14 DAY TRIAL // Developer Firaxis and publisher 2K Games have announced that the upcoming XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set to include a player versus player deathmatch multiplayer mode designed to allow gamers to use all the features of the game against another human being.
The focus will be on tactics and the new multiplayer mode will use the same turn-based structure as the rest of the game.
At the beginning of the match all players will get 10,000 points that they are able to use on squads of soldiers or aliens and the various items and upgrades that will help them perform better in the field.
In order to make the matches manageable in terms of playing time, each turn will take a maximum of 90 seconds for each move, although it would be a great idea for the development team at Firaxis to make this interval entirely modable.
Jake Solomon, who is the lead designer working on XCOM: Enemy Unknown, stated, “Throughout the history of the XCOM series, players have acted as the world’s last hope against the alien invasion.”
He added, “With the multiplayer mode in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, gamers can finally find out what it’s like to command alien units and unleash extraterrestrial destruction on Planet Earth or defend it with a squad of XCOM soldiers and alien allies.”
The new XCOM: Enemy Unknown will retain the core elements of the original strategy game but will update the mechanics and streamline the experience, making it accessible to those playing on home consoles while also keeping the depth that has always appealed to those who use a PC.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set to arrive on the Xbox 360 from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 from Sony and the PC on October 9 in North America and on October 12 in Europe.