Support NeoGAF

[lowrider007]

-There's a glut of FPS games on the market as it is, so why do we need another one when we could have an updated version of the series' original gameplay style?

And ?, what does FPS really mean these days anyway?, is Fallout 3 an 'FPS', to me it's just an RPG, 'first person' perspective games are a natural progression in the way we interact with games due to the improvement of technology and as a rule a much more immersive way of interacting with an 'imagined' game world, there will come a time when the majority of RPG's and maybe even Strategy games will be first person centric, I love the idea of good strategy game that is based on a first person perspective, I think it's an interesting space to explore and maybe the new x-com game can crack it, maybe not, either way I welcome anyone that can help speed up the evolutionary process of 'first person' games, I want more interesting and complex first person experiences.

 

[speculawyer]

For all the people wary of this being a FPS, perhaps it does incorporate strategic elements . . . ?

XCOM is the re-imagining of the classic tale of humanity’s struggle against an unknown enemy that puts players directly into the shoes of an FBI agent tasked with identifying and eliminating the growing threat. True to the roots of the franchise, players will be placed in charge of overcoming high-stake odds through risky strategic gambits coupled with heart-stopping combat experiences that pit human ingenuity – and frailty – against a foe beyond comprehension. By setting the game in a first-person perspective, players will be able to feel the tension and fear that comes with combating a faceless enemy that is violently probing and plotting its way into our world.

And that last line seems to anticipate the blow-back of it being a FPS.

 

[Jex]

That's not the first thing I'd think about when resurrecting X-Com.

Then again, the original game is fidly and difficult and very few people now would play it, so I can understand why they would change the mechanics to appeal to a wider audience. But then, why call it X-Com?

It could still be alright, of course.

 

[FlyinJ]

You know what the best part is.

Everyone in the entire game industry wants a REAL turnbased or even realtime tactical Xcom.

And everyone in the industry knows that the entire gaming community is going to fucking hate the idea of Xcom turned into an FPS.

Yet, they still sat down and said "let's make teh xcom into an fps!", knowing full well that it's exactly what everyone (including themselves) doesn't want.

Brilliant.

 

[SonOfABeep]

It's so hard to take all this whining and crying seriously. It's just like the Fallout fans.

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit? I loved fallout 1 and 2 and was a little confused about the first person part of F3 and bethesda but I waited it out and I loved that game. Not as much as the old ones, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything.

Also, realize that all the complainers are actually asking for - more of the same. I hope they can pull it off and make a new generation see some of why you guys love that old game.

Because if they just re-made that old game, it'd only be for you. And you already get it. And nobody wants that game re-made. Just go play it instead. Because it'd probably not be as good anyway.

 

[ixix]

You are drawing inspiration from the wrong X-Com games. The wrong X-Com games.

 

[Duke Togo]

Look how well FPS'ing Shadowrun went! Lets follow that model of success.

 

[golem]

For all the people wary of this being a FPS, perhaps it does incorporate strategic elements . . . ?

And that last line seems to anticipate the blow-back of it being a FPS.

strategy = wacky guns and a lean button, im sure

 

[mujun]

It's so hard to take all this whining and crying seriously. It's just like the Fallout fans.

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

This. I'll start whining (read : ignoring the game) when I see it in action and it looks sucky.

 

[Brashnir]

It's so hard to take all this whining and crying seriously. It's just like the Fallout fans.

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit? I loved fallout 1 and 2 and was a little confused about the first person part of F3 and bethesda but I waited it out and I loved that game. Not as much as the old ones, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything.

Yes, I would. There is absolutely nothing appealing to me about the series except the strategy gameplay.

Edit - and Fallout 3 was still an RPG, despite the shift in perspective. This doesn't sound like it's going to be an even remotely similar game.

 

[shintoki]

For all the people wary of this being a FPS, perhaps it does incorporate strategic elements . . . ?

And that last line seems to anticipate the blow-back of it being a FPS.

How many times have we heard that line before. Even though we are changing the genre...we are still going to incorporate the same ideas the original had? They seem to seldom planned out or it is just a mere shadow of its former self.

I see no real reason to say the title will suck. Honestly it could turn out to be an amazing Strategical FPS and The Bioshock team are more than competent(Even thought from the little I played, Gameplay did leave quite a bit to be desired) to make a solid entry. But...another FPS is just not a popular answer anymore to get me excited. It is most definitely a wait and see. There really are just too many FPS out there for me to real enjoy. I'm happy with renting 2 or 3 newer ones a year, with playing the few older ones I own.

