Having watched (suffered through?) the demo, I have the following two comments:
* Had the developers not mentioned the word "Elerium-115", I would never have guessed this to be an X-Com game. The gameplay is totally different; the story is totally different; the setting is totally different (1960s).
* Had the developers not mentioned the word "Elerium-115", I would have guessed the game to be a poor-quality Mass Effect ripoff. Technically a poor-quality Mass Effect 2 ripoff. Seriously, let me describe one of these games, and you try to tell me which one I'm describing:
The game focuses around a hub-based mission system, where you select which mission to undertake from a large map. Missions focus on scripted storyline missions, revolving around recruiting additional team members with specialized skills to stop an army of sentient robots from consuming all life as we know it. During missions, you take a squad of two other characters with unique abilities, who are largely AI-controlled but can be given specific orders from a pause menu; this menu also allows you to target your squad member's powers on specific locations or enemies. When not actively on missions, your hub serves as a safe location where you can chat with various characters to learn more about the world, as well as research new equipment and upgrades to take with you into the field.
So, yeah. It's ME2 with (considerably) less polish, and set in the 60s instead of the future.
...you guys got any more room in that pact?
here's the deal: NOT EVERY GODDAMN SHOOTER WITH RPG ELEMNTS IS A ME2 CLONE! but XCOM just takes the collectors plot ant takes off.
the basic difference: XCOM (the new one that is) is just the mar sara mission played all over again.
but otherwise, it seems OK. the XCOM is (alot like fallout 3, wich was under RAAAAAAAGEEEHHHH!!! beacuse being in first person, but was overall good.) is just trying different things.
just think about it, making a turn based game and expect a full price for it is nowadays considered a financial suicide. and i don't buy that game is bad just by looking at a couple of trailers. XCOM is (in my point of view) a murder of the franchise's setting and system, but it feels necessary (for me at least) to look at the ashes, and perhaps a phoenix shall arise from them. i have played X-COM since i was a kid (although, here it's called UFO) and loved it, both 2 parts. just a couple of months ago i got meself the 3rd part (apocalypse). sure it was weird at first, with the city and all, but i have felt the core to be X-com. the tactical shootouts etc.
don't criticise the game BEFORE it came out. that's what i learned from fallout 3. i have played fallout 1 before, loved it, and when i found out that the 3rd part was going to be an FPS i immediately joined the FULL CAPS RAGEEEEEEEHHHH!!!!! on some of the forums, but when i played the game i loved it. the atmosphere, etc. the only problem i had with it was the story, but let's let that drop.
so far (judging by the trailers) the only thing that bothered me was the american setting. BUT. otherwise it seems okay. who knows, maybe in the full game you'll have a retaliation or something and will se the aliens planet. oh, and the aliens weren't that great too. but that can be forgiven. i forgave that the combat was too reliable at ME2, but that did not ruin my fun.
maybe i'll be proven wrong. maybe the finished game will just feel like a ME2 ripoff (also by the point of choosing what mission you'd like to play (hub), mario had it (some of them), so ME2 is not that new in that department) and will just be bad. but maybe not.
so PLEASE, PLEASE, DO.NOT.CALL.A.GAME.A.RIPOFF.OF.ANOTHER.GAME.UNTIL.YOU.GODDAMN.PLAYED.IT.
p.s.: cover based shooting would have a lot to du with x-com, since in real, tactical world battles (just like x-coms so far portray them, just with, you know. aliens) cover has a whole friggin bunch to do with X-com. that is all. i do not want any flame wars over this post.
P.S.S: I MEAN IT.