Remember That First X-Com Game? No...The Other One.

A few years ago we were given a look at the new X-COM game in production at 2K Games. It was a first-person squad based tactical shooter, and though we were a little worried about the dull enemy designs and the thought of an X-COM game being an FPS, we were nonetheless intrigued. Around the same time we were also shown a smaller game, what was supposed to be an offshoot release to accompany the first that seemed much more in line with the vision of the classic PC game.

Here's the 2011 demo playthrough for the original game so you can get a reference point.

Long story short, that offshoot release became the smash hit X-COM: Enemy Unknown, and that first look of the FPS X-COM was the last we ever saw of it. But it was more than that. When Enemy Unknown was released we noticed that whole systems had been taken from the FPS and put into the RTS, like the base building and organization screens. It seemed as though the FPS has been cannibalized and canceled internally.

A few months ago however, Take-Two revealed that it was indeed still in production, though going through some changes. Now we're hearing that we'll be getting another look at the (new?) X-COM FPS this week.

From 2K's website:

In the coming days the world will get a fresh look at the long-awaited squad-based tactical shooter in development at 2K Marin. Announced back in 2010, the game has undergone an evolution since we last showed it to you at E3 2011. Firaxis’ critically acclaimed turn-based strategy title, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, has reignited the classic franchise and we feel that the time is right to deliver a new experience within the world of XCOM. 

The creative development of this game has been a collaborative process of discovery and iteration. 2K’s culture allows our studios the freedom to refine their visions, to explore new ideas, and to deliver the best possible experiences for players. Through this exploration, 2K Marin has refined their vision, and as a result the game has evolved into a high-stakes narrative experience imbued with core XCOM concepts.

The wait is nearly over and we can’t wait to share more details with you about the game in only a matter of days.

So what can we expect? Different enemy designs may be on the plate. If you remember, they were originally just crystals and black goo the last we saw, and far removed from the designs that ended up in Enemy Unknown. And though we might prefer a more tactical game than we had seen originally, there is always the chance that 2K now considers Enemy Unknown the tactical X-COM and now will go FULL BORE FPS ACTION this time around.

Honestly, if they do that I wont even care. I'll just play more Enemy Unknown and be done with it.