Are the older XCOM titles worth checking out?

[Master_Fubar23]

I personally still love the original xcom. I don't find it too complex but the only problem I have is that the interface is slow and clunky. If someone went and updated the interface so it doesn't take several seconds for the game to respond to a click then the game would be near perfect from that buff alone. Also has better endings than the new xcom

Yeah, the ending to Enemy Unknown was a load of crap, and the last level was terrible. A shame, too, what with the game being as incredible (albeit repetitive) as it was leading up to that point.

Ya, those endings ruined the game for me. Lose and you get a box saying to restart, win and get to watch shitty ending. Something I really liked about the first x-com was that in the final mission if you failed you got an actual ending not just a gameover screen.

 

[Magnakai]

I loved the originals back In the mid to late 90s. I long since gave up trying to play the originals though. In more recent years when I needed a Xcom fix I would boot the pretty decent clone on steam UFO: Extraterrestrials gold plays smooth, more game options, looks better but of course I have already played the crap out of the OG so... It may not be what your looking for it also has a completely different story.

 

[superdavo]

I wholeheartedly recommend playing the original. Either grab it from the internet or download DOSbox and set to work.

Clearing a terror mission with rocket launchers and plasma rifles? YES.

 

[Zhukov]

I honestly wouldn't bother.

The old games basically boil down to exercises in logistics.

There is much less difference between a veteran soldier and a new recruit then in the new game. (Veterans will aim a bit better and are less prone to panic. That's it.) So there's not as much incentive to keep your guys alive. Also, you can take like twenty soldiers on each mission.

The result of all that is that you win by throwing resources at the problem rather than any degree of tactical skill. From the mid-game onwards, battles are won by essentially lining your guys up at one end of the level and marching across it, leveling everything in the way. There's no real cover mechanic and the environment can be destroyed by small arms fire, so combat is a bit of a crap shoot. You win by having more guns and firing more bullets.

EDIT: Oh, if you do decide to play the original, look up the tech tree first. The game does a terrible job of presenting it and if you don't know which research leads to what you need first then chances are you'll just dither about and end up crippling yourself.

 

[Jandau]

The first one, yes. It's an awesome game and hailed as one of the best PC games for a very good reason.

Terror from the Deep is basically a reskin of the first one with the difficulty cranked up to over 9000. Only play it if you've already played the original and are desperate for more.

Apocalypse is a very polarizing game. Some people swear by it, claiming it's as good or even better than the original, others think it's crap. I'm mostly in the second camp, but it might be worth a look.

The spinoffs (Interceptor, Enforcer) are crap, avoid like the bubonic plague.

The AfterSomething series of remakes (Aftermath, Aftershock, Afterlight, etc.) are mediocre at best, but can kinda scratch the itch if you've exhausted main franchise.

In short, play the first one, then see if you want more.

 

[woodaba]

UFO Defense is great. It'll take a while to get used to, but the horrible interface hides an incredibly tense and exciting game.

Do not touch Terror from the Deep with a ten foot pole. That game seems to have been designed for the kind of person who thought the hardest difficulty of UFO Defense was too easy for easy.