GENERAL
Released on [38]
- XBOX360
- PS3
- PC
- Steam
Release Date [33]
- October 9th North America
- October 12th International
Collectors Edition [33]
- PC only
- "several goodies like an art book, fold-out poster of the XCOM headquarters, XCOM insignia patch, and even some digital stuff like the soundtrack, special art, and more." - 2K Greg
Pre-order bonus [39]
- Classic X-COM Soldier: The blonde, flattop.
- Soldier Deco packs: Aesthetic upgrades to armour including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits.
- Including helmet toggle. [40]
- Complete color customization: customize your squad's look.
Difficulty settings [E]
- Easy
- Normal
- Hard
- "Classic"
- Impossible (how long will you last -mode) [37]
Ironman mode [E]
- Toggle at campaign start.
- Auto-save only, one savegame.
Interface
- PC version will have an "enhanced" UI compared to the console. [12]
- XBOX/PS3, free movement in tactical. [E]
- PC version, grid overlay in tactical. [E]
- "Glam-Cam" on/off setting. [31]
- Soldier voice on/off setting. [31]
- Possible HP-bar and damage hide/view in-game setting. [31]
Achievements
STRATEGICAL
Funding Council
- 16 Countries, game over if 8 or more countries lost. [H]
- Funding and resource bonuses varies [12, 16, 36]
- North America, "Air and Space" - All aircraft and aircraft weapons cost 50% less to purchase, build and maintain.
- Europe, "Expert Knowledge" - Labs and workshops cost 50% less to build and maintain.
- Asia, "Future Combat" - All projects in the foundry and the Officer Training school cost 50% less.
- South America "We Have Ways" - Autopsies and Interrogations are completed instantly.
- Africa, "All In" - Monthly XCOM funding increased by 25%.
Trade & Missions continually [9]
Satellite Cover for UFO detection
- Bonus for complete satellite coverage of continents. [16]
- Satellites can be lost. [35]
One base only [27]
- Hangar bases for Interceptors on multiple continents
- North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe confirmed [C]
- Up to 4 Interceptors per interceptor-base. [C]
Missions
Randomly generated mission names. [20]
Mission types
- 2-10 types of missions [L]
- Abductions
- Terror missions
- Hostage Extraction [27]
- VIP rescue, (player controlled VIP) [27, L]
- UFO Crash site [32]
- Capture alive alien [34]
Enviroments [J]
- Urban
- Outdoors
- Alien environments
Story or "Set type" missions. [14]
Large number of hand-crafted maps. [20]
- Unit placement procedurally generated.
Mission Accomplished Screen [D at 15:25]
- Aliens Killed (6, Excellent!)
- X-Com Operatives Lost (1, Good)
Mission Debrief Screen
- New Research Available (Xeno-Biology, Weapon Fragments, Alien Materials)
- Artefacts Recovered (2x Sectoid Corpse, 2x Muton Corpse, 14x Weapon Fragments)
NPCs confirmed
- Targets for aliens.
Multiple attacks at once, player have to choose.
- ""There is not just one group of aliens invading, they are hitting 2 cities at once, or three, or four. You have to make a decision, am I going to Hong Kong or ....."
- "..where ever they don't respond to, they have the risk of loosing that country or increasign the panic-meter....." -Casey O'Toole on PAX. [E at 4:16:00].
Crafts
Interceptor [D at 17:28]
- One weapon mount (Cannon may be standard side-arm)
Firestorm [41]
Weapons [M]
-Stats
- Hit% chance
- Range
- Fire rate
- Damage
- Armour Penetration
- Avalanche Missile
- Laser Cannon
- Plasma Cannon
- EMP Cannon (less destructive, more loot) [41]
- "Consumable" items (defence, imp. hit%) [41]
Abilities/Stances [41]
- Abort
- Track
- Aim
- Dodge
Research
Item capture and resource requirement for research. [A, 31]
Each and every research grants some gameplay bonus, not some only narrative. [31]
Projects
- Xeno-Biology
Slow (12 days)
Project Cost: 3 Sectoid Corpse
- Weapon Fragments
Normal (6 days)
Project Cost: 5 Weapon fragments
- Alien Materials
Normal (6 days)
Project Cost: 5 Weapon fragments
- Alien Materials [41]
Hints at body armour improvement.
- Experimental Warfare [41]
- Sectoid Autopsy [41]
- Thin Man Autopsy [41]
Base facilities
Static facilities [17]
- Hangar
- Mission Control
- Situation Room - funding council.
- Armory
- Barrack
- Science Labs (?)
- Engineering (?)
- Infirmary (?)
Expandable facilities
- Alien Containment
- Officer Training School - global perk unlocks for squad
- Laboratories - boosts Science Lab
- Workshop - boost Engineering, "Random resource rebate on whatever you built". -GI
- The Foundry - large manufacturing projects
- Power Generator [A]
- Thermal Power Generator - more power, require steam vent
- Satellite Nexus [A]
- Satellite Uplink - "monitor the airspace over different countries around the world." [A]
24 facility expansion slots [27]
Bonus depending on adjacent facilities [D]
Base resource: Power [A]
TACTICAL
Gameplay Mechanics
Fog of War [3,9]
Panic [9,12]
Cover, looks like three types [screenshots]
- Ability: "Hunker down", double defence, penalty to vision and cost one turn. [16]
Line of Sight [3,9]
Day and Night [9]
- "No gameplay effect for lighting..."
- "... better visibility at night, but more shadows at day." - Jake Solomon [35]
TUs replaced with Move-Action mechanics instead. [9,12,13]
- Displayed by two small "play" arrows in UI.
