UFO:Extraterrestrials(Updated)

[Mem]

I could not find my old thread even with search,anyway here are my findings/review on the game.

Old gamers here will remember the classic XCOM games (turned based games) and UFO:Extraterrestrials is very similar,music and even gameplay are almost exact copies.

Basically you start off with one base where you can build up your research/defenses etc...even the music/gameplay is very similar to the classic "XCOM UFO:Enemy Defense" ,aliens will attack your bases later and you will get the usual terror missions and also able to attack alien bases.

Gameplay is simple enough ,UFO gets detected you send a fighter to intercept and hopefully shoot it down,then if it crashes on land you send your transporter full of soldiers to recover the UFO and its technology by defeating any aliens in the crashed area,by using your research labs and workshops you can make all sorts of things from weapons to armour and even new fighter planes,the list is eventually huge(depending on what you recover and what you choose to research back at home base).

You start on a planet (not earth)with poorly equipped weapons and your soldiers are not great for shooting accurancy..however with aliens kills and XP you get later in the game you can improve their stats like Strength,Agility,accurancy etc...

Personally I find the game very enjoyable,especially if you like turned based games or classic XCOM games,the patch even supports wide resolutions and stability is excellent on my Vista x64,there are also mods available.



Bad points are can only build labs and workshops at homebase ( can build hangars ,radars too),other bases you are more limited ie...can only build hangers/planes and ufo radar detectors,defence base weapons,I had one minor bug where if you destroyed an alien base before it was officially detected it would crash after (when an alien UFO tried to land on the alien base(which is no longer there due to you being destroyed).
I normally send a plane up to patrol the area where I think an alien base is at ,it will tell you base detected,this makes sure you don't get the above crash.
The games supports AA in graphics options.

So recommended by me with notes above .
Few links below.

Homepage for UFO:Extraterrestrials

How to Buy, Patch and Mod UFO:ET

Official forums on the game.




UPDATE NOTE: Later in the game you can build advanced workshops at other bases you have,once you have done the research.

 

[QuantumPion]

I can't check out the site at work, is this game essentially a remake of the original? Or is it just UFO themed TBS with similar elements?

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: QuantumPion
I can't check out the site at work, is this game essentially a remake of the original? Or is it just UFO themed TBS with similar elements?

It's not a remake of the original, it's made by a different company ,however it's very similar in gameplay to the original UFO games.

 

[BladeVenom]

UFO: Extraterrestrials vs. UFO: Afterlight?

Someone should start a poll.

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
UFO: Extraterrestrials vs. UFO: Afterlight?

Someone should start a poll.

Afterlight is real time base while Extraterrestrials is turn base,personally I think Extraterrestrials is the better game between the two.

 

[Mem]

One little tip I can give you,if you get a UFO battlecruiser attack your home base its better in the long run not to have missle/weapons defences built,reason being most times the battlecruiser will either take them all out or take most of them out even if you destroy the battlecruiser, so you still have to rebuild them again and again ,that costs money(especially if they attack every month which does happen).


If you got enough decent fighters with good aircraft equipment you can send them up to shoot down the battlecruiser,I actually like letting them invade my base then having a good fire fight with them,one way to get xp for your soldiers and its not hard to beat them,I form a circle like defence in my base and let them come to me,have at least 2 men together in the corridors with other corridors covered so they can support each other especially if one is paralyzed by an alien mind attack.


The game has a lot more research and also more weapons/vehicles you can make then the original XCOM games,the game is excellent value for money IMHO.


Another tip I don't bother with the tank since that gets no XP and takes away any XP your men could get by killing the enemy,I normally load up 6 or 7 men without a tank,with tank you can only carry 4 soldiers in the starter transport plane.

Later in the game you get some serious firefights,aliens have some very mean armour/shields and weapons.

I also rotate my soldiers so they all get good experience(needed for accurancy and strength),handy when you got some of your soldiers in hospital being healed.

Strength becomes important later in the game since stats on that determines what weapons/armour you can use,in the beginning you need accurancy.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Mem
I could not find my old thread even with search,anyway here are my findings/review on the game.

this is the 2nd time you "lost" your old UFO thread

this one?

UFO:Extraterrestrials ( Finally Gone Gold) 9/29/2006
you gotta know HOW to search ... PC gaming is a brand new forum

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Mem
I could not find my old thread even with search,anyway here are my findings/review on the game.

this is the 2nd time you "lost" your old UFO thread

this one?

UFO:Extraterrestrials ( Finally Gone Gold) 9/29/2006
you gotta know HOW to search ... PC gaming is a brand new forum

Link is broke this one works

I miss the old AT forums was so much easier .

 

[apoppin]

I miss the old AT forums was so much easier .

i miss my own total irresponsibility

just remember the old category it was in ... and the link you quoted works fine ... now
[my dial-up edits take a few extra seconds]

i'd MUCH rather PC gaming have it's own forum ... or did you forget the old way - and completely borked search - so quickly?
-and you even managed to lose your 1st UFO thread in the "old forums"

 

[Mem]

Eurogamer has a review,I have to disagree with their verdict,the guy must be a noob or terrible gamer if he has most of his soldiers injured,you can save between each turn and also eventually research advanced medi kits and armour etc... which are handy in the field,so there is no real reason not to have enough soldiers for the missions,(can reload between each turn if things really go pear shape,provided you have saved and there's no excuse to restart the game unless you are a lazy noob like the reviewer).



Personally I have too many soldiers and all with very good strength and accurancy,never even bothered using tanks (apart from the very first 3 missions).


Game balance is fine IMHO,aliens are quite tough later in the game,however by then you have decent gear and stats(accurancy for example) so pretty good in battle.


Sound is adequate and quite atmospheric,graphics do support widescreen(if patch is installed) and AA ,its also adequate for the game(however nothing special).

I paid £14.99 inc delivery(about $28-30) for my retail copy and think its a good price.

Side note: capturing live commanders provides you with new information,they are usually coloured different from the other aliens so not hard to spot.