UFO: Extraterrestrials

Is UFO: Extraterrestrials in all its little green glory a worthy match to Micropose's X-Com?

One the finest turn-based tactical-strategy games ever released, Micropose's X-Com still has a strong following, even over a decade after its release. However, despite the release of a sequel and countless imitations, no game has yet come close to capturing the addictive essence of the original. Czech developers Chaos Concept is taking aim at the giant saucer shaped hole with their upcoming title, UFO: Extraterrestrials.

Heart and Soul

UFO takes place in a distant future after the Earth has fallen to an alien invasion. The only remaining outpost of humanity is the recently colonized planet Esperanza where, at the start of the game, the colonists learn the fate of Earth. Seeking to protect themselves, the colonists create the Counter Alien Force, composed of their best scientists, engineers, and soldiers. Old school PC vets are no doubt experiencing a wave of deja vu right now, as that is pretty much the same premise of X-Com, with the only exception being the addition of the off-planet location. And after spending some quality time with a limited preview version of UFO, it's immediately clear that Chaos Concept has made it a top priority to capture the body and soul of the original X-COM.

The player begins the game with an overall view of Esperanza where the strategic actions unfold. You build a base and set up shop, then wait for the alien crafts to start appearing. You send out interceptor craft to engage them, eventually leading to crash site missions where you send in the troops to mop up. You must also hire scientists in order to engage in research, and engineers to put all that hot new tech to use. From what we've seen these strategic elements are particularly well constructed- numerous attachments can be made to bases, such as new laboratories, hangers, autopsy rooms, and even base defense modules. Likewise, research and manufacturing is every bit as impressive as they were in the original X-COM, allowing players to produce their own weaponry and gear.

Engaging the Enemy

But the true soul of the game comes in the form of its tactical combat. Unlike some recent entrants into the genre, UFO has wisely retained the tried and true turn-based formula. Troops initially start out with little more than standard rifles and rocket launchers, but eventually this improves as laser and plasma weapons become available. Missions place over a number of fully destructible terrain, ranging from desert badlands to more populated areas, where the ever loved terror missions make their return.

From our time with the preview build, it's clear that UFO has the potential to be an outstanding homage to the original X-COM. It remains to be seen whether or not Chaos Concept can successfully recreate the magic of the beloved original while implementing enough new additions to raise it above carbon-copy status, but we certainly have this one firmly planted on our radar

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