X-COM is a series of computer strategy games , combined with the subject of an alien invasion . The first game of the series, X-COM: UFO Defense , developed by British studio Mythos Games under the direction of Julian Gollop and released in 1993 , combined two game modes - global strategy and tactical role-playing game - and became a model for many sequels and imitations. In 2012, the series was restarted by XCOM: Enemy Unknown , developed by Firaxis Games .
| X-COM | |
|---|---|
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| Genres | Real time strategy Turn-based tactics |
| Developers |
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| Publishers |
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| Platforms | MS-DOS, Windows, PlayStation, Amiga, CD32, 3DO, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| The first game | X-COM: UFO Defense / March 1994 |
| Last game | XCOM 2/5 February 2016 |
Content
Games
Basic
| Name of the game | Developer | Publisher | Year | Platforms | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFO: Enemy Unknown (In North America - X-COM: UFO Defense ). | Mythos Games , MicroProse | Microprose | MS-DOS , Windows , PlayStation , Amiga , CD32 | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) | |
| X-COM: Terror from the Deep | Microprose | Microprose | MS-DOS, Windows, PlayStation, 3DO , | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) | |
| X-COM: Apocalypse | Mythos Games, MicroProse | Microprose | MS-DOS, Windows | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) Real Time Tactics (Battlescape) | |
| X-COM: Interceptor | Microprose | Microprose | Windows | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Space simulator | |
| X-COM: Enforcer | Hasbro Interactive | Infogrames | Windows | Third person shooter | |
| XCOM: Enemy Unknown | Firaxis games | 2K Games | Windows , macOS , Linux , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Vita , Xbox 360 , Android , iOS | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) | |
| The Bureau: XCOM Declassified | 2K Marin , 2K Australia , 2K China | 2K Games | Windows , macOS , PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 | Tactical third person shooter | |
| XCOM 2 | Firaxis games | 2K Games | Windows , macOS , Linux , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) |
Additions
| Name of the game | Add-on Name | Developer | Publisher | Year | Platforms | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XCOM: Enemy Unknown | XCOM: Enemy Within | Firaxis games | 2K Games | Windows , macOS , Linux , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Vita , Xbox 360 , Android , iOS | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) | |
| XCOM 2 | XCOM 2: War of the Chosen | Firaxis games | 2K Games | Windows , macOS , Linux , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Tactic (Battlescape) |
Canceled
| Name of the game | Developer | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| X-COM: Genesis | Hasbro Interactive | Real Time Strategy (Geoscape) Real Time Tactics (Battlescape) |
| X-COM: Alliance | Hasbro Interactive, Infogrames | Tactical First Person Shooter |
Development History
The beginning of the series put the game, released under the name UFO: Enemy Unknown in Europe and X-COM: UFO Defense in North America. At the head of the X-COM project were two programmers — the brothers Julian and Nick Gollop [1] . Immediately after completing the work on the first part, the brothers began work on the third (Apocalypse). The second part of X-COM: Terror from the Deep was a clone of the first part with redrawn sprites and a heavily altered balance.
The first two games are the most popular and most successful of the series, and were the first to be named Game of the Year by many gaming magazines. In 2007, IGN put X-COM: UFO Defense in first place among the top 25 PC games of all time. [2] .
- OpenXcom is a clone of the UFO: Enemy Unknown game (aka X-COM: UFO Defense) with open source software for Windows and other operating systems with bug fixes and the possibility of modding. The game has a rewritten engine, release version dated June 13, 2014.
X-COM: Apocalypse added a few new features to the series. In addition to the marching combat mode, a real-time combat system was introduced with the ability to switch between modes. The overall style of the game has become futuristic and less gloomy. This was the last game of the series, on which Julian Gollop worked, further games were made without his participation [3] .
After X-COM: Interceptor (X-COM: Interceptor), bought MicroProse and acquired the X-COM brand. On October 9, 2012, Firaxis released the XCOM turn-based strategy : Enemy Unknown - a remake of the original game [4] . On November 12, 2013, Firaxis released XCOM: Enemy Within - an addon to XCOM: Enemy Unknown . On August 20, 2013, the following game in the series was released - The Bureau third-person shooter : XCOM Declassified (formerly “XCOM”) from the developer 2K Marin . On February 5, 2016, the next game in the series called XCOM 2 was released. On August 29, 2017, Firaxis released XCOM 2: War of the Chosen - an addon to XCOM 2 .
Canceled games
Two more games were planned for this series. The development of both was suspended when Hasbro closed in 1999-2000 .
- (Genesis)
- X-COM: Alliance
Reviews and criticism
In December 2012, Julian Gollop , the creator of the X-COM series of games, was interviewed in English, published by Game Star magazine, in which he endorsed [5] XCOM: Enemy Unknown games of the end of 2012 (respectively, improved XCOM: Enemy Within of the end of 2013) and Xenonauts , which was released in spring 2014.
The XCOM series has always been very popular, and now it is at a new peak of popularity. Do you want to work on a new part of this franchise?
No, I think I ended up with X-Com . I tried to work for many years to get a remake , but Firaxis finally did it (we are talking about the game XCOM: Enemy Unknown , which received an improved reissue of XCOM: Enemy Within ). In addition, there is a promising and more faithful remake of " Xenonauts ".
Heritage
The popularity of the series - primarily led to the emergence of similar games from other developers. They borrow a lot from the original series, but also have their own innovations.
The spiritual successors and continuation of the series were UFO games (a series of games) :
- UFO: Aftermath (2003)
- UFO: Aftershock (2005)
- UFO: Afterlight (2007)
But because of the rejection of the classic tactical tactical battle, the lack of a tactically useful system for the destruction of objects and the economy system far from the ancestors of the economy, a considerable number of fans were left disappointed by the continuation of the popular series.
- On May 4, 2007, the UFO: Extraterrestrials game was released - the closest in implementation to the classic X-COM: UFO Defense [6] .
- UFO2Extraterrestrials: Battle for Mercury - continued, the second part of the game UFO: Extraterrestrials . [7] .
UFO: Alien Invasion is a free multiplatform game that is constantly updated by the development team. There is a multiplayer.
Xenonauts (a mixture of turn-based strategy and tactical role-playing) from an independent company Goldhawk Interactive. The project was approved by X-com creator Julian Gollop . A tentative release date has been set for autumn 2012. The public demo version of the game was released on May 8, 2012. The release took place on May 30, 2014.
See also
- Rebelstar
- Laser squad
- Laser Squad Nemesis
Notes
- ↑ Best computer games, July 2007 - Gollop Brothers
- ↑ Top 25 PC Games of All Time, page 3
- ↑ Julian Gollop interview: Fight My Fruit.
- ↑ Firaxis Games: News (inaccessible link) . The appeal date is January 8, 2012. Archived January 8, 2012.
- ↑ Julian Gollop: “I’m not firmly planning in the games industry” Archived June 26, 2014. , GameStar.ru, 5 December 2012
- ↑ Review of UFO: Extraterrestrials from ag.ru
- ↑ UFO2Extraterrestrials: Battle for Mercury . www.ufo2extraterrestrials.com. The appeal date is November 19, 2015.
Links
- IGN: Top 25 PC Games of All Time ( page 2 and 3 )
- Games that changed the World: X-Com
- UFOpaedia.org (English) - a wiki project dedicated to the X-COM series
- The Story of X-Com Interview (English) on Eurogamer