- Two movements possible, UI displays range of Move-Action on ground. [D]
Inventory grid page removed, replaced with an Ability Bar. [3, 14]
- Still some type of inventory "slots" pre-mission.
Critical Wounds, possible to revive but suffers permanent penalty to Will stat (panic). [14,15]
Destructible environments [10,12]
- Walls and Cover destruct able, Roofs or Ground are not.
Overwatch [21]
Weapons explode into weapon fragments [Video A at 4:06]
Auto-deployment, no Skyranger unload. [27]
Doors can be opened in several ways [27]
Aliens
Weapons [D,E]
- Plasma Pistol
- Plasma Rifle
- Heavy Plasma Rifle
- Alien Grenade
- Alien weapons disintegrate to fragments upon death. [31]
- Alive captured aliens keeps weapons intact (required for high-tier tech capture). [31]
Sectoids
- Ability: Mind Merge, extra health (but can kill both aliens). [11]
Mutons
- Ability: Blood Call, group combat bonuses. [7]
Cyberdiscs
- Two forms [7, screenshots]
- Throws Grenades [J]
Thin Man (new alien type)
- High mobility, poison [7]
Berzerker (new alien type) [23]
- Muton like, Heavy armoured, Close combat
- Can destroy environments.
- If damaged, will move torwards attacker regardless of turn. [E]
Floater [29, F at 13:29]
- Flying
- Ability: Boost: fly straight up off screen and land anywhere on the map. [M]
- Improved grenade ability (Heavy?).
Heavy Floater [K]
Chrysalids [G]
- High mobility, can jump multiple levels.
- Units killed by the Chrysalid turn into new Chrysalids unless killed in a couple of turns. [K]
Alien "Hero" units, (psionic type hinted at) [14]
"The Drone" [K]
- Heals robotic units
Sectopod [K]
- Large bipedal mech unit.
Soldiers
Squad size start at four and can later upgrade to six. [9,12,20]
Permanent death for soldiers [9]
Class hidden until first promotion. [13]
Choice of two abilities on level up (exclusively) [13]
Stats
- HP
- Will
- Defence
- Aim
Soldier customization [13,14]
- First Name
- Last Name
- Nickname
* earned at Sergant rank. [15]
- Country
- Race
- Voice
- Head
- Skin Color
- Hair
- Hair Color
- Facial Hair
Classes
Sniper
- Ability: Squad Sight, fire at enemy seen by any in squad. [13]
- Ability: Snap Shot, quick shot after movement. [13]
- Ability: Double Tap, Allows both actions to be used for Standard Shot, Precision Shot, or Disabling Shot. provided no moves were made. 1 turn cooldown. [D at 16:27]
- Ability: In the Zone, additional attack if a critical hit. [36]
- Improved Overwatch, unit turn does not 'end' as long as he keeps landing hits on aliens. [22]
Heavy
- Ability: Supression, reduce target Aim by 30 and take free shot if the target moves. [D]
- Ability: Focused Suppression, reduce target Aim by 65 and take free shot if the target moves. [11, D]
- Ability: Tracer Beam Rounds, if hit alien takes extra damage from entire squad. [22]
Assault
- Ability: Run & Gun, on the turn you activate Run & Gun, you can fire after Dashing. [GI screenshot]
- Ability: Combat Stim, increase stats and reduce damage taken. [M]
Support
- Ability: Smoke Grenade [14]
- Ability: Rifle Suppression, reduce target Aim by 15 and take free shot if the target move. [14, D]
- Ability: Some type of Improved Heal [14]
- Ability: Heal Wound, use the Medkit to heal up to 8 HP. [M]
Psionic
- Late game class
- Ability: Mind Control, Size control of this enemy for 5 turns. [K]
- Ability: Panic [L]
- Ability: Rift, Create a devestating psionic storm. (Free Aim, Limited range) [K]
SHIV
Mobile Weapons Platform [13]
Takes place of 1 soldier.
Multiple levels of chassi [J]
- Cover type of chassi [J]
Multiple levels of weapons [J]
- Minigun
- Laser Cannon [J]
Weapons
Basic
- Sniper Rifle (takes two actions to fire) [12] - Unlimited
- Assault Rifle - Unlimited
- Shotgun (Assault class only) - Unlimited
- LGM (Heavy Class only) - Unlimited
Laser
- Laser Rifle
- Heavy Laser
- Laser Sniper Rifle
- Scatter Laser (shotgun type?) [J]
Plasma
- Light Plasma Rifle [J]
- Plasma Rifle [G]
- Heavy Plasma Rifle [J]
- Plasma Sniper Rifle [G]
- Alloy Cannon (plasma? shotgun type) [J]
Stun
- "Arc Thrower", close range stun weapon. [31]
Throwable
- Frag Grenade, Grenades explode on impact.
- Smoke Grenade, (free aim) units in smoke are harder to hit. [M]
Upgrade: stats enhancing drugs for soldiers inside. [22]
- Battle Scanner, throw able sight improvement mechanic. [14]
Armour
All soldiers can wear all types of items and armour. [14]
Body Armour - unlimited (start armour presumably) [D at 16:27]
Skeleton Suit, grapple hook to get to higher ground. [11]
Carapace Armour (Requires research) [D at 16:27]
Titan Armor (Requires research) [D at 16:27]
Archangel Armour, flying [G]
Ghost Armour, invisibility, limited charges (3) [G, K]
"Psionic Enchancing Armour" [H] - Pete Murray
Equipment
Medkit
- Temporary patch up a soldier's wound in combat, 2 charges.