X-COM: Countering the Alien Threat

It was dark.

As the X-Com recovery team we were to take down any hostiles, save civilian lives, and recover alien artifacts for study. Casualties had been high. There were only 5 of us on this mission. Two guarded our landing craft (Skyranger) while the others moved toward the entrance of the UFO. Standard procedure was to station sentries and sweep the surroundings, entering the craft only after the area was secure and all agents were ready to storm the craft. This time we would go in as soon as possible, since without flares it would be best if any fighting happens inside the craft, in the dark we were vulnerable to attacks from beyond our sight.

We had found the UFO entrance when the guards at Skyranger started taking fire, one of them was down.

As the entry team moved back to support, an explosion punctuated the night. The man on point was, surprisingly, alive. The shot had missed him and taken down both soldiers behind him.

Only two soldiers were standing. At this point the mission was no longer about recovery of the alien craft, it was only about survival.

This is X-Com. This video game has a simple premise: the player directs the international effort to counter an alien invasion. Though simple in concept, the execution is flawless. The technology of the game is obsolete by modern standards but it remains enjoyable, even to someone acclimated to recent games. It is considered a classic strategy game, possibly the best computer game of all time (listed #12 at IGN).

The overall experience of this game is dark. The soldiers under your command are valuable but must be risked. Success is possible in the long run, but failures are almost inevitable. Many games cheat the player of failure: either it is easy enough that nothing bad ever happens (such as Spore or The Sims, both very escapist games) or the game gives a game over frequently, forcing the player to try again (such as in Devil May Cry or Resident Evil). In either case when the game is won there are no failures in the sequence of choices that lead there. Death never happens, it is only a minor setback or an inconvenience. X-Com shows a different way: let the player continue and deal with the consequences of failure.

Gameplay

This is not an action game. Player dexterity has no impact on combat. The gameplay appeals to an analytic player since most choices have applications in the correct situation. For example: a bold advance can lead to victory sooner by limiting the movement of the aliens, but if advancing too quickly a unit can be ambushed. Or take base development: X-Com can only detect and intercept alien craft that are close to a base, so where to place the next base is crucial, as well as the timing. Expand too early and there will be insufficient funds to fight effectively, expand too late and the nations will lose confidence as alien activity increases. This game is filled with hard decisions and interesting choices.

The game has two play modes: the strategic or logistic mode, and the tactical mode.

The strategic mode allows things such as building and managing bases, hiring scientists and soldiers, and intercepting detected UFOs. A UFO may land or be shot down, in either case there is the option to send soldiers to the site, which initiates a mission, starting the tactical mode of the game. The outcome of each mission affects the strategic mode. If a live alien or a new weapon is recovered, then it will be available for study. Successful missions please the sponsor nations and will result in increased funding.

Most objects in these missions can be destroyed. Don't want to send your squad through a narrow door when an ambush may be on the other side? Then just blast a wider hole in a position to your advantage.

The tactical mode is turn based combat with reaction fire. The strategic decisions will affect the tactical situation. For example: the situation at the start of this article. I had forgotten to replace fallen soldiers, so I had to respond with only 5. I hadn't restocked flares and so had to fight in the dark.

Story

The story and gameplay mesh seamlessly. Though very open ended in what the player can do, the game presents a story to discover.

The plot is this: alien creatures have been coming to earth, doing various violent acts in their attempt to dominate earth. The nations of the earth are powerless against them and so decide to unite their efforts. X-Com is the resulting agency: a covert paramilitary force to counter the alien threat.

The story of what X-Com is trying to do each mission is up to the player, control is never surrendered. The story comes in the form of research results (which the player initiates and benefits from) and by confronting new alien types in the field, usually before knowing their capabilities. There is a overall story and motivation, but this I leave for the reader to discover.

Flaws

Information about the soldiers is hard to organize. All significant data on a soldier can be seen on one screen, but not more than one soldier at a time. With these screens it is easy to tell who to keep and who to sack (If you have good memory or paper notes). But it is impossible to access this information when deciding which weapon to give to which soldier. As a result the unique skills of a soldier are easy to ignore. Turn based combat can become slow for large groups, for each unit acts in its own turn and must receive commands for anything it does.

Despite these flaws this game remains solid, it evokes a unique feeling of tension, and is a work that remains unsurpassed.