The History of XCOM

[@Arcadology]

Check out my recent releases! Why was Pinball Banned in New York? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGraZY2Pjdl2n9k How a Corporate Breakup Changed Mario RPGs kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4a9dIOKorhrbZI How can games make us melancholy? kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaWUeKSle96mqpI

[@ndowroccus4168]

Pinbot. Just saying Pinbot.

[@Arcadology]

?

[@ndowroccus4168]

@@Arcadology may equally favorite pinball machine to xcom. That pinball story was covered on drunk history too...very crazy story.

[@artembentsionov]

Any chance on getting the history of the Imperium Galactica series?

[@dhericean5260]

Really liked the video, but you missed the Hasbro email games version of X-Com from 1999. While not great, a friend and I played a few games.

[@cmbuelow]

I’m 50. I loved the original x-com. I loved the modern Xcom adaptations. Yes, what a great time to be alive

[@keeganpenney169]

If you havent checked it out already you might love Xenonouts on steam, it's very similar to the original xcom but gives some more slice of life features.

[@Cirelion]

@@keeganpenney169 You can also look at the Phoenix point game, made by the original XCOM creator and has a more global invasion scale. The atmosphere of the game is absolutely mint!

[@Chonkems]

@@Cirelion I second this. Pheonix Point is like a more polished and complex XCOM 2, it's pretty fun.

[@mage0534]

@@Chonkems Oh, that's not what I heard. Last I heard it was a complete dumpster fire. Might be thinking of something else though

[@Chonkems]

@@mage0534 probably thinking of Gears Tactics or Mutant War Zero, both kinda fucken suck.

[@JerkyMurky]

As a fan of xcom there may not be a better time to be alive! Seriously. We got xcom enemy unknown and enemy within, xcom 2, and war of the chosen, Phoenix point, mechanicus, gears of war tactics coming soon, and Chimera squad. We have people talking about the future of xcom, we have a spiritual successor with Xenonauts, and soon a sequel there as well!

[@Arcadology]

Agreed!

[@JakeKilka]

I loved the original xcom and the underwater sequel. Also the 2012 remake was awesome, I still play it with the long war mod. I like Phoenix point a lot, also wish someone would make a decent Jagged Alliance game. But having these magician types and spells in xcom2 really alienated me... pun intended lol.

[@felipepereira3061]

Dont forget the Xenonauts!

[@1183newman]

Incubation Battle Isles 4 was fantastic, almost as good as X-Com imo.

[@JamesAsp]

@@1183newman I agree.

[@stephenvargas5678]

I’ve been obsessed with xcom recently it’s truly amazing.

[@Nyevs]

I play it every day !

[@rogerramiussergeialexander5541]

V12?

[@racr1285]

been obsessed since it came out in 94

[@jordanlazaruk4775]

Apocalypse underrated a pretty good game

[@steveipod1]

@@racr1285 same here god I’m now in my forties

[@Palpus_X]

Damn jake Solomon is a fucking hero. He never gave up on his vision and eventually made it. Truly remarkable

[@dekai7992]

I only now realise that the Micro Prose Chapel Hill office is, in fact, the focal point of an urban terror mission in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. True fans at work.

[@misanthropicservitorofmars2116]

The Gallop chamber is how you end the game. It’s the name of the founder of xcom lol

[@Jester814]

Hey, your audio goes wonky at like 15:40 the corrects itself at about 20:50. You should check the settings. Awesome production quality btw.

[@Arcadology]

Thanks so much! Yeah I’m kicking myself. I was trying to fix some other glitches with one final render of the video but as I did so I must have disabled some of the audio mixing effects in that area. Super frustrating haha. Glad you enjoyed!

[@DanBurgaud]

XCOM is the only game that made me into a gamer. Sure I play WarCraft, StarCraft and the like more, but it was XCOM that got me into playing in the first place. FYI: XCOM intro is my phone's ringer....

[@indigodream21]

Heavy..!

[@KenL414]

PHENOMENALLY interesting video, thank you. Subscribed for sure. I was an OG XCOM player in the 1990s - spent so, so many hours playing, replaying, and re-replaying the original. Probably did 3-4 playthroughs of Terror from the Deep after that. Never got into any of the subsequent versions - was too much of a leap for me, and I never really got into console gaming (always usually stuck with PC) - but just recently acquired XCOM Enemy Unknown/Within - and am having a ball. The new ones have a great, easy engine, and carried SO many of the original concepts forward in a modernized way. It's a brand new strategy game, with a massive rush of nostalgia the entire time. Very grateful for the new additions. Thanks for a wonderful trip down memory lane and a great history lesson.

[@TheBellKeeper]

fitting that the original xcom sought to emulate aspects of civilization, only to then get into the hands of their creators

[@Arcadology]

I actually want to explore more how games draw influence from other games and media. For example, Fallout drawing inspiration from only Wasteland, but XCOM and Crusader: No Remorse.

[@Ruosteinenknight]

What goes around, comes around.

