Download and Play UFO Enemy Unknown - The Original Abandonware Game of Alien Invasion
- saepithernguper
- Aug 9, 2023
- 11 min read
UFO Enemy Unknown: A Classic Strategy Game You Can Download for Free
If you are a fan of strategy games, you might have heard of UFO Enemy Unknown, also known as X-COM: UFO Defense. This game, released in 1994, is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential games of its genre. It combines turn-based tactical combat with base management and research, creating a tense and immersive experience that challenges your strategic thinking and decision making. In this article, we will explain what UFO Enemy Unknown is, what abandonware is, and how you can download and play this classic game for free.
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What is UFO Enemy Unknown?
The premise and gameplay of UFO Enemy Unknown
UFO Enemy Unknown is set in the year 1999, when Earth is under attack by mysterious alien invaders. You are the commander of XCOM, a secret organization that is tasked with defending humanity from the extraterrestrial threat. You have to manage your resources, research alien technology, build and equip your bases, and send your soldiers to fight the aliens in various missions around the world.
The game has two main modes: the geoscape and the battlescape. The geoscape is where you oversee your global operations, such as building facilities, hiring personnel, launching satellites, intercepting UFOs, and choosing which missions to undertake. The battlescape is where you control your squad of up to six soldiers in turn-based combat against the aliens. You have to use cover, terrain, weapons, equipment, and abilities to defeat your enemies and complete your objectives.
The legacy and influence of UFO Enemy Unknown
UFO Enemy Unknown was a critical and commercial success, receiving rave reviews from critics and players alike. It was praised for its depth, complexity, replay value, atmosphere, and difficulty. It also spawned several sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and mods, such as X-COM: Terror from the Deep, X-COM: Apocalypse, X-COM: Interceptor, X-COM: Enforcer, X-COM: First Alien Invasion, OpenXcom, XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012), XCOM 2, Phoenix Point, and many more.
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UFO Enemy Unknown is widely considered as one of the best games ever made, and one of the most influential games in the strategy genre. It has inspired countless other games that feature similar elements of tactical combat, base management, research, and alien invasion. Some examples are Jagged Alliance, Fallout Tactics, Silent Storm, UFO: Aftermath, UFO: Extraterrestrials, Xenonauts, Invisible Inc., Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, Gears Tactics, Chimera Squad, and many more.
What is abandonware?
The definition and types of abandonware
Abandonware is a term that refers to software that is no longer sold or supported by its developer or publisher. This can happen for various reasons, such as bankruptcy, legal disputes, loss of rights, obsolescence, or lack of interest. Abandonware can include games, applications, operating systems, or any other type of software.
There are different types of abandonware depending on the status of the software owner and the availability of the software. Some examples are:
Commercial software unsupported but still owned by a viable company. This type of abandonware depends on the company's attitude toward the software. Some companies may allow or tolerate the distribution of their old software as freeware or shareware, while others may prohibit or pursue legal action against it.
Commercial software owned by a company no longer in business. This type of abandonware may be in a legal limbo if the rights to the software are unclear or unrecoverable. There may be no one to enforce or claim the copyright on the software, making it possible for anyone to distribute or use it without legal consequences.
Commercial software released as freeware by the owner. This type of abandonware is the most legal and ethical, as the owner has explicitly given permission for the software to be freely distributed and used by anyone. This can happen when the owner decides to release the software as a gift to the public, as a promotional strategy, or as a way of preserving the software's legacy.
Non-commercial software that is no longer available or supported. This type of abandonware can include freeware, shareware, demos, or beta versions of software that are no longer hosted or maintained by their creators. This can happen when the creators lose interest, move on to other projects, or encounter technical difficulties.
The legal and ethical issues of abandonware
Abandonware is a controversial topic that raises many legal and ethical questions. On one hand, some people argue that abandonware is a form of piracy that violates the intellectual property rights of the software owners and harms the software industry. They claim that abandonware deprives the owners of potential revenue, discourages innovation, and encourages illegal behavior. They also point out that some software may not be truly abandoned, as the owners may still have plans to revive, remake, or re-release it in the future.
On the other hand, some people argue that abandonware is a form of preservation that benefits the software users and the software culture. They claim that abandonware provides access to software that would otherwise be lost, forgotten, or inaccessible due to technological obsolescence, lack of support, or high prices. They also point out that some software may have historical, cultural, or educational value that deserves to be shared and enjoyed by future generations.
