UFO Defence Force.
If you were among the purple-faced hordes of X-Com: UFO Defence fans who howled with fury at 2K Marin's heretical plans to remake the vintage favourite as an FPS, you'll be pleased to hear that someone's got your back.
"They couldn't have done me a bigger favour if they tried," says Chris England, head of Goldhawk Interactive. "I was pretty damn happy when I heard. I was sitting there thinking that's good news.
"But as an X-Com fan I was pretty appalled."
That's because he's making what many have dreamed of but none have delivered: a proper sequel to the beloved classic.
"They couldn't have done me a bigger favour if they tried," says Chris England, head of Goldhawk Interactive. "I was pretty damn happy when I heard. I was sitting there thinking that's good news.
"But as an X-Com fan I was pretty appalled."
That's because he's making what many have dreamed of but none have delivered: a proper sequel to the beloved classic.
Xenonauts is a deeply affectionate re-imagining of the genre-defining strategy game, currently slated for a September release. It wears its influences proudly. As before, you will assume command of a secretive organisation tasked with defending the planet from the predations of an otherworldly foe, fighting them in the skies, on the ground and – more obliquely – in the hearts and minds of the donor states funding your outfit.
And as before, action is broadly split between the geoscape – a map of the earth where the long game plays out – and fraught, turn-based battles in which your footsoldiers face off against the slimy intruders wherever they set down.
The format works: the original X-Com hovers around the upper echelons of a great many Bestest Game Ever lists, and for good reason. That doesn't mean there's no room for improvement though, and Chris says he's been trawling fan forums to ensure that no such opportunities are missed.
Here's one: air combat. Once a conker fight between two static targets, now it's a real-time dogfight on the radar screen, and the player now has significantly more control over the action. There's plenty to think about too, as positioning, fuel reserves and multiple combatants all add to the equation. The engagements are brief, challenging – and yes, a big improvement.
As is the beefed-up armoury, where new weapon classes such as the shotgun will hopefully introduce a little nuance to the combat that wasn't present before. Also making their debut are customisable weapons platforms, and a range of new armour sets that allow the player to equip their troops for such specific roles as scouting or heavy weaponry. There was even a brief demonstration of some basic cover mechanics, something conspicuously absent from Xenonauts' forerunner.
Unfortunately the ground combat is very much a work in progress at this stage, so it's tough to say how these elements will shape the tactical experience. Objective-based missions, random but realistic terrain and NPC allies have all been promised but are nowhere in evidence at this stage. But, for fans of the Old Ways at least, we know it's going to look pretty good.
And as before, action is broadly split between the geoscape – a map of the earth where the long game plays out – and fraught, turn-based battles in which your footsoldiers face off against the slimy intruders wherever they set down.
The format works: the original X-Com hovers around the upper echelons of a great many Bestest Game Ever lists, and for good reason. That doesn't mean there's no room for improvement though, and Chris says he's been trawling fan forums to ensure that no such opportunities are missed.
Here's one: air combat. Once a conker fight between two static targets, now it's a real-time dogfight on the radar screen, and the player now has significantly more control over the action. There's plenty to think about too, as positioning, fuel reserves and multiple combatants all add to the equation. The engagements are brief, challenging – and yes, a big improvement.
As is the beefed-up armoury, where new weapon classes such as the shotgun will hopefully introduce a little nuance to the combat that wasn't present before. Also making their debut are customisable weapons platforms, and a range of new armour sets that allow the player to equip their troops for such specific roles as scouting or heavy weaponry. There was even a brief demonstration of some basic cover mechanics, something conspicuously absent from Xenonauts' forerunner.
Unfortunately the ground combat is very much a work in progress at this stage, so it's tough to say how these elements will shape the tactical experience. Objective-based missions, random but realistic terrain and NPC allies have all been promised but are nowhere in evidence at this stage. But, for fans of the Old Ways at least, we know it's going to look pretty good.
Some will doubtless argue that the 2D, hand-drawn art of the isometric, tiled battlefields goes beyond retro and into the realms of anachronism, but those who still burn a candle in their hearts for the original will find much to appreciate. It benefits from carefully rendered animations, some of which are eerily fluid, and the fire and smoke effects are a great leap forward from the pixelly chaos of yore.
Not bad at all for a one-man band at the head of an orchestra: the game is being made on a shoestring budget by a motley crew of artists and programmers from all over this big 'ol geoscape called Earth, all working in service of the vision laid out by Chris England. Some are volunteers, others suffering the economic pinch and working at slashed rates; all are clearly talented though, and it's remarkable that such a solid-looking game can have been built with such a disparate team of developers.
An illegitimate heir it may be, but with a tentative release window of September there's time enough for it to mature into a worthy pretender to X-Com's throne. And if you want to get involved in the project then visit the site – anyone who pre-orders can join in the beta testing process and give direct feedback as the game nears completion.
Not bad at all for a one-man band at the head of an orchestra: the game is being made on a shoestring budget by a motley crew of artists and programmers from all over this big 'ol geoscape called Earth, all working in service of the vision laid out by Chris England. Some are volunteers, others suffering the economic pinch and working at slashed rates; all are clearly talented though, and it's remarkable that such a solid-looking game can have been built with such a disparate team of developers.
An illegitimate heir it may be, but with a tentative release window of September there's time enough for it to mature into a worthy pretender to X-Com's throne. And if you want to get involved in the project then visit the site – anyone who pre-orders can join in the beta testing process and give direct feedback as the game nears completion.
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