[@NefariousKoel]

They were all inspired by rather hardcore tabletop games. Like those from the old Avalon Hill game company (AH) before it was also bought up by Hasbro and gutted. Civilization was originally a tabletop game from AH way back in 1980, for example. Another unrelated one would be Europa Universalis. The original EU was a ridiculously large and complex tabletop wargame before the series started on PC.

[@TG-ge1oh]

They have changed the series though. It has become way too arcade in their hands... though I don't see a lot of people who feel that way.

[@shelbyvillemusica]

@@TG-ge1oh oh im not tbe ony one

[@shaunh2015]

I spent hours and hours watching my older cousin play X-Com EU when I was younger. We finally got a decent PC at home and I played Terror from the Deep all the time. Although, I am really not sure if I ever beat the game, I remember it being very hard. I love the new versions and play them pretty regularly.

[@eviljoshy3402]

It was sheer luck my brother and I heard of this franchise. A local video store went under and a friend knew the owner. The owner gave him all the playstation 1 discs that didn't sell. It's also how we ran into the first Resident Evil. The friend gave my brother all the games he didn't want. One of them had no cover. Just a piece of printer paper with XCOM typed in bold on the front. My brother played it, I watched him and we fell in love with it. It wasn't until the creation of the internet and years after that did we learn there was actually more games in the franchise. I learned how to download emulators to play terror from the deep. It was my only option considering how rare the sequel was on PS1. I got Apoc to work but I didn't get into it. Then they rebooted the series. Id come home from work planning to play the game only to find out my brother "borrowed" my copy.

[@DragonxFlutter]

On The Bureau - I personally _love_ its ideas, as it really reminds me of a more technical (if less refined) Star Wars: Republic Commando. Though I will admit that it’s not a good XCOM game, I still want to see it return just so it can have that chance at refinement. Maybe as a “Parallel Universe” spin-off. On XCOM: Chimaera Squad - The as-of-yet latest entry in the series. I like it, and I think there are some aspects that could be incorporated into the next major title. But my main gripe is that I can’t play as all 11 available characters in this character-driven game. I know that’s the point. It forces you to make strategic decisions. But that’s immediately pointless because losing even a single character to death equals game over. So why not remove the restriction?

[@Arcadology]

Thanks for the thoughts! Yeah, I thought the Bureau was a good concept with bad execution.

[@adamofblastworks1517]

I LOVE the plot twist of The Bureau. But, I can also say that, having never played it.

[@gamingtonight1526]

It's 2020 -and it's STILL a fantastic video! Well done Sir!

[@Arcadology]

Thank you!

[@roop298]

Instruction manual! Yeah, back in the day when manuals were made of paper and were half an inch thick. Actually the Xcom one wasnt thick at all but looking at my original ring bound AOE, Overlord and MP B17 manuals that lot'll burn for an hour. Oh, how I miss the 90's.

[@petrusjnaude7279]

I remember buying Sierra's city-building game Pharaoh and seeing the (to me at the the time) shocklingly thick manual. It really was almost an inch thick.

[@joeykonyha2414]

XCOM, Starflight, Seven Cities of Gold, Pirates!, M. U. L. E., Wing Commander…These older games still hold up and I still love them.

[@Dragonblaster1]

The original game was "UFO: Enemy Unknown" in the UK throughout its reign at the top of the game charts, and indeed it is today. However, for some reason, the US had to be different, and they called it "XCOM: UFO Defense", and, alas, the copy have on Steam has that name.

[@Arcadology]

That's because the franchise went on to be known as XCOM.

[@aziris7257]

The name change was due to another game in America called UFO. Unfortunately, game titles are trademarks, and they couldn't use the same name in America due to there being another game called UFO registered in America. So while they could use the name in UK and Europe, they couldn't use the name UFO: Enemy Unknown in America. So they had to use another name, which was X-Com, short for Extraterrestrial Combat Force. I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned in wikipedia, this was big news back then.

[@ollieduracell]

I love how the intro on the original xcom, the dude blasts the muton with an auto cannon and kills. Reality is, the bullets just bounce off them in the game

[@jothain]

Yeah. My friend introduced me into X-Com back then and watching intro he said to me "Btw. Don't try that. Autocannon against that alien doesn't work well"

[@ollieduracell]

@@jothain heavy plasma or dead

[@jothain]

@@ollieduracell 👍🏻

[@meyers0781]

Microprose was the executive that cares, a rarity even then and now: UFO was planned to be a mission-only game like Laser Squad, but no, add another gameplay mode that at the time it was its own executable, called Geoscape. Microprose ignore the cancellation order so the game can be done. If that wasn't done, imagine a world without XCOM... Also the idea of multiple bases sort of came back to Phoenix Point, headed by Julian Gollop himself.

[@The_Burning_Sensation]

I was obsessed with the original X-COM when it came out. Spent so much time playing it, reading about it, even modding it. I remember someone released a series of short stories that were basically dramatizations of the campaign they were playing through, and I read them all. I'd print them out and stick them in my backpack for when I'd go on long cycling trips. Sit there eating lunch in the hills somewhere and reading these X-COM fan fictions, haha. They were actually well written, as I recall. A lot of fun.