The legal status of abandonware varies depending on the country, the type of software, and the actions of the software owner. In general, there is no clear or universal law that defines or regulates abandonware. Some countries may have specific laws or exceptions that allow or prohibit the use or distribution of abandonware under certain conditions. For example, in the United States, there is a concept called "fair use" that allows limited use of copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. However, fair use is not a right or a rule, but a defense that can be invoked in case of a lawsuit. Therefore, it is not a guarantee that using or distributing abandonware will be legal or safe.
How to download and play UFO Enemy Unknown as abandonware
The sources and requirements for downloading UFO Enemy Unknown
If you want to download and play UFO Enemy Unknown as abandonware, you have several options. One of them is to use a website that hosts abandonware games, such as Abandonia, My Abandonware, Old-Games.com, or XTC Abandonware. These websites offer free downloads of old games that are no longer sold or supported by their owners. However, you should be careful when using these websites, as they may not have permission from the owners to distribute their games, and they may not guarantee the quality or safety of their downloads. You should always scan your downloads for viruses and malware before running them on your computer.
Another option is to use a website that sells old games legally and cheaply, such as GOG.com, Steam, Humble Bundle, or Origin. These websites have agreements with the owners to sell their games digitally and provide support and updates for them. They also often include extras such as manuals, soundtracks, wallpapers, or bonus content. However, you should be aware that these websites may not have all the old games you want, and they may charge different prices depending on your region.
Regardless of which option you choose, you will need some additional software to run UFO Enemy Unknown on your modern computer. This is because UFO Enemy Unknown was designed for DOS, an old operating system that is no longer compatible with most computers today. To run DOS games on your computer, you will need an emulator program that simulates DOS on your computer. One of the most popular and reliable emulators for DOS games is DOSBox, which is free and easy to use. You can download DOSBox from its official website or from other sources such as SourceForge or Softonic. You will also need a program to unzip or extract the files from your downloaded game archive. One of the most common and widely used programs for this purpose is WinRAR, which is free for personal use. You can download WinRAR from its official website or from other sources such as CNET or FileHippo. You will also need a program to mount or create virtual drives for your game files. One of the most simple and convenient programs for this purpose is Daemon Tools Lite, which is free for personal use. You can download Daemon Tools Lite from its official website or from other sources such as Softpedia or MajorGeeks.
The tips and tricks for playing UFO Enemy Unknown
Once you have downloaded and installed all the necessary software, you are ready to play UFO Enemy Unknown on your computer. Here are some tips and tricks to help you enjoy the game better:
Before you run the game, you should configure DOSBox to optimize the performance and compatibility of the game. You can do this by editing the dosbox.conf file, which is located in the same folder as DOSBox.exe. You can open this file with any text editor, such as Notepad. You should change some settings in this file, such as the CPU cycles, the memory size, the sound options, and the keyboard layout. You can find more information and guidance on how to configure DOSBox on its official website or on other websites such as PCGamingWiki or DOSBox Wiki.
When you run the game, you should mount your game folder as a virtual drive in DOSBox. You can do this by typing a command in the DOSBox window, such as "mount c c:\games\ufo" (without the quotation marks). This will make DOSBox recognize your game folder as drive C. You can then change to drive C by typing "c:" (without the quotation marks) and run the game by typing "ufo" (without the quotation marks). You can also create a shortcut or a batch file to automate this process.
When you play the game, you should save often and use multiple save slots. This is because UFO Enemy Unknown is a very challenging and unforgiving game, where you can lose your soldiers, your bases, or even your entire game progress if you make a mistake or encounter a bug. You should also backup your save files regularly, as they may get corrupted or overwritten by accident. You can find your save files in the "save" subfolder of your game folder.
When you play the game, you should also use some keyboard shortcuts and mouse commands to make your gameplay easier and faster. For example, you can use the arrow keys to move the map, the + and - keys to zoom in and out, the F1-F12 keys to access different menus and screens, the spacebar to end your turn, and the ESC key to abort a mission. You can also use the right mouse button to access more options and information, such as changing your soldier's stance, firing mode, inventory, or stats. You can find more keyboard shortcuts and mouse commands on the game manual or on other websites such as StrategyCore or UFOpaedia.
