How to Play UFO: Enemy Unknown on Your PC for Free
UFO Enemy Unknown: A Classic Strategy Game That You Can Download For Free
If you are a fan of strategy games, especially turn-based tactics, you may have heard of UFO Enemy Unknown, also known as X-COM: UFO Defense in North America. This is a 1994 science fiction strategy game developed by Mythos Games and published by MicroProse, where you take control of an international organization that fights against an alien invasion of Earth. The game is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential games of all time, and has spawned several sequels, spin-offs, and remakes over the years. But did you know that you can download and play the original game for free today? In this article, we will tell you what UFO Enemy Unknown is, why it is so great, and how you can get it for free on your computer or mobile device.
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What is UFO Enemy Unknown?
UFO Enemy Unknown is a game that combines real-time management simulation with turn-based tactical combat. You play as the commander of X-COM, a secret organization that is tasked with defending Earth from an alien threat. You have to manage your bases, research new technologies, manufacture weapons and equipment, recruit and train soldiers, and monitor and respond to UFO sightings around the world. When you encounter an alien craft or a landing site, you have to send a squad of soldiers to engage the enemy in a turn-based battle. You have to use cover, terrain, weapons, grenades, psionics, and other tactics to defeat the aliens and recover their technology and corpses. You also have to deal with the funding nations that evaluate your performance and may increase or decrease their support depending on how well you handle the crisis.
The plot and gameplay of UFO Enemy Unknown
The game is set in an alternative version of 1998, where reports of UFO sightings and alien abductions are increasing. The nations of the world are unable to cope with the situation and form a secret alliance to create X-COM, a paramilitary organization that has access to advanced technology and resources. You are appointed as the commander of X-COM and have to lead the fight against the alien menace.
The game has two main modes: the Geoscape and the Battlescape. The Geoscape is where you manage your global operations from a map of the world. You can build and expand your bases, equip your interceptors and transporters, hire and assign personnel, conduct research and manufacture projects, buy and sell items, and view reports and statistics. You also have to keep an eye on the radar for any UFO activity and send your crafts to intercept them or follow them to their landing sites. You can also receive missions from the funding nations or encounter terror sites where aliens attack civilian areas.
The Battlescape is where you control your squad of soldiers in a turn-based tactical combat against the aliens. You can choose from different types of soldiers with different stats, skills, ranks, and equipment. You can also use vehicles such as tanks or hovercrafts to support your troops. The battles take place in various environments such as farms, cities, deserts, jungles, arctic regions, or even inside alien bases or crafts. You have to explore the map, locate and eliminate all enemies, recover any items or prisoners of interest, and avoid friendly fire or civilian casualties. The battles are challenging and unpredictable, as you face different types of aliens with different abilities, weapons, tactics, and morale. You also have to deal with environmental hazards such as fire, smoke, explosions, or darkness. You also have to cope with the psychological effects of combat, such as panic, berserk, or mind control. The battles are the core of the game and where you will spend most of your time.
The legacy and influence of UFO Enemy Unknown
UFO Enemy Unknown is widely considered as one of the best and most influential games of all time. It received critical acclaim and commercial success when it was released, and has won several awards and honors from various publications and organizations. It has also inspired many other games in the genre, such as Jagged Alliance, Fallout Tactics, Silent Storm, XCOM: Enemy Unknown (the 2012 reboot), and many more. The game has a loyal fan base that still plays and modded it to this day, and has spawned several official and unofficial sequels, spin-offs, and remakes over the years.
How to download UFO Enemy Unknown for free?
If you want to experience this classic game for yourself, you have two main options: you can either download the original DOS version of the game or you can download an open-source remake of the game called OpenXcom. Both options are free and legal, and we will explain how to get them and play them below.
The original DOS version of UFO Enemy Unknown
The original DOS version of UFO Enemy Unknown is the first and most authentic way to play the game. It has the original graphics, sound, music, interface, and gameplay that made the game so popular and influential. However, it also has some drawbacks, such as bugs, glitches, limitations, compatibility issues, and outdated features that may make it hard or frustrating to play on modern systems.
