Author Topic: X-Com: Enemy Unknown  (Read 7162 times)

TylerChuit

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X-Com: Enemy Unknown
« on: July 09, 2012, 18:24:20 »
The original X-Com: UFO Defense came out in 1994.  My first experience with the series was with the demo for the sequel, X-Com: Terror from the Deep, that I got on a CD that came with a copy of PC Gamer.  The demo for the sequel dropped me right into the gameplay with no instructions and crappy weapons that missed most of the time while the aliens wiped me out with ease.  In short, I didn't care for it.  Apart from the difficulty in game play, the colors were garish neon greens and yellows.  It wasn't until 2 years later that I found the original game in a bargain bin, and got to see more of what it was all about.

X-Com is a turn-based strategy game set in the year 1999, back when Earth was first overrun by aliens.  You remember that, right?  Over the course of the following days and months you, as the leader of the X-Com forces, are tasked with shooting down UFOs, exploring the wreckage to pick off any survivors, and bring back any technology to research in order to improve your own defenses.  In that game it turns out that your guys do miss a lot and die quickly because they are rookies, but the ones that survive get stronger, and get promoted, and go on to lead the next wave of rookies.  In between missions, you get to build new facilities in your base, research the aliens and their tech, and you can manufacture a whole range of weapons and ships.  You can even build new bases and expand your defense network across the globe.  That was not something that the little demo I played was able to convey.

Since then, X-Com became one of my top 5 favorite video games of all time.  Even though there have been a few sequels, and a few knock off games that use the same theme, the original is one that I still go back and replay every few years, and its turn-based system is one of the reasons why I love board games like Doom and Descent so much.

Sid Meier's company, Firaxis, (who is responsible for another 2 of my top 5 all-time favorite games) and 2K Games is relaunching the series with an all new version of  X-Com: Enemy Unknown

The cinematic trailer looks fine, but it's the preview of the base that has me excited.  I would spend quite a bit of time in-between missions planning my base configuration, and this new version's base design looks gorgeous.  The turn-based movement is still intact, and looks really well done with the cinematic camera movements following your soldier's actions.  I cannot do the awesomeness of this game series justice with my words.  Just check out the videos for yourself.

Note: there is another XCOM game also being made by 2K Games that is a FPS set in the '50s (the OTHER first time aliens invaded).  Although this also looks interesting, and I will probably also end up getting it at some point, the Firaxis game looks to more accurately capture the feel and depth of the original game.
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Dragon

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Re: X-Com: Enemy Unknown
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2012, 22:55:38 »
I finally checked out some videos of this upcoming game. It definitely looks cool. I'll have to keep that in mind this October. I wonder if they will try to make it cross-system compatible at all, as I'd definitely be interested in picking this up for the PS3.
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TylerChuit

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Re: X-Com: Enemy Unknown
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2012, 11:48:51 »
I know that some of the other Firaxis games have been on various platforms.  Civilization IV had a PS3 version.  And the original X-Com was also cross-platform.  I would think they will evenually do the same for the new one.
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