14 DAY TRIAL // Developer 2K Marin and publisher Take Two have confirmed that they are working on The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and now the two teams are also delivering full details on the core features of the game and the story it will explore.
Players will take on the role of special agent William Carter, who is working with The Bureau against the Russian threat but finds that an alien invasion need to be contained without the public ever finding out about it.
The action takes place in 1962 and The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will aim to deliver a real-time experience that uses the third-person perspective and shooting mechanics.
Morgan Gray, creative director at 2K Marin, tells Polygon that,”What we're trying to achieve on the gameplay front is a very tactical ... a game that demands skillful play from the player and a game that expects that.”
The developer says that gamers need to create clear tactical plans before going into battle in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, using the unique abilities of their character and team and evaluating how they can bridge the technology gap with the aliens.
Gray believes that the experience will fall somewhere between the realism of Full Spectrum Warrior and the faster pace of Rainbow Six.
A Battle Focus mechanic will be used in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified to give players the time they need to make decisions on the battlefield.
Gray adds, “To use a sports analogy: It's more about calling audibles then huddling. We are trying to emulate the fantasy of being the squad leader out in the battlefield versus the commander sitting at the desk who has all of the time in the world observing from afar.”
The XCOM shooter project was first announced three years ago and this is the third version that the team has created.
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is set to arrive on August 20 in North America and three days later in Europe and will be playable on the PlayStation 3 from Sony, the Xbox 360 from Microsoft and the PC.