Conclusion
UFO Enemy Unknown is a classic strategy game that you can download and play for free as abandonware. It is a game that offers a lot of depth, challenge, and fun for fans of strategy games and alien invasion stories. However, it is also a game that requires some extra software and steps to run on modern computers. In this article, we have explained what UFO Enemy Unknown is, what abandonware is, and how you can download and play this classic game for free. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.
FAQs
What are the differences between UFO Enemy Unknown and X-COM: UFO Defense?
UFO Enemy Unknown and X-COM: UFO Defense are essentially the same game with different names. UFO Enemy Unknown was the original name of the game when it was released in Europe by MicroProse in 1994. X-COM: UFO Defense was the name of the game when it was released in North America by Spectrum Holobyte in 1995. The only differences between the two versions are some minor changes in graphics, sounds, texts, and bugs.
What are the system requirements for UFO Enemy Unknown?
The system requirements for UFO Enemy Unknown are very low by today's standards. The original game required a 386 processor with 4 MB of RAM, a VGA graphics card with 256 colors, a Sound Blaster compatible sound card, a CD-ROM drive, a mouse, and DOS 5.0 or higher. The game also supported some optional features such as MIDI music, SVGA graphics with 640x480 resolution, and network multiplayer with IPX protocol.
What are some of the best mods for UFO Enemy Unknown?
There are many mods for UFO Enemy Unknown that add new features, fix bugs, improve graphics, or change the gameplay. Some of the most popular and recommended mods are:
OpenXcom: This is a mod that recreates the original game engine with modern programming and standards. It allows you to run the game on any platform, customize the game settings, use high-resolution graphics, play fan-made campaigns, and more. You can download OpenXcom from its official website or from other sources such as Mod DB or GitHub.
XCOM: UFO Defense Redux: This is a mod that enhances the original game with new graphics, sounds, music, interface, and gameplay. It adds new weapons, equipment, aliens, missions, research, and more. It also fixes some bugs and balances some issues. You can download XCOM: UFO Defense Redux from its official website or from other sources such as Mod DB or Nexus Mods.
X-Piratez: This is a mod that transforms the original game into a completely different setting and story. It puts you in the role of a female pirate leader in a dystopian future where aliens have conquered Earth and humans are enslaved or rebelled. You have to fight against the aliens and other factions with your ragtag crew of pirates, using scavenged or stolen weapons, equipment, and vehicles. You can download X-Piratez from its official website or from other sources such as Mod DB or OpenXcom Forums.
What are some of the best tips for beginners in UFO Enemy Unknown?
UFO Enemy Unknown is a very complex and difficult game that can overwhelm and frustrate beginners. Here are some of the best tips for beginners to help them survive and succeed in the game:
Start with the easiest difficulty level and learn the basics of the game. You can always increase the difficulty later if you want more challenge.
Build multiple bases around the world to cover more regions and respond faster to alien activity. You should have at least one base in each continent, and equip them with radar, hangars, interceptors, soldiers, and transporters.
Research new technologies as soon as possible to gain an edge over the aliens. You should prioritize researching alien weapons, armor, medikits, lasers, plasma, power suits, psionics, and avenger.
Be careful with your money and resources. You should balance your income and expenses, and avoid wasting money on unnecessary things. You should also sell any excess or obsolete items to generate more funds.
Be cautious and tactical in combat. You should scout the area with your fastest or most expendable soldiers, use cover and smoke grenades to protect your soldiers, aim for the head or torso of the aliens, use explosives to destroy walls or groups of enemies, and retreat if necessary.
Where can I find more information and help about UFO Enemy Unknown?
If you want to find more information and help about UFO Enemy Unknown, you can visit some of the following websites:
UFOpaedia: This is a wiki that contains all the information you need to know about UFO Enemy Unknown and its sequels. You can find detailed descriptions of the game mechanics, items, aliens, missions, research, tips, tricks, cheats, mods, and more. You can visit UFOpaedia at
StrategyCore: This is a website that focuses on strategy games, especially UFO Enemy Unknown and its sequels. You can find news, reviews, forums, downloads, guides, walkthroughs, mods, and more. You can visit StrategyCore at
OpenXcom Forums: This is a forum that is dedicated to OpenXcom, a mod that recreates the original game engine with modern features and improvements. You can find discussions, suggestions, feedback, support, bug reports, and more. You can also find links to other mods and fan-made campaigns that use OpenXcom. You can visit OpenXcom Forums at
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