XCOM 2 likely won't launch with gamepad support
"When we talk about stuff, we only talk about PC."
XCOM 2 developer Firaxis doesn't plan on launching its upcoming turn-based strategy sequel with gamepad support, though it intends to add that later.
This may come as a surprise as its predecessor, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, appeared on both Xbox 360 and PS3. Then again, maybe it's not a surprise given that the sequel is exclusive to PC, Mac and Linux.
As reported by IGN, creative director Jake Solomon addressed the sequel's PC-exclusivity as a way to focus its efforts on a single vision of the game. And since Firaxis has been making primarily PC-exclusive Civilization games for two decades, that's the developer's comfort zone.
"When we looked at what we wanted to do with the sequel, we had all these very, very ambitious goals," Solomon told IGN. "To do that, we had to use all of our studio expertise ... and our expertise here is PC. That's our home, and that's where we're really comfortable."
"When we have our meetings, when we talk about stuff, we only talk about PC," Solomon added. "We talk about 'What is the experience like on PC? What does the mouse feel like in this experience?'"
As such, the UI and controls are going to be different from what you would expect playing with a gamepad on a couch. UI elements have to be clustered closer together for mouse clicks, while text can afford to be smaller as PCs are often (but not always) played on monitors close to the players' peepers.
While developed with PC in mind, Solomon didn't rule out a console version somewhere down the line. "We're certainly not opposed to that, but I can assure that's something we're not even discussing yet," he said.
On the plus side, being a PC game means that XCOM 2 will support mods.
XCOM 2 is due this November.