 

[Jex]

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit?

If this game turns out to having nothing in common with the old games, yes.

Although presumably it will be in some way tactical. Presumably.

 

[Tain]

It's so hard to take all this whining and crying seriously. It's just like the Fallout fans.

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

I really hope you aren't taking "this game's not gonna be as good as a new turn based strategy game in the series" as whining and crying.

Nobody gives a fuck about the X-Com universe, they just care about a few games.

 

[Chairman Yang]

It's so hard to take all this whining and crying seriously. It's just like the Fallout fans.

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit? I loved fallout 1 and 2 and was a little confused about the first person part of F3 and bethesda but I waited it out and I loved that game. Not as much as the old ones, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything.

Here's a scenario for you: your dead dog comes back as a zombie. You can piss and moan, but before this, you had NOTHING left of your dog. Sure, you might not love her the same way you used to, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything. Would you honestly prefer the dog be left to rot in its grave?

 

[Quasar]

It's so hard to take all this whining and crying seriously. It's just like the Fallout fans.

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit?

Given that I loathe FPS games, from a personal pov I probably would as it (as FO3 did) just taunts me as to what could have been. Though I'm not going to get to bend out of shape. It'll just save me money as FO3 and Mass Effect did.

 

[Mr_Appleby]

i've never been so excited one moment and so crushed the next.

Next up: Homeworld reboot as a JRPG.

Infinite Space, you mean?

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit? I loved fallout 1 and 2 and was a little confused about the first person part of F3 and bethesda but I waited it out and I loved that game. Not as much as the old ones, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything.

you don't actually have to play FO3 as a FPS. i don't.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

X-COM!!!

...FPS???

...

I'll take it!

 

[CENOBITE]

I PRAY that Starcraft 2 does CRAZY MONEY.

That way company execs will finally go, "Wow, it doesn't have to be a FPS to make money! Let's stick to the original elements that make it a great game!"

Duh.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

I'm kind of bummed out about the FPS news of this reboot. But I'll try to reserve my judgement until we know more about the game. E3 perhaps?

 

[SonOfABeep]

Here's a scenario for you: your dead dog comes back as a zombie. You can piss and moan, but before this, you had NOTHING left of your dog. Sure, you might not love her the same way you used to, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything. Would you honestly prefer the dog be left to rot in its grave?

That's not really fair though. It's a very biased metaphor, because you're assuming the game will be awful when we know nothing about it.

It's more like if your Labrador had died, but your mom/wife/whatever said they were bringing home a different breed of dog instead.

Maybe it won't be like the old one, but maybe you can like it, or even love it. But why would you judge the poor dog before it even gets home and looks you in the eye?

 

[Mr_Appleby]

actually, thinking about it for a moment.... if by first person shooter they mean "we ripped off valkyria chronicles" then hoooboy yes i'm on board. of course this is highly unlikely.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

wat

.

 

[golem]

But why would you judge the poor dog before it even gets home and looks you in the eye?

At least Fallout fans got a RPG.

This seems like your dog came back, but as a cat.

 

[DiscoJer]

I honestly think a FPS X-com could work. As long as it kept the strategic part of the game.

As I mentioned in the Peace Walker thread, the home base building in that seems a whole lot like X-com. You build new sections, recruit scientists to research and soldiers and such.

If this kept that, and you went on randomly generated missions, just they were FPS (as part of a squad), not turn based, it could be pretty fun (like Peace Walker appears to be, though that's third person...)

But turning it in a narrative driven game with tinges of UFOs and aliens and such (I guess like Area 51 or Fear or other paranormal tinged stuff) type FPS seems just a waste. Even if it does turn out good.

 

[wizword]

I saw XCom came in to be pumped more than ever, and find out it is a fps.

 

[spineduke]

I PRAY that Starcraft 2 does CRAZY MONEY.

That way company execs will finally go, "Wow, it doesn't have to be a FPS to make money! Let's stick to the original elements that make it a great game!"

fingers crossed

it seems like we've been in the fps/tps genre fad for ages now

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I PRAY that Starcraft 2 does CRAZY MONEY.

That way company execs will finally go, "Wow, it doesn't have to be a FPS to make money! Let's stick to the original elements that make it a great game!"

