Beware of the Deep Ones..... (X-COM- Terror From The Deep (PC))

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	X-COM- Terror From The Deep (PC)
Date:	13/08/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic gameplay, atmospheric and immersive, more challenging than the original

Disadvantages: Graphics are dated, (though still appealing)

XCOM- Terror From The Deep is the sequel to UFO- Enemy Unknown, and is largely identical to its predecessor, but as UFO is one of the greatest strategy games of all time this is no great shame. As before, you are in charge of a global defence force charged with repelling an alien invasion, and must build base facilities such as laboratories, stores, radar facilities, aircraft hangars and living quarters whilst hiring scientists, engineers and soldiers and researching and manufacturing new types of weapons and equipment. You must intercept alien craft, shoot them down and then investigate the crash site with a team of ground troops, at which point the game switches to an isometric perspective with turn based combat in which you and your alien foes take turns at killing eachother, with each combatant able to perform a limited number of actions per turn dependent on their number of available 'action points'.

Whilst UFO saw you repulsing an attack from the skies however, XCOM has you fighting against an alien menace that has emerged from the deepest of Earth's oceans, requiring you to build underwater bases and intercept underwater alien craft with submarines before engaging in aquatic battles with your squads of armed divers. The basic gameplay and mechanics are identical to in UFO throughout, but the game relies heavily on maritime colours this time around, and also borrows heavily from the works of H.P Lovecraft in building a deep sense of dread and ancient primordial menace.

The game is reminiscient of Lovecrafts 'Call of Cthulu' tale in its presentation of vast, ancient underwater megaliths and slimy, aquatic horrors issuing forth from the realms of the unknown. The combat maps are several multiples larger this time round, and are much more varied, with combat taking place in the wreckage of sunken galleys, coral reefs, volcanic ridges, and the rusted foundations of long-collapsed oil-rigs. There are also some missions that take place above ground- the aliens launch terror missions as before, forcing you to fight them in locations that include shipyards and carribean islands, requiring changes in strategy as some of your underwater weapons do not function out of the water. The weapons are largely the same as in UFO but with appropriate alterations- assault rifles are replaced by harpoon guns, smoke grenades are replaced by dye grenades, incendiary bombs are replaced by phosphrous bombs and so on. The enemes are of a simlar range to those in UFO, but are tougher, more numerous and much more terrifying.

You need to study and develop alien technology and perform alien autopsies as before, as well as track down and destroy alien bases, and whilst essentially just a slight reworking of the original XCOM gets away with it by being so damn atmospheric and immersive. Its much, much harder than the original too, which adds further tension and excitement as your troops frequetly get massacred by unseen aliens lurking in the murky depths beyond your line of sight.

XCOM is a brilliant strategy game, and despite now looking rather dated it remains an incredibly addictive and engaging strategy game made all the more appealing by its dark, Lovecraftian theme.

Summary: A hugely atmospheric and addictive strategy game