News

XCOM: Enemy Unknown PC demo now available
Posted: 24.09.2012 16:17 by JonahFalcon Comments: 98
2K Games has announced that a demo of XCOM: Enemy Unknown is now available on Steam. The demo includes two tutorial levels from the single-player campaign, which will allow players to learn the combat controls and combat tactics, as well as introducing them to the XCOM base.


The publisher also announced the pre-order bonus. Gamers who order XCOM: Enemy Unknown now will get the Elite Soldier Pack, which adds the following:

* Classic X-COM soldier: Players will instantly receive a new recruit in their barracks inspired by the original X-COM: UFO Defense. The iconic soldier with the blonde, flattop hairstyle will return fully modernized.
* Soldier Deco packs: Players can customize their soldier with several aesthetic upgrades to armor suits, including the new Hyperion and Reaper soldier armor kits.
* Complete colour customization: A variety of colours and tints for all armor sets in the game allow players complete control to customize their squad’s look.

Also, a PC special edition (£49.99) will contain a copy of the game for PC and a number of unique XCOM items, including an art book; fold-out poster of the XCOM headquarters, an XCOM insignia patch; and a collection of digital bonus assets such as desktop wallpaper, soundtrack and more.

Comments

By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
djole381
After a few unsuccessful attempts to download the demo, I noticed that the demo download link is removed from Steam.

EDIT : The demo is back online now and is 5.8 GB in size. Ouch...
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
JonahFalcon
It isn't the demo being online. If you're getting that error, you have to exit Steam and re-enter.
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
djole381
While it was unavailable I did just that but it didn't help. The "Download Demo" button was removed from the game page.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 24, 2012
herodotus
I'll have to check this out later today methinks.
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
djole381
Just finished the demo. It's totally AWESOME!!! XD
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
Kres
Damn I'm on a vacation with laptop and bad net connection. 5.8G is a no go from here. Coming back on Friday. Will be the first thing I download. Has anybody tried it? Is the game any good?? Please do tell!
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
djole381
I tried it Kres. It's awesome, at least IMHO.
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
Kres
So you're leaving room for it to not be awesome to other people? :p it's not perfect?? :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 24, 2012
herodotus
Kres you'll love it. If the full game is bug-free and more of this you'll soon have your mouse hand burning from overuse.
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
djole381
It's a good thing it releases in two weeks as that gives me plenty of time to enjoy "Borderlands 2". :)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 24, 2012
nocutius
Nice, i saw this a bit late to try it out today but there's always tomorrow :).
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
JonahFalcon
It was a nice demo. Showed off how the game would be a cinematic experience. Sound strategy.
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
Kres
Can't wait for it. Been waiting for a while for something like this. And can't wait for reviews. THough presumably from what I read in previews so far, the score is going to be around 9ish, I hope.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
FoolWolf
Download will start soon - so I guess it is time to ask if anyone wants my bonus Civ V then? ;)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
Fight, fight, fight!
Or perhaps asking very nicely would work too :)

A very tempting offer but I'll pass, I'm sure others would enjoy it more than me.
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
Kres
Preordered it FoolW hehe. I didn't. Nice of you to ask. Got that already course :)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
I've tried the demo now and it does convince.
I guess good games still dare to have demos even in this age :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 25, 2012
herodotus
*groan* $70 on Steam and near the same for the retail product here. WHEN will this price-gouging stop?
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
JonahFalcon
When you stop paying for it.

@Kres: Pre-order? What is this... "pre-order"? I have 5 XCOM Steam codes I'd love to give away here on Strategy Informer. (wink wink)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
Droooooooooool :P

I expect a mighty crowd for this one :)
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
djole381
I want one :) Pretty please with a cherry on top XD
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
FoolWolf
Oh - I smell a Strategy competition coming up! :)I want one too - but I would opt for a competition to get us in the Autumn mood a bit :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 25, 2012
herodotus
@Jonah
The problem is many don't have access to friends to buy through overseas or the means to import cheaper (ie. more reasonably priced) copies. End result: piracy sky rockets.
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
JonahFalcon
And piracy forces companies to raise prices to afford development cycles.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 25, 2012
lichlord
hmmm would love one of them codes jonah XD anyways giving it a shot as soon steam starts working normally for 5 seconds...
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
Jonah, that argument is not valid when one country is being singled out and getting charged relatively more than the standard "just because". Piracy has absolutely no effect on high prices in Australia.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 25, 2012
herodotus
The argument, as nocc says perfectly is not valid Jonah. You and I both know that Australia lies in what is roughly termed the "Red Zone/Region" where prices for everything are higher and the enforced piracy here will not raise prices in the industry as a whole. Publishers complain endlessly about the piracy problem, yet instead of offering solutions they become the problem.
$90 for a digital download that you will never own is equal to the price of retail boxed copy of a game here. There have been extensive studies on the standard of living here and our base wage and the end result is that there is NO justifiable reason for us to be price-gouged.

