XCOM revived as UFO: Freedom Ridge!

Raion · December 11, 2001, 18:07

Altar with Virgin will take up where Mythos Games left off with Dreamland Chronicles: Freedom Ridge although it will now be called UFO: Freedom Ridge and be released around the late 2002.
A Classic -- XCOM -- will be revived.

Can be found at Gamespot:

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories...831776,00.html

Save the Earth and defeat the Aliens!

Urban Ranger · December 12, 2001, 10:27

This looks good.

One thing I wished Mythos had done with the original XCOM was, even though humans can capture and study alien tech, they'd use it as references to develop their own technology instead of duplicating what they can find.

General Ludd · December 12, 2001, 12:24

Maybe you should check the related links.

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories...690582,00.html

I was following it for some time before it was cancled.

Apparently Mythos is working on a sequal to their original game, now - laser squad. Doesn't look very good to me, though.

General Ludd · December 12, 2001, 12:32

EDIT: I didn't bother to read your post

, and thought you where talkign about the original version, not knowing that it was back on track.

Good to hear!

Case · December 13, 2001, 02:55

Is this going to be a FPS or a strategy game?

Ari Rahikkala · December 13, 2001, 08:46

Judging from the screenshots at http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters...3875-2,00.html ... Strategy. Though you apparently can take the point of view of a single soldier, too.

Raion · December 13, 2001, 17:38

Oh, I wonder if they will try and change it to both types like XCOM: Apcolypse. Considering when going on a mission with your XCOM squad or squads that I always played the TB type mission instead of the RT mission, which some people said took about 3 minutes compared to about 3 hours, either way it was still fun. I marvel over the buildings in the Apcolypse even though it was still written for DOS and not Windows back in 1997. XCOM: UFO Defense, the original, was always fun in the dark night with flares, something missing from Acolypse. All in all, even with brain suckers, exploding dogs, spitters, worms, and the regular army aliens, the game is just fun. Of course, when you lose squad members and have to recuit more, and wonder if you can even fight them, it all gets very involved.

This is why this current version looked so good, like the original plus some current new 3-d dimensional views and playfield that Dreamland Chronicles would even be more realistic.

I hope they do a good job on it, because the detailed screen shots, seem like one will be in a completely different but familiar looking world, except the aliens have taken over the planet and its just you as the leader to reclaim the Earth back for humanity and take the fight to the aliens.

Fun!

Raion · December 13, 2001, 17:47

They upgraded XCOM: Apcolypse last year around Christmas when all three XCOM come out in one package for about $10 or so. Had DX6.1 on it for the Apcolypse the third one, and of couse Terror from the Deep, the second one, I never really got into, seeing how it was underwater, but people said it was hard.
At gamespot one can still read the Reviews on all of them in the Stratedgy Games Section there.

They were going to follow the missile or weapon shot in this version of the game, but in all, you have squads and a command center, scientists, a budget, engineers, biochemists, to try and figure out how to defeat the aliens who have taken over the Earth.
Plus, trying and fight them, gather resources, and recuit new bases and members to eventually defeat the aliens.

Good luck!

Raion · December 13, 2001, 17:55

Maybe upgraded the year before, I can not remember. Although one thing you will remember is the music, sounds, and atmosphere created by the game when attempting to find the aliens and fight them with your squads especially with XCOM: Apcolypse. In the night when playing the game, its another game that glues you to the screen and hard to stop keeping going.

Well, it's strategy, fun and scary!

Raion · December 13, 2001, 18:12

Here's the reviews from the first three XCOM's, well I like it, and its something different and fun, to me:

XCOM: UFO Defence
http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters...199362,00.html

XCOM: Terror from the Deep (Hard and not rated as good)
http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters...199361,00.html

XCOM: Apocalypse
http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters...,36014,00.html

Case · December 14, 2001, 01:12

Is there a version of the original X-Com that works with windows 9X? I'd really like to play that game again, but my old copy won't work on fast, windows computers

John D Ward · December 14, 2001, 17:57

There is a package, the X-COM Collection, containing the first four X-COM games and X-COM em@il. The versions of UFO and Terror from the Deep have been tweaked to run under Windows 9X.

However, bear in mind the following:

1. I don't know if it's available in Australia.

2.

I have had a BAD system crash when attempting to play UFO using this version in Windows 98. To be on the safe side. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you really enjoy reinstalling Windows and all your software.

You might be safe starting your PC in DOS mode to play these games.

General Ludd · December 14, 2001, 20:07

Quote:

Originally posted by John D Ward
There is a package, the X-COM Collection, containing the first four X-COM games

First four? there where only 3. Unless you are counting one of the horrible spin offs like enforcer, interceptor, or alliance. In which case, you shouldn't be!

Urban Ranger · December 15, 2001, 03:13

The first one, XCOM: UFO Defense (UFO: Enemies Unkown here), is awesome. One of the top games ever designed.

The second one, Terror from the Deep, sucks. It's MOTS (more of the same), except you do it under water and the enemies were made 10x as tough.

The third one, Apocalypse is alright. I have always used the turn-based combat, although it seems silly that everything got smaller instead of larger. It was fun raiding the cults, though

So I'm hoping this one will be closest to the first game, with all the night missions and all. It also seems interesting that the roles are now reversed. You become the "attacker" and the bad guys become the "defender."

General Ludd · December 15, 2001, 09:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
So I'm hoping this one will be closest to the first game, with all the night missions and all. It also seems interesting that the roles are now reversed. You become the "attacker" and the bad guys become the "defender."

You wouldn't believe this - but there was another version being made a few years ago, called X-Com genesis, and when hasbro bought out microprose, they scraped the team working on it, but it was essentially a new version of the original - you can see some screenshots from the long dead game here.

