View source for X-COM: Apocalypse

{{Short description|1997 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox video game
|title      = X-COM: Apocalypse
|image      = XCom Apoc.jpg
|caption    = European cover art
|developer  = [[Mythos Games]]
|publisher  = [[MicroProse]]
|designer   = [[Julian Gollop]]
|programmer = Nick Gollop
|artist     = Guy Jeffries<br>Marc Curtis
|composer   = [[John Broomhall]]<br>[[Richard Wells (composer)|Richard Wells]]
|series     = ''[[XCOM|X-COM]]''
|released   = {{vgrelease|NA|July 15, 1997<ref name="release">{{cite web | url=http://www.microprose.com/corporatedesign/press/xcomlands.html | title=THE WORLD'S MOST INSIDIOUS ALIENS LAND ON COMPUTERS WITH THE RELEASE OF X-COM: APOCALYPSE™ | website=[[MicroProse]] | date=July 15, 1997 | access-date=November 7, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980120114429/http://www.microprose.com/corporatedesign/press/xcomlands.html | archive-date=January 20, 1998 | url-status=dead}}</ref>|EU|1997}}
|genre      = [[Turn-based tactics|Turn-based]]/[[real-time tactics]]
|modes      = [[Single-player]]
|platforms  = [[DOS]]
}}

'''''X-COM: Apocalypse''''' is a 1997 science fiction tactical strategy game. It is the third game in the ''[[XCOM|X-COM]]'' video game series. It was developed by [[Mythos Games]] (the creators of the original ''X-COM'' game), and published by [[MicroProse]] in 1997 for [[DOS]].

==Gameplay==
Similar to the first two ''X-COM'' games, ''Apocalypse'' features a map-like management mode (the Cityscape) and an [[Isometric adventure game|isometric]] combat mode (the Battlescape). The management mode takes place in a single city, called Mega Primus, rather than being spread out over the entire planet Earth as in the previous games. In addition, ''Apocalypse'' was the first game in the ''X-COM'' series to include a [[real-time tactics|real-time]] combat option as well as the traditional [[Turn-based tactics|turn-based]] mode.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_104_Volume_09_Number_05_1997-05_IDG_Publishing_US | title=PC GamePro Previews: X-COM: Apocalypse | magazine=[[GamePro]] | publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] | issue=104 | date=May 1997 | page=[https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_104_Volume_09_Number_05_1997-05_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n59/mode/2up 59] | access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>

''Apocalypse'' features a new interface with new graphics compared to the earlier two X-COM games. It is more complex, and the task of keeping and increasing the funding of the X-COM organization now extends to not only intercepting [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]]s, but also to minimizing collateral damage, preventing alien hostile takeovers and even raiding the buildings of other organisations, of which there are many in Mega Primus.

''X-COM: Apocalypse'' claims to have a self-learning [[Artificial intelligence|AI]]-module. The game uses a self-adjusting difficulty where player performance influences the Alien's technological advancement of hand-held weaponry in future battlescape combat. A highly positive weekly performance will accelerate the advancement whereas sub-standard X-COM performance in battlescape combat will stifle alien technology and can even reverse it from gains made in the past. This gives the player the chance to amend their failures and rethink their strategy. Aerial UFO combat within Mega Primus determines the technology aboard UFO craft in the future. As with battlescape combat, a consistently high positive rating by destroying all UFOs that appear in the city will lead to better equipment aboard future UFOs. Essentially, the player can control the fine tuning of the available five difficulties by playing well which leads to a harder game in the near future, or easier, if willfully playing badly.

===Mega-Primus===
The city is run by 13 elected senators. Large corporations maintain the environmental, social and economic structure of the city, while the populace live in relative comfort. Mega-Primus has its own marginalized minorities, consisting of Sectoid-human hybrids and [[android (robot)|android]]s, both by-products of the previous wars. These minorities have set up their own political pressure groups. When the aliens invade, the city government reestablishes X-COM. This time there is no absolute support by world/city governments. Mega-Primus has its own governing body who supply nearly all of X-COM's income. X-COM would have to support its income through the sale of alien artifacts captured from missions, and items manufactured in their own workshops.

