Turn-based strategy has been one of the least excitable and engaging genres of video gaming to grace my screens in a long while. This is not to say, however, that there aren’t well-made and fun-to-play turn-based games out there. Fans of the genre will remember fondly Final Fantasy Tactics and an older title called XCOM. Things have changed since the 90’s and people have grown to expect different things from their video games such as extensive graphics, exceptional exposition, exciting combat, and dynamic character development. With these sorts of expectations to adhere to in the modern game industry it would be difficult to develop a game in the turn-based style that could pull these off.
At E3 last week we got to see the new XCOM game dubbed XCOM: Enemy Unknown and after seeing some of the gameplay most people will likely reevaluate what they consider boundaries and limitations on the turn-based format. This game not only looks exciting, but explores a new way to play XCOM without losing the original strategic positioning aspect that made the Commanders among us tingle with joy. The combat that was showcased looked not only smooth (which is hard for a grid focused combat system to pull off) but also adds a cinematic aspect to the choices you make with features like dynamic camera angles.
Even for gamers who normally stay far away from this type of genre may want to give XCOM: Enemy Unknown a try. By the looks of the demo and trailer, we won’t be disappointed with the finished product. Additionally, the effort being put forth to develop a game that will appeal to all types of players shines through. We’ll see how things go in the coming months until XCOM's release date of October 9th on the PC, Xbox, and PS3.