The team working on it was Mythos (who also made the original UFO defense, and Apocalypse) when they got canned by hasbro they went on to make freedom ridge, only to get canned again... but it seems they are back on the horse, yet again.

As if that wheren't bad enough, Microprose nearly canned them before the original UFO defense, and caused them to cut out alot of features they wanted (the men in black, for example) and then they asked them to release a half-assed sequel afterwards, they refused thoguh, But microprose went on to do it themselves, the result of which is TFTD. (

) the same sort of nonsense went on during the development of Apocalypse, and they had to make a bunch of cutbacks there, too. (For example, they wanted the city politics to be much more developed - with other factions investigating crash sites and more interaction with them, ect...)

Urban Ranger · December 15, 2001, 11:38

Not sure about that, coz XCOM: UFO Defense was first released in Europe under the name UFO: Enemies Unknown. The XCOM that was released by MicroProse in the US was in fact version 1.2 of the game.

Of course, TFTD was totally crap, since they added nothing new. The setting was changed to underwater and the enemies became much nastier, that's all.

You're right though Genesis does look a whole lot alike the original. Hope that part will make it into the new game.

General Ludd · December 15, 2001, 12:11

I don't know if it's still around, but they had alot of history about their games and what they where trying to do with them on the official mythos website. I couldn't find their site again, though. (I think it might be gone for good)

Ari Rahikkala · December 15, 2001, 13:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Not sure about that, coz XCOM: UFO Defense was first released in Europe under the name UFO: Enemies Unknown. The XCOM

Enemy Unknown, not Enemies Unknown. March onwards, pedants

!

Case · December 15, 2001, 19:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
But microprose went on to do it themselves, the result of which is TFTD. (

) the same sort of nonsense went on during the development of Apocalypse, and they had to make a bunch of cutbacks there, too. (For example, they wanted the city politics to be much more developed - with other factions investigating crash sites and more interaction with them, ect...)

Yikes!

Apocalypse was over complicated without the intense inter-factional politcs!

Paul Hanson · December 16, 2001, 07:33

The problem with Apocalypse was that it was just overly tough. I never once managed to bring down a single armed UFO. Unfortunately, they were vital to getting further in the game.

Zealot · December 16, 2001, 11:16

Let's just hope it will still be a great XCOM after all!

Urban Ranger · May 24, 2002, 00:52

Any more news on this? It has been awhile.

Paul,

The trick is to use a whole mess of flying cars and smaller vehicles until you start making your own fighters. Of course, do not tackle the big UFOs with your small crafts.

Urban Ranger · May 24, 2002, 00:59

Okay, a quick search on the Web reveals that the game is now called UFO: Aftermath

Skanky Burns · May 24, 2002, 05:34

XCom was an excellent game!

In Apocalypse at the start, only buy the little bikes. Arm them with lasers, and you should be able to shoot them down until they get shields.
When they do get shields, just let them land where they will until you can build your own ships. By then, you should be able to take them down without losing craft.

My favourite ways of getting money:
1 - Build massive amounts of workshops and just sell the stuff they build (beyond what you need yourself)
2 - Buy the vehicles that you won't use, pull their engines and weapons off, then sell them all piece by piece. That will get back the money you spent buying them.
Then sell the extra fuel and ammo from them

Back to the point, good thing they are resurecting the old XCom

General Ludd · May 24, 2002, 10:17

Looks like it's changed alot from freedom ridge... and I don't think Mythos is working on it anymore.

child of Thor · May 24, 2002, 11:30

UFO:Enemy Unknown(or Defense), the first one, is in my top 5 of all time great games(on any platform).
I really didn't get what happened to the series, but i got Terror From The Deep as i was a fan of the origonal, i was a little dissapointed. The graphics were worse than the origonal and some of the aliens just looked like refugees from a B-movie. Seemed a real step backwards. I never got round to Apocolypse, this again seemed like a step backwards in some ways. Still i wish whoever does new versions of this game would just go back and play the first one, take a breath and not insist on throwing masses of 3D graphics at it........it was a real gem(and still is).

Raion · May 24, 2002, 14:40

UFO:Aftermath here:
Have to pay now, but 8 new screen shots can be seen.

I bought (again) a package a couple years back now that had all three X-COM's in it -- the only one I could get to work was XCOM:Apcolyspe because it was in SVGA - the first two being in just VGA - and at that time the screen would be just black..

It may just be the video card - something I did, but the third one work really good and I still have it on my computer because it was upgraded with DirectX 6.1.
I have not seen the package of all three on CD-Rom's since.

Raion · May 24, 2002, 14:41

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters...913875,00.html

Oops! forgot to put in the link so here it is to UFO:Aftermath

Urban Ranger · May 25, 2002, 01:27

My favourite past time in Apocalypse was to raid the cult buildings. They sometimes have good stuff for you to resell, and the practices are good for your soldiers.

Grumbold · May 25, 2002, 06:56

I loved the original UFO. The only bad thing I'll say about TFTD was that the multi level mission maps (like the tanker) were just too darn big. In every other respect making a tougher and more detailed version of the original was fine by me. Apocalypse was better still, but I got too fed up with the endless combat to complete it - the furthest I got on one attempt at it was the second or third alien homeworld structure.

I think the worst design decision they made was on the psychic combat. You have to go a long long way into the game before you can actually find out how mentally resistant each of your guys are. Seeing 70% of your elite squad are too unstable and need replacing is galling when you know just how many more missions it will take to train up replacements for them, but you know you're going to have to because otherwise mind control will see your awesome soldiers wiping each other out.