Review: UFO: Extraterrestrials
Is UFO: Extraterrestrials a worthy follow-up to the immortal strategy game X-Com? Read on for the full rundown!
Creepy: UFO: Extraterrestrials' alien interlopers
There have been few games as well loved as the original X-COM: UFO Defense, and none so remarkable in their longevity. Released in 1993 to near-universal acclaim, X-COM was able to flawlessly blend strategic and tactical layers into a solid all-around strategy game that still retains a loyal following today. Developed out of the Czech Republic by Chaos Concept, UFO: Extraterrestrials comes as closer to becoming the successor of X-COM than any other game yet, which is a great accomplishment indeed. However, it comes just painfully short thanks to several unfortunate design choices.
Out Of This World
The game takes place on the planet of Esperanza, a colony planet that has only been up and running for a few decades before an alien force invades and conquers Mother Earth. Under threat of invasion itself, the nations of Esperanza band together and form the Counter Alien Force to defend against the oncoming storm. And yes, if case you were wondering, that is pretty much the same basic plot as the one in X-COM.
The core gameplay concepts are also strikingly similar. Players spend most of their time in an obital view of the planet's landscape and from here, you accomplish most of your important tasks. From a main base you scour the skies for alien craft entering the atmosphere, launch interceptors craft, construct and place bases, conduct scientific research and so on. In addition, you also construct detection and interceptor bases, recruit soldiers, and venture out for field operations wherein you actually hunt down aliens. You can also salvage valuable xeno tech and even capture aliens for "research" purposes. Basically, anyone who's spent time playing X-COM will be right at home with UFO: ET but if you're new to the series, rest assured that finding your way around is a breeze, and you'll be shooting down xenos in no time.
And you better knock a large number of alien craft out of the air because one of your primary goals is to please the various nations on the planet; they bankroll your entire effort and if you don't perform well month to month, your funding takes a hit. Fail to keep the xeno horde at bay and not only does your bank account suffer but you run the risk of letting a nation fall under extraterrestrial domination. This is made doubly important due to the fact that selling manufactured merchandise for a profit has been done away with, removing what was the big money maker in the original.
Field Ops
But if managing your base and operating from an "eye in the sky" view sounds like a chore -- it isn't, but even if it somehow was -- the tactical portion of the game more than makes up for it. Anytime you you go to investigate a UFO landing, attack an alien base, or respond to an invasion site, you'll enter a turn-based battle with an action-points system. Each side takes a turn preforming various actions and everything, from movement to firing your weapon, consumes points -- obviously strategy is key in these battles as you don't want to be left in a vulnerable position. The battles are especially awesome because by the time the last shot is fired, the environments, which are fully destructible, will look utterly devastated. Experience is also awarded at the end of every mission, which leads into soldier development and attribute increases.
But while it is executed well, the tactical system does have some significant flaws. The biggest is the fact that none of your infantry units can actually be killed in battle -- they are merely incapacitated, largely killing any sense of tension inherent in the battles themselves. Moreover, in the early game, players will be doing a lot of saving and reloading because Chaos Concept has bafflingly decided to eliminate the manual recruitment of new troops, choosing instead to bring them forth in a steady trickle. This increases the negative impact that an injured soldier can have on your planning tenfold and really handcuffs you in your efforts. It is only when you get more advanced medical facilities that these problems become less worrisome, but as is, the system really doesn't fit into the general scheme of things.
Tactical Planning
In terms of the supporting elements, namely graphics and sound, UFO:ET is also a mixed bag. While the graphics are somewhat outdated by todays standards, they do a perfectly good job at what the game sets out to accomplish, both on the strategic and tactical layers. The sound, on the other hand, is somewhat subpar. It does a good job of contributing to the atmosphere but many of the sound effects are muffled or otherwise sketchy.
In the end, UFO: Extraterrestrials has largely managed to capture the elements that made X-COM such a classic and iconic game. Almost nothing about the game can labeled as innovative or revolutionary, but it is such a well packaged refinement of a proven formula that it is hard to complain. There are some rather questionable design choices that cut into the fun but otherwise it's a wonderful homage to a classic title. X-COM veterans and gaming newbies alike should definitely take a look into this one-old school PC gamer or not, there's a damn fine gaming experience waiting for you.
Pros: Perfect transitions between strategic and tactical layers, excellent turn-based combat.
Cons: Automatic recruitment of soldiers, soldiers can't be killed, exclusive reliance on funding nations for expenses.
![Screen Update: Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory [PC]](/screens/111246/197628-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Infamous [PS3]](/screens/134601/197568-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Mushroom Men - The Spore Wars [Wii]](/screens/135221/125868-1-1.jpg)
![Screen Update: Midnight Club: Los Angeles [Xbox 360]](/screens/136701/197588-1-1.jpg)
