X-Com: Should I get the old one?

[dragonswarrior]

So!! I have been looking at this new X-Com: Enemy Unknown shenanigans, and it looks pretty good. I absolutely LOVE strategy games, and, you know, this is a strategy game. That looks good.

However, I was sorely sorely deprived as a child, and was never exposed to X-Com the first.

I have done some research on it, and it looks pretty good, but I ask you Escapists: As a person who loves strategy games, should I get the first X-Com? Or does it not hold up so well?

 

[Frankster]

Get it NAO. But im horribly biased regarding xcom....

Ok more objectively, the gameplay still holds up very well and is the main reason us xcom fans get frustrated with the numerous attempts at remakes and spiritual successors (they always fall short of the originals magic). If you took a look at screenshots and figured you could handle the dated visuals, then I don't see why you shouldn't get it.

Whilst we are on the topic: The sequel xcom: terror from the deep is much harder version of xcom for masochists only. Avoid it unless you really felt xcom was too easy and you have masochistic qualities.
The 3rd game, xcom: apocalypse is kind of a unique snowflake and well worth checking out, the basic premise behind you being head of anti alien organization is still there, but you're set in a futuristic cities fighting a very different type of alien (who conquered the aliens from previous xcoms it seems) and has interesting ideas overall.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

So!! I have been looking at this new X-Com: Enemy Unknown shenanigans, and it looks pretty good. I absolutely LOVE strategy games, and, you know, this is a strategy game. That looks good.

However, I was sorely sorely deprived as a child, and was never exposed to X-Com the first.

I have done some research on it, and it looks pretty good, but I ask you Escapists: As a person who loves strategy games, should I get the first X-Com? Or does it not hold up so well?

X-Com is arguably the best strategy game ever made. But it's going on 20 years old, so there will be adjustments required. The game play itself is still pure sex, but the graphics (which were average at release) are eye searing, and the UI is arcane and confounding.

You clearly know there is a remake/reboot coming in a few months, so there's that. Also, if you want a tactical shooting game wrapped in a slightly newer package, the brilliant Jagged Alliance 2 is also a classic of the genre (although a slightly different experience in the meta game).

So...

As a person who loves strategy games, should you get X-Com? Realistically, you should ALREADY HAVE PLAYED IT. Should you get it NOW? If you have a strong belly for retro-gaming, yes. If you have only a mild belly for retro gaming, get JA2 instead and wait for the modern remake (and/or Xenonauts) to see how it pans out.

And if you haven't played JA2 either, what the hell is wrong with you? Get it now!

 

[XMark]

I was PC gaming in 90s and I somehow managed to avoid the X-Com and Jagged Alliance games. The closest I got was playing a demo of Terror from the Deep and getting horrifically slaughtered.

I have since developed an interest in turn-based strategy games so maybe I should fire up the ol' DOS Box and give it a shot.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I'd get it, but wait a month for it to go on sale. Steam usually has a big sale the week of the fourth of July, and that's one of the games that pretty much always goes on sale. No sense in spending $5-$10 just for the one game when you can get the whole series for $2.50 if you wait a month, you know?

Edit: I'm surprised how many people are complaining about the graphics. They're standard mid 90's sprite based graphics, which is to say they hold up pretty well. It's not like we're talking about an NES game or a 3D PS1 game here.

 

[Windcaler]

So!! I have been looking at this new X-Com: Enemy Unknown shenanigans, and it looks pretty good. I absolutely LOVE strategy games, and, you know, this is a strategy game. That looks good.

However, I was sorely sorely deprived as a child, and was never exposed to X-Com the first.

I have done some research on it, and it looks pretty good, but I ask you Escapists: As a person who loves strategy games, should I get the first X-Com? Or does it not hold up so well?

You should absolutely 100% get the original. For me it still holds up at a great strategy game and it seems like I cant go a month without playing it at least a little bit but then Im not one of the people who thinks graphics make a game. For me, gameplay and/or story makes a game

 

[dragonswarrior]

So!! I have been looking at this new X-Com: Enemy Unknown shenanigans, and it looks pretty good. I absolutely LOVE strategy games, and, you know, this is a strategy game. That looks good.

However, I was sorely sorely deprived as a child, and was never exposed to X-Com the first.

