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X-Com Series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 33 / 38
Date: December 08, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This game bundle is a must for anyone who enjoys a good turn-based strategy game. Fans of military strategy will also find the X-Com series appealing due to its extensive reliance on squad level tactics; When you move a soldier, it is imperative that at least one other soldier be placed in an overwatch or support by fire positon... failure to do so will greatly increase your odds of sustaining casualties. This is particularly true of missions in urban areas and aboard commercial naval vessels. (I find it helpful, whenever possible, to deploy my men in fireteams of 4 or 3 and ensure that they have complementary abilities and weapons. I also rely heavily on alien individual weapons, so that my soldiers can pick up spare ammo from the dead.) When not involved with a combat mission, the management of resources, research and bases provides an additional challenge. Regarding overall appeal and playability, my ranking of these three titles from best to worst would be 'Terror from the Deep', 'UFO Defense' and finally 'Apocalypse.'

One near-perfect game...and 2 others

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 21 / 21
Date: January 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The original X-Com is one of the greatest games ever. You could run the old DOS version on a 386-processor computer, and I'm still playing the Collector's Edition port to Windows on my 1.3GHz notebook years later.

It's not a perfect port, though. The opening cutscene is missing some of the sounds from the original, like the British woman saying, "Warning...warning..." The sound files for the aliens seem to have been randomized, so some of them sound pretty weird. (The Sectoids have surprisingly deep voices when they die, and one of the pink-blob aliens makes a huge explosion noise as it moves...) The Blaster Bombs go off in random directions if you try to change altitude. And when the aliens invade your base, sometimes a large part of your defending force just doesn't show up for the fight...I once had to hold off a bunch of Ethereals and Sectapods with nothing but various HWPs, despite having a dozen Squaddies stationed at that base.

Despite all that, it's still fun as all get-out. I love to rename all my Squaddies after friends and relatives. It makes the fights a lot more nerve-wracking. (Oh no, they got Kevin!)

There are the two mainline sequels on the disk too. Terror from the Deep is OK, but it's just more of the same--not really original or much of an improvement. X-Com: Apocalypse was a fun game, but never quite as fun as the original, IMHO. Oddly, I've never been able to get it to work on a recently-built computer, though. I've found myself just playing this slightly-flawed version of the old original X-Com, over and over.

I don't want another sequel to X-Com--I want the original, updated, with more aliens and technologies and suprises, multiplayer options, and all that, great graphics, a better interface--but all with that original humor and horror.

X-COM - The best game I have ever played

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 17
Date: November 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing computer games for over twenty years now, and X-COM remains my favorite game ever. I loved the early missions where your soldiers struggle to stay alive, I felt joy when research turned up a powerful new weapon, and I loved the sense that your team is getting ready to attack the aliens back at their Martian base. I loved the turn-based combat, where you got to choose what your tactics would be (rather than clicking everywhere on the screen like a madman), but could still be surprised by a burst of gunfire from a second-story window.

I grew attached to the soldiers that had survived many combat missions, and was sad when a grizzled veteran lost the number of his mess when some rookie threw a grenade in the wrong place. I struggled to decide whether to pull back a squad that had already lost half of its soldiers, knowing that there were probably only one or two aliens left guarding a downed UFO.

X-COM 2: Terror From The Deep was nice because it gave you new things to see, but essentially it was exactly the same game, and as such was a mild disappointment. It was mildly pleasant to have to figure out the new technologies, and to see the new aliens....Still, I recommend you buy this game, simply to play the first X-COM. I envy those of you who are about to experience the thrill of this game.

They just don't make them like this anymore

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: September 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I bought the original X-Com:UFO Defense when it first came out in 1994 after reading the sterling reviews for it in PC Gamer and Computer Game Review. But nothing prepared me for the addiction that awaited me and that still draws me back today, 8 years after the games initial release.

