This title, released in 2012, is a modern reimagining of the classic 1994 strategy game, X-COM: UFO Defense. Players assume the role of the Commander of XCOM, a clandestine global organization tasked with defending Earth against a terrifying, full-scale alien invasion. The core experience blends deep strategic management with intense, squad-based tactical combat, placing the fate of humanity directly under the player's command. The game is available across PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Mac, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iOS, and Android platforms.

Core Gameplay Loop: Strategy Meets Tactics

The gameplay is divided into two primary modes: strategic base management and turn-based tactical missions. On the strategic layer, players must manage global panic levels, allocate limited resources, build and expand their underground base, and direct research into captured alien technology to develop countermeasures. Success hinges on balancing immediate threats with long-term technological advancement.

The Tactical Combat Experience

When an alien threat is detected, the game shifts to a turn-based tactical view. Here, you control individual soldiers in small squads, maneuvering them across detailed maps to complete objectives, rescue civilians, or eliminate hostiles. Combat emphasizes positioning, cover utilization, and managing soldier abilities, as every decision carries significant weight. A key feature preserved from the original is the high stakes involved in these encounters, where soldiers can be permanently lost, forcing the player to train replacements.

What Defines This Reimagining Compared to the Original?

As a remake, this version modernizes the experience significantly while respecting the foundation of the classic title developed by Firaxis Games.

Visual and Technical Enhancements

The game features entirely new 3D graphics, updated sound design, and a refined user interface designed for modern console and PC controls. While the original relied on 2D sprites and a more abstract interface, this version offers a more immersive, cinematic presentation of both the base operations and the combat scenarios.

Modernizing the Legacy

The development team focused on streamlining certain aspects of the original's complex management systems to make the initial learning curve more accessible, while simultaneously deepening the tactical combat layer through improved soldier customization and ability trees. The narrative structure is also updated, presenting an entirely new invasion storyline that frames the conflict.

Preserved Elements

Crucially, the core tension—the constant pressure of an overwhelming enemy, the necessity of difficult resource choices, and the permadeath mechanic for soldiers—remains central to the experience, ensuring the strategic challenge that defined the predecessor is intact.

What Content Expansions Are Available?

While the base game does not feature any downloadable content packs (DLCs), it did receive one major expansion that added significant depth to the gameplay systems, introducing new mechanics related to alien interference and base defense.

How Does This Version Differ from the Original?

This title takes the core concept—defend Earth from aliens using research and tactical combat—and rebuilds it from the ground up with modern design sensibilities. It is less about the sprawling, often opaque management simulation of the 1994 title and more focused on delivering a tight, high-stakes tactical experience supported by a compelling, streamlined strategic layer. The focus is on immediate, visceral engagement with the invasion threat.