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RSS FeedsFiraxis Reveals the Multiplayer in XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Category: GamingPosted: August 12, 2012 01:46AM
Author: bp9801
The upcoming XCOM: Enemy Unknown will revive one of the classic gaming franchises, but Firaxis has a few changes in store. The formula for XCOM: Enemy Unknown remains essentially the same, but the changes will help to give gamers that much more. One of the bigger changes is the multiplayer portion (X-COM: Interceptor and X-COM: Enforcer also included multiplayer), but it is not your typical online affair. XCOM: Enemy Unknown has a 1v1, squad-versus-squad multiplayer mode that should provide for some incredibly intense situations.
Each multiplayer battle sees you start with a budget of 10,000 points and six soldier slots to fill. All units from the campaign, both human and alien, are available for you to use, but each one carries a price tag. Weapons, armor, and perks must be added at an additional price for the human troops, while the alien troops are pre-set. A human soldier will run you 800 points, minus the gear of course, while the cheapest alien unit, the Sectoid, is 400 points. The most expensive alien unit is the Cyberdisc, which comes in at 4,000 points. That unit can fly, is immune to poison and psionic attacks, and can do a ton of damage, so you may want to consider it for your battles. Firaxis will be able to change the price of units on the server side, which means no patch is needed, in order to tweak the balance of the game. That Cyberdisc unit may end up costing more at some point, especially when you experience its power.
Since this XCOM has the Enemy Unknown subtitle, you will not be able to see what units your opponent is using until you encounter them. This requires you to make a strategy on the fly and adapt to the opposing forces, which is the very essence of the XCOM games. The map will be randomly selected when the match starts, and then it is time for you to experience XCOM. This means your units can only attack if the enemy is in their line of sight and if there is a clear firing lane. You are able to see a percentage indicating how successful the attack will be, so if you are in the clear you will have better odds. Conversely, if there are some boxes or other obstacles in the way, that chance to hit goes down.
Every unit has their strengths and weaknesses, and while you may feel like your squad is invulnerable, there is always the chance you can lose. The multiplayer in XCOM: Enemy Unknown sounds just like the single player portion, so this should help to keep it in your gaming rotation for a long time. XCOM: Enemy Unknown will launch on October 9 for the PC, PS3, and 360.
