X-COM
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X-COM is a series of computer games, started by MicroProse in 1993. The first three titles were strategy games while the fourth was an action-based space combat/strategy game. The first installment, UFO: Enemy Unknown in Europe (also known as X-COM: UFO Defense in North America) was written by a team led by Julian Gollop. MicroProse had admired the Gollop brothers' work, but wanted something 'bigger'[citation needed] After the success of X-COM: UFO Defense, the Gollop brothers went straight to work on X-COM: Apocalypse, which would end up being the third in the series when released in 1997. MicroProse quickly had an internal team create the sequel X-COM: Terror from the Deep.
All titles were developed for the PC, with a few less-successful ports to the Sony PlayStation and Amiga. The first three titles were originally developed to run under DOS, and have subsequently been ported to run under Microsoft Windows using DirectX. X-COM: UFO Defense was the best selling computer game of 1995.[citation needed]
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[edit] Series standards
The premise for the series is fairly simple and straightforward, with variations among them: armies of hostile aliens have begun invading the Earth, killing and enslaving the human race. The mise en scène and trappings of the game closely mirror those of the classic BBC television series UFO.
Despite the cliché setup, the implementation is serious and carefully detailed to give an "authentic" impression.
In all the games, the player is put in command of "X-COM," the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. By defending countries from enemy invasion, the force gains monetary support. Any nation may quit, if X-COM's service is deemed unsatisfactory or the nation's government has been infiltrated by the invaders. Through research of recovered alien artifacts, X-COM is able to develop better and more powerful weapons, armor and vehicles to combat the alien menace and eventually uncover their true nature.
The game takes place within two main views: the Geoscape and the Battlescape, a dichotomy that's the hallmark of the entire series.
The Geoscape consists of a global view of the earth from space. The player can view the X-COM bases (located in various locations on Earth), make changes to them, equip X-COM craft, order supplies and personnel, direct research efforts, schedule manufacturing of advanced equipment and sell alien artifacts to raise capital. The Geoscape is continuous and not turn-based.
Gameplay switches to the isometric combat view of the Battlescape whenever X-COM personnel come in contact with alien units. This can result from investigating downed enemy crafts, combating alien terrorist activities or attacking alien bases discovered during play. Aliens may also be encountered if they manage to attack and infiltrate one of the X-COM bases.
In the Battlescape view, X-COM combatants are pitted against the alien enemies. In addition to personnel, the player may have vehicles such as heavy weapons platforms outfitted with powerful lasers or rocket launchers. This mode is turn-based and each combatant has a number of "time units" which can be expended each turn. When all alien forces have been neutralized, the mission is scored based on number of X-COM units killed, civilians saved, aliens killed or captured and the number of alien artifacts obtained.
[edit] The series
The complete series includes these titles:
- X-COM: UFO Defense (also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown and X-Com Enemy Unknown)
- X-COM: Terror from the Deep
- X-COM: Apocalypse
- X-COM: Interceptor
- X-COM: Email games
- X-COM: Enforcer
The first two games are undeniably the most popular and most successful of the series, and the first was named Game of the Year by many gaming magazines. Apocalypse took several new directions with the series. It introduced a real-time combat system, in addition to a modified turn-based system that drew considerable criticism, and the aesthetics were shifted to a less grim and more futuristic style. After Interceptor, Hasbro Interactive purchased MicroProse and acquired the X-COM brand.
Three more titles were planned for this series. All were aborted when Hasbro shut down Hasbro Interactive in 1999 and 2000.
- X-COM: Genesis
- X-COM: Alliance
- X-COM: Dreamland
Hasbro sold all of its Hasbro Interactive intellectual property to Infogrames (now Atari) when it shut down the studios. In 2005, Take Two Interactive acquired the rights to the X-COM series from Atari[1]. There are unconfirmed rumours that Irrational Games may be developing a new X-COM title[2].
[edit] "Spiritual" successors
Because of the game popularity, other game developers have created games similar in theme and tone of the X-COM games. The levels in which they borrow from the original series varies.
UFO: Aftermath is a 2003 singleplayer game heavily influenced by the X-COM series. During its development, the developers solicited comments from the X-COM fan community. However, they emphasized that their game--though similar--is not an X-COM game. It takes place in the aftermath of UFO attacks on Earth. UFO: Aftershock, the sequel to Aftermath, released in 2005, is a very similar game with upgraded graphics and some minor and major improvements. Like the previous title, it is not an X-COM game by name, and differs quite a bit in strategy. It takes place after mankind has been forced off of the Earth, and details his efforts to retake it. UFO: Afterlight is the latest release in the UFO series. It takes place on Mars.
In 2005, developer Codo Technologies (made up of several members of the original X-COM team), and publisher Namco released Rebelstar: Tactical Command for the Game Boy Advance. Though not officially part of the X-COM series, the combination of its turn- and squad-based combat system and alien invasion theme has caused many fans to embrace the game as the spiritual successor to X-COM. This same firm also released Laser Squad Nemesis in 2005, which has gameplay similar to the first three games in the X-COM series.
UFO2000 is an open source remake of X-COM: UFO Defense, adding new graphics, multiplayer support, maps and more.
UFO: Extraterrestrials by Chaos Concept. It aims to be an unofficial sequel to the X-COM series, featuring turn-based tactical missions, research and the familiar Geoscape where the player must shoot down UFOs. It is scheduled to be released on the 16th of April 2007 after many delays in development.
UFO: Alien Invasion is a computer game, heavily influenced by the X-COM series, mostly by X-COM: UFO Defense where the player fights aliens that are trying to take control over the Earth. The game is a SourceForge project, and is licensed under the GPL. It is based on a modified Quake II engine, and runs on both Linux and Windows. Most aspects of the game are still in development
[edit] Accolades
X-COM: UFO Defense was voted "best PC game of all time" by the staff of IGN in 2007.[1] X-COM appeared as #22 on Computer Gaming World's list of the best games of all time in 1996.
[edit] References
- ^ Top 25 PC Games of All Time (HTML). IGN (March 16, 2007). Retrieved on April 5, 2007.
[edit] See also
- Laser Squad: The original sci-fi strategy game by the developers of X-COM
- Laser Squad Nemesis: a multiplayer game from the original creators of X-COM
- UFO: a TV series that heavily influenced the plot of X-COM
- 1995 novel "X-COM: UFO Defense" by Diane Duane.
- 1997 Russian novelization of UFO: Enemy Unknown by Vladimir Vasilyev.
- 2001 "Commander-in-Chief" by Nikolai Gudanets is loosely based on X-COM.
[edit] External links
[edit] General
- UFOPaedia: An extensive wiki containing information, analysis, strategy, and other resources for the X-COM series of games.
- The X-COM series at MobyGames
- An in-depth description of the first game of the series with numerous screenshots
- XCOMUFO.com: Another X-COM fan site with numerous resources and patches for the Windows versions of the X-COM games
- Dave Ellis Interview: A three-part interview with Dave Ellis, the game designer of X-COM: Interceptor and X-COM: Genesis
- Bob Kathman Interview: An interview with Bob Kathman, a graphic artist on the team behind the ill-fated X-COM: Alliance
- André Galvão's homepage @ xcomufo.com: Fanpage of an X-COM "fanfiction" writer, featuring new terrains and maps for the first game.
- StrategyCore.co.uk: News, fan-fiction, files, forums and more (formerly X-COM.co.uk)
