Summary
OpenXcomis afree, open-source adaptationof the originalXCOM,UFO: Enemy Unknown, also known asX-COM: UFO Defense. The base game is a recreation of the original, faithful in almost every detail but with far fewer technical limitations. The game is extremely popular with modders as well as fans of the series because it simultaneously gives them plenty to improve on while providing some powerful modding tools.
Another thing that helpedOpenXcomdevelop a healthy modding community is the game’s default low-resolution assets, which certainly help make lots of content fast. Most mods for the game, like any game, are quality-of-life improvements and small additions to the main game. Some attempt to port elements from the rebooted series, while others attempt to modernize the game. Others, a minority, attempt to create a whole new game inside a mod, known as total conversion mods.
140K Rosigma
Featuring The Warhammer 40K Universe
40K Rosigmais aWarhammer 40Ktotal conversion mod forOpenXcom. It adds plenty of factions and new units, friendly and foe, as well as over one hundred maps and a whole new campaign. Some of thoseiconicWarhammerfactionsinclude several Chaos groups, different varieties of Orks, and variations of the Imperial Guard.
40K Rosigmais one of the most popular mods forOpenXcom, and it’s also one of the biggest mods available for the game. This is because it’s a combination of what used to be two separate mods,RoseandIgma. And according to the game’s community, it’s also one of the hardest, so much so that the game’s own download page suggests trying out the dedicated “chill mode.”
2X-Chronicles
Replaces Aliens With Fantasy Creatures
X-Chroniclesis a uniquefantasy-themed modforOpenXcom, and for many fans of the game, this might well be enough to play it. The premise is simple: instead of being invaded by aliens, the planet is attacked by magical fantasy creatures. The mod otherwise shares the vaguely modern setting of the original game, and just like alien technology in the standard campaign, it’s not long before the player and their human faction will learn to use magic, too.
In time, the player’s faction will also learn to use magic, and the iconic special operations soldiers of theXCOMseries will turn into magical creatures of one form or another.X-Chroniclescomes with unique custom maps, new types of enemies and soldiers, and an entire magic system integrated into the tactical shooter gameplay.
3The X-Com Files
Adds A Healthy Dose Of Intrigue Inspired By The X-Files
The X-Com Files, as the name suggests, is a total conversion mod forOpenXcomheavily inspired by theX-FilesTV show and otherconspiracy-filled, paranormal investigation stories. That said,The X-Com Filesisn’t anX-Filesfan game but rather an attempt to bring the series’ iconic mix of political thriller and tacky paranormal investigation into the world ofXCOM.
The mod’s obvious inspiration makes sure that the tone never becomes too serious, reaching a balance between the game’s classic, intense gameplay and the inherently silly premise of investigating a cult of people who pretend to be cavemen.The X-Com Filesis full of weird factions to investigate. In fact, one of the joys of this mod is finding out what new wacky enemies and bystanders the game will think of next.
4The Great War of the Worlds
World War 1 By Way Of H.G. Wells
The Great War of the Worldsis a total conversion mod inspired by the classic alien invasion story by H.G. Wells,The War of the Worlds. Aliens tried to invade planet Earth back in 1896 and, just like in the original story, they were stopped not by an army but by disease. Those who survived the first invasion tried to build a world ready to defend itself, but it didn’t work.The Great War of the Worldsisset during the years of the Great War, starting in 1914, with humanity already on the losing side.
The player takes control of anelite team of soldiersfrom all over the world, the International Expeditionary Force of the Coalition of Nations. Even thoughThe Great War of the Worldsis a fairly old mod, originally released in 2018, it’s still regularly updated. After all, it only reached its full, 1.0 release in December 2023, which actually makes it one of the most recent total conversion mods forOpenXcom.
5UNEXCOM
Dive Into The Cold War Amid An Alien Invasion
UNEXCOMis one of the most straightforward mods forOpenXcomset in 1972, midway through a Cold War interrupted by the alien invasion.UNEXCOMis the third game in a series of four mods dedicated to fleshing out this alternate-history Cold War. The first two mods in the series are set on Earth in 1958 and 1960, while the fourth and last are set on Mars in 1982. While this mod series has arguably more of a story than the game’s normal campaign, they can still be played out of order.
Like most mods of its size,UNEXCOMadds new units, weapons, maps, and an original campaign. Much of the context of the original game is irreparably changed by placing the alien invasion during the Cold War, with the world divided neatly into two superpowers: NATO and the USSR. In this respect, the mod shares a political balancing system similar to that of the games of therebootedXCOMseries.