X-COM must maintain a good rapport with other organizations in the city. If X-COM angers any of them, or fails to contain the alien incursion, organizations will demand compensation or even actively attack X-COM forces. They will also withdraw their support (if any) for the X-COM project. For example, the Transtellar organization would prevent Agents and science personnel from travelling around the city. The corporations and political organizations will make profits, manufacture items for sale, and even fight covert battles with one another independently of the player. One of these organizations, the Cult of [[Sirius]], is a group of religious fanatics who worship the aliens, and is inherently hostile to X-COM. The aliens, rather than simply signing non-aggression treaties with the various corporations, will attempt to infest their corporation and take control of the organizations themselves leading to a possible infestation across most of Mega Primus.

If the Government becomes hostile towards X-COM for any reason, such as alien interference or excessive damage to Government property, the X-COM project will receive no further funding. This is a potential disaster for the player and can lead to X-COM's financial stress. Possible solutions are purposely raiding a company to steal items to use or sell. Raids are an optional battlescape mission within X-COM Apocalypse which can be started as desired. With strong military performance and efficient management, X-COM can overpower Mega Primus and also the UFO threat leading to military dominance of the city but also the Alien's homeworld.

==Plot==
Half a century after the end of the [[X-COM: Terror from the Deep|second ''X-COM'']] campaign, the last battle of T'leth has severely damaged Earth's [[biosphere]]. As a result, several self-contained [[Megalopolis (city type)|Megalopolis]]-type cities were proposed to provide habitation for humanity. The game follows Mega-Primus, the first of these cities, built over the ruins of [[Toronto]], Canada. Meanwhile, the off-world colony of [[Mars]] is exploited by the Elerium mining corporation, Solmine, and oppressed by MarSec (MARs SECurity).

The alien threat in the game is presented by a new race of organic, extradimensional aliens that initially seem to have no relation to the aliens of the previous two games, though later missions set in the aliens' home dimension reveal they have enslaved Sectoid survivors. These new aliens attack the city through [[tetrahedron]]-shaped teleport gates. The player must find out how to send their own aircraft, along with X-COM agents, through these gates without being destroyed and take the war to the aliens. ''Apocalypse'' has 14 races of [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture|alien beings]] including Anthropods, Brainsuckers, Hyperworms, Megaspawns, and Micronoids. Each race has various strengths and weaknesses, and some races are dependent on other races. The "alien life cycle" plays a crucial role in the game.

The player is exposed to this "alien life cycle" through research and more importantly the lower level alien attacks during specimen gathering combat. Primarily the attack of the weaponized alien the Brain-Sucker which attacks individuals after landing from a pod launcher used by alien foot soldiers. The Brain-Sucker hatches and attacks the nearest individual by jumping on their head and seemingly injecting something into them through the mouth and dying immediately after the attempt.

The life cycle later takes a mysterious turn as it shows no connection between the lower alien forms and higher alien forms. Eventually, however, it is found that the leaders of the invasion are the Micronoids, a race of sapient, single-celled organisms that live in the bloodstreams of the other aliens. The ultimate goal of the invasion is to inject Micronoids into the bloodstreams of important figures, allowing them to control Mega-Primus through psionic domination of their hosts. The player is eventually tasked with invading the aliens' homeworld and destroying their side of the gate to stop the Micronoid infestation.

