Editing X-COM: Terror from the Deep

{{GameInfobox
|image= XCOM TERROR.jpg
|caption= PlayStation cover art
|developer= MicroProse
|distributor= MicroProse, Hasbro Interactive, 2K Games
|designer= Stephen Goss
|composer= John Broomhall
|series= X-COM
|ww_rel = {{Release|1995|June||WW|DOS}}
|genre= Real-time strategy, Turn-based tactics
|features = Single-player
|platforms= Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS, PlayStation
|dplatforms = Steam
|media= Floppy disk, CD-ROM, download
|input= Mouse, Keyboard
}}

'''''X-COM: Terror from the Deep''''' is a [[strategy game|strategy]] [[video game]] [[video game developer|developed]] and [[video game publisher|published]] by [[MicroProse]] in [[1995 in video gaming|1995]]. It is the [[sequel]] to ''[[UFO: Enemy Unknown]]'' (''X-COM: UFO Defense''), and the second part of the ''[[X-COM]]'' series.

==Story==

''Terror from the Deep'' is set in 2040, decades after the first Alien War was won, when a mysterious new alien menace begins to emerge from the Earth's own oceans.

==Gameplay==

''Terror from the Deep'' plays out underwater, with base-building and combat all being submerged beneath the waves. The only time the game moves onto dry land is for terror site missions (when the aliens attack a port, ship, or island). However, the difficulty level has been substantially raised and there are a number of new features.

''Terror'' consists of several parts. The first is the GeoScape, a global view of Earth. Here the player views alien and X-COM craft. The BattleScape is used for combat between squads of aliens and humans, and takes the form of a [[turn-based tactics|turn-based]] battle from an [[Video games with isometric graphics|isometric view]]. Underwater battles use the same physics as the ground ones, even as many of the underwater weapons can be used on ground. 

[[Resource management]] is also present, as the player must hire and dismiss staff, buy and sell vehicles, weaponry, ammunition and items, and build and expand bases.

==Aliens==

While the aliens and overall atmosphere of the original game was influenced by [[extraterrestrial life in popular culture]], ''TFTD'' has a darker theme influenced by the works of [[H.P. Lovecraft]], including the appearance of the [[Deep One]]s<ref>[http://ufopedia.csignal.org/usopedia/Deep%20One.html Deep One - UFOPEDIA (X-COM Terror From the Deep)]</ref> (one of the alien races, the Tentaculats, is even described in-game as "not even the depths of a Lovecraftian nightmare could spawn such as this indescribable creature"<ref>[http://ufopedia.csignal.org/usopedia/Tentaculot.html Tentaculot - UFOPEDIA (X-COM Terror From the Deep)]</ref>). The game has eleven fictional races of alien beings. Each race has various strengths and weaknesses, and some races are dependent on other races. 

The aquatic aliens came to Earth on a large ship that crashed into the ocean 65 million years ago and supposedly caused the [[extinction of the dinosaurs]]. Many of the races from ''Enemy Unknown'' parallel these races, and some are supposed to have common ancestors. Several of the races have some source in Lovecraft's [[Cthulhu Mythos]], and their main base (the [[mothership]] into the [[Sigsbee Deep]]) is named T'Leth,<ref>[http://ufopedia.csignal.org/usopedia/T%27leth,%20the%20Alien%27s%20City.html T'leth, the Alien's City - UFOPEDIA (X-COM Terror From the Deep)]</ref> a reference to [[R'lyeh]], a submerged alien city from Lovecraft's short story "[[The Call of Cthulhu]]" ([[Cthulhu]] itself is also referenced there in the form of the chief alien in The Tomb room which is the game's final objective).

==Development==

According to [[Mythos Games]], developers of ''UFO: Enemy Unknown'': "After completing ''UFO'', MicroProse wanted to do a quick follow up within six months. We said that this was not feasible, and if it were possible it would be little more than the same game with different graphics. Instead we started work on ''[[X-COM: Apocalypse]]'', which was much more ambitious. Once ''UFO/X-COM'' was clearly known to be a success, MicroProse suggested that we license the code for them to develop their own sequel. The rest is history."<ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/playstation/x-com-terror-from-the-deep/trivia X-COM: Terror from the Deep - MobyGames]</ref>

==Reception==

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| PCZone = 94%<ref>''PC Zone'', May 1995</ref>
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''Terror'' was received very well and the PC version holds an average rating of 86% according to [[Game Rankings]].<ref>http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/199361-x-com-terror-from-the-deep/index.html</ref> [[GameSpot]] summed ''Terror'' up with "Apart from new art and a handful of new combat options, this is exactly the same game as UFO Defense, only much more difficult."<ref>[http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/xcomterrorfromthedeep/review.html X-COM: Terror From the Deep Review for PC - GameSpot]</ref> ''[[PC Gamer]]'' stated "Terror From The Deep is not only a great sequel to UFO but a superb game in its own right."<ref>''PC Gamer'', April 1995</ref>

==Re-releases==

On May 4, 2007, ''X-COM: Terror from the Deep'' was released on the [[Steam (content delivery)|Steam platform]] by [[2K Games]], who has inherited the franchise. 

The game has been also re-released as part of the compilations ''X-COM (Collector's Edition)'' by MicroProse in 1998, ''X-COM Collection'' by [[Hasbro Interactive]] in 1999, and ''X-COM: Complete Pack'' by 2K Games in 2008 and ''2K Huge Games Pack'' in 2009.

==See also==

*[[Cthulhu Mythos in popular culture]]

== Sources ==

* ''X-COM Terror from the Deep: The Official Strategy Guide'' by [[Dave Ellis (game designer)|Dave Ellis]], ISBN 0-7615-0074-X.

==References==

{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==

* {{moby game|id=/x-com-terror-from-the-deep}}
* [http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/199361-x-com-terror-from-the-deep ''X-COM: UFO Defense'' PC] and [http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps/573917-x-com-terror-from-the-deep PSX] at [[GameFAQs]] 
* [http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=TFTD UFOPaedia]: An extensive [[wiki]] containing information, analysis, strategy, and other resources for the this and other games in the series.
* [http://www.xcomufo.com/x2faq.html Bug FAQ site for the game]

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