XCOM 2 Screenshots Introduce Aliens To Suburbia

Unlike its predecessor, XCOM 2 [official site] will have procedural levels. That means its cities, wilderness and small town settings will be different every time and clicky-clacked together from grim future Lego bricks. There's new screenshots below of what that looks like in suburbia.

Think of the japes you'll get up to in these environments! Hiding behind those low walls. Accidentally shooting your friend in the face in that car park. Dressing one of the aliens up in your mum's big hats in that suburban home. Riding your bikes across the sky while on the run from the shadowy government forces who pursue you.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its expansion were wonderful games and I am looking forward greatly to the sequel. Right now, it's filed under my head as a stately, sensible follow-up to the first game: nothing too wild about it, not too huge a departure, but adding the sensible things we want from it. A slightly more diverse cast of enemies; procedural weapons; more interesting base development; more varied mission types. Evolution not revolution, as a shit '90s games mag might say.

These are not complaints. Sometimnes I wish Firaxis were wilder, but I suspect that's what the XCOM 2 expansion - should there be one - will do. In the meantime the game is looking good. You can find larger versions of these images over on the XCOM site. XCOM 2 is due for release on February 5th