X-com: any new good games?

**Crandaeolon** · 05-10-2007, 03:49

I've heard that the interface in Extraterrestrials loses to the original X-Com, and there's no way to control movement speed or shot speed (which makes the battles last much longer than in X-Com.) Any comments about this?

**Sir Moody** · 05-10-2007, 09:41

I bought it and i am so far very happy with it - as XCOM clones go the gameplay is almost identical to the first XCOM with a few minor differences

the flaws as mentioned are mostly interface ones - you cannot speed movement and shooting up so it does tend to drag somewhat and your starting men seem to be useless most of them cant hit the broad side of a barn at 2 paces but as they gain ranks that does tend to improve

ill come up with more later as im still not far into it but the nostalgia im feeling tells me its close enough to the classic XCom to score highly with my first impressions

**Bob the Insane** · 05-10-2007, 13:20

Originally Posted by Crandaeolon

I've heard that the interface in Extraterrestrials loses to the original X-Com, and there's no way to control movement speed or shot speed (which makes the battles last much longer than in X-Com.) Any comments about this?

You do not control movement speed, if you spend a guy a long way he runs (well, jogs), a short way he walks...

Is it as good as UFO:Enemy Unknown, maybe not 100%.. But so far 95% as good...

It really is pretty much the same thing, including the lovely destructable walls...

Plus is runs in lovely colours and decent resolutions and while it does not officially support it, I have had no issues on Vista...

I am neither happy nor upset by the manual updating of people's skills... That your guys go to hospital rather than die on the battlefield is useful as it keeps them around longer to improve...

But it has the base building, research, manufacturing, UFO-pedia...

I suppose the only let down is that they have stayed so ridgidly in the comfines of the orginial that there and no new gaming innovations included.

This is UFO:Enemy Unknown revisited... We are still waiting for XCOM 2.0..

**econ21** · 05-10-2007, 13:40

Looking at the screenshots, Extraterrestrials just does not grab me. It looks amateur, generic and characterless. One thing about the original X-Com was that, although it looks poor by today's graphical standards, it had an amazing atmosphere. From the screenshots, I'm more tempted to load up X-Com1 than buy this "remake".

**professorspatula** · 05-10-2007, 15:21

Yea when I first heard of UFO:ET I thought it was just another fan-made game .... then it turns out it's commercial and I was slightly disheartened. However, it still had a few good things going for it - not least the fact it was very much X-Com like. However, some things about it are annoying: soldiers not dying, no manual recruitment of troops (they come and you have no control over when they arrive), can only have 1 mega base - rest must be radar/interceptor stations, and although I'm not quite certain - you can't rename your troops? Actually I'm not sure about the last one although I know it was debated a lot on the official forums. That was part of what made the old games so great. You could personalise your squads and get a good feel for them. I personally feel UFO:ET is cashing in far too much on the old games without really providing enough new ideas or general shine to make it a necessary purchase. Perhaps when it's a bit cheaper.

**Sir Moody** · 05-10-2007, 15:29

Originally Posted by professorspatula

Yea when I first heard of UFO:ET I thought it was just another fan-made game .... then it turns out it's commercial and I was slightly disheartened. However, it still had a few good things going for it - not least the fact it was very much X-Com like. However, some things about it are annoying: soldiers not dying, no manual recruitment of troops (they come and you have no control over when they arrive), can only have 1 mega base - rest must be radar/interceptor stations, and although I'm not quite certain - you can't rename your troops? Actually I'm not sure about the last one although I know it was debated a lot on the official forums. That was part of what made the old games so great. You could personalise your squads and get a good feel for them. I personally feel UFO:ET is cashing in far too much on the old games without really providing enough new ideas or general shine to make it a necessary purchase. Perhaps when it's a bit cheaper.

yeah the one mega base thing is a let down i have to agree but the rest of those problems can be fixed with user made mods (one tries to bring the game as close to xcom as it can be)

it isnt xcom but its as close as any game has made it so far

**professorspatula** · 05-16-2007, 15:53

I've just been having a brief look around and it does indeed seem there are loads of mods for the game already. Many of the poorer features of ET have already been fixed or altered and it really does seem this game can be a good'un.