I am no supporter of Piracy as everyone here should know, but I understand why it is on the increase. Why pay $80 for "Borderlands 2" for example when you can get it for free. If the price was equatable with say the USA where our dollars are usually in parity, piracy would drop markedly.

Fix the problem instead of creating new ones. Greed is the problem.
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
djole381
Now guys, let's not forget what's important - the codes. Jonah, is there going to be a competition or you're just gonna give them away to whoever contacts you first?
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
Hehe, an optimist :)
Competition guaranteed, winning possible, chances slim :P.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 25, 2012
herodotus
Jeez, mine are zero:)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 25, 2012
lichlord
i hate slim chances still being the oppertunitist helps time to time tho wheres my Communism EQUAL SHARE BITCHES! XDDDDD lol :P
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
SirRoderick
So this is how it is? I go away for ONE DAY and you do this behind my back!

^^
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
FoolWolf
SirRoderick - we thought you would be gone for more than that and be over and done with it, now you ruined the surprise halfway ;)

I just realized that I had a win - although not one that has arrived yet - in the last competition. Blah!

Er, Jonah - give away the keys... ;)
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
FoolWolf
Oh, and just tested the demo. I was a bit so-so. I have to say that after reading that they would be giving the PC some excellent GUI work-over I'm not impressed. I felt that the camera controls were a bit hampered and that the input was very easy to press down the wrong commands and in the demo you couldn't customize any input - at all.

Still, I enjoyed making an excellent run and shooting some baddies in the the whatnots and live ;) Would have liked to see some more of teh base building which also felt a but over simplified - I think I'm still not sure that I agree with the statements simplified - but not dumbed down until I have gotten further into the game. Still - first game that had X-Com in the title that didn't bring on violent anxiety attacks or nausea... ;)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
That's quite an improvement then :)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 25, 2012
lichlord
well the demo is to give a taste of the game not the full thing not to mention they may still do some last minute changes(tho doubtfull) all is perfectly possible played many demos that felt very diffrent to the original game because they cutted stuff away
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
SirRoderick
I don't quite like the removal of an inventory system or the new AP system, not a huge problem, but I always prefer the classic sort of design there.

One thing that is more concerning is how bloody easy it is so far....I mean the bleeding aliens announced their presence in that mission, then died pretty easily. Hoping that's just because it's such an early mission.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 25, 2012
nocutius
Well the demo is almost certainly just a tutorial part of the game so the difficulty level is not that surprising.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 25, 2012
lichlord
agreed many demos are just prologues of a game
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 25, 2012
herodotus
...missing many features available in the final release.
Welcome back Roderick, old boy.
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Sep 26, 2012
JonahFalcon
"One thing that is more concerning is how bloody easy it is so far....I mean the bleeding aliens announced their presence in that mission, then died pretty easily. Hoping that's just because it's such an early mission."

You can change the difficulty setting. The demo is set on "easy".

Also: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/09/25/some-things-you-should-know-about-the-xcom-demo/
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 26, 2012
nocutius
Thanks for that link it does clear some things up. I specially like that long video.
By the_fourth_horseman (SI Veteran Member) on Sep 26, 2012
the_fourth_horseman
that video at
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/29/enemy-yours-watch-an-hour-of-the-xcom-remake/

gave me a total h*rd*n. Can't wait man...
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 26, 2012
nocutius
Totally. The demo was enough to get one going but the video makes it difficult to wait any longer :).
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 26, 2012
herodotus
Guys, guys (and Geisha) change your jockey shorts and just get ready for some seriously good strategy on the way. Damn it looks good.

