The system requirements xcom 2'PC

You've thought about it long and hard, and now you've decided that you want to play XCOM 2. Only one question remains: Can you? The answer, I'm happy to say, is, probably, yeah. The system requirements turned up on Steam today and all in all, they're pretty light.

In your face with the facts!

The Sectoid:

• OS: Windows® 7, 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4700 2.6 GHz or AMD Phenom 9950 Quad Core 2.6 GHz
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5770, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 45 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card

The Mechtoid:

• OS: Windows® 7, 64-bit
• Processor: 3GHz Quad Core
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: 2GB ATI Radeon HD 7970, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 or better
• Storage: 45 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card

Regardless of the hardware you bring to the table, you'll also require an internet connection for the ol' Steam authentication process.

And if you've thought about it long and hard, but still haven't actually decided whether you want to play XCOM 2 or not, be sure to have a look at our hands-on preview, which includes both words and video. The short version: If you're in the mood for aliens, you're in the mood for XCOM. XCOM 2 comes out on February 5.

Jack the Ripper DLC cuts up Assassin's Creed Syndicate

The Jack the Ripper DLC that was announced for Assassin's Creed Syndicate a fewmonths ago now has a proper release date—December 22—and a story trailer that shines an entirely new light on what we've got to look forward to.

The DLC takes place 20 years after the events of Syndicate, as we already knew, but it now appears that Jacob is out of the picture, and it's up to Evie alone to "deliver the Ripper's head on a spike." But it won't be as easy as all that: The Ripper is a man of many talents.

More interestingly, it seems that Evie and Jack have a pre-existing relationship of some sort—there's a familiarity, at the very least—and they're clearly headed toward some sort of narrative denouement, as Jack alludes to when he asks, "How many more must die before you see the truth?" 

It is perhaps a bit too obvious, even for a videogame, but Jacob's absence, coupled with Jack's reference to a reunion and his very Assassin-like moves, lead me to wonder if—shocking twist!—Jack is in fact Jacob. Jack is, after all, one possible abbreviation of Jacob.

We'll find out next week. Place your bets! (And check out those screens below.)

Update: The post originally listed the DLC as coming on December 15, which is actually the release date for consoles. It won't be out for the PC until December 22.