==Development==
During the creation of ''Apocalypse'', Mythos Games created the game but MicroProse wanted to create the graphics.<ref name="Eurogamer Gollop">{{cite web | author=Bickham, Al | date=November 28, 2010 | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-28-the-story-of-x-com-interview | title=The Story of X-Com | website=[[Eurogamer]] | publisher=[[Gamer Network]] | access-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref> [[Julian Gollop]] called the relationship "disastrous", and said of the game "It was a disaster area. ''Apocalypse'' was quite a sophisticated and ambitious game, but it was a big mistake from our point of view. In retrospect, we should have originally agreed to do a sequel in six months, and spent a year doing it, like they did! It would've been a lot better."<ref name="Eurogamer Gollop"/> Gollop recollected:

{{quote|After completing this game I know how [[Francis Coppola]] felt after filming ''[[Apocalypse Now]]''. Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and the amount of effort required to pull it into shape was immense. After three years of hard work and five different producers ''X-Com: Apocalypse'' finally hit the streets. The initial game design was definitely too ambitious and too complex. The aim was to recreate in some detail the events, organisations and personalities within a futuristic megalopolis. Each corporation had a leader who could be tailed, arrested, interrogated or assassinated. Organisations could buy and sell buildings as their financial fortunes changed. X-Com agents could spy on other organisations to gain valuable information. A sophisticated diplomacy display allowed the player to instigate aggressive or defensive alliances with other organisations. There were multiple alien dimensions, generated pseudo-randomly, and the aliens gradually expanded their empire as the game progressed. The game also featured a scenario generator and multiplayer options using a [[Hotseat (multiplayer mode)|hotseat]] turn based system or a real time [[LAN]] option. Most of these features were implemented to some degree, but were finally stripped out due to the horrendous amount of work involved in [[Quality assurance|QA]] and [[debugging]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mythosgames.com/xcomapocalypse.htm | title=XCOM Apocalypse | website=[[Mythos Games]] | access-date=October 22, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010411120930/http://www.mythosgames.com/xcomapocalypse.htm | archive-date=April 11, 2001 | url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

{{quote|On ''XCOM: Apocalypse'' the team size for that actually was 5 of us at Mythos Games working on it and there was a team of artists at MicroProse working on it as well. Again, it’s a similar arrangement to the first game where we were doing the programming and MicroProse were doing the artwork. ... the MicroProse art team were trying to change the design of the game. Then they were failing to actually deliver anything that they promised. They just couldn’t get the isometric graphic system sorted out in their heads. They did things which just didn’t work, like they hired a guy whose name I forget to design the aliens, and this is a well known science fiction artist and he built these big models of the aliens and the idea was that they were going to scan them and put them into a 3D modelling software. It just didn’t work. He had all this fine detail in these models and this scanning system just wasn’t good enough. Then they had to recreate them basically in a 3D software they were using at the time. Yeah, they were awful, blobby things. They were nasty. Terrible graphics. It was very difficult.<ref>{{cite web | author=Griliopoulos, Dan | date=April 28, 2013 | url=https://www.pcgamer.com/julian-gollop-interview-on-x-coms-old-and-new-the-ghost-recon-strategy-that-never-was-ai-auteurs-and-fork-my-fruit/4/ | title=Julian Gollop interview: on X-Coms old and new, the Ghost Recon strategy game that never was, AI, auteurs and "Fork My Fruit" (Page 4) | website=[[PC Gamer]] | access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>}}

Artist Terry Greer recalled: "My main memory of ''Apocalypse'' was the pain we all went through. It was a hugely ambitious project and used a mix of rendered and hand drawn artwork from a variety of graphic styles (which didn't always work – although all the individual bits were great). Probably the worst fit was [[Tim White (artist)|Tim White]] (an established SF artist) who had been commissioned to do the character designs. I like Tim's work, but his models were intensely detailed and quite unsuitable for reducing to the scale needed for an isometric game of this type. The creatures he designed looked great full screen, but reduced to the size they would be ingame they were often unrecognizable blobs. I don't know the reasons behind the decision to hire him, only that the problems were apparent to everyone in the art department, and I would have loved to have seen them ditched."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.terrygreer.com/xcomapocalyse.html | title=XCOM Apocalypse | website=Terry Greer | access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref>

==Release==
''X-COM: Apocalypse'' was originally released in the U.S. on July 15, 1997.<ref name="release"/> It was re-released as part of the compilations ''X-COM Collection'' by [[Hasbro Interactive]] in 1999, and ''X-COM: Complete Pack'' in 2008 and ''2K Huge Games Pack'' in 2009 by [[2K Games]]. On September 5, 2008, the ''X-COM'' series, including ''X-COM Apocalypse'', became available for sale on Valve's [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform; the game runs in a specially configured version of [[DOSBox]].

