XCOM: Enemy Within expansion announced

Just as XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a wonderful callback to days of yore, so's its expansion pack. Enemy Within, announced today by 2K, is far more than a mere mission pack, adding add oodles of shiny newness including new enemies, maps, augmentations, abilities, weapons, equipment, and upgradeable mech suits.

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Just as XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a wonderful callback to days of yore, so's its expansion pack. Enemy Within, announced today by 2K, is far more than a mere mission pack, adding add oodles of shiny newness including new enemies, maps, augmentations, abilities, weapons, equipment, and upgradeable mech suits. Rather than a new chapter, it's an enhancement to the base game, much like Firaxis' Civilization expansions are. Alien forces are bolstered by two new classes, including the suited-up Mechtoid, but it's fine as you get so much more. XCOM soldiers can be armed with new weapons and gear, upgraded with augmentations including robolegs and brain tweaks, and clamber up into mech suits you can customise with weapons like flamethrowers and grenade launchers. Yes, all of that please. It also adds 47 new maps, which are now strewn with an important new resource to collect, named Meld. 2K claims that players will need "an additional three to four playthroughs on average before encountering all of the new material," which sounds ace. Hit the official website for more info. Due November 12, Enemy Within will cost $30 on PC and Mac as an expansion pack, but only be on consoles in a $40 Commander Edition, which also includes the base game and all its DLC. 2K put out a boring teaser trailer but here, enjoy these screenshots instead:

Mechsuit vs. mechsuit

From The Chatty
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    August 21, 2013 2:30 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, XCOM: Enemy Within expansion announced.

    Just as XCOM: Enemy Unknown was a wonderful callback to days of yore, so's its expansion pack. Enemy Within, announced today by 2K, is far more than a mere mission pack, adding add oodles of shiny newness including new enemies, maps, augmentations, abilities, weapons, equipment, and upgradeable mech suits.

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      August 21, 2013 2:34 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 21, 2013 2:49 AM

      That sounds like something I might actually pick up.

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      August 21, 2013 3:21 AM

      Eurogamer preview has tons more details for those interested:
      http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-18-xcom-enemy-within-preview-things-to-mech-and-do

      Now that's how you do an expansion!

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      August 21, 2013 3:57 AM

      NICE. I'm so buying this! This is what I've been waiting for with my second playthrough.

      $30 is quite expensive for an expansion pack though and I don't get why it cannot be sold as a DLC for consoles? You have to buy the game second time? WTF.

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        August 21, 2013 1:14 PM

        The name and trailer reminded me of Apocalypse's Cult of Sirius.

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      August 21, 2013 4:06 AM

      hmm disappointing its not TFTD, the augs dont feel right either, more maps are good though

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      August 21, 2013 4:32 AM

      I'm excited!! I've been holding off a re-play of the core game on rumors of expansion just in case it effected the core game. Glad I did!!

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      August 21, 2013 5:36 AM

      SIDEJACK: where do you take your soldier names from? Usually I'm using musicians I like, or characters from shows/movies/games (X-Files is a good fit), I also thought of using F1 drivers and MotoGP guys, or even gaming journos, but the problem is all these groups lack female names. Where do you reach for the names Shack?

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        August 21, 2013 6:00 AM

        [deleted]

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        August 21, 2013 6:55 AM

        I think the most common source comes from your friends. My roommate is stilled pissed that I sacrificed him to save the rest of my squad.

        Also, if you're looking for a game journo lady name you could always look at the author of this article for inspiration, lol.

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          August 21, 2013 7:43 AM

          Sure, Alice can be my Mech, but it's still a drop in the ocean of male.

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            August 21, 2013 8:07 AM

            Some Shack related names could include Weekend Confirmed regulars Andrea Renee and Nikole Zivalich. You could add in the voice of Tiny Tina and star of HAWP Ashly Burch, or game critic Cara Ellison. Kotaku has a few names to pull from, a big one that pops up being Katie Williams. You could even include Anita Sarkeesian if your stretch the "journos" term a bit.

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            August 21, 2013 12:30 PM

            I AM ROBUT, HEAR ME CLANK!

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      August 21, 2013 5:50 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 21, 2013 6:02 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 21, 2013 6:08 AM

      Xcom was probably my favorite game last year so I'm pumped about this.

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      August 21, 2013 6:27 AM

      I could go for more xcom.

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      August 21, 2013 6:34 AM

      Mmmm. Delicious Oodles. /Homer

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      August 21, 2013 6:48 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 21, 2013 7:00 AM

      I had more fun than i thought i would with X-com, will definitely pick this up If i get more of the same.

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      August 21, 2013 7:19 AM

      Will the game still end where the base game ended? I was really hoping for Cydonia or bust.

      Transhuman augmentation sounds a bit....strange to me, but I'm sure it'll work well in game.

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        August 21, 2013 7:23 AM

        I think its the same story line, but just more stuff in it.

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          August 21, 2013 7:34 AM

          Aw! Come on, the game feels like it ends halfway through!

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        August 21, 2013 7:51 AM

        I'd rather not - the alien environments were much less fun to fight across than the contemporary ones.

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      August 21, 2013 8:06 AM

      I'd buy that.

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      August 21, 2013 8:14 AM

      I wish I an call in an air strike, close air support, or use a light armored vehicles for some maps. Like one of the weapons/tools is an IR strobe or laser designator (initially as GPS is jammed or destroyed) you have to use to have an aircraft strike. If you don't take out alien Surface to air defenses you risk losing your strike craft.

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        August 21, 2013 8:25 AM

        I really don't see how'd that fit into their gameplay. I never once felt the need for call-ins, and I really don't like the idea of them in a tactical squad setting.

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      August 21, 2013 8:22 AM

      I have this sinking feeling however that some how shit from the Bureau is going to be shoehorned into this expansion somehow. I hope Snake Men are back as Central Bradford can be overheard talking about them. Snake Men terror missions were some serious business with all those Chrysalids wandering about and snake men being hard to kill. Fuck it, lets bring back Silacoids and Celatids while we are at it. Pretty fucking excited for this and FARMS!!!!

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        August 21, 2013 8:32 AM

        [deleted]

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          August 21, 2013 10:31 AM

          I hope your right but this article http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/8/19/4614410/xcom-the-bureau-development-2006-2013 really has me flabbergasted how 2K and the studio mostly responsible for development of that game seemed to have no idea wtf they were doing with the X-COM license and at every turn pretty much took a hot steaming dump on the franchise. Also seeing the name "outsiders" included in the firaxis version doesn't have me feeling very positive that we wont see more of that nonsense. Then again whatever Firaxis decides to do I'm sure will be enjoyable. The Bureau so far doesn't seem to be a bad game but I dont want anything in that game to become canon, reviewers of the game pretty much sum up the rest.

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      August 21, 2013 8:32 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 21, 2013 10:49 AM

      hmm. was hoping for more base management stuff.

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      August 21, 2013 12:08 PM

      November 12th? WHAT! Come on!

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      August 21, 2013 12:41 PM

      [deleted]

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      August 22, 2013 12:39 AM

      FUUUUUUUUUCK YEESSSSSSSSSSSS

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