X-COM: Apocalypse
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X-COM: Apocalypse is the third game in the X-COM series of computer games. It was made by Microprose and released in 1997.
Similar to the first two games, Apocalypse features a "management" mode and a "combat" mode. The Earth view of the former two, however, has been done away with and the game now focuses on a single city, called Mega Primus.
Apocalypse features a redone interface with new graphics. It's more complex, and the management of keeping and increasing the funding of the X-COM organisation now extends to not only intercepting UFOs, but also making sure to minimize collateral damage, preventing alien hostile takeovers and even raiding the buildings of other organisations, of which there are several in Mega Primus.
A new feature is the choice of playing the tactical missions in either the familiar turn-based mode or real-time. In the turn-based mode, the aliens and humans switch turns to perform actions while in real-time, everything happens simultaneously, though the game can be paused at any time to issue orders to agents.
The enemies in Apocalypse are once again the aliens. In the first game, they came from Mars. In the second, they came from the sea bottoms of the Earth. Now, the aliens arrive through pyramidal shaped teleport gates. The player must figure out how to bring his or her own aircraft back through these gates without the aircraft getting destroyed by the protective shields around them. Once through, the alien world awaits...
Technical detail
Besides the very nice pausable real-time modus for battles, it is also worth mentioning that X-Com: Apocalypse claims to have a self-learning AI-module. The developers' homepage suggests that one may copy the AI-File and swap it with another player's AI-File. The result should be a different playing experience (at least in AI behavior).
External link
- MobyGames' entry on this game (http://www.mobygames.com/game/sheet/gameId,349/)