X-COM: UFO Defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown (Collector's Edition)(PC, 1994)
Graphics-7 Sound-7.5 Control-8 Challenge-7 Story-6
Level Design-8 Frustration-7.5 Fun-8 Originality-7
Overall Score-8
+
Unique concept - mixes real-time management (the enemy acts simultaneously to you, carrying out their missions and establishing bases) with turn based combat/base building/research/production
Tons of customization
Destructible terrain
Open ended gameplay (you're pretty much on your own through out the game)
Interesting mechanics (most weapons have alternate attack modes, fairly complex healing system, ranking system during combat (decides funding from allied countries), troop morale, mind control, cover based combat with three height levels, sounds during combat help you distinguish where the enemy is, base layout affects combat area when defending, UFO spotting and chasing, looting and researching on alien items and corpses, increase accuracy by kneeling (it's also decreased by equipping weapons in the character's off-hand), increase inventory effectiveness by having things in a characters belt, need to gain funding from world nations (mistreat a nation too much and they can side with the enemy))
Characters gain experience based on what they do (similar to Ultima Online)
Can rename characters
Difficulty options (five modes)
Speed options
Nice cutscenes and comic book style artwork
Breathes new life into 50s sci-fi
The aliens do counterattacks on bases in areas with a lot of activity
Fairly complex combat (line of sight, destructible set pieces, use environment for cover)
Effective interface overall (takes some getting used to though)
Day/night cycle (night combat is harder early on)
The game tells most of its story by letting the player piece together clues found via research on the enemy (although it lacks interactive scenes between the races that aren't combat and the portrayal of earth is a bit anonymous, overall it works quite well)
Creates a sense of doom by having the enemy increasing in strength and hostility over time
Interesting gear (flying suit, psi-amp (cause panic/mind control), incendiary rockets, stun bombs)
Nice intro cutscene
+/-
Starting equipment and base layout can and should be changed as soon as possible
Ammo-based weaponry (except for lasers)
You can easily manipulate new soldiers' stats by reloading the game (might have been more rewarding to be able to train/boost individual stats)
The only bgm during combat is a sci-fi like droning sound (while atmospheric it gets dull after a few battles)
Standing up is expensive - costs twice the amount of time units as kneeling (8/4)
Can't defend a base with tanks only,
-
Hard to get into (complex, no in-game tutorial, time consuming, starts out rather difficult, icon based combat interface)
UFO chasing and attacking is less exciting than it sounds (all done through the world map and menu commands with a primitive interface for 'combat')
In-game graphics look a bit generic compared to cutscenes and artwork
No notification of fatal wounds during combat (also need to research and produce medikits before you can heal them)
Some interface problems (can't see soldier stats while equipping pre-battle (they also drop previous equipment each time), vague info on how alien containment works (duplicate prisoners will keep showing up in the research tab but give no result, research kills the contained alien), can't see room left in storage while purchasing, no use for arrow keys, no load button in combat (only save), can't change crew order in a ship unless it's in a base)
Character accuracy is too random in the beginning (you can miss three shots in a row almost at point blank)
Looting in combat costs a lot of time units (disrupts the flow of the game)
Can't stick around in a combat area after each enemy is dead (to pick up loot and flares)
Can't see how long research will take (you can see manufacturing time?)
Can't stun friendly units unless they are currently mind controlled
More than one of each radar type is useless (contrary to info in-game)
Economic bottlenecks (can't speed up craft reparations (which the game doesn't show the time left on) or building construction
Long recovery time from wounds which can only be helped during battle via medi-kits
A bug makes commanders shoot themselves down (with blaster launchers) in alien base missions if you stand in the room below theirs
Finding the last alien during battle can take forever at times
It's pretty annoying to discover that some of your best troops have crap psionic strength (not improvable) and therefore aren't usable against enemies with mind control (can't mind control friendly soldiers who have been mind controlled)
Lacks real world references to the locations you are fighting in (no difference between Tokyo and London for example)
Rushed ending (what made Mars barren and if the Aliens created humans then why are they abducting and researching on them now? Couldn't they try to make official contact from the beginning?)
Mind control is pretty overpowered (no need to have line of sight with the soldier doing the mind controlling) and bugs make it even more broken (you can access enemy inventories and have them throw away weapons; you can even permanently take over enemy units by stunning and re-awakening them during the mind control)
The AI won't shoot through walls (on purpose) or shoot up/down elevators
The ending mixes early CGI and drawn sprite graphics (looks rather jarring)
Can't open/close doors without passing through them?
“Here's one issue I just had last time I was on X-Com. An alien was on top of the UFO, so there was no way I could aim at it or throw anything on top of it, even when I was angled one way where it would actually let me target the roof, it still kept saying no line of sight. I kept all my people ducked until it shot, missed, and then my guy returned fire to kill the alien. I had to do this twice since one shot didn't kill him. The guy who returned fire I tried to aim again at the alien, nothing. No line of sight, yet he returned fire and there was a line of sight. It's issues like that that could be resolved in future games.”
