X-COM: Interceptor

Moby ID: 570
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Description official descriptions

The year is 2067, and the Earth's resources are nearly depleted. In search of raw materials essential for the survival of the humans, powerful corporations send explorers into a region of space known as the Frontier. However, upon arriving there, the humans find out that they are not the only ones needing resources. The alien races who had invaded Earth nearly seventy years ago have their own claims for the Frontier, and it looks like there can be no peaceful solution for the situation.

X-COM: Interceptor has elements of strategy, but its primary gameplay style differs from most previous installments in the X-COM series, focusing on space combat simulation and resource managing. The player commands an elite force of starfighters sent to protect the human corporations in the Frontier. As the X-COM commander, the player must manage space stations, resources, and finances of the organization. Researching alien technology is also necessary to ensure the safety of the humans.

When an enemy craft is spotted, the game's mode switches to space combat simulation. The player pilots starfighters, co-ordinating their wingmen, similarly to Wing Commander: Prophecy. Mission objectives usually involve destroying or capturing enemy ships, sabotaging alien trade routes, escorting friendly ships to specific locations, and raiding alien bases.

Spellings

  • 幽浮:太空攔截者 - Traditional Chinese spelling

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Screenshots

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Credits (Windows version)

160 People (82 developers, 78 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 75% (based on 19 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.1 out of 5 (based on 24 ratings with 4 reviews)

Not the best, but for fans and newcomers alike, it is an enjoyable addition to the X-Com series.

The Good
This game is a decent space flight simulation. It is the first X-Com game not to be a third person turn-based strategy game. The plot is a bit simpler than the first three but it is good to be fighting the Sectiod hierarchy once more. The interface is simple and the new campaign screen is a very Imperium Galactica/Masters Of Orion-eque looking but fun. The sound FX are very nice.

The Bad
The graphics are a bit dated for their times and the 3D support is flaky at best. It was a bit too short, beat it in the course of a week and that is saying something when X-Com: UFO Defence took me a summer, X-Com: Terror From The Deep took me around three seasons, and X-Com Apocalypse took me a good season and a half.

The Bottom Line
This game is a simpler less plot oriented addition to one of the greatest series in the history of PC gaming. It is the perfect point for a new comer to jump into the series if they cannot find the first two.

Windows · by Gene Davison (801) · 2001

Not quite the traditional X-Com style, and not quite a good space combat game.

The Good
The game story does fit quite nicely into the X-Com universe, and is some-what likeable just for its X-Com-ness, hmm...

The Bad
Interceptor aims to change the style of the X-Com games, and IMO that is its fatal mistake, I would much prefer to have had another Apocalypse engine game, with a new story than this. The tech-tree and research are not as rewarding as past games, the space combat system is a Tie Fighter wanna-be at best. The game simply fails to excel in any single area of itself, and this makes it dull overall.

The Bottom Line
The game is trying to expand the X-Com name, but misses what made the other X-Com games what they were. It fails to excel in any area, and makes for a lackluster, disappointing game overall.

Windows · by deepcut (1845) · 2001

X-Com meets Wing Commander!

The Good
Decent graphics for 1998. Base management seemed a little smoother in this game as compared to the others. Flight sim graphics and sound are smooth.

The Bad
The big beef I have with this game is that the best weapons in the game become available about 1/4 of the way through. Once you get autoaiming plasma cannons, or anything autoaiming for that matter, it's "good night Irene" for the aliens. Before that, it's almost impossible to hit the aliens with dumbfire weapons, so just let your wingmen take 'em out or use missiles. Silly in-cockpit video sequences with pilots that look exactly the same, with only different colored lighting for each, gives this game a "poor man's Wing Commander" feel.

The Bottom Line
Poor man's Wing Commander. Better than Terror From the Deep, but that's not much consolation.

Windows · by Michael Reznick (37) · 2001

[ View all 4 player reviews ]

Trivia

All music from X-Com: Interceptor is available on the CD as Redbook Audio.

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Related Games

X-COM: Apocalypse
Released 1997 on DOS, 2008 on Windows
X-COM: Enforcer
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X-COM: Terror from the Deep
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by faceless.

Additional contributors: Narf!, Jason Musgrave, Paulus18950.

Game added December 15, 1999. Last modified January 28, 2024.