[@adamofblastworks1517]

Heh. I have printed and bound copies of some crossover fanfics. Not with X-COM, but it was another fanfic crossover between the reimagined XCOM EU and the same core franchise of the other fanfics that got me into XCOM. I'd known about XCOM before then, but it hadn't interested me until then. I used to think it was all about defending the Earth from a hokey UFO invasion, shooting at aliens with conventional fire arms and getting your butt kicked the whole time. I was not aware that there was any part of it involving trying to bridge the gap between our technology level and the aliens' in order to better fight them.

[@elkapitan75]

Actually for me Apocalypse was the best out of the three originals. I enjoyed raiding rival gang buildings and stealing their weapons or selling them for cash. Watching the fighting between gangs was also cool. I loved the fact that you could fight or bribe them for support. Sure the graphics was not great but the fact you had many things to do within the game means hours of fun. I wish they would bring back that similar narrative and gameplay. Maybe under a different xcom title.

[@AdmiralBison]

Xcom definitely is a "Just one more..." type of game. I have sunk over 200 hours on each games Xcom EU/EW and Xcom 2/Wotc. after I playing in 'iron man' mode (which the way it definitely ought to be played to ramp up the excitement/dread/value in your soldiers/decision making) I simply can't go back. Even today I am still learning very subtle tricks and ideas. - estimating when assassin would reach my squad and likely where she would launch her first attack -psionic soldiers can use a 'stasis' ability and then another ability in one turn -how to position my rangers/templar after a successful kill into the oncoming path of melee attackers in combination with blade storm. -using a reaper to scout out most of the map, 'tagging' pods, whittling down as many forces with patience, drawing pods into near by explosives. -building labs early as possible to increase research 'breakthroughs' early and often make huge differences to early and mid tier weapons/armor -always stock pilling 'intelligence' and having an 'avatar' facility available to assault if the avatar project becomes critical. -using frost bombs with a grenadier's second grenade slot allowing two uses of the frost bomb per mission and scoping clumped groups of tough enemy pods to freeze first, giving the opportunity to have two turns for free taking them out.

[@ehoffart529]

Duane Locsin yeah I ended up being tired for work one day because I kept saying one more mission.

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

I personally run on "Bronzeman Mode" Basically, I act as if it were Ironman mode, but I can reload a save if the game has a gamebreaking bug. I might play a true Ironman mode eventually, however.

[@theycyberboss]

I have to say, your use of music and editing skills really make this into a very satisfying watch. 10/10

[@Arcadology]

Thanks so much!

[@Arcadology]

Also if you liked the editing in this check out my most recent video! I feel like I’ve taken another step with the writing and music.

[@jeffccan4464]

I still have my copy of X-Com for the PS1. In the OG tall plastic case. I ❤ that game.

[@waltersobchak7275]

Is that game hard or am I just stupid?

[@swilco266]

@@waltersobchak7275 It's very hard, fun though :)

[@SlavaPunta]

@@waltersobchak7275 Yes and no. The 14 year old me was able to master it back in the day. And that was pre-internet, when you were essentially alone to figure it out...... It's hard because it is actually a surprisingly deep game. Base building, resource management, research trees, squad load outs.... are all critical to your success - before you even hit the tactical battles which is the heart of the game. And it gives you virtually no guidance or help along the way. It allows you to make catastrophic mistakes without warning. You just have to develop strategies and figure it out. Sometimes through just pure brute force gameplay. Which is honestly why it is so well loved and rewarding to those who played it. 90% of the game is more or less just "figuring out the game." But once you learn the tricks and understand how to leverage the game mechanics to your advantage, one can become overpowered quite quickly.

[@waltersobchak7275]

@@SlavaPunta thank you much for the reply

[@mookosh]

The truest joy is the joy of creation and no creation is more joyful than one which inspires yet more creation. You can really feel the emotion from Gollop saying "I am not alone anymore". Seeing his creation grow beyond anything he ever imagined so many years after creating it must have been magical.

[@AndrewAzis]

I've been hooked since the first X-COM. Thank you for making this video

[@Arcadology]

Fact check! If there is anything that seems unclear or incorrect please bring it up here. Thanks for watching!

[@LordMarlle]

Please check your audio levels before exporting (like 19:55-20:55) :) otherwise good job

[@Arcadology]

Yeah sorry about that. Was going through and trying to level it on my last pass and somehow disabled some of the EQ and leveling I did on a couple clips. I need a second set of ears to listen these before I wrap on them haha.

[@coyoteartist]

While the computer is spelled ZX Spectrum, since it's British, the proper pronunciation is Zed X Spectrum.

[@davidmfinn65]

You didnt cover the inspired by series like Xenonaughts, UFO: Aftermath, and several others that were inspired by XCOM, I was expecting to see like 30 seconds montage on them :)

[@LaatiMafia]

@8:23 PSX is the codename, PS1 or PS is the actual console.

[@tapewormbike9214]

Wonderful video! Just, as was noted by others, there are dips in the audio levels at several times. Great work, though!