I have done some research on it, and it looks pretty good, but I ask you Escapists: As a person who loves strategy games, should I get the first X-Com? Or does it not hold up so well?

X-Com is arguably the best strategy game ever made. But it's going on 20 years old, so there will be adjustments required. The game play itself is still pure sex, but the graphics (which were average at release) are eye searing, and the UI is arcane and confounding.

You clearly know there is a remake/reboot coming in a few months, so there's that. Also, if you want a tactical shooting game wrapped in a slightly newer package, the brilliant Jagged Alliance 2 is also a classic of the genre (although a slightly different experience in the meta game).

So...

As a person who loves strategy games, should you get X-Com? Realistically, you should ALREADY HAVE PLAYED IT. Should you get it NOW? If you have a strong belly for retro-gaming, yes. If you have only a mild belly for retro gaming, get JA2 instead and wait for the modern remake (and/or Xenonauts) to see how it pans out.

And if you haven't played JA2 either, what the hell is wrong with you? Get it now!

Dated graphics don't bother me, and a confusing UI just takes a little more time to understand. Thanks a ton for the JA2 suggestion as well.

And I'm sorry!! Like I said... Horribly, horribly deprived as a child. *laughs* I'm trying to correct that now.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Dated graphics don't bother me, and a confusing UI just takes a little more time to understand. Thanks a ton for the JA2 suggestion as well.

And I'm sorry!! Like I said... Horribly, horribly deprived as a child. *laughs* I'm trying to correct that now.

You're the 2nd person I've sold on JA2 in the last week or so. Talking other people up about how good it is reminds me how good it is, and I've had a major craving for it even though I just finished a replay a few months ago.

Make sure you use the 1.13 mod/patch for it when you do try it, it adds a lot, including higher resolutions.

X-Com's scope/breadth combined with JA2's personality and improvements to combat would possibly be the best game ever made.

PS - The Steam version is a bit glitchy. Go for the GOG version.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

In the vanilla game any loadout more complex than giving everyone exactly the same thing will require you to manually rearrange your inventory before every single battle. I also found time units needlessly finicky and energy units pointless. If you can live with those two it is still worth it.

 

[Zaik]

It's comically difficult, for better or worse.

It's both luck and skill based, sometimes you have a great mission setup and other times it's a disaster(they're set up semi-randomly).

Tbh i've never managed to clear out the first alien base(even on the easiest difficulty ) that gets set up to this day. I could probably cheese it and let it sit there for a year or something while I do research and get paid for not doing my job, but it'd kind of ruin the experience.

 

[Frankster]

I could probably cheese it and let it sit there for a year or something while I do research and get paid for not doing my job, but it'd kind of ruin the experience.

Nay, leave bases alone and besides a guarantee of that country and surrounding countries eventually signing pacts with the aliens (disaster for your funding since you can never get those countries back), you'll get a hefty penalty every day its there, also affecting your funding.

anc[is]In the vanilla game any loadout more complex than giving everyone exactly the same thing will require you to manually rearrange your inventory before every single battle.

Oh this reminds me! If one is playing the first xcom, get ufoextender mod http://ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Enemy_Unknown_Extended

Fixes a bunch of bugs and rebalances weapons a bit (heavy laser gets buffed for example as was seen as too weak for the extra weight) and I remember it having a bunch of optional stuff such as randomized ufo layouts (despite what yahtzee says, in this case it DOES make an enormous difference) to spice up the game as well as other convenient fixes (remembers your last squad loadout+shows soldiers stats and rank on unit loadout screen)

 

[The Madman]

As long as you're willing and able to look past the extremely dated visuals and take the time to learn the basics of the UI, go for it. The gore gameplay itself is as compelling now as the game was when it was first released. There's a reason even after so long the game has so many fans.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

I'm very biased, but get it. Get it now! Also, while it's true Terror from the deep is very, very difficult (seems even more so than when I first played it, would you believe?), personally I love it. And there are ways to avoid, or reduce the impact of failing, the most difficult missions.

 

[deathninja]

One of the first games I ever played, alongside Day of The Tentacle...

It's great, but the UI and visuals don't hold up well.

My personal favourite was Apocalypse, mainly as I preferred the setting (also explosive miniguns wrecking the scenery never got old).