New XCOM strategy game in the works

When Take-Two first revived the XCOM turn-based strategy series with the announcement of a first-person shooter, some purists were less than pleased. Those same purists may be pacified today, as Game Informer has teased its February cover story with the unveiling of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a new turn-based strategy installment in the alien-fighting franchise.

Nearly as notable as the title's existence is its developer, Firaxis Games. Headed up by legendary designer Sid Meier, the Take-Two-owned studio has primarily produced new installments in the Civilization series, with a handful of side projects like CivCity: Rome and Sid Meier's Pirates.

According to the magazine, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is set for a fall launch on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game will combine turn-based tactical combat with real-time strategy, and it will feature destructible environments and organizational improvements as players progress.

Speaking to the magazine, Firaxis president Steve Martin stressed the team's appreciation for the original, saying, "We were careful to keep XCOM: Enemy Unknown true to the elements that made X-COM such a revered game while delivering an entirely new story and gameplay experience for both diehard X-COM fans and newcomers to the franchise."