You fight about 6 different hostile alien races: the famous Zeta Reticuli race is here (called "Sectoids" in the game); there are reptilian aliens ("Snakemen"); creepy death look-alikes with awesome mental powers ("Ethereals"); and tough jock-types ("Mutons").
You have armored vehicles at your disposal (but--so do the aliens), and even though you start with puny Earth-weapons; as you shoot down, recover, and research alien technology your engineers will be able to build base facilities, aircraft, tanks, weapons, body armor, grenades, EXTREMELY high-explosive missile launchers--and even equipment for MIND CONTROL--based on alien technology.
At the end of each month, you're given a progress report. Nations decide if they should increase your funding, decrease it, leave it the same, or pull out of the alliance all together and try to strike a deal with the alien races.
The ground battles themselves are played in a chess-like state. However, you can only see the areas of the map your troops have explored. Everything else is shrouded black. During the computer's turn, the screen only shows the blinking words "Hidden Movement," unless a soldier spots an alien or is fired upon. The "board" is divided into (I think) 124x124 squares; each one square taking 4 "Time Units" to cross.
Each group of 25(?) squares is given it's own unique attributes such as barnhouses, hills, cropfields, etc., so you'll NEVER--I, in 6 years of playing, have not--come across the exact same map twice. The aliens are also positioned randomly through the map, so check your flanks!
The average soldier starts with 50 TU's. However, shooting takes between 15 & 45 TU's (depending on weapons used & type of shot--aimed, auto, snap etc.). Basically, everything--reloading, throwing stuff, turning your soldier's head--takes TU's. But, as your soldiers see more combat, they can get as many as 81 TU's, which is quite helpful. They also gain health units, stamina, strength, bravery, etc--BUT keeping a soldier from the first mission to the final assault on the main ET base where the alien's collective mind, "the Brain," is kept (in the Cydonia region of Mars) is pretty much impossible. You're fighting a well-trained opponent!
What's more, you battle not only alien occupants of ships you have shot down, but aliens that land in major cities to terrorise the population, alien bases scattered around Earth, and even aliens that locate & attack YOUR base. It's not all fought on farm land in Idaho!
The musical score is a well-crafter combination of military marches and techno-beats; the creepy musical score playing while you fight ground missions is by far the most fitting for such a scenario.
There are a few videos in this game. The two outstanding ones are when you win the game and when you lose. When you win, no indication is given of Earth's future state. Do we acheive peace on Earth? Do we forget all that we've been through & return to our old ways? Unknown. You are shown the Mars base exploding, and your brave soldiers flying back to Earth cheering. Then you are returned to the main menu. Did the designers intend to create such a profound "happy" ending?
The video when you lose is more straight-forward, but still goose-bumpy: Three alien battle-ships hover over the UN building. Inside, the floor is bare of representatives except for a few humans sitting at a table across from two "Ethereals" and a "Sectoid" commander. There is no talking, but the message is chillingly beautiful in it's clarity: most of the world has given in, and it looks like the last fighting nation is following. As the humans & aliens communicate telepathically, several aliens burst through the door, place a plasma rifle to the head of the human leader, and pull the trigger. The "Sectoid" across from him is next seen splattered in the man's blood. Proof that the aliens do not make deals--deals in the sense that we know them--and a taste of what the aliens have always had in store for us: extermination.
This game is no longer in print, apparently because most people saw it as "too intelligent." If you happen to find a copy online...CONSIDER buying it. _I make no promises that you'll like it_. It's called a boring & tedious game by the few critics it has. I consider it an highly challenging work of art; one that shaped my teen years. You won't look at the world the same way after playing this enough hours. I would be another person were it not for the day my best friend John was playing X-Com on Playstation, I looked over, and said "Hey, that game looks kinda cool. What is it?"
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RTS games did not exist when X-COM was released (or least I have never heard of one from that era) and good stratagey games were even harder to find (I could be corrected by a MOOR fan). When it was released, X-COM became the reason I invested so much in video gamming. The computer AI was nothing special, but the other little touches like surprise fire from windows and "Fog of War" (to name only a few) overcame the AI's weakness and forced you think about who to put with who and where on every mission. Fire teams, fire teams, fire teams. If you want to live through a mission, deploy in fire teams of no less than two with mixed weapons and always have someone under good cover, ready replace fallen members. If you just can't get out of the 80's and 90's when it comes to video games, and you long for those old, great strategey games, then this one for you.Best Deals for X-COM: UFO Defense - PlayStation
A few years ago PCGAMER made a list of the greatest PC games of all time and suprise, suprise guess what game topped the list? X-Com UFO Defense, and it well deserved it.The game, even when played today still shows it's greatness. I've logged probably more then 1000 hours of gametime playing X-Com and it's many sequels over the years since it first released and the gameplay still amazes me.
If you love strategy games and for some reason haven't tried X-Com find a copy of it. (The PC version is WAY easier to get a hold of then the PS1 version and is a better port of the game anyway) If you loved games like Final Fantasy Tactics, C&C, Warcraft or less recognizable classics such as Dune 2 and the more recent Disgaea Hour of Darkness then you owe it to yourself to see what you've been missing.
As with the details the other reviews do a great job so i'll just leave you with this I've played just nearly every tactical combat/rpg ever made and X-Com is by far the best.
Honest reviews on X-COM: UFO Defense - PlayStation
Buy this game! You won't regret it.I'm not a fan of strategy games. I've never been into Populous, Civilization, Command & Conquer, or anything resembling. However, I can't stop playing this game. Every year I pick it up and start playing it again.
You are at the helm of a multinationally funded UFO defense team. Your goal is simple, protect earth from the oncoming insurgency, and ultimately seek and destroy the source of the invasion. Aside from the strategic turn-based combat sequences, you will control all aspects of the administrative efforts. Sink your fingers into the purchasing of supplies, design of bases, hiring and firing of personel, the armament of your aircraft (for shooting down UFO's) and MOST IMPORTANTLY, which alien technologies to research and incorporate into your arsenal.
Combat sequences boast a fully destructible environment, a rarity in classic gaming! Need to get down to a lower floor? Blast a hole and drop down! If there's a tree blocking your view, turn it into kindling with a well placed shot then take aim at your newly exposed enemies. You can even level a hill if you have the firepower! The designers should be proud, they thought of everything.
If you try this game you will discover a new love.
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Everywhere you look people are enjoying taking out little green men with a pistol. Oh well. X-Com has been proven to provide great entertainment for this who enjoy being a MIB. Control bsaes and protect them from attack. Monitor the world and keep major cities safe from the scum of the universe. Control up to 12 soldiers in a turn-based combat mission where every move your people make my be their last. Research new and startling technologies in your biology and physics labs and put them to use in your manufacturing plants. Be careful that you don't spend too much time researching and not enough time in combat. The countries of the world are footing the bill for your little operation and should they fall under alien control kiss your much needed funding good-bye. Vast array of weapons, terrain maps, enemy aliens, vechiles and UFOs will keep you busy for a good 50 hours or more. If you liked this game then get the sequels for them made for your IBM PC.
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