Rebelstar: Tactical Command

[ShadowMarth]

As a kid, I had a PC game that I could never beat, but the gameplay was so addictive (and pretty tense as well), that I couldn't resist, regardless of how much I lost. That game was the classic strategy game, X-COM: UFO Defence, otherwise known as UFO: Enemy Unknown. Though I didn't know it at the time, this game which I had picked out of the bargain stack of KB Toys, was actually a true classic of PC gaming.

It mixed a number of great elements that, at the time, were in an early state of development. It had base building, a large and very cool research tree, RPG style stat increases for your soldiers, an awesome story in which you play the role of a worldwide agency started to repel the alien invasion, and best of all, an amazing turn-based combat system. The enemies never got old either. There were upwards of half a dozen species of aliens, all with unique weaknesses and strengths. Believe me, nothing sends a chill through your spine like a Chryssalid walking around the corner and stopping one square short of your squad commander.


These figures are simply two of the many alien species you would find in X-COM.

Though my generation never really knew much about it, this is one of the best games of all time. Heck, a couple years ago IGN gave it #8 on top 100 games of all time. Even after I eventually beat it, it still has a proud place on my desktop. After a few unsuccessful sequels, and a number of fan-based attempts to recreate the experience, the game has never truly been beaten, and still remains unique to this day.

Wait a second, hold on. What is this doing in a DS forum you ask? Simple, the developers are finally giving the GBA a shot, and that applies quite well to our own gadgetry. Rebelstar: Tactical Command is a new game in development, with a very similar look. Though not much is known, it obviously borrows heavily from the complex yet effective turn based squad combat system that began in the original.


That turn-based combat system was the best of the time, and still beats many of today's

The developers (formerly Microprose, but they ended up in Namco) recently sent out an early build version of the game. Devoid of music, and any sort of base building, but not to say it's not going to be in the final mix. We just don't know. Also, they seem to have replaced the old system of "expendable" rookie recruits, which eventually became strong and valulable members of your crew (assuming they survive enough missions) with real characters.

How will this affect the gameplay? Well, though each character starts with an affinity toward a certain tactic or weapon (sniping, gatling gun), each is easily customizable with the upgrade system, so hopefully you can make the characters whatever you want.

Another feature I'm glad made the cut is called "Overwatch" mode. It effectively turns your unit into a human turret. When set in this mode, they will not move, but even on the opponent's turn they will fire at any enemy they see. This can of course be very good for you, but beware, the enemies can do the same. Oddly enough, they switched this out from the old method of this automatically happening depending on the unit's stats of Awareness and Reflexes.


The combat from Rebelstar matches that of the original well

From what is known, it appears to borrow this system, but removes some of the important stategic elements from the old one. Base building, research, and manufacturing are among the possible losses. I wonder, with all these factors missing, could they make the combat good enough to be a stand-alone game, especially enough to satisfy those that remember the classic? Only time will tell.

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If you want more pics of the strategy parts of the old game, or anything like that, just ask. I'd also like to do the review for this game when it comes out. Also, I wrote this for another forum, it's not really a preview. Also, in the time since I wrote this, some things have changed. For instance, it is now solid fact that the base building is out.

yea i want to get this too

it was on the nintendo power dvd also

[ShadowMarth]

I can't wait. Have you ever played X-COM? It's an incredible game. So old you can get the Windows XP version for free online now.

[ShadowMarth]

Also, I neglected to mention this, but there's a game coming out for the PC in a couple months. It's the sequal to UFO: Aftermath, a game that began life under the original X-COM producer, but eventually went to another publisher. It was quite a good game, but too stripped down of tactical elements. Anyway, they're promising to deliver a much better game this time around. UFO: Aftershock. Pretty good storyline. Also, the combat has a very interesting twist. It has both Real Time and Turn Based elements. You control how fast time goes (to an extent), but you can slow down and even pause time to give your soldiers orders. If you want a taste of this, there's a demo for the older game that you can get at gamespot. Boring, but a good display of the system.

[Skyline]

Yeah i saw this in a magazine a few months back and thought it looked interesting. I probably won't get it but it still looks good.

[Ghaleon]

when is this coming out? is it sometime in the near future?

[ShadowMarth]

It's been out over a month. I hadn't been able to pick it up because of money, but perhaps I can now...

this game is sweet

(i didn't buy it, i have teh homebread >_>)

[ShadowMarth]

If you think it's sweet, then I have one thing to say. Or hyperlink.

GET THIS

dude yea you showed that to me on xfire one time but i couldn't find something in the zip file... or something like that