The Bureau: XCOM Declassified trailer shows tactical battles, DLC info reveals PC redactions

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Here's a trailer for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified's 'Battle Focus' feature. From the footage included, it appears a more suitable name would be the "turn it into XCOM: Enemy Unknown" mode. It lets you intersperse your third person shooting with tactical planning, skill deployment, and that shield UI that tells you when you're in cover. It's probably the most like 'XCOM' the game ever looked.

"The alternate 1962 universe that we've created for The Bureau is vast and there are many more stories to tell about the early days of XCOM," says development director Morgan Gray. "We're excited that our stories will provide a new perspective on the war effort, much like how our critically acclaimed Minvera's Den DLC for BioShock 2 allowed us to present a unique perspective of Rapture."

At least, they're prepared to provide a new perspective if you order the game in a very specific way, and on a very specific platform. The first pack - a campaign side-mission called Codebreakers - comes with pre-orders of the game. And the first proper DLC pack is being released exclusively on Xbox 360. Which is hardly great news for people who like to wait for reviews before committing money to a game. Or for people who don't use Xbox 360s. Er...

The bit you are allowed - the actual game of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified - will release August 20 in the US and August 23 internationally.

Phil Savage
Phil Savage
Editor-in-Chief

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.