There’s not much new to report on XCOM, the “re-imagining” of the PC classic which we’ve covered here before. But last year at E3, 2K Games finally released a brief trailer showing in-game footage for us to pick apart, and I thought I’d bring us up to speed. Click through to see the video embedded below.

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Since the last time we saw the game, the screenshots are sporting much deeper colours and sharper edges. The game is still looking quite rough in the video what with being so early in development, but already it’s shaping up to be an intense shooter with its own distinct look.

The video starts us out passing through an idyllic suburban neighbourhood. Step into a pastel-coloured house and onto the familiar scene of a housewife cutting vegetables in the kitchen. But all is not as it seems and the dream-like facade is stripped away in a disturbing and instantly iconic visual. I do think there’s something quite creepy about the way her face disintegrates and she opens her blank eyes, and judging from the corresponding concept art that was shown very early on it is probably an image that will sell the game in the same way the Big Daddies sold BioShock.

From there it’s balls to the wall action. The quick cuts barely give you a moment to take in the chaotic scenes but you can just make out a lot of shooting and a lot of environmental destruction as is expected of an XCOM game. There aren’t many enemies yet but the ones we do get to see appear formidable indeed. The X-Files goo-like creature has terrifying speed and ferocity, and the monolithic, obelisk floating up above the street has a disquieting power that rips through the concrete. Some serious firepower is going to be required to take on these things. A couple of firearms and a fire grenade are on show, and they don’t seem to be very effective against the enemies. As previously detailed, tech research will be needed to produce better weapons to take on the tougher foes.

The trailer is very much a vertical slice of the action and hence isn’t a great indicator of how a typical mission will play out, nor does it show any of the strategical elements hinted at, so we’ll just have to wait for more updates. Unfortunately at this early stage there still is too little information to get excited over; 2K Marin are extremely tight-lipped to the point of awkwardness when it comes to details about the game -which is surprising considering it’s supposed to be coming this year. I’ll be sure to report back the moment we hear something new.

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