Based on the original 1994 X-COM, this modern reboot thoroughly captures everything that made the game a classic. Make your stand against an invasion where the aliens have overwhelming superiority. It’s going to get rough.

I’d played the original, and played this reboot in years past. But checking into my Steam account noticed it in my library, available on my Linux machine and fancied another play. A bad move on my part since it does get very time-consuming as you struggle to progress. And a struggle it is, since I’d dialed it up to ‘classic’ (one less than the maximum difficulty)

The game is two-fold. There is the strategic management of resources, research priorities and the task of avoiding worldwide panic at the alien incursions. That aspect is informed by the tactical portion where your squad goes into combat capturing crashed UFOs, rescuing civilians and generally fending off the onslaught. Everything is done on a turnwise basis so there is no finger-twitch reflexes required, it’s more like a lethal game of chess. Thought and planning pays off.

Part of the aclaim for the game is that it is possible to win, but you always feel in a desperate race against time, always outgunned. Surviving as the underdog is the vibe.

And since we can take screenshots, lets document the effort to defend the Earth…