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2K and Firaxis Games have today announced that the enhanced edition of XCOM: Enemy Unknown – XCOM: Enemy Within will be available at retailers across North America from the 12th November 2013 and in PAL regions from the 15th November 2013. As with the original release, it will be available for purchase on the PC, Xbox360, Playstation 3 and Mac platforms.
Given that the game has already been available for cheap through numerous Steam sales, you won’t be expected to pay full price for the game. The standard edition of Enemy Within for those who already own the original will set gamers back $29.99 while a standalone “commander edition” will cost an extra $10.
XCOM: Enemy Within takes the experience of the original game and adds an array of new abilities, upgrades, and weapons to combat new enemy threats. The expansion also provides players with all-new maps, tactical and strategic gameplay, and multiplayer content. They claim that fans will be able to experience an additional three to four playthroughs on average before encountering all of the new material included within the game – a bold claim that they hopefully back up in November.
To be specific, some of the new content they are adding to the game includes:
- New Soldier Abilities: Research a new alien technology to advance the capabilities of operatives:
- Gene Mods: Construct the Genetics Lab to physically enhance operatives’ abilities, including augmentations to the chest, brain, eyes, skin and legs.
- MECs: Build the Cybernetics Lab to enable the construction of the new Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuit, or MEC. The new MEC Trooper class has specialized abilities and each suit can be upgraded with new weapons including the flamethrower, grenade launcher and more.
- New Weapons and Equipment: Give operatives an extra tactical edge with new projects from the engineering team in the Foundry;
- New Enemy Threats: Adopt new tactics to counter the threats from a host of new enemies, including the Mechtoid;
- New Strategic Resource: A valuable new alien resource, known as Meld, has been discovered. Secure it on the battlefield and use it carefully back at base to unlock new research and upgrades;
- New Tactical Challenges and Maps: Face new tactical challenges, on nearly 50% more maps;
- New Multiplayer Maps, Units and Abilities: Create custom squad from a wider array of options and dominate opponents in intense, one-on-one, turn-based matches.
Christoph Hartmann | President of 2K
The incredible critical and consumer response to XCOM: Enemy Unknown inspired us to offer new content that would deepen the strong bond that has been created for our XCOM brand. Firaxis Games is renowned for delivering massive, highly immersive PC expansions in the Civilization series, and XCOM: Enemy Within builds on that lineage and expands the experience for console gamers as well.
Ananda Gupta | Lead Designer at Firaxis Games
We promised gamers that we would deliver the same Enemy Unknown experience on both PC and console last fall, and we’re doing it again with Enemy Within. The Commander Edition of XCOM: Enemy Within expands the already amazing XCOM experience for our console fans who are looking forward to even more of the game they love. It’s also a great point of entry for new fans just joining the XCOM fight.
