2K's XCOM shooter has bounced around development limbo the past few years, but today the company lifted the curtain on its game which has officially been rebranded as The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. The mysterious game, which had previously been shown off as an action-focused first-person shooter, has been recast as a third-person strategy shooter; however, some of the same plot elements, such as the time period and overall concept of covering an alien conspiracy, are still present. The primary emphasis will be on they single-player which relies heavily on narrative.
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War and tells the origin story of the XCOM organization's first encounter with a "mysterious and devastating enemy." You will play as special agent William Carter, who, judging from the brief teaser, appears to have access to a few alien technology gadgets to help in the fight. As Carter you will lead your squad of agents in the war for humanity's survival, all the while covering-up the enemy's existence to prevent worldwide panic.
“We’re thrilled about 2K Marin’s refined vision for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The game has evolved through a creative and iterative development process, and the result is a narrative-driven experience that is smart, engaging, and challenges players to think tactically.”
The Bureau looks to "deliver a new experience" within the XCOM universe. As such, it will maintain the franchise's calculated combat design and third-person perspective to give you a full sense of spacial awareness and make use of Carter's unique "Battle Focus ability." Like its predecessor, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, The Bureau will fully embrace permanent consequence, meaning once a member of your squad dies, they are gone forever.
2K Marin, makers of BioShock 2, has been handling development of the game. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will be release on August 20, 2013 in North America and August 23, 2013 internationally. Announced platforms are the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. There was no mention of Wii U or next-gen consoles.