[@Arcadology]

Thanks! I wish KZbin let me upload fixes like other platforms do- unfortunately they like to let you live with mistakes, haha.

[@tapewormbike9214]

It's a very minor issue in any case, don't worry about it!

[@luhental]

This video brings back so many fond memories of hours and hours spent in not only X-Com but also Civ 1-3, Jagged Alliance, Syndicate and Commandos.

[@rextheasbo5431]

Syndicate! Legendary! Showing your age .

[@luhental]

@@rextheasbo5431 We greyass geezers now

[@Dantheman526]

Been a long time fan of Xcom, played through them all in my younger days and when the new remade Xcom came out I was excited and thrilled and it was better then I could believe, vigilo confido

[@vladdracul5072]

Try Phoenix Point if you haven't already, it's essentially like Enemy Unknown, with a few differences.

[@stevenclark2188]

The sheer number of company hops to end up back at Firaxis, which is brandwise the inheritor of Microprose is amusing.

[@tazong]

Have been a massive xcom fan since the days of rebelstar - just wanted to say well done on your video - it is a wonderful history of the xcom series.

[@Arcadology]

Thank you so much! Hope you have a wonderful day.

[@niboroku]

I played Xcom since tfd, i loved Apocalipse and Interceptor.

[@wargamingscribe]

Small correction on the early history : - The order of release (and coding) is Timelords (with Andrew Greene), THEN Nebula (alone), THEN Islandia (with Andrew Greene). It is easy to do the mistake because there is this game done alone for ZX Spectrum between 2 BBC Games - The first edition of Timelords did not have companions. It is a later 1984 edition that did. - The "instructions" at the launch of the game were added by whoever preserved the diskettes. They are copies of the manual. The 1983/1984 versions of those games did not have this "introduction".

[@Wolfsbaneification]

Found this video on the xcom subreddit, absolutely loved it. I’ve been looking for some good video game documentary-ish stuff, and this was exactly what I was looking for. Keep up the great work!

[@Arcadology]

Wolfsbane CS Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@artembentsionov]

There’s a mobile game called Mercs of Boom (originally known as X-Mercs). It play very similarly to X-COM reboot, although it’s a freemium game with real wait times and premium currency (although they’ve since started giving large daily bonuses that pretty much eliminate this need). The storyline has a little bit from C&C. A meteor brings an alien mineral called advinite that is highly valuable but also radioactive. It spreads across the world, mutating people and wildlife. Many cities are abandoned, and survivors flee to new cities surrounded by shields. Old countries disappear to be replaced by two major power blocs, the North Atlantic Defense Alliance and the Red Dragon Union, with the rest of the populated territories being neutral. Private defense companies spring up, and the Alliance relies largely on them for defense, while the Union fields a large standing army. There’s criminal gangs, mutated wildlife; and eventually aliens (who are revealed to be responsible for the advinite). You set up your merc base underground, hire mercs, equip them, research tech, build it. Interestingly, if a merc is killed and not revived after a certain number of turns, they are brought back to the base and put in a cryopod. From then you can do 3 things: incinerate the body, revive at the cost of one XP level for the merc, or revive using a cyber module. The third option permanently turns the merc into a cyborg, revealing a new promotion tree (in addition to the existing ones). There are three merc classes: scout, heavy, and sniper. Each can further specialize in one of two branches

[@petrimal]

I've learned about XCOM EU/EW when I was about 7, and I fallen in love with it ever since. when my father (who was an XCOM enthusiast as well back in the days) told me about the old predecessors of the franchise, I was mindblown that such a complex game was even possible to make back then. now I've beaten XCOM EU and EW numerous times, played trough the bureau: XCOM declassified and I still think that even though it's not quite XCOM it deserves a lot more attencion than it did just for the story told in the game, and I'm about to play Chimera squad and XCOM2 with all the DLCs. after that I might try to get my hands on UFO defence and terror from the deep, just so I'll have the full XCOM experience :) XCOM was one of my first ever games that I was seriously excited about, and it'll remain inside my heart forever, even though it's frustrating to see a soldier miss a 99% shot...

[@beleagueredbeluga5228]

Cant wait for XCOM 3. At the time of posting this nothing has been announced yet, but im hoping for E3 2019.

[@alexoelkers2292]

I'm still playing xcom enemy within on my phone.

[@psychomantis7635]

@@alexoelkers2292 me too.

[@White_Tiger93]

I hope so much that it will be Terror from the Deep remake, and the soundtrack, the atmosphere the ambient must be right to match horror of the depth ocean floor.

[@elloonfireyt1335]

Well, you have an upcoming xcom game at least. Chimera squad announced a few days ago. We'll see if it's more squad based narrative holds up to the alien invaders narrative of most xcom games.

[@beleagueredbeluga5228]

@@elloonfireyt1335 Tbh, that game looks like total crap. Wish they would just come out with XCOM 3 already.

