2K Games Announces The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Available August 20th

We called out XCOM in our 55 Most Anticipated list but we also noted that it had been entirely too long since we had any concrete news on the FPS.  Well, 2K has announced that they will be rebuilding the title, and it is no longer a shooter.  The new title from 2K Marin has gotten a complete revamp – let’s dig into it:

2K and 2K Marin, makers of BioShock® 2, announced today that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will be released on August 20, 2013 in North America and August 23, 2013 internationally for $59.99 SRP on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. XCOM: Enemy Unknown, developed by Firaxis Games, dazzled turn-based strategy fans and rebooted the classic franchise. Now The Bureau will deliver a new experience within the XCOM universe.

Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization’s first encounter with a mysterious and devastating enemy. Originally established as America’s covert defense against the Soviet Union, The Bureau must adapt and overcome a threat unlike anything the world has faced before. As special agent William Carter, players will call the shots and pull the trigger, leading their squad of agents in the high-stakes secret war for humanity’s survival. Paramount to repelling the outside threat is The Bureau’s ability to cover-up the enemy’s existence in order to prevent worldwide panic.

In the spirit of the XCOM franchise, The Bureau’s calculated combat design requires players to think and act tactically. The game’s third-person perspective gives the player a sense of spatial awareness and grants them the freedom to transition in and out Carter’s unique Battle Focus ability seamlessly – heightening the tactical shooter action. The Bureau also fully embraces the concept of permanent consequence. As our last line of defense, every command can mean the difference between life and death for Carter, his squad and mankind.

“The team has been working hard to leverage core XCOM elements like tactical decision-making and permanent death of squad mates in a purposeful way that makes this a unique tactical shooter,” added Gray. “To that end, The Bureau will challenge players unlike any other third-person tactical shooter.”

The video below gives us a look at the flavor of the game (it’s all live-action), but with E3 right around the corner, and the August 20th release date right behind it, I suspect we will see quite a bit more info on this title very soon.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyGvBzQ9nNI[/youtube]

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