X-COM: Interceptor

X-COM: Interceptor
Developer(s)	MicroProse
Publisher(s)	Atari
Designer(s)	Dave Ellis
Series	X-COM
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	May 31, 1998
Genre(s)	Simulation, strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Distribution	CD

X-COM: Interceptor is the fourth main game in the X-COM series, developed by MicroProse and published by Atari in 1998. The game is a combination of many genres, including space flight simulation, business simulation game and strategy game elements. More specifically, the player's role includes managing a number of X-COM space stations, piloting starfighters during hostile encounters whilst co-ordinating wingmen, and managing resources and research. 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.

Plot

The game begins on March 1, 2067, when the Earth's resources are all nearly depleted. To avert the slow decay of civilization, the major corporations of Earth venture into space – an area known as "The Frontier" – to find the raw materials required for humans.^[1] Unfortunately, some old enemies were already in the neighborhood when the corporations arrived - the powers from the First Alien War - 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.

The player takes command of an elite force that has been created to fight the aliens in space. Unlike previous games in the series, the game is primarily a space combat simulator, with the player flying starfighters to protect the human corporations set up to gather resources in the Frontier. The player also acts in the role of X-COM commander in the region, managing bases, resources, and the organisation's financial standing. The player also needs to capture and research alien technology in order to improve human technology and discover the reason for the aliens' interest in the region.^[2]

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 - thus the missile's name "Nova".

The final mission is 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 enters the black hole to enter the alternate dimension. The second part of the mission involves launching the Nova Bomb at the star of the system inside the black hole. 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 - If at any point the craft you were piloting was destroyed or disabled, or if the Macarthur was destroyed in the first part, or if the Nova Bomb was destroyed in the second part. 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 the Macarthur was destroyed during the second part of the mission, the player became trapped and could not travel back through the black hole. The mission was a success, but all craft were lost. This resulted in an end sequence detailing a memorial service for all those lost.
3. Mission successful outright - If the player succeeded in entering the black hole, launching the Nova Bomb, and returning to the Macarthur before the Nova Bomb reached its destination. This resulted in an end sequence of the Macarthur returning to one of the X-COM bases with craft doing tricks around it, and fireworks being launched.

Gameplay

The game's main screen differs from 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, the player 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.

Early missions involve 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 flight simulation. In this mode, the player pilots a craft along with the wingmen previously 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 disabling/destroying enemy craft, capturing certain special craft, interrupting alien trade routes, escorting convoys, and base raiding missions.

The player collects points for every mission, adding to the total campaign score. Every week a short report is presented, with status, recommendations or news. News include political instability and construction of Mega-Primus from X-COM: Apocalypse and the plot of X-COM: Alliance about the missing GSC Patton.

X-COM: Interceptor was the first X-COM game to include a fully functional multiplayer portion of the game.

Reception

The game was criticized for its campy tone and the out-of-place pop cultural references.^[4] (Some of the references that were made throughout the game were from Star Trek, Star Wars, E.T., Red Dwarf, South Park, The X-Files, Beavis and Butt-head, The Wizard of Oz, Austin Powers, Homeward Bound, Starship Troopers, and Alien.) The game sold poorly; about 30,000 copies were sold.^[5] GameFront's Phil Owen wrote in 2010, "This one is known sort of as the red-headed stepdouche of the X-Com franchise, and yet this was the one I played the most", adding that he preferred the administration and space exploration parts over the "not particularly fun" simulation part.^[6]

References

External links

• X-COM: Interceptor at MobyGames
• UFOPaedia: An extensive wiki containing information, analysis, strategy, and other resources for the X-COM series