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| CNG = 8/10<ref>{{cite web | author=Chick, Tom | date=July 22, 1997 | url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-993,00.html | title=X-Com Apocalypse [sic] | website=Gamecenter | publisher=[[CNET]] | access-date=November 7, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816112345/http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-993,00.html | archive-date=August 16, 2000 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
| CGSP = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web | author=Royal, Tim | year=1997 | url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/003/034/xcom_review.html | title=X-COM Apocalypse | website=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021217221504/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/003/034/xcom_review.html | archive-date=December 17, 2002 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
| CGW = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine | author=Carter, Tim | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_159.pdf | title=Little Green Men (''X-COM: Apocalypse'' Review) | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] | issue=159 | date=October 1997 | pages=264–65 | access-date=November 7, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816012910/http://www.gamespot.com/strategy/xcom3/review_cgw.html | archive-date=August 16, 2000 | url-status=live}}</ref>
| Edge = 9/10<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://retrocdn.net/images/5/50/Edge_UK_048.pdf | title=X-COM: Apocalypse | magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] | issue=48 | date=August 1997 | pages=82–83 | access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>
| GI = 9.5/10<ref>{{cite magazine | author=Reppen, Erik | title=X-COM: Apocalypse | magazine=[[Game Informer]] | publisher=[[FuncoLand]] | issue=53 | date=September 1997}}</ref>
| GSpot = 8.6/10<ref>{{cite web | author=Dulin, Ron | date=July 25, 1997 | url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/x-com-apocalypse-review/1900-2531936/ | title=X-COM: Apocalypse Review | website=[[GameSpot]] | publisher=[[Red Ventures]] | access-date=November 7, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210013109/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/xcomapocalypse/review.html | archive-date=February 10, 2005 | url-status=live}}</ref>
| NGen = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=ngen>{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_35 | title=X-COM: Apocalypse | magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]] | issue=35 | date=November 1997 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_35/page/n205/mode/2up 204], [https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_35/page/n209/mode/2up 208] | access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>
| PCGUS = 86%<ref>{{cite magazine | author=Novicki, Joseph | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1190.html | title=X-COM: Apocalypse | magazine=PC Gamer | publisher=Imagine Media | volume=4 | issue=10 | date=October 1997 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000302105952/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1190.html | archive-date=March 2, 2000 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
| PCPP = 93%<ref>{{cite magazine | author=Sharpe, Peter | url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-015-1997-08 | title=X-COM Apocalypse | magazine=[[PC PowerPlay]] | publisher=[[nextmedia|Next Media Pty Ltd]] | issue=15 | date=August 1997 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-015-1997-08/page/n53/mode/2up 54]-[https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-015-1997-08/page/n55/mode/2up 56] | access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>
| PCM = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine | author=McDonald, T. Liam |title=After Hours: The Aliens Are Back | magazine=[[PCMag|PC Magazine]] | publisher=Ziff Davis | volume=16 | issue=16 | date=September 23, 1997 | page=329}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''[[Science Fiction Weekly]]''
| rev1Score = B+<ref>{{Cite web |last=Suciu |first=Peter |date=1997 |title=Game Reviews: X-Com Apocalypse |url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue51/games.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325132134/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue51/games.html |archive-date=2009-03-25 |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=[[Science Fiction Weekly]]}}</ref>
}}

===Reviews===
The game received favorable reviews. ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' said, "In the end, ''Apocalypse'' is a step in the right direction, but a step with a wobble. With better control over the cityscape, and more distinct atmosphere and character, it would have been a smash. As it is, it's enjoyable, and well-worth the investment in money and time, but not what it could have been."<ref name=ngen/>