Duh.

first of all, of course Starcraft 2 is going to make crazy money. WoW makes crazy money but you don't see companies following Blizzard on that trend and making every game a MMORPG. Blizzard are an exception to pretty much every rule to this point.

 

[Brashnir]

That's not really fair though. It's a very biased metaphor, because you're assuming the game will be awful when we know nothing about it.

It's more like if your Labrador had died, but your mom went and brought home a different breed of dog instead.

Maybe it won't be like the old one, but maybe you can like it, or even love it. But why would you judge the poor dog before it even gets home and looks you in the eye?

I don't care if the game is good or not. It might be, and if it is, I might even play it. I just can't for the life of me figure out why they would attach the X-Com name to it. It is just an absolute head-scratcher.

I must have played 200 hours of X-Com when it came out, and I couldn't tell you a fucking thing about the story or lore of the universe. Here's what I remember about it. Aliens Invade Earth. Kill Aliens.

That's it.

I could, however, tell you in startling detail about many of the great soldiers I had in the game. Shit, I even remember some of their exact stats, the weapons they carried, specific kills they made, how they died, etc.

I find it baffling that anyone even cares a little bit about the X-Com lore so much that they'd feel the need to branch it out into a whole new genre. It's maybe the most generic universe one could possibly set a game in.

actually, thinking about it for a moment.... if by first person shooter they mean "we ripped off valkyria chronicles" then hoooboy yes i'm on board. of course this is highly unlikely.

Yeah, it's it's a first-person VC, I'm totally in.

 

[SonOfABeep]

At least Fallout fans got a RPG.

This seems like your dog came back, but as a cat.

Yeah. We'll see, though. It could turn out awful, but they did a pretty good job with Bioshock 2. Nobody wanted that either. I think that 2k Marin must have developed a pretty thick skin by now, judging by the reactions to their last project as well. :lol

I'm not asking anybody to be happy, just saying wait and see. And maybe be mature about it instead of just crying "OMG FPS MASS MARKET NO"

I honestly don't understand how people can just shut out FPS games from their gaming experience and still be fans of the medium. They're such a broad range of experiences these days, that describing a game by saying "well, it's an FPS" is like saying "Doom-Clone" in 2010. Useless.

 

[speculawyer]

Here's a scenario for you: your dead dog comes back as a zombie. You can piss and moan, but before this, you had NOTHING left of your dog. Sure, you might not love her the same way you used to, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything. Would you honestly prefer the dog be left to rot in its grave?

Well . . . does my dog want to eat my brains? I certainly wouldn't want that. If he just wants to eat other dog brains then perhaps I can keep him in my yard.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I could, however, tell you in startling detail about many of the great soldiers I had in the game. Shit, I even remember some of their exact stats, the weapons they carried, specific kills they made, how they died, etc.

I find it baffling that anyone even cares a little bit about the X-Com lore so much that they'd feel the need to branch it out into a whole new genre. It's maybe the most generic universe one could possibly set a game in.

how does it being a FPS preclude any of those experiences from being present?

 

[Gyoru]

First gameplay footage

 

[SonOfABeep]

I don't care if the game is good or not. It might be, and if it is, I might even play it. I just can't for the life of me figure out why they would attach the X-Com name to it. It is just an absolute head-scratcher.

I must have played 200 hours of X-Com when it came out, and I couldn't tell you a fucking thing about the story or lore of the universe. Here's what I remember about it. Aliens Invade Earth. Kill Aliens.

That's it.

I could, however, tell you in startling detail about many of the great soldiers I had in the game. Shit, I even remember some of their exact stats, the weapons they carried, specific kills they made, how they died, etc.

I find it baffling that anyone even cares a little bit about the X-Com lore so much that they'd feel the need to branch it out into a whole new genre. It's maybe the most generic universe one could possibly set a game in.


Yeah, it's it's a first-person VC, I'm totally in.

Reasonable response.

I have no idea what x-com is really about anyway. I just hate the knee-jerk reactions on gaf.

Here's one more people should try:

"I hope the game is fun so I can play it and have fun with the game"

 

[GitarooMan]

I PRAY that Starcraft 2 does CRAZY MONEY.

That way company execs will finally go, "Wow, it doesn't have to be a FPS to make money! Let's stick to the original elements that make it a great game!"

Duh.

