X-COM: Interceptor
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| X-COM: Interceptor | |
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| Developer(s) | Microprose |
| Publisher(s) | Microprose |
| Designer(s) | Dave Ellis |
| Release date(s) | May 31, 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Singleplayer, Multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Media | CD |
| Input | Keyboard, mouse, joystick |
X-COM: Interceptor is a computer game created by Microprose Software. It is the fourth game in the X-COM series, but third in the chronology.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The game is set in the year 2067, where the Earth's resources are all nearly depleted. To avert the slow decay of civilization, the major corporations of Earth turn to the stars -- an area of space known as "The Frontier" -- to find the raw materials they so desperately need.
Unfortunately, some old friends were already in the neighborhood when the corporations arrived -- and they have plans of their own for the resources of the Frontier. Plans that could very well mean the end of the human race.
In X-COM Interceptor, you take command of an elite force that has been fielded to meet the aliens on their own turf -- the depths of space. This time, the game is orientated around battles with alien foes from the cockpit of a cutting-edge space fighter, fighting ship-to-ship as you protect Earth's corporations and X-COM installations. As well as the ship-to-ship combat, you act as X-COM's commander in the Frontier and must maintain your financial standing, manage your bases and increase X-COM's presence in the area. It is also up to the player to guide the research of alien weapons and technology in the hopes of improving your own technology and discovering the reason for the ever-increasing alien activity -- before it's too late.[1]
X-Com Interceptor, although released as the fourth game, was actually set before X-COM: Apocalypse, thus making it the third game in the chronological order.
[edit] Single-Player
X-Com Interceptor is a combination of many genres, including space flight sim, economic sim and strategy elements. More specifically, your role includes managing a number of X-Com space stations, piloting your craft during hostile encounters whilst co-ordinating your wingmen and managing resources and research.
Gameplay begins on March 1, 2067. Your base is positioned for you. The main screen is somewhat different to all the previous incarnations of the series. The majority of the panel is taken up by a view of the planetary systems in The Frontier, represented as stars. However, you can zoom into the stars to see all planets and bases located in those systems. Ship squadrons and anomalous events are also shown in this display. Located elsewhere on the main screen are links to all the various base and resource management screens.
Your first mission usually entails the detection and interception of an enemy squadron of fighters. The player responds to this, and upon the X-Com squadron intercepting the enemy craft, the game switches to the space sim mode. In this mode, you pilot a craft along with the wingmen you have assigned to the mission, in a similar style to Wing Commander: Prophecy, with the goals of destroying or disabling the enemy ships.
There are various mission types in the game, including the disable/destroy enemy craft, capture certain special craft, interrupt trade routes, escorting and base raiding missions.
The end game is signified by the discovery of alien plans to build a doomsday device to destroy the surface of earth. This device was some kind of energy weapon, larger than a space station. As the weapon itself was impossible to destroy by conventional means, the research and creation of the "Nova bomb" was required. This was a large missile, which instead of destroying the target directly, was aimed at the central star to a system. Upon impact, it would cause the star to explode, destroying everything in the system.
The final mission was two-staged. The first stage involved entering a black hole inside a carrier (The UGS Macarthur) equipped with a special device, allowing you to enter an alternate dimension where this weapon was stored. It involved destroying the defence craft at the black hole, whilst protecting the UGS Macarthur. If successful, the UGS Macarthur entered the black hole to enter the alternate dimension.
The second part of the mission involved launching the Nova Bomb at the star of the system you had transported to. As the missile could be destroyed for up to 1 minute after launch (after which it entered hyperspace), it required protection from assault by enemy craft.
From this mission, three possible end-game sequences were possible:
1: Mission failed - You failed the mission if at any point the craft you were piloting was destroyed or disabled. Alternatively, if the Macarthur was destroyed prior to entering the black hole, or if the Nova Bomb was destroyed, you would also fail the mission. This resulted in an end sequence where the aliens moved the Doomsday device to the Earth, and destroyed it.
2: Mission successful, Macarthur destroyed - If you succeeded in entering the black hole, and safely launching the Nova Bomb, but the Macarthur was destroyed during the second part of the mission, you became trapped as you could not travel back through the black hole. The mission was a success, but all craft were lost. The resulted in an end sequence detailing a memorial service for all those lost.
3: Mission successful outright - If you succeeded in entering the black hole, and safely launching the Nova Bomb, and returning to the Macarthur before the Nova Bomb reached its destination, you destroyed the Doomsday device, and escaped. This resulted in an end sequence of the Macarthur returning to one of your bases with craft doing tricks around it, and fireworks being launched.
[edit] Multiplayer
X-Com Interceptor was the first X-Com game to include a fully functional multiplayer portion of the game.
[edit] Controversy
Many believe this game to be the weakest in the X-COM timeline. Some of the things that were criticized was the campy tone, and the out-of-place references [1] [2]. Some of the references that were made throughout the game were from Star Trek, Star Wars, ET, Red Dwarf, South Park, The X-Files, Beavis and Butt-Head, Wizard of Oz, Austin Powers, Homeward Bound, Starship Troopers, and Aliens.
Other criticized parts are on the games many plot holes (for example, why would Aliens use-up resources constructing a Death Star-like device, when it would have been easier to make an armada instead?), and poor repetitive gameplay [3].
Many fans feel this game was the start of the self-destruction of the franchise. The reason for this is because the game sold poorly; about 30,000 copies were sold [4]. Another reason is that the makers were force to give-up the X-Com license to Microprose [5].