[@Snoupity]

You really strung it all together nicely. Good vid

[@Phi1981]

Before I continue to watch this: the first game is and likely always will be, my favorite video game ever :)

[@ValChronification]

Chaos is STILL AMAZING to this day, highly recommended.

[@davidking7222]

And I'm still rocking x-com on the ps1 . Both games and still playing them to this day .

[@parimabartender]

I used to be a prolific software pirate in the 90s and I remember cracking apocalypse and hating it

[@TheKagento]

As Jake, I played the game for more than 10 years. Every single year I would have a spree of XCOM as there was no other game like it. It still stands as one of my all time favourites. Great video! I only missed that you skipped over all the clones that used the EU name (UFO), with similar premises, designed by ALTAR. They were far from living up to the original, but it kept me as a fan of the genre until the release of the 2012 XCOM.

[@kellyj1464]

I'm so thankful this type of gameplay is continuing to be popular. Great video!

[@sztypettto]

I picked up the entire reboot of XCOM (EU, 2, WOTC, TB, CS) a couple weeks before the recent Christmas when Steam had put up a sale for it. My earliest recollection playing XCOM was XCOM Enforcer back in the mid 2000s. It was an interesting shoot 'em up game for me as an early teenager. Having played XCOM2 recently, I can't help but remark what an amazing game, as well as the game system XCOM2 is really. War of the Chosen adds more flavour in my experience. While I haven't played The Bureau, Chimera Squad or Enemy Unknown yet. Watching this video and learning about XCOM's background of frequently changing hands, it's miraculous that XCOM attained the iconic status what it has now. Also fascinating to learn about Julian. This gives more reason to try out Phoenix Point at some time, just to marvel such amazing ideas. Thank you very much for making such an informative, yet mentally digestible video.

[@jsalem666]

Not sure if it is me, but the audio level of the voiceover changes suddenly in a few spots, for example at 15:23

[@Arcadology]

Yeah sorry about that there was an EQ Effect that got disabled on my last pass through the video on accident.

[@MB-sq7yn]

Seen a lot of comments on Chimera Squad keeping up with XCOMs good modern name, but I think the Tactical Legacy Pack deserves credit too as for a smaller DLC it still did quite a few fun things like a new OST, new cosmetics, and of course all the independent mini-campaigns.

[@akoskovacs6830]

X-com induced in me unprecented amounts of rage and joy at the same time. Very frustrating and sometimes unfair game. Loving it.

[@newatlantisrepublic6844]

Absolutely loved the first XCom I remember playing through it when the movie Independence Day was out and thinking how cool it would be if you could play an ID4 version of XCOM

[@mooker5600]

Rebelstar Tactical Command, on the Game Boy Advance. Rebelstar: Tactical Command is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Codo Technologies and published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance in 2005. The game was created by Julian Gollop, who has previously designed UFO: Enemy Unknown games and the original Rebelstar games.

[@shawnadams1460]

I seriously loved this game so much that I bought a 2500 dollar laptop just so I could play it when on deployment in the Navy...gotta say...not the most financially fit thing for a 19 year old E2 to do, but I made SOOO many friends by showing people how to play this. We would have play parties in our down time...one guy playing while all of us 'experts' would shout what to do. Hell we even had a Navy Seal take his shot at it...he LOVED it. Loved how damn hard the game was, how unforgiving it was, and especially just how creepy it was with the sounds and movement notices between turns. It was this game and Mechwarrior that really got me into PC gaming.

[@Eclectic_City]

Once upon a time, a twelve year old me wandered into my local Funcoland (or maybe it was Babages), and with $30 in my pocket I copped a used PS-One memory card and a used copy of XCOM UFO DEFENSE. I definitely thought it was an action title, and thought I got a steal at the price. It had no instructions manual, yet I poured dozens of hours into it. It must have been a month before I completed my first cyberdisk kill 😂 but it was one of my favorite games by far. By the end of 8th grade I was deep into a major campaign but unfortunately never completed the game. Some years back I grabbed XCOM: Enemy Within for my mobile devices...which I played occasionally, but never completed until 2020 quarantine. I'm 37 now, and after randomly Googling XCOM I found that Steam had XCOM2 Bundles on sale for 90% off... No brainer! I truly love this series! Thank you for this well-researched piece of gaming history that shaped so much of my gamer life 💯💯💯

[@Eclectic_City]

PS: I never even knew about this Bureau game...omg, this looks like a disaster lmao

[@danielm.595]

@@Eclectic_City it isn't that bad when you play it yourself

[@snarkamedes]

Been playing his stuff since Rebelstar Raiders on the 48K ZX Spectrum - followed by Chaos and Laser Squad. Was a bit of surprise to find UFO: Enemy Unknown later on the PC but its design heritage was unmistakable.

[@alexschott2092]

One interesting point about XCOM 2's setting; while the "canon" states that humanity lost in the first game the developers have also stated it's a "what if" scenario and that XCOM was also victorious. This seems to imply that both the victory and defeat scenarios are canon in different timelines. At least, I hope that's the case because I really want a continuation of the story from the EU/EW victory timeline at some point.

