UFO: Enemy Unknown - A Retro Review
If you are a fan of strategy games, chances are you have heard of UFO: Enemy Unknown, also known as X-COM: UFO Defense in North America. This game, released in 1994 by MicroProse, is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential games of all time. But what makes it so special? How does it hold up today? And should you play it if you haven't already? In this article, we will answer these questions and more as we take a look at this retro masterpiece.
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Introduction
What is UFO: Enemy Unknown?
UFO: Enemy Unknown is a science fiction strategy game that combines real-time management simulation with turn-based tactics. The game puts you in charge of X-COM, an international paramilitary organization secretly defending Earth from an alien invasion. You have to build and expand your bases, research and develop new technologies, manage your finances and personnel, and monitor and respond to UFO activity. You also have to command your troops in the field in a series of turn-based tactical missions, where you have to fight against various types of aliens, capture their equipment and prisoners, and protect civilians and vital locations.
Why is it a cult classic?
UFO: Enemy Unknown is a cult classic because it offers a deep and immersive gameplay experience that challenges your strategic thinking, tactical skills, and decision making. The game has a high level of difficulty and unpredictability, as the alien threat evolves over time and adapts to your actions. The game also has a high level of replayability, as each playthrough is different depending on your choices, random events, and procedural generation. The game has a loyal fan base that still plays it today, and has inspired many similar games and mods over the years.
How does it compare to modern games?
UFO: Enemy Unknown may seem dated by today's standards in terms of graphics and sound, but it still holds up well in terms of gameplay and design. The game has a timeless appeal that transcends its technical limitations, and offers a unique blend of genres that is hard to find in modern games. The game also has a charm and personality that is missing in many modern games, as it draws from popular culture and sci-fi tropes of the time. The game has been remade and rebooted several times, most notably by Firaxis Games in 2012 with XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which is a faithful homage that updates the game for modern audiences.
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Gameplay
Base management
The base management aspect of UFO: Enemy Unknown involves building and expanding your bases around the world, where you can conduct research, engineering, manufacturing, training, storage, medical care, interrogation, and defense. You can build various facilities such as laboratories, workshops, hangars, living quarters, radar systems, missile defenses, alien containment units, psi labs, hyper-wave decoders, mind shields, grav shields, fusion ball launchers, etc. You have to balance your budget and resources carefully, as building and maintaining facilities costs money and power. You also have to deal with the political situation of the world's nations, who fund your organization but may also withdraw their support or sign secret pacts with the aliens if they are unhappy with your performance.</p Tactical combat
The tactical combat aspect of UFO: Enemy Unknown involves controlling your squad of soldiers in a series of turn-based missions, where you have to face various types of aliens, capture their equipment and prisoners, and protect civilians and vital locations. The combat takes place on a grid-based map, where you can move your soldiers, fire weapons, use items, take cover, and interact with the environment. You have to manage your soldiers' time units, morale, health, and inventory, as well as deal with fog of war, line of sight, accuracy, reaction fire, and terrain effects. The combat is challenging and unforgiving, as your soldiers can die permanently or be injured, mind-controlled, or panicked by the aliens. You also have to deal with different types of missions, such as UFO crash sites, UFO landings, terror sites, alien bases, and the final assault on the alien homeworld.
Research and development
The research and development aspect of UFO: Enemy Unknown involves using your scientists and engineers to study and reverse-engineer the alien technology and biology that you recover from the missions. You can research new weapons, armor, equipment, vehicles, facilities, and psionics for your soldiers, as well as learn more about the alien origins, motives, and weaknesses. You have to allocate your resources and personnel wisely, as research and development takes time and money. You also have to prioritize your research topics according to the situation and your strategy. Some research topics are prerequisites for others, while some are optional or hidden until certain conditions are met.
