September 3rd, 2007
Some core components must exist to qualify game as XCOM successor:
- strategic view (bases on planet, city, galaxy, star system)
- squad level combat
- research and technology tree
I suppose all games can achieve that but some little things create unique atmosphere, giving you reason to continue playing. Those are small things but with big effects. Let’s see some:
Combat atmosphere
In first two games you move your soldier one by one. Discovering a hidden alien is very dramatic. Move little by little carefully taking cover until somebody spot an alien. Check how much “time units” is left for soldier. Choose between shooting at alien (snap or aimed) or taking cover (or both if you have enough TU’s). If you miss, alien could return fire and then you are in trouble. Watching a bullet fly toward the alien creature is again dramatic scene (will it be blocked by fence?, was that smart decision?), similar to bullet time in „The Matrix“. In new games you don’t see bullets, most of the time you see only soldiers and aliens aiming at each other and their health bar decreasing. You don’t see who shoot and who got hit, you don’t need to make a decision other then between shoot or retreat. This makes missions obstacles in the progress of the game instead of dramatic way to get hold on new alien items and capture their leaders.
Aliens
Nobody has seen an alien yet and it’s possible to create millions of unique looking creatures. Snakeman, Chryssalids, Lobsterman, Tentaculat and others are silly creatures if you think about them but they all have unique features, terrifying looks, colorful images and they all fit into the game. Apocalypse have most developed aliens, they are different enough and they whole lifecycle have sense. On the other hand, UFO series (Aftermath, Aftershock and Afterlight) have pile of brownish creatures accompanied by some exploding hovering balls. They are just thrown into this world for you to shoot at them.