? Something more original and less McDonaldised! Call it a pet peeve, but I find it just a little bit frustrating that some game companies put all this effort into their games, yet come up with bland, serialised names.

As I recall, EXALT wants to develop alien technology to get the upper hand against the world's governments. Exactly like XCOM wants to develop alien technology to get the upper hand against the aliens themselves. EXALT and XCOM are alien sympathizers to the exact same degree: Not at all.

As I understand, it was only known as "a new but untitled AAA title" until two days ago.

Seeing as the original spawned X-COM: Terror from the Deep, X-COM: Apocalypse, X-COM: Interceptor, X-COM: Enforcer....The naming convention could be an active attempt to mixing up this new game with any sequels of the original.

To be fair, I miss when movies and games were numbered. When you aren't familiar with an IP, and all you have is IPNAME: GAME TITLE for 5 different games, how do you know what order they actually go in? Number made it easy. I mean, is IPNAME 2: GAME TITLE so bad?

Well it's not called the Assault class anymore, but... =P

It makes some sense that XCOM would be allied with EXALT, given that the government of the world is now alien-controlled. But it could well be one of pure convenience.

With the sole exception of the optional Progeny mission, Enemy Within did not make that clear in-game...at all.

Didn't the intro to the Covert Operations area in the Situation Room, or maybe commentary during the base raid, allude to this? I can't remember exactly.

I do recall that the EXALT artifacts recovered from the base indicate EXALT has existed for a long time, making it extremely unlikely they dropped their centuries-long reason for existence the moment aliens started attacking.

Nope. In fact it specifically described EXALT as "harboring misguided sympathies" for the aliens, which is exactly where I got that inference from.
True. But didn't The Bureau: XCOM Declassified make some similar implications about the aliens themselves? It's possible that the connection could go back quite a ways, too.

Well, Bradford's going to make a return, 20 years older, a hardened veteran who represents XCOM's change into a hated terrorist group group.

Here's the E3 gameplay footage, and yes, Bradford's a grizzled badass.

I watched the gameplay footage, it looks pretty awesome. Really looking forward to it!

XCOM is one game where I will say without any reservation that the PC version completely dominates the console port(s).

Oh god yes. All of the yes on that.

It implied quite the opposite about possible connections, actually; it's extremely unlikely there was any alien interaction on Earth prior to the 1940s at the earliest.


Now because it's interesting (and closer to topical), stuff about XCOM 2's procedural map generation, and how they learned from Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within (Unin? Withknown?) that too much randomness isn't fun or pretty.

Looks like the Mutons will return alongside the berserker, and now they're spliced with human DNA and master strategists... great.

And they're also packing Plasma Lancers...?

Great. Super-Chryssalids that spawn THREE Chryssalid babies buttcrabs from their unfortunate victims. And they can burrow underground to become invisible to you.