Despite the troubled development, ''Apocalypse'' was well received. ''[[GameSpot]]'' included it on their 2000 list of the most disappointing endings, criticizing the game for its "colorful, almost humorous tone," but added that otherwise the designers "did a great job."<ref>{{cite web | year=2000 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/tenspot_badendings/11.html | title=The Ten Most Disappointing Endings (Page 11) | website=GameSpot | publisher=CNET | access-date=October 22, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028065808/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tenspot_badendings/11.html | archive-date=October 28, 2009 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Sales===
The game debuted at No. 6 on [[PC Data]]'s computer game sales chart for the month of July 1997.<ref>{{cite web | date=August 26, 1997 | url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/top-selling-pc-titles/1100-2467261/ | title=Top Selling PC Titles [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000"] | website=GameSpot | publisher=Red Ventures | access-date=November 7, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000311204446/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_08/26_pcsales/index.html | archive-date=March 11, 2000 | url-status=live}}</ref> It secured 18th place the following month.<ref>{{cite web | author=Gamer-X | date=September 24, 1997 | url=http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-1149,00.html | title=August's 30 Best-Sellers | website=Gamecenter | publisher=CNET | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990506013334/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-1149,00.html | archive-date=May 6, 1999 | url-status=dead}}</ref> By July 23, the game had shipped 120,000 units to retailers globally.<ref>{{cite web | date=July 23, 1997 | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news072197.html#11 | title=Three Compilations from MicroProse | website=PC Gamer | publisher=Imagine Media | access-date=May 7, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971012044932/http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news072197.html#11 | archive-date=October 12, 1997 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Market research firm [[SofTrends]] estimated [[sell-through]] of 32,812 units during July alone.<ref>{{cite web | date=August 28, 1997 | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news082597.html | title=Best-selling Games in July | website=PC Gamer | publisher=Imagine Media | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971012044855/http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news082597.html | archive-date=October 12, 1997 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Awards===
The game won the award for "Turn-based Strategy" at ''[[PC PowerPlay]]''{{'}}s 1997 Game of the Year Awards.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-020-1998-01/page/n29/mode/2up | title=Game of the Year | magazine=PC PowerPlay | publisher=Next Media Pty Ltd | issue=20 | date=January 1998 | pages=30–31 | access-date=November 14, 2021}}</ref>

{{clear}}

==Open-source remake==
In 2014 a group of developers formed to remake the game from scratch in [[C++]], under the ''OpenApoc'' title. By 2018 the remake had reached an [[Alpha release]] state with the entire game playable from start to end and a growing community of developers and players.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://openapoc.org/ | title=Official webpage | website=OpenApoc | access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/backstab-magazine-french-05/page/n51/mode/2up|title=X-COM: Apocalypse|magazine=Backstab|lang=fr|issue=5|date=September–October 1997|page=52}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Apocalypse when?|last1=Elliott|first1=Mike|authorlink1=Mike Elliott (game designer)|last2=Wylie|first2=Tom|magazine=[[The Duelist (magazine)|The Duelist]]|issue=20|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|page=116|date=December 1997}}

== External links ==
*{{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/19980120121307/http://www.microprose.com/gamesdesign/xcomap/xcomap.html}} via [[Internet Archive]]
*{{moby game|id=/x-com-apocalypse}}
*[http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Apocalypse ''X-COM: Apocalypse''] at UFOpaedia

{{X-COM}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:X-Com: Apocalypse}}
[[Category:1997 video games]]
[[Category:Android (robot) video games]]
[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:Games commercially released with DOSBox]]
[[Category:MicroProse games]]
[[Category:Mythos Games games]]
[[Category:Real-time tactics video games]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Turn-based tactics video games]]
[[Category:Video game sequels]]
[[Category:Video games about alien invasions]]
[[Category:Video games about microbes]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Video games scored by John Broomhall]]
[[Category:Video games set in the 2080s]]
[[Category:Video games with isometric graphics]]
[[Category:XCOM]]