The premise is that in 1999, the governments of the world begin to see a heightened increase in cattle mutiliations, alien abductions and terror attacks from extra-terrestrial forces and form an independent international alien combat team to fight the invaders, steal thier technology, and bring the fight to them. The latest Earth-technology is given but soon after the game begins you'll start capturing alien ships, weapons and even a few of the ET's themselves. The graphics are dated by today's standards, but as with any great game the look of it is meant only to enhance a great plot and premise. The AI is fantastic as Sectoids, Floaters, and Muton Men will often exhibit good combat (albeit guerilla style) tactics.

After capturing enemy weaponry and UFO's, you can research them to discover how they work and add the info to the exhaustive UFOPedia, what has to be the greatest collection of Xenophobe's pleasuretime reading material. Aliens will discover your bases and attempt to destroy them, terror attacks on major cities and depending heavily on how well you defended them or didn't, the Host country will either lower or raise thier monetary funding to X-Com.

The most memorable moment for myself and probably everyone else that's ever played this game occurs soon after starting the game when you down your very first UFO and send in the squad to capture it, and one of your troops sees an alien for the first time (Remember that little red flashing "1" in the corner?). And the music and overall atmosphere is just impossible to describe as the combat that follows is often chaotic, sometimes resulting in the loss of key characters you've raised from the lowest ranks.

X-Com:UFO Defense is just an outstanding game in almost every respect, and I wish they'd resurface the idea and remake the game using modern technology. Or maybe not. It's sometimes best to leave a good thing alone.

Classic Strategy is never out of date

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: September 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This re-package of the original classic UFO:Defense (X-COM: Enemy Unknown) game and its first two sequels updates it to allow it to play under more modern operating systems, such as '95, '98, and XP. Aside from small issues(some users have to turn off hardware accelleration for graphics to get it to display correctly, and make no mistake - the 320x480 graphics in the first two games are NOT the most beautiful available) this is masterful. Classic strategic management married to turn-based squad-level combat insures that there's always something going on, always just one more thing a few turns away to get to - the old "I've just got to run ONE MORE TURN" addictive gameplay at its best!

The second game (X-COM:Terror From the Deep) is a Microprose make-over of the first, using the same game engine, with bigger levels.

The third is a completely new beast - set in the same universe with the same mix of strategic and tactical elements, but with updated graphics and an option for real-time combat, if you choose.

All in all, at current prices, this is one of the biggest bargins in gaming available today!

Best Turn-Based Strat Series Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 31, 2000
Author: Amazon User

X-Com: UFO Defense is the single greatest turn-based strategy game ever made. Period. Ever feature of the game, from the pressures of maintaining economic success, to the intriguing research of the alien technology, to the slow-paced yet high stakes ground combat will have you playing through the night.By comparison, Terror from the Deep is a much weaker game which will only interest those that haven't played UFO Defense yet. It has the same basic story as UFO Defense, all of the same gameplay elements, and the same alien races and technology only thinly disguised with new names and graphics. TFTD is hardly worth playing.But Apocalypse is another story altogether. This is the first(and so far, only) X-Com sequel that deserves to be associated with the original; the several new gameplay options, most notably the real-time battle engine and a new, interesting race of aliens, mak this X-Com a worthy sequel to the original.So aside from TFTD, X-Com is an awesome series of games that no strategy fan should miss. If you haven't played at least one of these games yet, check 'em out.

X-tremely cool

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: July 07, 2000
Author: Amazon User

i give this 5 stars for a varitey of reasons. i have played the original version of x-com, and it is still by far the best game i have ever used. what i find so interesting about it is all of the strategical planning that goes into it. you have to figure out where to put your bases, what to get, what to research, where and when to attack, set up certain attack methods while in a ground combat mission... i could go on and on. some people might think the graphics are too simple, but i prefer graphics that are not too lifelike. then it's just stupid. it also has a little bit of a chill factor when you play it in a dark room alone at two in the morning and have the sound effects on. the weapon equipment is also something that should not be taken lightly- especially my favorite- the HC-I rockets when used with the rocket launcher- total devastation. i also enjoy seeing the aliens killed by shrapnel from explosions. the main thing about any x-com game however, is the suspense factor. such as when you go out on a ground assault mission, and there are various buildings and structures- you don't know what could be lurking in the shadows just beyond that doorway... the last two things that i find most enjoyable are ground attacks on ufos and cities with gas stations. the ufo combat explains itself pretty much, i guess. i like the gas stations, because when you blow up the gas pumps, it has the same effect as a high explosive or a rocket... i would be very surprised if there were a lot of people out there who find this game uninteresting. sadly enough, however, there certainly are. oh, well. at least i know they wont sell out on me very fast. 5 stars, 2 thumbs up, an oscar. this game deserves all these and more!

thanks for your time, sincerely, joel d. larson :)

Time tested and Ready for addiction

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

X-com really is a carbon copy of cocaine. Once you have had a little, you will do just about anything for another fix.

