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[mendonca]

Xenonauts is a game, in development, which is trying for all intents and purposes to faithfully recreate the gameplay of everybodies favourite Earth vs Aliens turn-based strategy game, XCOM.

I think it is doing a pretty good job, and at present the game has a playable demo downloadable from the (completed, successfully funded at $154,695 of a $50,000 target) Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter Page Here

The game is available to buy to access a playable but definitely incomplete Alpha on Desura, if you missed the Kickstarter.

http://www.xenonauts.com/

My view of the game, from what little I have played (I'm saving myself for the full game):
- Nice atmosphere. Cold-war theme allows it to be given its own character, and it feels like a proper turn-based game. It feels increasingly like what you would want a true successor to XCOM to be.
- Air combat much improved from original. More complex, but not daft enough to irritate. A bit like 'Steambirds'.
- Good design decisions, with a strong project lead. The project is not at great danger of suffering from unrealistic goals, or too much feature creep. Kickstarter results may effect the final depth of the game in terms of additional mechanics, tilesets etc. which may otherwise get scrubbed.
- Looks beautiful. All 2d graphics with a coherent design aesthetic.

Reservations:
- It's not 'there' yet.
- Lots of mechanics seem to be suffering in terms of being added finally and to completion. This should hopefully be mitigated by the kickstarter funds allowing them to set up a physical studio where all the little niggles can get worked out by people sitting next to each other, as I think most of these issues are compounded by remote coders / artists etc. and the problems in finally getting things together.

But you shouldn't take my word for it, try the demo out.

Forums:
http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums

[GlyphGryph]

Yah, this is mentioned pretty regularly on the forums, and there's a lot of people looking forward to it. I suppose it needed its own thread eventually, though.

[mendonca]

Yah, this is mentioned pretty regularly on the forums, and there's a lot of people looking forward to it. I suppose it needed its own thread eventually, though.

I must admit I was very surprised that none of my searches brought anything up ...

Hopefully this thread serves as a reasonable place to big it up / shoot it down or just generally speculate.

Personally for me, it's the premise of Jagged Alliance 2 embedded within an XCOM world that strikes me as quite-frighteningly addictive. Whether the atmosphere works or not though will only really be evident when we see the game. I remain optimistic for now.

[alfie275]

UFO:AI looks cool. Just putting it out there.

[Lap]

What's the current count for X-Com remakes? 10?

Imagine if they worked together.

A quick look at the project shows they are using a 2D geoscape. Using a 2D geoscape for such a game is going to look extremely weird when stuff flies over the poles. No more secret arctic bases =(. Only unique thing I'm seeing here is that they will include AI police and military forces in certain battles.

[Zangi]

Imagine if they worked together.

It'll never get done, too many differing opinions of what the best re-make would be.

[Lap]

You'd think so, but it looks like they have 95+% of the game the exact same as the original.  If you are going to remake a game and there are already a ton of remakes out there why not at least make yours stand out by making it different. This is especially sad because the basic formula of "Build bases, manage troops/resources/research, and go out on random missions" can very easily be applied to other settings. It could just as easily work in a post-apocalyptic world where you drive through the wasteland protecting and foraging or to a fantasy world where you protect your kingdom.

The main differences here are graphical, with UFO:AI being the only one with enough new features to stand out.

After a two minute google we have eight total. What a waste.

http://ufo.yaa.dk/

http://ufotts.ninex.info/

http://code.google.com/p/x-com-reloaded/

http://www.projectxenocide.com/

http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/News

http://openxcom.ninex.info/

http://ufo2000.sourceforge.net/

I hope someday someone makes an alien campaign where you are attacking Earth. Maybe have to abduct humans and other resources.

[Rakonas]

UFO:AI looks cool. Just putting it out there.

You can play UFO: Alien Invasion with your friends via LAN or Internet connection. One player controls a human team while another player takes command of the aliens for a bloody head-to-head battle. UFO:AI  also supports cooperative team play with multiple players on both sides, up to a maximum of 3 teams for each side, 6 players total.

Oh god, this sounds awesome.

[PsyberianHusky]

I like the style of game, but why is always about fighting alien invaders?
I would like to see like a Fantasy setting vs a sci fi setting, or whatever, just something fresh ya know? 

[Virtz]

Bumping/necroing this because apparently the game is nearing a ground combat alpha. There's already an air combat alpha out for pre-orderers  and there's a preview of the ground combat on PCGamer's website.

[Vherid]

Yeah I've been following this, can't wait

[a1s]

I want a "realistic" X-Com remake where you have to deal with the earthly side of things. Make them deal with various organisations that want to control/obstruct you. Like, say, if the American overseer wants you to buy American equipment (which is neither the cheapest, nor necessarily the best for your needs), the Chinese are trying to run their own alien collection operation (this is a severe violation of your exclusive charter), some guy from Mogadishu promises to give you a lot of cash if you leak some alien tech to him (which would in turn be a severe violation on your part, but it would help with the cashflow), also you suspect Doctor Petrov to be an undercover FSB agent (or an alien double agent, their screening process really went to hell after the KGB was dismantled)...
The twist would be that

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

By the time you find out the aliens are not evil (rather ignorant of the level human sentience, but quickly learning and willing to negoatiate), you have killed and tortured (what did you think happened in "Alien Containment"?) enough of their civilians that if peace with aliens is ever established, you'd have more war crimes charges the Milosevic.

I'm not sure, wether this should just be made into a X-Com themed IF/CYOA, without the combaty bits. (that would mean that I'd have to start working on it though  )

[Johnfalcon99977]

Unlike its predecessor, Xenonauts will also feature tactical air combat between squadrons of human interceptors and alien UFOs and their escorts. Taking place in pauseable real-time, the air combat will be fast-paced and will allow players to exercise their tactical brains both in the skies and on the ground.

Am I the only person who thought:
FUCK. YES.
Upon reading this?

[MasterFancyPants]

Am I the only one who ever want to be able to call in bombing runs in X-COM?

[Johnfalcon99977]

The more I read about this game the more I love it so.

I think we should all forget about the OTHER X-COM game being made and call this the new X-COM game.