Where to find and download the original DOS version of UFO Enemy Unknown
The original DOS version of UFO Enemy Unknown is available for free on several websites that host abandonware games. Abandonware games are games that are no longer sold or supported by their developers or publishers, and are therefore considered as public domain by some jurisdictions. However, the legal status of abandonware games is not clear-cut and may vary depending on your location and the game in question. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that downloading abandonware games is legal or safe in your case, and we advise you to do so at your own risk and discretion.
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One of the most popular and reliable websites that host abandonware games is Abandonia, which has a dedicated page for UFO Enemy Unknown where you can find more information about the game and download it for free. You can also find other websites that offer the game for free by searching on Google or other search engines.
How to run the original DOS version of UFO Enemy Unknown on modern systems
The original DOS version of UFO Enemy Unknown was designed to run on old computers that used the DOS operating system, which is no longer supported or compatible with most modern systems. Therefore, if you want to run the game on your current computer or device, you will need to use a special program called a DOS emulator that can simulate the environment and functions of a DOS system. One of the most popular and easy-to-use DOS emulators is DOSBox, which is a free and open-source program that can run on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and many other platforms.
To run UFO Enemy Unknown on DOSBox, you will need to follow these steps:
Download and install DOSBox on your system from its official website.
Create a folder on your system where you want to store your DOS games. For example, C:\DOSGames.
Download UFO Enemy Unknown from Abandonia or another website and unzip it into your DOS games folder. For example, C:\DOSGames\UFO.
Run DOSBox and type "mount c c:\dosgames" (without quotes) to mount your DOS games folder as drive C in DOSBox.
Type "c:" (without quotes) to switch to drive C in DOSBox.
Type "cd ufo" (without quotes) to change to the UFO folder in drive C.
Type "ufo" (without quotes) to run the game.
You can also create a shortcut or a batch file that can automate these steps for you every time you want to run the game. You can find more information and instructions on how to use DOSBox on its official website or its wiki page.
The open-source remake of UFO Enemy Unknown: OpenXcom
If you want a more modern and convenient way to play UFO Enemy Unknown, you may want to try OpenXcom, which is an open-source remake of the game that aims to fix the bugs and limitations of the original game, while adding new features and enhancements. OpenXcom is compatible with most modern systems and platforms, and supports mods and translations. It also has an active community of developers and players who contribute to the project.
What is OpenXcom and what are its features?
OpenXcom is a free and open-source project that started in 2009 by a fan of UFO Enemy Unknown named SupSuper. The goal of the project is to create a faithful clone of the original game, but with improved code, graphics, sound, interface, and gameplay. OpenXcom is not a mod or a patch, but a complete rewrite of the game engine from scratch, using C++ and SDL. Some of the features and improvements that OpenXcom offers are:
Fixes for all the bugs and glitches that plagued the original game, such as the infamous 80-item limit, the accuracy calculation errors, the mind control exploit, and many more.
Enhancements for the graphics and sound, such as higher resolutions, smoother animations, windowed mode, custom palettes, improved sound effects and music playback, etc.
Improvements for the interface and usability, such as mouse scrolling, keyboard shortcuts, tooltips, drag and drop, auto-save, quick-load, etc.
Options for customizing the gameplay and difficulty, such as ironman mode, random stats, alien retaliation, base defense, soldier diaries, etc.
Support for mods and translations, which allow you to change or add new content to the game, such as new maps, weapons, units, missions, graphics, sounds, languages, etc.
Support for multiple platforms, such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, etc.
Support for online multiplayer (experimental), which allows you to play co-op or versus matches with other players over the internet.
OpenXcom is constantly updated and improved by its developers and community members. You can find more information about OpenXcom and its features on its official website or its wiki page.
Where to find and download OpenXcom
You can find and download OpenXcom from its official website or its GitHub page. The website has links to download the latest stable version or the latest nightly version of OpenXcom. The stable version is more tested and reliable, but may not have all the latest features and fixes. The nightly version is more up-to-date and experimental, but may have more bugs and issues. You can also find links to download extra content for OpenXcom on the website, such as mods, translations, soundtracks, etc.
The GitHub page has the source code of OpenXcom and its documentation. You can use it to compile your own version of OpenXcom or to contribute to the project. You can also find links to report bugs or request features on the GitHub page.
How to install and play OpenXcom on various platforms
To install and play OpenXcom on your system or device, you will need to follow these steps:
Download OpenXcom from its official website or its GitHub page.