Oh and Horseman, I'm sure you were making a Physics reference in your final line: the link gives you a Hadron:)
By the_fourth_horseman (SI Veteran Member) on Sep 26, 2012
the_fourth_horseman
@herod: Yeayea, total hadron collision in my sh*rts
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 26, 2012
herodotus
Hehe:)
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 26, 2012
SirRoderick
Thanks Jonah, sets mind at ease somewaht :)
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
Kres
@Jonah: Yeah, we'll talk about that when I'm back, tomorrow. So as Jonah said, there are 4 copies available for the competition. We'll get that rolling soon!
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
djole381
Four? Don't you mean five Kres? :)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
nocutius
Death, taxes and all that :)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 27, 2012
lichlord
prolly one for kres or himself the 4 for us :P XD
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
nocutius
Hehe. Death, taxes and Kres :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 27, 2012
herodotus
....and Australia. The far flung empire where few competitions can reach safely without being turned back:)
By the_fourth_horseman (SI Veteran Member) on Sep 27, 2012
the_fourth_horseman
Why don't you make it a Quizzz:

"In the original XCOM, what was the complete molecular name for the combostible chemical, used for fuel and developing alien ammunition? "

the answer is not so easy to find actually, if you're not a veteran....
By JonahFalcon (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
JonahFalcon
"There... are... FOUR.... lights!"
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
nocutius
Jonaaaaaaaaaah!
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
djole381
Oh you'll be seeing a light Jonah if you don't start the comp soon... XD
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 27, 2012
herodotus
Now, now no more more talk of mutilation or other threats. Just string him up:)
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
djole381
To the gallows with him XD
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
SirRoderick
Xcom comp? Oh excellent! Sign me up ^^
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 27, 2012
herodotus
Not fair Roderick. You own the Roman and Medieval worlds. The future belongs to me!
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
nocutius
This game is set in the past as well ;)
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 27, 2012
SirRoderick
Medieval was mine? I thought I had the Napoleonic era? :O
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 27, 2012
herodotus
No mate, that's mine and I'll fight ya for it.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 28, 2012
lichlord
tsssss y you guys fighting over hystorical eras just share the damn things lolz so much has happened... and for the future to come well todays digital age tomorrows Nano age i suppose who knows what that will bring
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 28, 2012
herodotus
...and that's mine too:)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 28, 2012
lichlord
*facepalm* lol
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 28, 2012
Kres
Ok I'm back. Dling the demo atm. Hehe yeah 5 copies. Well had to try :(
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 28, 2012
nocutius
Sneaky, but I can't blame you when it comes to one of the most desirable games of the year :).

Damn, this compo is going to have a ton of people entering if this thread is anything to go by, 70 comments already :).
By Kres (SI Elite) on Sep 28, 2012
Kres
Ye, checking out details and we'll get it up.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 28, 2012
herodotus
Glad to hear you can get it up, Kres. Fast and hard is how we like like it:)
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 28, 2012
nocutius
"Will get it up", it's not definite yet.
Some stimulus might still be needed :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 28, 2012
herodotus
Blue pill?
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 28, 2012
SirRoderick
Fight for it hey?

Feel free to come to my home turf silly Aussy, the field of Waterloo hasn't been bloodied for a while >:D
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 28, 2012
herodotus
Yes, but it's all cafes and a disco now - hardly a battleground. Come to my shores, and if you can make it past all the beasties I'll face you at Eureka in Victoria where a handful of armed gold miners built a stockade and held off a reinforced British company for days. That's where our unofficial flag comes from - blue flag with only the white stars of the Southern Cross on it.
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/national/organisation-seeks-support-for-a-new-australian-flag-20110125-1a486.html
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 28, 2012
lichlord
lol new flag want to get rid of your old UK logo root? :P
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 29, 2012
herodotus
Why not. What's the Queen of GB ever done for me?
When I joined the Roral Australian Army Reserve as an officer I had to pledge an oath of allegiance to a monarch some 16,000 km from my home. That's just bats$#t crazy.
Our area of interest/influence/co-existence is the Pacific, and we are becoming more and more a multicultural society from this region. We have closer ties with the US and have had since 1942 under the first agreement written up by PM John Curtin (which really pissed off Winstone Churchill no end - great man Curtin).
My family originally came from Cornwall, still after it's independence, so the rebellious streak in me probably stems from back then:)
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 29, 2012
SirRoderick
Ah, you're descendent from Cornish layabouts! That does explain the temperament ^^

On a side note, there's still plenty of field at Waterloo actually. And the Wellington monument is one hell of a vantage point for my artillery! After we flatten it a little obviouisly ;P
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 29, 2012
herodotus
I'll stick with the Château d'Hougoumont as I know just how hard it was to break into. Swapped hands so many times that day, it has to be the privotal point of battle.
Then again, you seem to be siding with the coalition so perhaps La Belle Alliance is for me, with the Grand Battery and the Old Guard, not to mention a squadron of Polish lancers and three of Cuirassiers.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Sep 29, 2012
nocutius
Yes yes fight it out, it's important for you two to fight it out. On your honor an all that, I have no sinister motives at all.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 29, 2012
lichlord
Well the US was also a former UK colony don't forget that but tbh im not so fimiliar with the Aussies history or even wehn they got indenpendent tbh...
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 29, 2012
herodotus
We've alwys been indepenent in a way, being itinitially of mostly English riff raff and Irish stock sent ehere for fighting for their dignity and their starving families. Once here, so far from Old Blighty the settlers and convicts quickly became their own.