Review in Swedish:
UFO: Enemy Unknown (Collector's Edition)
Ett spel med en relativt hög ingångströskel, där bökande i manualer och bra tålamod är ett måste. Den kändes dock helt värd att ta sig förbi när jag väl fick försjunkna i spelets detaljerade stridssystem, bli beroende av att se mina nya rekryter sakta förvandlas till övermäktiga alienslaktare och uppleva en undergångskänsla som jag inte stött på i många andra spel.
Valet att låta utomjordingarnas framfart ske i realtid i management-delen gör att hotet känns så mycket starkare än i många andra spel, där fienden hellre väntar på att du tar fajten till dem om du inte råkar befinna dig i en mellansekvens som för handlingen framåt. Det är smart. Gillar även greppet att låta mig som spelare upptäcka och pussla ihop delar av handlingen samt planen för att avsluta kriget.
Spelet är långt ifrån felfritt; många små problem med interface och balansering hopar sig och irriterar mer nu än då jag först stötte på det runt mitten av 90-talet. Det bildas ganska lätt olika slags flaskhalsar där man mest väntar på att något ska bli klart och tvångsmässigt nöter skirmishes i områden (som överlag är ganska livlösa jämfört med verklighetens diton) för att hålla sin score på plus och sina sponsorer nöjda.
Beslutet att göra psionics till en så viktig egenskap och sedan undanhålla den fram till mid-game, där en toppsoldat kan visa sig oanvändbar i många kommande strider, är så pass dum att jag först trodde något blivit fel på spelet. Ingen enskild soldat är egentligen oersättlig, det är klart, men vid det här laget hade jag ju hunnit fästa mig rejält vid de små pixelkrigarna vilket också verkade vara utvecklarnas tanke.
Mot slutet var det egentligen inget i spelet som rådde på mina uppgraderade (dock inte maxade) trupper och finalen på Mars var inte det klimax jag hoppats på. Slutsekvensen kändes som något som lagts till i efterhand i jämförelse med det snygga introt, och man får egentligen väldigt få frågor besvarade innan man är tillbaks i huvudmenyn.
Men vägen dit var överraskande engagerande - spelet har haft mig helt i sina klor de senaste fyra dagarna - och jag lär ta mig an det igen i patchad form, på en högre svårighetsgrad, inom en inte alltför avlägsen framtid.
8/10
Level Design-8 Frustration-7.5 Fun-8 Originality-7
Overall Score-8
+
Unique concept - mixes real-time management (the enemy acts simultaneously to you, carrying out their missions and establishing bases) with turn based combat/base building/research/production
Tons of customization
Destructible terrain
Open ended gameplay (you're pretty much on your own through out the game)
Interesting mechanics (most weapons have alternate attack modes, fairly complex healing system, ranking system during combat (decides funding from allied countries), troop morale, mind control, cover based combat with three height levels, sounds during combat help you distinguish where the enemy is, base layout affects combat area when defending, UFO spotting and chasing, looting and researching on alien items and corpses, increase accuracy by kneeling (it's also decreased by equipping weapons in the character's off-hand), increase inventory effectiveness by having things in a characters belt, need to gain funding from world nations (mistreat a nation too much and they can side with the enemy))
Characters gain experience based on what they do (similar to Ultima Online)
Can rename characters
Difficulty options (five modes)
Speed options
Nice cutscenes and comic book style artwork
Breathes new life into 50s sci-fi
The aliens do counterattacks on bases in areas with a lot of activity
Fairly complex combat (line of sight, destructible set pieces, use environment for cover)
Effective interface overall (takes some getting used to though)
Day/night cycle (night combat is harder early on)
The game tells most of its story by letting the player piece together clues found via research on the enemy (although it lacks interactive scenes between the races that aren't combat and the portrayal of earth is a bit anonymous, overall it works quite well)
Creates a sense of doom by having the enemy increasing in strength and hostility over time
Interesting gear (flying suit, psi-amp (cause panic/mind control), incendiary rockets, stun bombs)
Nice intro cutscene
+/-
Starting equipment and base layout can and should be changed as soon as possible
Ammo-based weaponry (except for lasers)
You can easily manipulate new soldiers' stats by reloading the game (might have been more rewarding to be able to train/boost individual stats)
The only bgm during combat is a sci-fi like droning sound (while atmospheric it gets dull after a few battles)
Standing up is expensive - costs twice the amount of time units as kneeling (8/4)
Can't defend a base with tanks only,
-
Hard to get into (complex, no in-game tutorial, time consuming, starts out rather difficult, icon based combat interface)
UFO chasing and attacking is less exciting than it sounds (all done through the world map and menu commands with a primitive interface for 'combat')
In-game graphics look a bit generic compared to cutscenes and artwork
No notification of fatal wounds during combat (also need to research and produce medikits before you can heal them)
Some interface problems (can't see soldier stats while equipping pre-battle (they also drop previous equipment each time), vague info on how alien containment works (duplicate prisoners will keep showing up in the research tab but give no result, research kills the contained alien), can't see room left in storage while purchasing, no use for arrow keys, no load button in combat (only save), can't change crew order in a ship unless it's in a base)
Character accuracy is too random in the beginning (you can miss three shots in a row almost at point blank)
Looting in combat costs a lot of time units (disrupts the flow of the game)
Can't stick around in a combat area after each enemy is dead (to pick up loot and flares)
Can't see how long research will take (you can see manufacturing time?)
