I would think game creation is an artform, just as much as an engineering effort - After making two full Xcom games, and expansions over quite a number of years, maybe the developers, Jake Solomon and who else is doing the heavy lifting, just needs to do something else. Something they can be excited about!
Otherwise, we could end up with some soulless Xcom 3 that is just a mechanical iteration of the previous game, something that was mechnically competent, but without the creativity that clearly was part of the process in creating the first two games.
Thats my take on it, and as such, I view it as healthy, although of course from a fan viewpoint, disappointing.
Yeah, honestly it feels like they’ve taken Xcom so far it’s hard to imagine what three would be, other than slightly prettier and set under water. Doing something different is healthy.
Speaking of which, perhaps sales of the last game were weak enough that TPTB at Firaxis decided to hold off on a new XCOM until people were really hungry for it.
The Runaways are a “team”, a bunch of teenagers who discovered their parents were suppervillains who were doing human sacrifices and plotting to rule the Earth.
And then they run away. Hence, the name. Loads of hijinks ensue. It’s a pretty cool bunch of books, for the most part, assuming you like stuff like seeing a little girl punching Wolverine and the Punisher.
Why? It still won’t be as good as the best xcom game, Xcom: Apocalypse. (I replayed it a couple of years back and it still holds up).
More seriously, I’d love to see them do something with that franchise beyond relatively small adjustments on the theme. Even Chimera squad doesn’t feel that different.
EDIT: I should have realised that on QT3 the XCOM derail would already have happened. :) Complete with Apocalypse mention.
Apparently, many of you’d rather see Xcom 3, personally I’m glad they’re trying something different. Marvel IP fatigue aside, tactical gameplay with superheroes sounds way more interesting than just more of the Xcom iteration we’ve seen through three games and expansions now. I liked Chimera Squad, but it didn’t change the formula enough for me.
Fingers crossed that Solomon and team can do something cool with this.
Supposedly Gamer Informer subscribers have seen the new cover story feature on Midnight Suns, which reveals it’s a 50ish hour RPG inspired by Mass Effect with card based combat ala Slay the Spire.
Edit: found a screenshot - I hope folks don’t mind a cheeky scan: