The Bureau: XCOM® Declassified™ serves as a prequel story to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Players take on the role of William Carter, a brilliant but deeply troubled agent working for a secretive government organization called The Bureau.

Originally created to protect the nation from government spies, the Bureau is forced to abruptly change its focus when a group of alien forces launch a violent and coordinated attack on a small American town. Like Carter, your job isn’t just to keep the alien threat at bay; it is also to be completely overwhelmed by it. To prevent worldwide terror and mass unrest, you must lead an elite army into battle, eliminate the enemy, and destroy their advanced technology—all while erasing any trace of their existence from public records.

Key Features:

The game blends traditional cover mechanics with immersive real-time strategy. Here are the basic concepts that describe the gameplay:

Focus Mode (Battle Focus):

Time slows down dramatically when you open the control wheel. This allows you to strategically plan the positions of your troops, execute precise military orders, and execute offensive actions in a timely manner.

Permadeath:

Like the classic XCOM titles, your teammates are invulnerable. If a character falls in battle and you don’t save them before they bleed to death, they are lost forever. Every tactical mistake has eternal consequences.

Job Design:

Recruit and train a variety of special teams (such as Command, Engineer, Support, or Recon). When they survive missions and are restored, you can equip them with a hybrid mix of classic 1960s weapons and repurposed light weapons.

Addressing the Cold War:

You’ll discover a very detailed and stylized vision of 1960s America. The game presents a striking contrast between classic American culture—complete with vintage suits, fedoras, and vintage cars—and the eerie, colorful, otherworldly alien culture.

Conclusion:

The Bureau: XCOM® Declassified™ delivers an exciting change of pace for the shooter, successfully combining the intense gameplay with the high-level decision-making that is XCOM’s hallmark. The game offers a dark and compelling origin story wrapped in a harsh Cold War setting.