[@Arcadology]

Yeah that’s true. Canon in my opinion gets a little too much attention in most stories. I feel like “what if’s” and such should be used more often and and it would be neat if they did another sequel like Terror from the Deep that follows a EU victory campaign.

[@alexschott2092]

@@Arcadology My view on canon in franchises is that it works best when the narrative is developed with careful consideration on where the writers want it to go. Some wiggle room is necessary, but too much and it feels like the story is just flying by the seat of its pants. That's what irked me about XCOM 2's setting being in the game over scenario at first. EU/EW's victory scenario set up a solid narrative point for the series to move forward only for XCOM 2 to lazily state it was all a simulation. It doesn't help that the books and comics they released to explain the new canon directly contradict what's established in the game lore itself. Longwinded rant aside, I still adore what Firaxis has done with their reboot of the franchise, but their grasp on where they want the narrative to go feels weak. I'm hoping they can change that in the next game. Then again, I'm also hoping the next game will involve XCOM from both victory timelines meeting up to fight whatever extra-dimensional threat is heading for Earth. And that Asaru is also involved (because his reveal was the best part of The Bureau, in my opinion, and there's several hints throughout XCOM 2 that he's bonded to the commander.)

[@albo__7804]

The fact that you don't have more subscribers is a crying shame

[@HunterDrone]

considering chimera squad feels like an apocalypse remake, and bureau feels like new continuity's enforcer, once you get past the weird plot and poor mans mass effect gameplay, i cant help but wonder if interceptor will get the new era treatment.

[@Gamerznation704]

Finding this video now is a crime on my part, this was a great synopsis of the XCOM franchise! Something I would have tried to do more investigation on though, is the nemesis system and the inspiration from the shadow of mordor / war series (but honestly its only in WoC so it makes sense why its not here.)

[@GreySectoid]

Great video! X-Com was my favorite but I never knew its history.

[@Arcadology]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MattyStoked]

This was great. I love the series and enjoyed learning a few facts about the production. Top video dude!

[@marcelovinicius3386]

after XCOM enemy unknown, many games on the same model started to came out, like XCOM 2, gears tatics, mechanicus, that mario + rabbids game , chroma squad which is an indie game, Chimera squad and soon, even metal slug will have this style, it's quite the same phenomenon that happened after dark souls came out and the souls like games started popping up, it makes me so proud

[@bigbluebuttonman1137]

I came to XCOM from the Mario+Rabbids game. I quickly found out that the only real similarities were (some of) the grid movement and the half-full cover system. Practically a completely different game in every other respect.

[@christianmariogreco9330]

I feel so sad about knowing like 10% of Xcom cause I never had a pc. and mod support is so cool, those games are practically infinite. I'm going to have a Pc just for Xcom mod support, chimera, older games that I'm wondering how they played and oh boy, can't wait for Xcom 3. It's 2021 and in these days I've been obsessed by XCOM. It happens like every year and I play almost half of the year only Xcom. idk, there's something that is too good about it. I bought even a powerful phone just to run the game better when I'm not at home. nice video man, I love to see that this series is still really appreciated :)

[@Ldm01]

Wow so much work behind this video ! Congrats, it was well explained and pleasant to watch!

[@baroncalamityplus]

The cancellation of Genesis hurt a lot. You should have mentioned the cancelled Agents of Justice that was in development around the same time which was basically Xcom with Superheroes.

[@9minutes236]

it's sad how much info you have to gather for 1 video and still you are so underrated

[@Arcadology]

Haha it's SOOO MUCH! That's why I'm reducing the number of research videos I do and getting back to analysis. Cause I gotta tell you, the research can be exhausting. And THEN I gotta put the video together XD

[@Cythil]

An interesting little sidenote. About the same time there existed a Target games in Sweden that did roleplay games. This company is related to Paradox Interactive which outlasted it. (One have to be a bit careful to not confuse them since they both were active in the same sort of domain.)

[@balthazarasquith]

I hate it when you find a really good channel with quality videos and you find out they've not uploaded anything new for years...

[@somethingirreversib]

I spent a summer cheat cracking it, when I was 13. The visual basic code was running through saved dat files and comparing differences in soldier abilities between missions. Did this also for transfer orders and found the spots. I ended up tuning strenght and psionic abilities from 20 up to 255. A single soldier could have finished off a whole alien team and surviving multiple shots from blaster launchers :) But usually I mindcontrolled them or blasted away the whole UFO. What I couldnt figure out, how to finish the game. I was a God of war doomed to kill for ethernity.

[@TG-ge1oh]

I should have found your channel earlier. As a game researcher myself, I look forward to your future video. Please keep up the good work 👍👍👍. Also, Xenonauts. It is quite literally the only spiritual successor to the original in today's day and age.

[@DongusMcBongus]

Fact check, that was not Jake Solomon’s voice for some reason it was Seth McFarlane

[@Arcadology]

You caught me

[@DongusMcBongus]

Arcadology Haha you didn’t think I wouldn’t immediately catch the fact that, that was not Jake’s alpha-Chad voice? If only I could be defeated so easily.