Alien threat and missions
The alien threat and missions aspect of UFO: Enemy Unknown involves monitoring and responding to the UFO activity around the world. The aliens have different types of UFOs that perform different types of missions, such as scouting, harvesting, abducting, infiltrating, terrorizing, retaliating, supplying, and building bases. The aliens also have different races that have different abilities and roles in their hierarchy. The aliens' behavior and missions evolve over time according to their agenda and your actions. You have to use your radar systems and interceptors to detect and shoot down the UFOs before they complete their missions. You also have to send your transport craft and troops to investigate the UFO crash sites or landings, or to deal with other types of missions that require your intervention. You have to balance your global coverage and response time with your resources and readiness. Features
Graphics and sound
The graphics and sound of UFO: Enemy Unknown are not very impressive by today's standards, but they are still functional and atmospheric. The graphics are pixelated and colorful, with a retro sci-fi aesthetic that suits the game's theme and mood. The sound effects are simple and crisp, with a variety of noises for weapons, explosions, doors, and aliens. The music is catchy and dynamic, with different tracks for different situations and locations. The game also has some voice acting, mostly for the soldiers' screams, grunts, and orders.
Difficulty and replayability
The difficulty and replayability of UFO: Enemy Unknown are very high, as the game offers a challenging and varied gameplay experience that can be different every time you play. The game has four difficulty levels to choose from, ranging from beginner to superhuman. The game also has a lot of randomness and procedural generation, as the UFO activity, missions, maps, enemies, events, and outcomes can vary depending on your choices and luck. The game also has a lot of options and strategies to explore, as you can customize your bases, soldiers, equipment, research, and tactics according to your preferences and playstyle. The game also has a lot of secrets and surprises to discover, as you can encounter rare or hidden aliens, UFOs, missions, items, or research topics.
Mods and remakes
The mods and remakes of UFO: Enemy Unknown are numerous and diverse, as the game has a loyal fan base that has created many fan-made projects over the years. Some of these projects are mods that enhance or modify the original game in various ways, such as adding new features, fixing bugs, improving graphics or sound, changing balance or difficulty, or adding new content. Some of these projects are remakes that recreate the original game in a new engine or platform, such as OpenXcom or XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Some of these projects are inspired by the original game but add their own twists or innovations, such as Xenonauts or Phoenix Point.
Conclusion
Summary of the main points
In conclusion, UFO: Enemy Unknown is a retro strategy game that combines real-time management simulation with turn-based tactics. The game puts you in charge of X-COM, an international paramilitary organization secretly defending Earth from an alien invasion. You have to build and expand your bases, research and develop new technologies, manage your finances and personnel, and monitor and respond to UFO activity. You also have to command your troops in the field in a series of turn-based tactical missions, where you have to fight against various types of aliens, capture their equipment and prisoners, and protect civilians and vital locations. The game offers a deep and immersive gameplay experience that challenges your strategic thinking, tactical skills, and decision making. The game has a high level of difficulty and unpredictability, as the alien threat evolves over time and adapts to your actions. The game also has a high level of replayability, as each playthrough is different depending on your choices, random events, and procedural generation.
Personal opinion and recommendation
Personally, I think UFO: Enemy Unknown is one of the best games ever made. I have played it many times over the years, and I still enjoy it today. I love the game's theme and atmosphere, its gameplay mechanics and design, its challenge and variety, its charm and personality. I think the game is a masterpiece of strategy gaming that deserves its cult status and influence. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes strategy games or sci-fi games. If you want to play it today, you can download it from GOG.com for a very low price. You can also try some of the mods or remakes that are available online.
FAQs
Q: What is GOG.com?
A: GOG.com is a digital distribution platform that sells classic and modern games for PC. It offers DRM-free downloads that are compatible with modern systems.
Q: What is X-COM?
A: X-COM is a series of strategy games that started with UFO: Enemy Unknown in 1994. The series has spawned several sequels, spin-offs, remakes, reboots, and spiritual successors over the years.
Q: What is OpenXcom?
A: OpenXcom is an open source project that aims to recreate UFO: Enemy Unknown in a new engine with improved features and mod support.
Q: What is XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
A: XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a remake of UFO: Enemy Unknown that was released in 2012 by Firaxis Games. It is a modernized version of the original game that retains its core gameplay and features, but adds new graphics, sound, interface, mechanics, and content.
Q: What is Xenonauts?
A: Xenonauts is a spiritual successor to UFO: Enemy Unknown that was released in 2014 by Goldhawk Interactive. It is a game that follows the same premise and gameplay of the original game, but adds its own twists and innovations, such as a Cold War setting, an air combat system, and a more realistic tone.
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new about UFO: Enemy Unknown. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading and happy gaming! 44f88ac181
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