As for your last question(?) Lich, On 22 January 1899, leaders of the six Australian colonies met in Melbourne to discuss a federation bill. It was rejected. The amended Commonwealth Constitution that followed was given Royal Assent on 9 July 1900. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved and the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed by Australia's first Governor-General, John Hope, at Centennial Park in Sydney.

Australia reached the next stage of independence on 3 March 1986, when the Australia Acts came into effect. The Australia Acts declared that Australia had the status of a Sovereign, Independent and Federal Nation. The nation still retains Elizabeth II as head of state, but her position as Australia's head of state is a completely separate position from her position as the head of state of any other country, including the UK. What the Australia Act effectively did was remove the ability of the British Government to make laws for Australia and removed the last legal link with the UK by abolishing the right of appeal to the judicial committee of the Privy Council. Also it was not until 1988 that the last state, Queensland, removed this from their statutes as well.

Some might say Australia is still on a path to independence as we are still technically ruled by the British monarchy, even though that monarchy does not have any right to interfere with Australian laws. There will always be those who disagree with the above, as it could be said that Australia received independence in varying degrees.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 29, 2012
herodotus
"Austrlians all let us ring Joyce for she is young and free".
Love my national anthem:)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Sep 29, 2012
lichlord
i see
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 29, 2012
herodotus
1901 is the recognised year, officially. I doubt, though that the Australian Aboriginal would agree. We still have to work that out.
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 29, 2012
SirRoderick
Well you're your own country now, who cared what symbolic figure you've got on your money? ^^

Although I do find it rather strange you didn't get the full independence a tad sooner, what with the world war sacrifices and all. At any rate, here's to the right to self-government! *Drinks a beer to that*
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Sep 29, 2012
herodotus
*cheers* The men who fought in World War I still had very close ties to Britain and so felt it was their duty to fight for their monarch.
We held a referendum here some 15 years ago about ditching the monarchy and it failed miserably. Perhaps when all the monarchists here finally get there heads on straight we can truly be a republic....or vote me in as monarch.
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Sep 29, 2012
SirRoderick
Well...why does it matter honestly? You're not actually losing out on anything are you? In your stead I wouldn't mind the monarchy being disbanded, but I wouldn't actively campaign for it either.

Well we still have a symbolic king here too...the most useless kind. I mean eiter they have power and can influence policy in a decisive manner where needed or they shouldn't be around at all TBH. It's the romantic idea of a monarchy that keeps em there. Belgian kings used to kick ass, now they just sort of...look nice.

But again, I'm not going to actively campaign to get rid of them either.
By FoolWolf (SI Elite) on Oct 01, 2012
FoolWolf
We have a king to, he keeps the tabloids in business both here and in Germany where our kingdom and royalties are highly talkative stuff in the hotter regions...

The rest of us just marvels that there still are people that can't spell that get access to all that money and all they have to do is really to sit in on every boring festivity there is in Sweden... OK - perhaps they do deserve some cred...
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Oct 03, 2012
herodotus
The Americans I am sure wish they had a monarch. It's good business in the form of tourism and other afilliated monetry rewards. Unfortunately that does nothing for us, so I would rather be a Republic.
By the_fourth_horseman (SI Veteran Member) on Oct 03, 2012
the_fourth_horseman
Pffff booooooring!!

Let's keep it at XCOM shall we?
By djole381 (SI Elite) on Oct 03, 2012
djole381
@the_fourth_horseman
I agree :)
By lichlord (SI Core) on Oct 03, 2012
lichlord
as nice as i find discussions to listen to people talk maybe idd it would be good to get back on the subject and talk further on some forum lol
By Kres (SI Elite) on Oct 03, 2012
Kres
Looks like we'll have Borderlands 2 competition before XCOM.
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Oct 03, 2012
nocutius
Was that sarcasm or...?

Not that I would complain either way :)
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Oct 03, 2012
herodotus
Sorry guys, back on toipic (poor moderation on my part). "Borderlands 2" comp would be good too Kres, unless of course it is restricted to just Europe and US or UK.