X-Com, I mean -- XCOM -- is in the news again. This time, however, its not mere rumormongering. Last week, 2K officially announced the classic series re-imagined as a first-person shooter. The studio's new direction shocked many fans of the older games -- this one included. X-Com holds a special place for us, and to mess with that iconic formula is to raise an eyebrow or two.

The year is 1995. My dad, always interested the latest PC game demos, hands me a floppy disk adorned with a sticker of a vicious-looking, aquatic hand reaching upward. The text reads, “X-Com: Terror from the Deep.”

He assured me that this would be worth my time. I was skeptical but interested. You see, my dad liked to install all kinds of demos onto my computer during my childhood, and many of them were just plain crap. I played them anyway -- maybe to humor him, maybe because of the rare gem I would sometimes stumble upon.

I booted up the game and clicked through a series of static introductory screens -- something about an underwater threat that I needed to investigate. Next, I’m dumped into an equipment setup. I click through my soldiers, who are already locked and loaded. I’m ready to go.

Little did I know what was about to happen. The troops stood in a submarine, awaiting my command. I ordered the first to exit the craft and search around. Wphoosh! Wphoosh! He crumbles to the ground as two off-screen rounds from a sonic blaster cut through his flimsy, aquatic suit and tear him to shreds.

The next several soldiers attempt the same maneuver, only to meet the same demise. Morale drops quickly, and the remaining crew begins to panic. I’m informed that the wimpy meat bag cowering in the back corner has gone berserk. I watch intensely as he guns down his brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

I played that demo over and over, until I could successfully overcome the superior alien force. With only jet harpoons and wussy, underwater hand grenades, I took advantage of tactical exploits and terrain cover to outsmart my foes. I’ve rarely achieved such a satisfactory feeling of accomplishment in a video game.

I subsequently picked up the full version, and shortly thereafter, the first entry in the series -- X-Com: UFO Defense. I’ve been hooked ever since. 2K’s press release announcing the new, hypen-less XCOM doesn't mention the elements that drew me to X-Com, though. I’m a little worried, and here’s why....

New XCOM is a narrative-driven, first-person shooter

I’m not so worried about the first-person nature -- another favorite of mine, Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels, implements squad-based, tactical combat with FPS mechanics. Back in the day, I looked forward to the release of X-Com: Alliance, a FPS X-Com with squad mechanics in development at the time. Sadly, Hasbro Interactive's demise led to game's cancellation.

On the contrary, I’m more concerned with the narrative-driven aspect, which is a byproduct of modern shooters. The X-Com series has always been about providing players the freedom to shape their own story through in-game actions and decisions.

I can sum up X-Com’s paper-thin plot with a handful of words -- aliens invade, mutilate cattle, and eventually graduate to humans. The world comes together and funds an international military organization to combat the threat. Through research, you’ll learn much about the aliens themselves, where they come from, and how to end their plans once and for all. That’s about it.

No one plays X-Com for a gripping tale reminiscent of H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds. I have no doubt that such a narrative could work -- after all, the game is loosely based on UFO abduction and conspiracy theories popular in the ‘90s. But who really cares? Why use the X-Com name at all? Any generic-alien-invasion story would suffice.

Instead of gently guiding the player through a set of carefully crafted levels, X-Com offers a dynamic mission structure. Within the UFO ground investigations, base raids, and terror sites, players create their own -- much more memorable -- stories.

You’ll remember your first night mission, as you walk your rookie soldiers out into the darkness and watch as a more powerful foe shoots them down from out of sight.

You’ll remember your first encounter with Ethereals, masters of the art of mind control, not because of a series of scripted events, but because your dependable, veteran captain (who’s seen you through thick and thin) turns against his own squad and murders them before your eyes.

You'll remember when you research alien tech and use it against the invaders, doing unto them as they've done unto you for so long.

You’ll remember that one terror mission, when a Chrysalid, an incredibly fast, bug-like creature, turns your soldiers into zombies that birth more enemies for you to tackle.

You’ll remember that daring rescue of an unconscious comrade as you evade alien fire and board the Skyranger for dust-off.

X-Com is not a linear, narrative-driven game. Ultimately, the experience is one of a ragtag group of rookie soldiers who battle a devious foe armed with more advanced weaponry. You’ll begin the game with standard rifles and missiles to combat the aliens' deadly, plasma-based technology. Through dedication, smart tactics, and a lot of dead soldiers, your organization will eventually overcome the alien threat and save the world. The details are all up to you.

While the dynamic mission structure leads players to create their own narrative, the heart of X-Com is gameplay. 2K's meager description leaves a lot of questions, which I investigate on page two.