Although the X-com games came out in the late 90's and are arcaic by todays standards, they are still a benchmark on which all squad based games are tested. Few games then or since have included and in depth turn based mission play with base building and RPG elements. The closest game recently to the X-com genre is probably Warcraft 3, although there are definate differences.

The mission style game play which all three games share is based around a squad of varying size, from as few as one or two to assault teams of 24 men. Each squad member is a unique induvidual with differing levels of health, stamina(number of move points) and accuracy. As members of the squad survive, their abilities grow, meaning that losing a squad member can be a damaging possibility. These squaddies are sent into a mission area that is totally dark except for the small area around the dropship itself. And until you start moving around, you have no idea what is out there. This makes for some tense playing with questions like, should I go around that corner and run out of move points or should I stay and throw a grenade. The missions themselves vary greatly, with base attacks, defenses, capture, and terror missions, where your teams must protect civilians while clearing out a location. The maps themselves are fun if somewhat canned. Each area also hase numerous levels, meaning death can come from above too.

The base building is also devistatingly fun as you must work hard to earn enough money to expand, start new bases and buy interceptors. EVery detail is here, from buying ammunition to running out of storage. And this part of the game takes on new meaning when later in the game your bases get assaulted by alien forces. Did you build in good choke points? did you have enough defenses? Altogether Brilliant.

For me, Terror of the Deep was where I started and therefore I actually prefer it. The graphics are slightly crisper and the difficulty greater. No longer do alien ships simply "dissapear" into the ocean, meaning every thing you shoot down can be attacked. But really the biggest change is that in UFO Defense, the pen-ultimate weapon has a burst fire command and in TFTD it is single shot. Trust me, it is a BIG difference.

Appocolypse, on the other hand, never really grew on me. Unlike the older games, both Aliens and Humans start the game being highly resistant to damage and thus fear of enemy fire obliterating your squad is much less. I also did not enjoy the new look of the game as much as I thought I might. But overall, if you simply cannot stand turn based combat, Appocolypse gives you a real time option (although the game difficulty ramps up greatly if you use it...).

The best reason to buy these games is that this was the last time X-com ruled the world. Most of the follow up games were either unimpressive or buggy or went unnoticed. But if you ask any serious game from the old days, all of them will fondly recount hours spent with sore eyes watching their men sweep dark alleys for an elusive alien.

X-com: a true Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 18
Date: January 04, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've played X-com time and time again, it is one of my all time favorites. Its kind of like an RPG in a sense, but is more interactive. The basis of the game is that Aliens are attacking Earth and X-Com, a new project set up to stop the Aliens, has to save the Earth. You recieve funding from various Contries, depending on how well you do you will get more, less, or no money. You reserch and develop the alien Technolagy and must later destroy thier base on Mars. I have not played X-Com 2 much, after I met my hirrendus fate at the hands of a industructable Lobster, but it is a fairly nice sequel. I have seen vary little of X-Com Apocolypse, but I know that it is vary different, there are new Aliens, some small, some Godzilla size. It is a vary difficult game, but is no match for skilled X-Com experts.

The Best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

X-Com UFO Defense and Apocolypse are the best games I have ever played. UFO Defense had som much suspense and addiction that I played for three days straight without sleep just for one mission. I haven't played TFTD yet. Apocolypse is simply the best. With new aliens, a so-so story line and a new function: Real time. Once you use it, you will never go back to turn base. You can pause the game right before something hits you and dodge or find some way to block it. Plus the gravity factor is immense. I lost my best soldier from a collapsing building.

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