In the year 2035, humanity needs saving -- again. It seems extraterrestrial forces have taken over, and are subjecting humanity to the horrors of a... utopian society?
This is XCOM 2, the just-announced follow-up to Firaxis Games 2012 strategy reboot XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
The reveal trailer (above) shows XCOM forces -- Earth's special, secret defense team meant to knock out alien foes -- engaging the enemy in a crowded future-urban environment. Nothing about the world looks particularly bad or war-torn, but it's strongly suggested that there are more insidious plans in play.
The XCOM squad in the trailer faces off against armored soldiers, one of which appears to be a human-sized alien snake. It's not gameplay, but the footage hints at new features and tactics for the sequel, like the floating robot sidekick and the big, alien-chopping machete.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a turn-based strategy game that puts players in command of a global organization charged with repelling threats from beyond the stratosphere. The bulk of it revolves around thinking tactically as you issue orders to a small squad of soldiers.
XCOM 2 appears to bring those core ideas forward into a more futuristic setting. Publisher 2K Games hasn't revealed much at present, but the in-game screenshot below features a user interface that should be familiar to fans of Enemy Unknown. Take a look:
The big change to note: XCOM 2 isn't coming to consoles. Enemy Unknown was released simultaneously for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows. For XCOM 2, Firaxis is sticking with Windows-only.
We'll hear more when 2K stages a proper reveal at E3 2015. Stay tuned for more details soon.