[@Arcadology]

@@DongusMcBongus I bow down. In all seriousness the voice was done by ElConquistadork: kzbin.info He doesn't make YT videos anymore, now is a writer mostly, but his work is worth checking out.

[@adriandrost6542]

Xenonauts is most close created the original UFO Enemy Unknown ;)

[@notjustforme]

Being a huge original X-Com fan, I've tried it. It didn't ring with me at all. After like 20 Minutues I got out of the game feeling kinda like I've wasted time. Tried it again two more times in the following years, but there was no charm, no magic, it was just a game a bit like X-Com, without any of the qualities and originality X-Com had. In my opinion only of course. Even after all these years, I still resort to playing original X-Com now and again. Or rather the open source port :) The reimagining of the new X-Com was nice and lots of fun, never played it through though. Again, for me, some aspects were missing for me. Bought the sequel but never touched it so far. For me, the original is still the best of the bunch :) :) I'd buy an exact copy with updated sounds and graphics (and fixed bugs) Sorry for the wall of text, I couldn't stop ;)

[@dominickk5293]

I was waiting for spoony to scream,"betrayal" about the bureau.

[@brunomelgacio]

Congrats on this very nice content that really deserve appreciation! I will definitely check your other videos!

[@heli400]

Loved Xcom (DOS): Played the game so late into the night that the house went absolutely quiet and I would Jump in my seat when different events occurred like that infamous sound spiking "BAAAA-AHHH-OOOOWWWWNNNNNnnnnnnn", or turning a corner and suddenly getting blasted at by an alien. and when I finished the game I made my own mini-games within the game: I killed off all the aliens except for one. I stunned it then threw it onto the xcom craft and blocked it in with 2 un-equipped soldiers. Then I divided up the rest of the soldiers/equipment into two teams each starting on opposite sides of the layout/map. Then I'd invite friends over and we'd each pick a side and try to kill each other off.... If only there was a switch/setting to turn off the "moral" feature, but it added to the un-predictability of the mini-game,.... and I've always wondered: Has any body else who played XCOM have done this???

[@Arcadology]

Sounds like an interesting mod that could be implemented. I wonder how hard it was to mod the dos version.

[@vulturnuszan]

when I was young I was totally obsessed with Terror from the deep. Enemy unknown was good but TFTD was so much better, the sounds and atmosphere underwater were great. The new games are OK but not truely great, they are too restrictive and dumbed-down with the set classes and two actions per turn. I also feel like they could have done so much more with the research tree. Like I wish they gave you a choice on what weapon tech to develop fully so the tree is not so linear

[@leoslack6104]

Yeah the originals are much better

[@Arcadology]

It's whatever you prefer!

[@WarlockInTraining]

I prefer the current ones. The older ones are nonsensical mess when I play them. Some may think dumb down is inferior but not in this case.

[@michaelleon2038]

XCOM is the only game series that has taught me life lessons. Chief among them: NOTHING is guaranteed.

[@davidpepin3017]

The first 2 games were sooo good. I played them over and over again. The remakes are not bad, but are too simplified. Also, I liked x-com the bureau hehe

[@thomassifford5356]

I just started playing terror from the deep again bought it on steam I will never get bored of the old XCOM games

[@turtleguy123r3]

It may be a few years old, but this video is still very well made

[@DavidSmith-oy4of]

I've just come back to this video today also. Picked up a saved OpenXcom game from a year ago & got the bug again. Under sectoid mind control I think.

[@Arcadology]

Thank you!

[@SkarmoryThePG]

I was saddened you left out Chimera until I saw the publish date. Oh to be still excited for Phoenix Point

[@michaelorford8304]

17:44 "that many thought could be refined: Time units, large squads, and random procedurally drawn maps..." Those are the three things that I am looking for in a game. I thoroughly miss time units. I hate the tiny squads of XCOM Enemy Unknown (which is a pretty good game).

[@Fletch85uk]

Xcom 3 should be inspired by Terror from the Deep. At the ending of 2, there is that psionic void in the ocean which made me think this could be a hint of alien life spawning from the depths of the ocean. Even after Chimera squad, it could have taken some time until the aliens are enough and ready to strike again.

[@rraune7515]

There was and is also the offspring of UFO: Extraterrestials from 2007 and finally the second titel in 2021. The first of which at least kept pretty closely to the original gameplay of XCom with its time units and so on

[@artembentsionov]

I actually didn’t mind Interceptor much. I was a little annoyed that you had to fight every single battle, and of course the annoying bug with alien probes being impossible to target. But I enjoyed it, especially the backstory and how it ties into the larger timeline. It was also interesting that each fighter was designed by a different contractor, kinda how military equipment is made in the US

[@cyberpunkgirl7907]

The 70's TV Series called *UFO* was also a core element of inspiration for X-Com first games.

[@Arcadology]

Take a look at 5:26 😆 thanks for commenting but yeah I definitely mentioned that haha.