Extract the OpenXcom files into a folder on your system or device.
Copy the UFO Enemy Unknown resources into a subfolder named UFO in your OpenXcom folder. You can use any edition of UFO Enemy Unknown (DOS/Windows/Steam/CD/etc.), as long as it is unmodified. You can also copy the resources from X-COM: Terror From The Deep into a subfolder named TFTD in your OpenXcom folder if you want to play that game as well.
Run OpenXcom.exe (Windows) or openxcom (Linux/Mac OS X) or openxcom.app (Mac OS X) or openxcom.apk (Android) or openxcom.ipa (iOS) or openxcom.bin (Raspberry Pi) depending on your platform. You may need to install some dependencies or libraries first depending on your platform. You can find more information on how to do that on the wiki page.
Enjoy playing UFO Enemy Unknown with OpenXcom!
Conclusion
UFO Enemy Unknown is a classic strategy game that you can download for free today. It is a challenging and rewarding game that will test your strategic and tactical skills as you fight against an alien invasion of Earth. You can play it either with the original DOS version or with the open-source remake OpenXcom. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, and you can choose the one that suits your preferences and needs better. Either way, you will have a lot of fun and challenge playing this game that has stood the test of time and has influenced many other games in the genre. If you are a fan of strategy games, you should not miss this opportunity to play UFO Enemy Unknown for free today. Why you should play UFO Enemy Unknown today
Here are some reasons why you should play UFO Enemy Unknown today:
It is a classic game that has been praised and loved by many gamers and critics for its depth, complexity, variety, and replay value.
It is a game that will challenge your strategic and tactical skills as you face different scenarios, enemies, and situations that require careful planning, adaptation, and decision making.
It is a game that will immerse you in its rich and detailed world, where you will feel the tension, excitement, fear, and satisfaction of fighting against an alien threat.
It is a game that has a loyal and active fan base that still plays and supports it to this day, and has created many mods and content that enhance and expand the game.
It is a game that is free and easy to download and play on your system or device, thanks to the original DOS version or the open-source remake OpenXcom.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about UFO Enemy Unknown:
What are the differences between UFO Enemy Unknown and X-COM: UFO Defense?
UFO Enemy Unknown and X-COM: UFO Defense are the same game, but with different names depending on the region. UFO Enemy Unknown is the original name of the game in Europe, while X-COM: UFO Defense is the name of the game in North America. The only difference between them is some minor changes in spelling, grammar, and terminology.
What are the differences between UFO Enemy Unknown and XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a 2012 reboot of UFO Enemy Unknown, developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. It is a modernized version of the game that retains the core gameplay elements of the original, but with updated graphics, sound, interface, and features. It also has some changes and additions in the plot, characters, enemies, weapons, missions, etc. It is a separate game from UFO Enemy Unknown, not a remake or a sequel.
What are the system requirements for UFO Enemy Unknown?
The system requirements for UFO Enemy Unknown depend on whether you are playing the original DOS version or the open-source remake OpenXcom. The original DOS version requires a 386 processor or higher, 4 MB of RAM, VGA graphics card, MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, mouse, sound card (optional), CD-ROM drive (optional). The open-source remake OpenXcom requires a Pentium III processor or higher, 256 MB of RAM, OpenGL-compatible graphics card, Windows XP or higher / Mac OS X 10.4 or higher / Linux / Android 2.3 or higher / iOS 6.0 or higher / Raspberry Pi.
How long is UFO Enemy Unknown?
The length of UFO Enemy Unknown depends on how you play it and how fast you progress. The game has no fixed end point or time limit, but rather it ends when you either complete the final mission or lose all your funding or bases. The game can take anywhere from 10 to 100 hours or more to finish.
Is UFO Enemy Unknown hard?
UFO Enemy Unknown is a hard game that will test your skills and patience. The game has four difficulty levels: Beginner, Experienced, Veteran, and Genius. The higher the difficulty level, the more aggressive and intelligent the aliens are, the more expensive and scarce your resources are, and the less forgiving your funding nations are. The game also has a lot of randomness and unpredictability that can affect your outcomes. The game does not hold your hand or guide you through its mechanics and features; you have to learn them by trial and error. The game also does not have any checkpoints or save-scumming; you have to live with your choices and consequences.