The Official Xbox Magazine got the first look at 2K's upcoming XCOM title this month, with the first details on the game revealing that there's cause for both hope and concern among fans of the original's strategic twist.
The causes for hope? As promised when first revealed, there is some element of research and strategic planning to be had, with researchers and engineers working on new weapons and a choice of missions on offer that come and go in real-time, meaning the game's outcome will vary depending on which ones you choose and complete.
And the causes for concern? Well, the report makes it sound like your actual input on things like research is minimal, while the missions you can choose sound pre-programmed, and not the result of your active measures in combating the alien menace. Worse still is the suggestion that, at the time of the playthrough, while you had allies in the field with you as part of a promised "tactical" throwback to the original games, you couldn't actually issue any commands to them.
The other key take-away from the piece is that, story-wise, this isn't your Grandfather's X-Com, your Air Force base, FBI credentials and retro aesthetic a world away from the sci-fi trappings of Enemy unknown and Terror From The Deep.
Head below for a summary of the entire thing, which we'll point out now, is a game still in development (so stuff can change!). It's all sounding pretty great as a new game. But as an X-Com game? I'm beginning to have my doubts.
XCOM [OXM, via NeoGAF]