[@cyberpunkgirl7907]

Amazing! Yes! And there is a game called *Enemy Infestation* also from Microprose (1998) which was very inspired by X-Com alien terror & menancing atmosphere. I am dying for so many years trying to make this old game run in Windows 10 64-bits, youtube com/watch?v=dMS4eTfLBJQ

[@Camper721]

I spent so many hours on the original X-COM from 1994 so I forgot the social life. My parents got worried.

[@noneya3635]

LOL, both sets of lawyers said you can't win, but keep paying me to try. I wonder why people have no love for the legal systems.

[@tonyjohansson8395]

Xcom is also one of those games who translate very well to a tablet experience. Currently playing through xcom 2 on my iPad and loving it.

[@Arcadology]

Yeah, I've found tactical games are pretty good on tablet.

[@kerem2008]

I am still waiting for new TFTD!..

[@elethio]

TFTD was my first Xcom game. The Mission where you first met the lobster men, when trying to rescue tourists off a cruse ship. Spent hours shooting them, dying then re-loading only for them to close with my team and rip their faces off again. Turns out if you don't research the right stuff, then you don't have weapons that can touch them. It was a no-win situation. Consequences, Love it.

[@vladdracul5072]

@@elethio Yes, Lobstermen were terrifying until I researched the Vibro Blade, from then on the only problem was getting into melee range without getting killed before. Lobstermen have lost their horror, Tentaculats however never did to this day.

[@OdeeOz]

As the series morphed and progressed, I still feel the *UFO: Aftermath trilogy* was the best of them, replay wise. Now we see a comic book sequel to *_XCOM-2: War of the Chosen,_* that IMO&E lacks the replay value, and mission challenges of previous iterations of the game.

[@adamofblastworks1517]

Yes! Someone else knows of the UFO: After_ series! I have it, but I haven't played it yet.

[@OdeeOz]

@@adamofblastworks1517 It's the spinoff series I wish they had continued, because it is so much better than X2 IMHO&E

[@hiraeth437]

Just recently got into xcom 2, and I did that because I really liked the combat and squad creation in wasteland 2 and 3. Was looking for a game that would let me make a group of personalized soldiers that would die when I fuck up, I really don’t give a shit about aliens, at all, but I’m still having a really good time.

[@danielm.595]

Have you heard of Xenonauts?

[@hiraeth437]

I have not, thanks for the recommendation

[@halcyonrain1117]

I never played the original XCOM and went back to try it after enemy unknown. I think enemy unknown stands on its own as a more accessible masterpiece

[@Arcadology]

Agreed!

[@garrywillits8025]

when you say more accessible you mean less control. I quite enjoy enemy unknown but losing action points spoilt the feel of the game for me. Its a shame the game couldn't have had an expert mode that made it more like the original.

[@PatriceBoivin]

Traveller was a good RPG game. I like the xcom game but the sequel, not as much as you point out. Never could figure out what they wanted me to do, too confusing.

[@SteelRob21]

The bureau is a really good game. The problem Is that XCom Is not "a special force that fights Aliens" but Is "a really complex strategic turn based combat gameplay that simulate gunfights"

[@pmedina1155]

Great video thank you for making it thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@OdeeOz]

Historical Sidebar: _Did you know, that IBM used Atari's format to copy protect their software?_ :O That's correct. If you had an Atari ST-520, you could run nearly all IBM software. 3:18 _Battle Cars,_ was Gollop's take on Steve Jackson's epic dystopian future, *_Car Wars._* 4:00 _Laser Squad,_ was also available on the Atari 800 computer. Which I still have a working version of. As well as the Commodore VIC-20, Amiga 128, and Atari 1040-ST ;) We don't talk about the *TI-99-4A* on the shelf. LOL 5:55 Sad shame that *Traveller* never caught on as a computer RPG game. It had such great potential. But Mark Miller was being a ... _head of richard_ about licensing. About the closest MMO/RPG around today would be (cough) *Star Command* (un-cough) & *Elite Dangerous.* 7:00 As I recall Micro Prose's _Wild Bill Steeley,_ also wanted more of the XCOM/UFO series for his company. Bill is still around, and living in the Carolina's. 14:40 *XCOM-Alliance,* has been resurrected as the recently released, *_XCOM - Chimera Squad._* 22:10 Personally, I still play *The Bureau,* from time to time. Taken alone, instead as a XCOM franchise spin, it has that kind of replay factor. ;) 24:43 *_Phoenix Point_*_ FTW!_ No I am not hyped at all over this game. Nope, only play it 10 hours a day. :D

[@Arcadology]

Thanks for commenting!

[@rey4191]

Im old enough to remember these humble origns. Its now 2024 i just started War of the Chosen.Vigilo Confido!

[@Kameleonic]

The Bureau was fun, thank you.

[@artembentsionov]

I love that XCOM 2 is now on iOS. My computer’s too old to run it, so my phone is the only option for me

[@JosephJoboLicayan]

Well, War of the Chosen and XCOM Chimera Squad sure does raises the bar for a future XCOM 3

[@Arcadology]

I'm curious if they are going to try to layer in more of the character development from Chimera Squad into 3.