Starcraft 2 is a massive outlier, you can't take anything from that. I am definitely onboard with wanting a more faithful XCOM sequel, but there is no way that 2K Marin would get the budget they likely have if they were making a turn-based (or even real-time) strategy game because the sales potential is just so limited.

 

[Brashnir]

how does it being a FPS preclude any of those experiences from being present?

Well, for one, In how many FPS games do you control 6 characters at a time? Churning through recruits to find the gems was one of the things that really made X-Com create great memories. How many FPS games have you played where you have 60 to 80 characters die?

 

[KTallguy]

Why are they crying when before, they had NOTHING for their series. Now they have something they know almost nothing about and they toss it back.

Would you honestly prefer the franchise continued to be left to sit? I loved fallout 1 and 2 and was a little confused about the first person part of F3 and bethesda but I waited it out and I loved that game. Not as much as the old ones, but nostalgia has a way of doing that to anything.

Also, realize that all the complainers are actually asking for - more of the same. I hope they can pull it off and make a new generation see some of why you guys love that old game.

Because if they just re-made that old game, it'd only be for you. And you already get it. And nobody wants that game re-made. Just go play it instead. Because it'd probably not be as good anyway.

Thats the thing, the old game is a bit slow and clunky, and not very intuitive.
Everyone knows this. Even though we still enjoy it, we don't want the exact same game made for a new generation. Even I can't really play the old X-com anymore, it's too tedious.

What needs to be done, as Chairman Yang so artfully put it, is streamlining of core mechanics, addition of new ones, adding new layers while simultaneously breaking down barriers.

I could get into a game where you set your squads positions, and then zoomed down to your member's first person perspective (although that was tried and sort of failed before). But this just looks like another Shadowrun. Just cut out all of the mechanics that identify the game, and add whatever flavor of the month appears to be popular.

As an exception, Fallout 3 was alright, considering the circumstances. I guess that level of quality is the best we can hope for.

 

[Brimstone]

This sounds as well thought out as the resurrection of Shadowrun.

Shadowrun is an amazing game with incredilbe depth and polish. It was designed by the same guy that did the PC version of Crimson Skies, which by the way is better than the Xbox version High Road to Revenge.


The original X-Com games have more gameplay depth than the typical console game. By doing a game as a 1st person shooter doesn't mean "gameplay depth" has to be ditched. Shadowrun for the 360 proves this.

Take a game like Choplifter which is along the lines of Defender. Long before Choplifter existed there was Rescue Raiders which allowed you to buy all sorts of stuff like tanks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_Raiders

1st or 3rd person is meaningless. The core mechanics are what matter. Someone could easily remake Resuce Raiders in 1st person and it could be just as incredible as a 2d side scroller.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

First-person strategy? This should be interesting. I hope it's less brutally difficult than the original XCOM.

 

[lowrider007]

Given that I loathe FPS games, from a personal pov I probably would as it (as FO3 did) just taunts me as to what could have been. Though I'm not going to get to bend out of shape. It'll just save me money as FO3 and Mass Effect did.

How can you 'loathe' a game based on it's viewing perspective even when it employs elements that you know you enjoy, be it RPG or strategic for example?, would Chess still not be Chess if you was playing the battle from the Kings perspective?

I PRAY that Starcraft 2 does CRAZY MONEY.

That way company execs will finally go, "Wow, it doesn't have to be a FPS to make money! Let's stick to the original elements that make it a great game!"

Duh.

But how do you define an 'fps' these days?, people seem to use this word as if it donates the absolute mechanics of a game, 10 years ago yes maybe, but now first person games are starting to evolve, you can't always assume that just because a game is labelled an 'fps' that it's going to be devoid of any complex gaming mechanics other than reloading your pistol and shooting someone in the face.

 

[SonOfABeep]

Well, for one, In how many FPS games do you control 6 characters at a time? Churning through recruits to find the gems was one of the things that really made X-Com create great memories. How many FPS games have you played where you have 60 to 80 characters die?

Battlefield 2 for console did that pretty well, in a purely mechanical sense. The game around it was kinda garbage.

If they had a way of slowing down the gameplay or letting you pause - like mass effect, I could see it working.

Have small skirmishes at a micro level and more strategic gameplay at a macro level. I think they could compromise and make the actual actions you're doing in the game more interesting and accessible while keeping the more abstracted, strategic parts somewhat intact.

