The Sectoids, Mutons, and Outsider's are coming to invade your iPad in a full version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown for the iOS. 2K is bringing the console experience to iOS devices this summer, and with the new touch screen controls, the tactical strategy title feels surprisingly good on a tablet.
The interface generally looks the same as the original game, and translates to the touch screen interface without a hitch. Thanks to the large on-screen buttons, issuing commands at the home base and in battle are exceedingly simple to pull off with the touch of your finger. In combat, your soldiers are moved into position by simply tapping on the grid location you want them to go. A double tap will confirm the action instantly or you can hit the on-screen move button, which keeps you from accidentally running your soldier into the enemy's line of fire. Every other action, like firing and using special abilities, is controlled in the exact same way.
You move the camera with on-screen buttons or by using different touch gestures like pinching two fingers together to zoom, rotating two fingers to swivel your view, or swiping your fingers across the screen to switch enemy targets. All of the gestures and touch-screen commands seem to work well without having to compromise on the gameplay. Plus, the game looks fantastic on the iPad. The only concession the developers made is that the game will feature less combat maps than the original console/PC title. But considering the number of environments in the original game, the omission of a few random maps will hardly be missed.
Check out the following slides for additional images and more information.
The gameplay feels the same as the original
The visuals are impressive on the iPad's high-def screen
Customizing your character is as easy as touching a button
Touch controls keep navigation plain and simple
