XCOM 2 at Gameplanet NZ

XCOM 2 - console announcement trailer

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 11:51:00 +1200

The resistance expands into new territory on September 9, 2016. Join us or become them.

XCOM 2 to take critical shot at new-gen consoles

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 11:50:00 +1200

XCOM 2's run as a PC exclusive will end in September with a new-gen console release.

The port will be developed by FIraxis in conjunction with The Workshop, which previously assisted with porting The Evil Within and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a massive success on previous-gen consoles, and many players expressed frustration when the sequel launched as a PC exclusive.

XCOM 2 – Alien Hunters DLC Pack launch trailer

Tue, 17 May 2016 11:46:00 +1200

Watch the launch trailer for the Alien Hunters DLC! Transform XCOM soldiers into an elite alien hunting squad and face off against new alien Rulers. Now Available.

Firaxis reveals how many XCOM 2 soldiers have died

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 14:34:00 +1300

XCOM 2's permadeath mechanics are brutal – and thanks to stats released by Firaxis, it's now evident just how brutal.

According to the stat dump, 4.3 million XCOM soldiers had died as of the time of this article's publication.

Curiously, only 23% of those came at the hands of enemies, with 67% dying due to "collateral damage," 2% from friendly fire, and a sad 8% left behind on the battlefield.

XCOM 2 – launch trailer

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 18:01:00 +1300

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XCOM 2 review

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 02:00:00 +1300

[i]XCOM 2[/i] manages to raise the stakes and challenge of its predecessor without ever becoming too frustrating. Defeat will be frequent and death even more so, but victory is all the more sweet for it. In short, it's bigger, better, broader, and even more brutal!

The lies they speak have fooled the world, and the truth they hide is almost too horrific to fathom. We fight for a freedom that the world doesn’t realise it has lost. Its human population can’t see the inhuman monsters that are slowly devouring us. The nightmares our parents spoke of when they first arrived are merely children’s stories compared to the terrors only a few of us know we face. I’ve seen good men and women torn apart, shattered in body and mind. They were the lucky ones, because their war is over. Ours has just begun.

So begins XCOM 2, and anyone who’s played Firaxis’s XCOM Enemy Within will find this sequel very familiar. Despite noticeable improvements in models, geometry, animation, and texture quality, the core game remains pretty much intact.

Firaxis talks XCOM 2

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 15:08:00 +1300

Q: Let’s talk about the new stuff. What can players expect in XCOM 2?

Greg Foertsch: More fidelity. Everything feels enhanced, and the strategy layer is one of the coolest things because the aliens are really playing against you and the procedural nature within that... that specifically feels much more alive. It’s a much more dynamic feel, and when you actually get to the missions, the fidelity of everything there has been kinda ramped up too. It’s hard to describe the game, but everything feels like it’s been cranked – in a good way – and the player experience will hopefully be good and go in line with that.

If you were attached to your characters before, hopefully you’ll be even more attached to them now because of more character customisation options. You’re going to be able to do more things to them, you’re gonna see more [camera angles], and you’ll definitely see them die in different ways [laughs]. We’ve looked at this as adding more value and adding things that make the player experience better, as well as adding more fidelity and depth.

XCOM 2 – Retaliation trailer

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 09:45:00 +1300

Earth has changed and is now under alien rule. Facing impossible odds you must rebuild XCOM, and ignite a global resistance to reclaim our world and save humanity. Join Us or Become Them. February 5, 2016.

In XCOM 2, all is lost before you begin

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 09:38:00 +1300

Sophie, Aaron, Milliner, Dominique – my four-person team is ready for deployment. Aaron and Milliner both receive promotions prior to boarding, and as I watch them board a ship to undertake a vital mission, anguish and doubt loom like distant steel-coloured clouds. Soon, the team makes contact with the traitorous Advent and the aliens they worship, and the storm hits full-force. My anxiety spikes, and one by one, death comes for my entire squad. Sophie, Aaron, Milliner, Dominique, RIP. Sinking back in my chair, I struggle to come to terms with my failure.

For me, XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a major force in my resurgent interest in horrifyingly difficult games featuring perma-death. It made me care about my characters, their own personal stories, and the struggle they faced repelling a truly robust and intelligent alien threat. Humanity’s fate solely rested upon XCOM, their soldiers, and me – the commander of it all. And if I didn’t deftly play the cards I’d been dealt, it would all be lost. The game constructed a harsh reality, but one that appealed to many. Things don’t let up in XCOM 2. The highly-anticipated follow-up challenges you to think on your feet, and inevitably has you mourning your mistakes.

Go bush with these new XCOM 2 screenshots

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 12:10:00 +1300

2K and Firaxis have released a new batch of screenshots from the highly-anticipated tactical combat game XCOM 2.

The screenshots show off the game's "Wilderness" environment, characterised by the greenery overwhelming signs of abandoned civilisation.

Wilderness maps will span from waterfalls to forests to snow-covered tundra.

XCOM 2 won't be invading earth this year

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:59:00 +1200

Turn-based tactical shooter XCOM 2 is no longer coming out this year.

The PC-exclusive sequel was due to touch down in November, but its release has been pushed to February 5, 2016.

“We’ve set a high bar for the sequel and the entire team has been working hard to make sure we deliver a great follow-up to Enemy Unknown,” said developer Firaxis Games.

XCOM 2 – "Welcome to the Avenger" gameplay video

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 09:06:00 +1200

Get an in-depth look at the new strategy layer: configure your mobile HQ, manage research and manufacturing resources, recruit and customize soldiers, upgrade weapons, armor and abilities, and ultimately build a global resistance network to combat the enemy occupation.

XCOM 2 – E3 2015 gameplay walkthrough

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 09:47:00 +1200

Watch as XCOM soldiers strike back against the alien occupation by sabotaging an ADVENT landmark in the first official gameplay as presented at E3 2015.

XCOM 2 announcement trailer

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 17:10:00 +1200

Twenty years have passed since humanity lost the war against the alien invaders and a new world order now exists under the enforcement of the ADVENT. After years of lurking in the shadows, the time has come for the remnant XCOM forces to rise and reclaim control of Earth.

XCOM 2 is coming to PC this November

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 08:46:00 +1200

An XCOM: Enemy Unknown sequel is coming to Windows PC this November.

XCOM 2 will be developed by Firaxis Games, and transports players 20 years into the future, where humanity has lost a war against an alien threat that has established a new world order.

The secret paramilitary organisation known as XCOM is largely forgotten, and must strike back to reclaim control of Earth and free mankind from the aliens’ rule.