I dunno.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Shadowrun is an amazing game with incredilbe depth and polish. It was designed by the same guy that did the PC version of Crimson Skies, which by the way is better than the Xbox version High Road to Revenge.


The original X-Com games have more gameplay depth than the typical console game. By doing a game as a 1st person shooter doesn't mean "gameplay depth" has to be ditched. Shadowrun for the 360 proves this.

Tag quote goes here.

Battlefield 2 for console did that pretty well, in a purely mechanical sense. The game around it was kinda garbage.

If they had a way of slowing down the gameplay or letting you pause - like mass effect, I could see it working.

Have small skirmishes at a micro level and more strategic gameplay at a macro level. I think they could compromise and make the actual actions you're doing in the game more interesting and accessible while keeping the more abstracted, strategic parts somewhat intact.

I dunno.

Now that you mention if, it might work if they did it like the first Brothers in Arms.

 

[Tylahedras]

Because it's Ken I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. I don't much care for the concept though, hopefully it will impress in motion / trailer form.

 

[Brashnir]

Battlefield 2 did that pretty well.

If they had a way of slowing down the gameplay or letting you pause - like mass effect, I could see it working.

Have small skirmishes at a micro level and more strategic gameplay at a macro level. I think they could compromise and make the actual actions you're doing in the game more interesting and accessible while keeping the more abstracted, strategic parts somewhat intact.

I dunno.

Like I said, if that's how it works, I'm completely on-board, but the press release doesn't read like that's what they're doing.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Because it's Ken I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. I don't much care for the concept though, hopefully it will impress in motion / trailer form.

Read it again. It's not Ken; it's the Bioshock 2 team (well, 1/5 of it). We still don't know what Irrational's up to.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

People, you are being unreasonable (GAF? Unreasonable? Noooo).

I'd love to get a proper X-COM game as much as the next guy, but let's face it - if you're going to do a reboot of an old IP somewhat forgotten by the general public and then do it in a genre that's not exactly setting the charts on fire, you might as well have not bothered rebooting it. That doesn't mean we're not getting a proper X-COM game down the line (maybe as a downloadable title).

I'll take it as a first-person shooter in an interesting setting and go from there. BioShock 2 was good, after all.

By the way, if you're expecting Starbreeze's Syndicate reboot to be a top-down action/strategy hybrid, you better brace for impact...

 

[Rad-]

So yes, this is the game OXM hinted at:

Time to lay those internet rumors to rest! The June 2010 issue of Official Xbox Magazine gets the drop and reveals the look and direction for 2K Marin’s brand-new shooter, XCOM, a re-imagined take on the long-running, sci-fi X-COM series that first debuted on PCs back in 1994. The exclusive cover story takes you deep into XCOM’s first-person gameplay, backstory, and mysterious adventure elements with exclusive screenshots and details!

Also inside the upcoming June 2010 OXM, we pull the curtains back on a rather, ahem, surprising new feature in the upcoming RPG, Fable III, review Capcom’s Lost Planet 2, and more!

Also:

[*Note: In the June issue, OXM refers to the development studio behind XCOM as 2K Australia. They are now known as the Canberra, Australia arm of 2K Marin.]

Edit: ARRGGHH!

 

[SonOfABeep]

Like I said, if that's how it works, I'm completely on-board, but the press release doesn't read like that's what they're doing.

yeah, hopefully it's not just "shoot them aliens with you right trigger also you can hold left trigger for aiming down the gun barrel: the game"

 

[Htown]

I don't even care about X-Com all that much, and I still think it's lame that everything has to be turned into a first person shooter.

And I like first person shooters.

Obviously somebody just wanted to use the name of a nostalgic franchise to help sell a first person shooter. "We need to make a shooter because that's what's popular. But new IPs usually don't work out so... what IPs do we have sitting around?" It all just seems so pathetically marketing driven.

 

[Swifty]

Thing is that if this were a squad based X-COM FPS with gameplay elements such as squad based tactics, managing funding from X-COM member nations, unlocking weapons and equipment through research and development, and persistant squad management with leveling up, I doubt many X-COM fans would complain.

Instead, they're making a first person shooter that's narrative driven centered around a FBI agent whose main focus will be on solitary detective work rather than leading and managing a platoon of alien killing commandos.

How exactly did this happen? :lol

 

[Jintor]

I just want a hand-held turn-based XCom for my DS to play on train rides.

That would be sweet.