Can't stun friendly units unless they are currently mind controlled
More than one of each radar type is useless (contrary to info in-game)
Economic bottlenecks (can't speed up craft reparations (which the game doesn't show the time left on) or building construction
Long recovery time from wounds which can only be helped during battle via medi-kits
A bug makes commanders shoot themselves down (with blaster launchers) in alien base missions if you stand in the room below theirs
Finding the last alien during battle can take forever at times
It's pretty annoying to discover that some of your best troops have crap psionic strength (not improvable) and therefore aren't usable against enemies with mind control (can't mind control friendly soldiers who have been mind controlled)
Lacks real world references to the locations you are fighting in (no difference between Tokyo and London for example)
Rushed ending (what made Mars barren and if the Aliens created humans then why are they abducting and researching on them now? Couldn't they try to make official contact from the beginning?)
Mind control is pretty overpowered (no need to have line of sight with the soldier doing the mind controlling) and bugs make it even more broken (you can access enemy inventories and have them throw away weapons; you can even permanently take over enemy units by stunning and re-awakening them during the mind control)
The AI won't shoot through walls (on purpose) or shoot up/down elevators
The ending mixes early CGI and drawn sprite graphics (looks rather jarring)
Can't open/close doors without passing through them?
“Here's one issue I just had last time I was on X-Com. An alien was on top of the UFO, so there was no way I could aim at it or throw anything on top of it, even when I was angled one way where it would actually let me target the roof, it still kept saying no line of sight. I kept all my people ducked until it shot, missed, and then my guy returned fire to kill the alien. I had to do this twice since one shot didn't kill him. The guy who returned fire I tried to aim again at the alien, nothing. No line of sight, yet he returned fire and there was a line of sight. It's issues like that that could be resolved in future games.”
Review in Swedish:
UFO: Enemy Unknown (Collector's Edition)
Ett spel med en relativt hög ingångströskel, där bökande i manualer och bra tålamod är ett måste. Den kändes dock helt värd att ta sig förbi när jag väl fick försjunkna i spelets detaljerade stridssystem, bli beroende av att se mina nya rekryter sakta förvandlas till övermäktiga alienslaktare och uppleva en undergångskänsla som jag inte stött på i många andra spel.
Valet att låta utomjordingarnas framfart ske i realtid i management-delen gör att hotet känns så mycket starkare än i många andra spel, där fienden hellre väntar på att du tar fajten till dem om du inte råkar befinna dig i en mellansekvens som för handlingen framåt. Det är smart. Gillar även greppet att låta mig som spelare upptäcka och pussla ihop delar av handlingen samt planen för att avsluta kriget.
Spelet är långt ifrån felfritt; många små problem med interface och balansering hopar sig och irriterar mer nu än då jag först stötte på det runt mitten av 90-talet. Det bildas ganska lätt olika slags flaskhalsar där man mest väntar på att något ska bli klart och tvångsmässigt nöter skirmishes i områden (som överlag är ganska livlösa jämfört med verklighetens diton) för att hålla sin score på plus och sina sponsorer nöjda.
Beslutet att göra psionics till en så viktig egenskap och sedan undanhålla den fram till mid-game, där en toppsoldat kan visa sig oanvändbar i många kommande strider, är så pass dum att jag först trodde något blivit fel på spelet. Ingen enskild soldat är egentligen oersättlig, det är klart, men vid det här laget hade jag ju hunnit fästa mig rejält vid de små pixelkrigarna vilket också verkade vara utvecklarnas tanke.
Mot slutet var det egentligen inget i spelet som rådde på mina uppgraderade (dock inte maxade) trupper och finalen på Mars var inte det klimax jag hoppats på. Slutsekvensen kändes som något som lagts till i efterhand i jämförelse med det snygga introt, och man får egentligen väldigt få frågor besvarade innan man är tillbaks i huvudmenyn.
Men vägen dit var överraskande engagerande - spelet har haft mig helt i sina klor de senaste fyra dagarna - och jag lär ta mig an det igen i patchad form, på en högre svårighetsgrad, inom en inte alltför avlägsen framtid.
8/10