In a new video, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified lead narrative designer Erik Caponi discusses the setting and plot of the upcoming anti-alien shooter.
The 1960s were chosen as the backdrop, says Caponi, because it was in that decade and the rise of the counter-culture and civil rights movements where many Americans first started to question what they were told by the government. Things like the Cuban Missile Crisis and President Kennedy's assassination contributed to a national loss of innocence, which made it fitting for a story about a government conspiracy fighting a secret war against alien invaders.
The story is driven by a close connection with its protagonist Agent Carter. Though the story was rebuilt multiple times over the game's development from 2010 to 2013, Carter was always the main character, says Caponi. "It's a very personal story; we're telling the story of Carter's emotional arc throughout this invasion, getting into his head and seeing how he reacts to the events going on around them." Caponi calls The Bureau the "most character-focused game" he's ever worked on.
Polygon spoke with Caponi back in June, where he discussed building (and rebuilding) the game's story. The Bureau hits Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC on Aug. 20 in North America, and Aug. 23 in the rest of the world.
