XCOM returns on Xbox 360

XCOM, the classic 90’s turn-based strategy game, is returning on Xbox 360 as a new first-person shooter from the developers of BioShock 2, 2K Marin and 2K Australia.

If you haven’t yet guessed it, this is the “substantial” and “classic” franchise that the latest OXM was teasing for its next issue.

XCOM for Xbox 360 is a re-imagining of the classic and beloved franchise, putting players in the shoes of an FBI agent with a task to identify the growing alien threat against humanity. Players will have “heart-stopping combat experiences” and “feel the tension and fear” that comes to fighting these unknown enemies thanks the first-person perspective.

“With BioShock 2, the team at 2K Marin proved themselves as masters of first-person, suspenseful storytelling, and with XCOM they will re-imagine and expand the rich lore of this revered franchise,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Players will explore the world of XCOM from an immersive new perspective and experience firsthand the fear and tension of this gripping narrative ride.”

XCOM hits Xbox 360 and PC sometime this year, hopefully. No release date was given. Check out the first high-res screenshot of XCOM at the gallery.

2K Games Announces XCOM® – Suspense and Mystery-Filled First-Person Shooter from Creators of BioShock® 2

Award-winning developers set their sights on re-imagining the suspense, tension and fear of one of gaming’s most beloved franchises only on Xbox 360 and Windows PC

New York, NY – April 14, 2010 – 2K Games announced today that XCOM®, the re-imagining of one of gaming’s most storied and beloved franchises, is currently in development at 2K Marin, the studio behind the multi-million unit selling BioShock® 2. Currently in development exclusively for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC, XCOM combines the strategic core of the groundbreaking franchise with a suspense-filled narrative and distills it into a tense and unique first-person shooter experience.

“With BioShock 2, the team at 2K Marin proved themselves as masters of first-person, suspenseful storytelling, and with XCOM they will re-imagine and expand the rich lore of this revered franchise,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Players will explore the world of XCOM from an immersive new perspective and experience firsthand the fear and tension of this gripping narrative ride.”

XCOM is the re-imagining of the classic tale of humanity’s struggle against an unknown enemy that puts players directly into the shoes of an FBI agent tasked with identifying and eliminating the growing threat. True to the roots of the franchise, players will be placed in charge of overcoming high-stake odds through risky strategic gambits coupled with heart-stopping combat experiences that pit human ingenuity – and frailty – against a foe beyond comprehension. By setting the game in a first-person perspective, players will be able to feel the tension and fear that comes with combating a faceless enemy that is violently probing and plotting its way into our world.

XCOM is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on XCOM please visit www.XCOM.com.

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).