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I downloaded the early nineties classic UFO: Enemy Unknown (AKA X-com: UFO defence) the other day and it's a real blast, despite the ancient graphics and archaic interface. In case you've not heard of it, it's a tactics/strategy game with you defending Earth in 1999 against an insidious alien invasion. The game has two main modes. The geoscape is a multi-speed real time map of the Earth, with cities, bases, ships, crash sites, significant countries etc. The battlescape is where the main part of the game takes place, with the player commanding a small squad of special forces to fight the aliens wherever they appear.
What struck me about it is how incredibly ahead of its time it is - it's packed with features that seem more 2004 than 1994. Destroyable scenery, emergent gameplay, RPGesque stats/equipment, a tense, survival horror atmosphere - it's filled with excellent stuff.
It's real shame that the X-Com series has died. This game would fly off the shelves with only a new lick of graphical paint and a modern interface. Everything else is bang up to date.
What struck me about it is how incredibly ahead of its time it is - it's packed with features that seem more 2004 than 1994. Destroyable scenery, emergent gameplay, RPGesque stats/equipment, a tense, survival horror atmosphere - it's filled with excellent stuff.
It's real shame that the X-Com series has died. This game would fly off the shelves with only a new lick of graphical paint and a modern interface. Everything else is bang up to date.
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