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CVG Home � PC � Reviews

REVIEWS: PC

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Ufo: Enemy Unknown Review

9.0

Format PC

Developer Mythos Games

Publisher Sold Out

Genre Unknown

13-Aug-2001

This is the first game in the seminal X-COM series, and it's no exagerration to say it took the world by storm when it was first released in 1994. The graphics are nothing special, the sound's nothing special and the music is decidedly dodgy, but those of you willing to investigate the game's finer intricacies will be rewarded with one of the most addictive and satisfying game experiences ever. You play the commander of X-COM, a special unit set up to prevent aliens invading Earth. Gameplay is split firmly into two areas: resource management and combat. In the resource management section of the game, you employ ground troops, research better and more powerful weapons, and build facilities to defend your bases around the globe. Combat is turn-based and is affected by the decisions you made on the resource management screen, so any new weapons you've researched are available when you go into battle. Your troops gain experience with every successful mission they complete, and you'll find yourself developing a suitably anal relationship with them to the point where you get genuinely upset when one of them kicks the bucket. If you've ever played a turn-based strategy game and enjoyed it, and you've yet to sample the delights of the X-COM series, this game will be the best fiver you've ever spent.