2K Games surprised us overnight with the announcement of a new standalone entry to the XCOM® franchise. And it’s arriving a lot sooner than you think. XCOM®: Chimera Squad will launch on Steam April 24 and comes with a limited time introductory price of $14.97 AUD / $15.97 NZ. Chimera Squad brings a few new elements of gameplay to the table while also sticking to the classic XCOM feel.
XCOM®: Chimera Squad is set five years after XCOM 2 in a diverse world where aliens and humans live together in peace. But much like ours there are those who have a different opinion about being part of a an inter-species community. One community in particular is City 31, which has recently been threatened by multiple mystery groups who’d rather not live in a world where aliens can live freely among humans. Which is where the Chimera Squad come in, putting a stop to the chaos while saving the cities peace and solidarity.
“We’re inspired by our passionate community and excited by the opportunity to create a dynamic, innovative, and unique XCOM experience for both fans of our games and new players in XCOM: Chimera Squad,” said Steve Martin, President at Firaxis Games.
“With XCOM: Chimera Squad, we felt there were exciting gameplay opportunities yet to be discovered within the XCOM universe,” said Mark Nauta, Lead Designer at Firaxis Games. “Gameplay like Breach Mode, interleaved turn order, and the introduction of agents as fully fleshed-out characters will revolutionize how the game plays while still retaining the combat experience that makes the XCOM series so loved by gaming communities around the world.”
XCOM: Chimera Squad includes the following features:
- Unique Alien and Human Agents: Each of the 11 agents have their own distinct personality and tactical abilities, including species-specific attacks like the Viper’s tongue pull;
- Specialized and Complementary Classes: Execute devastating combos by teaming the right agents and utilizing cooperative actions. The difference between mission success and failure can depend wholly on team composition;
- Re-Envisioned Tactical Combat: Missions are structured as a series of discrete, explosive encounters, keeping the action intense and unpredictable;
- Breach Mode: Players will shape the battlefield to their advantage with a new combat phase that injects squads right into action. They will strategically assign agents to different entry points and coordinate their assault plans with a range of Breach-specific skills;
- Interleaved Turns: An automatic initiative system will slot individual agents and enemies into an alternating turn order, creating new strategic possibilities based on what unit is queued to act next – and what unit is at the greatest risk when they do so;
- Suspenseful Strategy Layer: Outside of combat, players will manage the operations of a high-tech HQ, where they must prioritize competing tasks, investigations and agent assignments in the face of a ticking clock: the constantly rising unrest in the city’s various districts, driving City 31 closer and closer to total anarchy.
For those who are keen to jump into XCOM®: Chimera Squad best get in early to take advantage of the introductory price. As of May 1st, XCOM®: Chimera Squad will sell for the suggested retail price of $29.95 AUD / $31.95 NZ.
