X-COM Terror From The Deep: Defending from the depths below

X-COM Terror From The Deep title is placed to the right and center. The cover shows a clawed webbed hand reaching up through the water. The finer print above the title reads:" From the makers of X-COM UFO Defense(tm) comes a new evolution of evil"

X-COM Terror From The Deep, developed by MicroProse, is a sequel to the first alien defense simulator. Continuing on a few years after the conclusion of the first war, X-COM is called to investigate the unexplained attacks on ships around the world.

The previous wars' alien tech is incompatible with the oceans of earth and so the commander is put in charge of finding the cause and putting a stop from the new terror that is striking from the deep.

The biggest change to the game is how bases must be built over water, one is intercepting USO (Unidentified Submersible Objects), Terror missions take place on land, two-stage cruise ships and a collection of artifact sites that act in a similar vein to a alien base assault but weight like a terror mission.

It is significantly harder in the early stages as well and makes certain dangerous foes less likely to be ignored. The enemy design can be downright sadistic at times and it doesn't take long for it to throw early enemy "roadblocks" to overcome and until the later techs can keep the pressure, especially in close quarters.

Land Operation sees the aquanauts spread out on land at a beach front location. The squad consists of a amphibious vehicle drone and 3 aquanauts that have exited their landing craft

The enemies make use of hit and run tactics more frequently and there is always the threat of the surprise closet dweller when attempting to clear an area. The weapons are also more specialised, where some weapons only work underwater, or are good against a certain type of enemy. It forces the player to work on their research to learn and exploit the enemies vulnerabilities and make their strength your own.

There is still "psionics" in the game but is framed as more a technological innovation rather how it was in the previous game. It is a just as and sometimes even more annoying than previously as the map and interior have a lot more bends and corners.

One of the stronger aspects of the game however is the music and how it captures the dark and often claustrophobic feeling of fighting deep under water.

A 5:55 minute track from the game:

Retro Videogame Music · X-Com 2: Terror From The Deep - Geoscape

Comparing the final stretches of the game, it does not have the same type of gravitas as the first as by the time the player has reached this point the most dangerous things should have been experienced and manageable as the various tricks and traps should have been encountered at least once. That is not to say it is not difficult, it is by comparison a harder mission with harder conditions but all the pain and misery leading up to this point should have prepared one to be well equipped and to have contingencies.

X-COM Terror From The Deep, doesn't have the same grand feeling that UFO Defense has and one can very easily seen that a lot of the first game's assets where reused and repurposed. It is better to be considered something like an expansion and when looked at it like that then it can be seen in a more favourable light.

It misses a bit in how it tries to expand missions and the introduction of all the extra multi-stage missions can be detrimental to the experience. They upped the difficulty as well and until one gets used to all the tricks that was put in place it will lead to a lot of aquanaut deaths.

The concept is an interesting premise and in conjunction with the music helps builds this image of fighting a threat that is more dangerous, brought in by the more difficult enemies, which with the inherit mystery of the unknowns of the deep ocean into a similar game but in a way feel more terrifying from the idea of this great enemy was there all along. It is realising the greatest threat to Humanity wasn't from the sky and beyond, but dwelling deep in the seas of Earth waiting to strike.