X-Com Retro Review at StrategyCore

[Jason]

<strong>[ Review ]</strong>

<p><a href="http://www.strategycore.co.uk/" title="SC">StrategyCore</a> is kicking off their Retro Review series with the obvious choice - X-Com: UFO Defense (or UFO: Enemy Unknown for you Euro types).</p><blockquote><p>The aliens are of course trying to further their own project of world domination, and just flying their saucers around the sky isn't going to accomplish that. Along with the occasional abduction or terrorism incident, they'll be trying to set up shop with their own underground bases. Hence your craft have more uses then combat and transport - They're also essential in patroling the globe in an attempt to spot these alien strongholds from the air. If you find one, you can then send in your soldiers to raid, destroy, or even capture the entire facility.

This sort of thing annoys the visiters of course, and if the aliens own patrols reveal the presence of your own bases you'll find them returning the favour. If you're very successful in fighting against the incursion the alien leaders themselves will come to try and squash you. Apart from their fire power and support units, these creatures have mastered the art of psionics - Meaning they can turn your dependable rocket launcher toting backup into a serious threat to you, especially after he's wiped out half the squad he was supposed to be covering. This makes IQ tests an important part of your screening process for fresh recruits. </p></blockquote><p>So you can experience the joy yourself, they also have instructions for downloading the game and getting it to work on WinXP <a href="http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=3696" title="download">here</a>. </p><p>Read: <a href="http://www.strategycore.co.uk/xcom/pg/uforeview" title="Review">X-Com Review</a></p><p>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.strategycore.co.uk/">StrategyCore</a></p>

 

[MacBone]

You're awesome, baby arm. Thanks for the dl link.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

If you haven't played X-Com already, then cut your wrists in penace for your strategy sins and then play it RIGHT NOW DAMMIT DO IT

 

[sheek]

It's the game I'm currently playing, lol.

One thing though, he talks about using your aircraft to patrol the globe manually looking for bases. Does anybody really do that? It's so boring, useless and stupid. That's one of the few real flaws in the game design along with the equipment distribution which isn't random, it deliberately gives the worst possible equipment to each trooper.

Oh and before you start get XCOMUTIL, it fixes bugs and generally makes the game so much better. For TFTD check out the "TFTD Enhanced/2+" patch as well.

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OK, I read the end of the review. Ignore their advice: don't get the 'gold' edition. It isn't made for XP and it sucks. Get the original DOS version and run it in DosBox.

 

[Jason]

OK, I read the end of the review. Ignore their advice: don't get the 'gold' edition. It isn't made for XP and it sucks. Get the original DOS version and run it in DosBox.

I used it and it worked great on XP. Just follow the directions in the link in my first post (renaming the exe and using the loader to launch the game).

 

[sheek]

OK, I read the end of the review. Ignore their advice: don't get the 'gold' edition. It isn't made for XP and it sucks. Get the original DOS version and run it in DosBox.

I used it and it worked great on XP. Just follow the directions in the link in my first post (renaming the exe and using the loader to launch the game).

Well it doesn't work for TFTD, I assumed it would be the same for UFO.

 

[Zomg]

You can usually tell from the alien activity charts which countries have alien bases in them. Then you just send a spare Skyranger there, let it hover a while, and poof, base uncovered.

Too little abject worship in that article for my taste, though. Everytime I play almost any non-RPG, I lament that no one ever learned how to integrate a strategy layer as perfectly, both gameplay and storytelling-wise, as X-Com did. That was a hybrid that really leveraged both gameplay formats into being greater than their sum.

 

[LlamaGod]

After playing Jagged Alliance and such, the inability to move while crouched and no prone makes me wish for an X-Com remake.

 

[MacBone]

If I cut myself for every good game that I haven't played, two IV blood transfusions couldn't keep up with the hemorrhaging. I don't know if X-Com will wait for me to finsih Ultima VI, but I swear by all that's holy that I'll play X-Com next.