Stolen Pixels #186: Well Lookie Who We Have Here

[Callate]

It's been done before: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-COM:_Enforcer

So, really, it's no shock.

Also, I won't be buying it. I likes tactical squad games, and I wants tactical squad game. That doesn't take 2 hours per random battles. And causes me to have a heart attack every time the aliens launch a psionic takeover of my best units. And kill the rest. Brutally.

Aw, but stun-rodding your own units is so good for slapstick fun.

Just incidentally, "X-Com: Enforcer" was apparently third-person rather than first, so not quite the same thing. 'Twas also apparently mindless dreck... We'll see how similarly this one falls out.

My thought is that if the anticipated game is effectively a prequel to the events of the turn-based tactical game, that might not be so bad. Being in the midst of a psionic attack from the first person perspective could be really creepy if it was done right, for example.

But it may indeed be a "mine a recognizable IP for nostalgia value" move and nothing more. We'll see.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Rebelstar Tactical Command is a kick ass GBA game that reminded me a lot of X-Com.

Yes, I will mention this in every X-Com thread.

 

[Sjakie]

Good comic as usual.
Also, my eyes started bleeding...help

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Shamus, you ARE aware that Bioware did a Sonic RPG, right?

And it was pretty good, too. Not amazing, but pretty damn good.

 

[Tiamat666]

I can imagine a tactical FPS X-Com. It's been done before here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Hulk:_Vengeance_of_the_Blood_Angels and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Hulk_%28video_game%29
Both games are alot of fun.

Also, something along the VATS system in Fallout comes close to being tactical FPS.

Actually, I had the thought of how awesome an FPS X-Com could be, the first time I swam underwater in Crysis. The... water... is... so ... pretty...

And yes, I prefer Terror from the Deep to the original X-Com.

 

[Kevvers]

Well.... actually I'd quite like to play a shooter in the X-COM universe as that universe had quite a lot of interesting stuff that you read about in the ufopedia but never really got to see. The world of X-Com is mind-bendingly terrifying after all -- having to shoot down waves of psionically controlled civilians, super-soldier mutons and of course the crysallids... Imagine as an FBI agent having to decide whether to shoot down civilians or let them get impregnated... or opening a door to be confronted with a muton shouting the alien equivalent of "Guten Tag!" and opening up on you with a plasma cannon in manner resembling the end of that first episode of Wolfenstein. That would be pretty awesome.

 

[Dev Null]

Oh wow. I played a teeny bit of X-Com waay back when but I completely forgot about it. would love to fire this up again (or play a game like in modern terms)

Try UFO: Aftershock. Made quite a few years later, so it updates the graphics and adds some fairly decent new game mechanics without - I thought - spoiling the originals. _Don't_ start with UFO: Aftermath, which is a prototype in a box.

What always gets me about moves like this is that I can't even understand them if I assume the publishers are just greedy bastards and look at it from their point-of-view. As Shamus points out, there are probably only half-a-dozen of us X-Com fans out here, and we're all sort of offended by the idea; we'll probably end up checking the game out, but it will be in _spite_ of the fact that they've used the IP, not because of it. And noone else will even get the reference, so no extra sales there either. My best guess is that the developer is one of us secret fans with dusty memories of all-night UFO sessions, but they couldn't sell the idea of a proper remake to a publisher, so they're hoping to just do a bit of homage with their latest bangbang clone. Which would actually bode well for this "reboot"... except that I'm not sure there's enough left to make a homage out of, by the time you rip out all the things they've stripped from the original.

 

[TheEggplant]

Doesn't anyone remember Alliance?
I was really up for this game when it was announced and very down when it and everything Microprose was canned. I'm not too happy about 2K being the ones responsible but this has a lot of potential.

 

[Otterpoet]

If they're smart, they'll make the game just like Battlezone (an under-appreciated RTS/Shooter). I miss the original X-Com. From the frantic firefights at the random landing sights to the balls-out butchery of base attacks, it was just too cool for school.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

It's been done before: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-COM:_Enforcer

What he said. It was meh.
Obligatory Linkage [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/5379-Review-X-Com-Revival-Package]

But then Shamus, you've countered your own argument with Half Life. At least let the demo come out before you slate it.

(At least you won't be collecting Alien Pies )

 

[AzraelSteel]

This is making me want to play X-Com now. Speaking of which...

 

[lynxus]

If I recall right they already made a first person shooter as an X-com game and it sucked. Give me Terror from the deep again. Heck, I've played it several times over the years. It still rocks.

Edit: I was too lazy to read the comments before. Enforcer was the name...

 

[Sir Kemper]

it worked for fallout 3

it worked for fallout 3

Which is what I'm trying to keep in mind for this. But Fallout 3 actually tried to stick to the overall lore. Vault Dweller, Wasteland, fun. It had those.

But this... I just don't know...

Too true, however, if you look about the internet you'll find alot of "WTF FALLOUT 3 ****** CRAP" from alot of the more hardcore fans, but i digress.

Anyway OT:

Alway's leave it to Gordon Freeman to occasionaly be the voice of reason...

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I did not know about this remake or of the orginal. I do know that you made me laugh considering that is the reaction I get out of most of my gamer friends when I mention a shooter.

 

[veloper]

just another shooter then

what a waste of the IP
what are the odds a new shooter will stand out of the crowd nowadays?

 

[ninjajoeman]

bioshock mmo sounds kinda cool if you think about it

 

[spamtastic]

I would pay obscene amounts of money to see a Cooking Mama brawler.