At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Matt Bailey	PC	Paradox Interactive	Chaos Concept	1	Here
Requirements
1.5GHz Processor, Windows 2000/XP/Vista, 128MB Video Card, 256 MB RAM, 2.6GB Hard Drive Space

UFO: Extraterrestrials review

The X-COM series of turn-based strategy games are widely considered classics, but the developers - Microprose - disappeared into Hasbro quite a few years ago. Since then, though, there's been many contenders to the throne, with many series emulating the original gameplay in a bid to be considered the true successor. ALTAR Games' recent UFO: Afterlight is one of them, but here we're taking a look at the efforts of strategy giants Paradox Interactive and Chaos Concept's UFO: Extraterrestrials.

The most immediate thought you get while playing Extraterrestrials is that this is exactly like UFO: Enemy Unknown (the European name for X-COM: UFO Defense). The developers will likely be pleased with that, as it would seem to have been their aim, judging by the press releases in the run up to the game's release. However, as much as a compliment they may see it, it's also the game's greatest failing; it's been nearly 14 years since Enemy Unknown, and in that time strategy games, even turn-based ones such as Civilization have moved on a fair amount. To deliver a game which would have worked as a worthy sequel a decade ago is one thing, but to deliver that game in 2007 just feels like a missed opportunity.

The main thrust of the game sees you take control of a squad of soldiers, the composition of which is determined before you enter a mission. On the main campaign screen you can see action happening all over the planet, with incoming UFOs which you can target with your fleet, as well as managing your facilities in your bases. UFOs which land or are shot down become points where you can send your squad of troops and vehicles, and initiating an investigation of the area starts a mission. Once in the missions themselves, the dated gameplay particularly shows through. There seem to be few innovations, and the structure of play is familiar to anyone who has played a whole variety of pretenders to the sequel throne over the years, such as Laser Squad Nemesis (which we reviewed way back in early 2004). In fact, those titles usually did more to separate themselves from the original, instead of producing a near carbon copy that doesn't feel fresh or exciting any more.

It's not a complete copy, admittedly. For a start, you're no longer defending Earth, but a planet you've colonised known as Esperanza, but most of the rest of the differences are actually negatives. For a start, unlike the original, players shot in the field don't die if you complete your mission. While they may be out of action in the field, when brought back to base technology revives them, and after a period in casualty they're back in action. This is probably due to the game's RPG-like building up characters, but oddly enough makes the game both easier and harder. It's easier in that as long as you succeed you don't lose any soldiers, and thus will likely not be as cautious or clever with tactics as before. It's harder in that if you do fail a mission, you are crippled for subsequent missions, as the game seems to expect you to save soldiers and train them up. Added to this is the removal of the ability to buy new soldiers - you have to wait for them to appear at intervals, which was particularly frustrating when one mission saw me lose an entire squad, leaving a long time before I could properly get back in the action. You can, however, buy in tanks, but these are no substitute for real men and women doing your battles.

Again, I come across a strategy game not looking its best, but finding it hard to place such an importance on an issue in a genre where gameplay really is the key. However, it's difficult to find anything particularly appealing about Extraterrestrials, and it doesn't look any better than Laser Squad Nemesis was over 3 years ago. In fact, unlike that game, I couldn't even zoom in on the action during missions, only during the section featuring the planet and the invasions themselves. On the plus side, it is functional, and doesn't contain any noticeable issues, so it could clearly be a lot worse. While it is an improvement on the original - thankfully - it is certainly an area where Chaos Concept could have gone a lot further.

The fact that the game isn't a disaster mostly comes down to rather good foundations. It still manages to get right most of what was good about Enemy Unknown. The ability to customise your load-out provides plenty of tactical options, as does the ability to research and then produce new weaponry, vehicles and other items keeps things interesting as you play, even if it's a bit slow on this front in the beginning. This is all funded through the internal currency, which you need to keep an eye on monthly. You need to keep yourself in the black, and winning missions will bring back the cash to achieve this. This clever use of macro and micro-managing works well, and has always been a fundamental part of the success of the original series.

Ratings

Graphics	Looking very dated for a 2007 title, although at least it conveys the action well enough.	5/10
Gameplay	Enjoyable foundations, with some cracks creeping through which undermine the experience occasionally. Most crucially, though, it's not really doing anything we haven't seen before.	7/10
Value	The game may be limited, but it is available quite cheaply. However, you can likely find other similar titles for cheaper, which may offer more original features too.	6/10
Lifespan	The campaign should last a reasonable amount of time, but there's no replay value, and no multiplayer to extend its lifespan.	6/10
Audio	Nothing particularly special about this, with music that neither inspires not irritates.	6/10
Overall	UFO: Extraterrestrials is a bad title. In fact, at the heart of it is a game which is still a classic all these years on. The problem is that it is essentially trying to be that game, rather than taking as an inspiration and doing something new. Laser Squad Nemesis, from the original creators, did more and that was over 3 years ago. Extraterrestrials is just another X-COM clone and lacking in new ideas.	6/10

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