Customer Reviews

X-COM Terror from the Deep: The Official Strategy Guide (Secrets of the Game Series,)

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David Ellis' second time out writing a X-Com strategy guide brings some mixed results this time around.

The Bad: Around half of the guide is a simply re-print of the manual, with a few added details. Although good, many other sections of the guide were simply too short and did not go into enough depth (who ever heard of devoting only 1 chapter to the tactical part of an X-Com game?).

The Good: Aside from the manual re-print, the entire quality of the material was very very high. Combat tips are right on the mark, and information is presented in an easy to find/read way. The tables are placed in the chapters they relate to, not some "Tables and Reference information" chapter at the end of the guide. It is a very easy to use companion to the game, not diving into meaningless details (for the most part) but not skimming important subjects (for the most part) either.

Bottom line: Mostly Excellent quality, just not enough of it.

One of the best game guides I have ever read, this book greatly enhances the Terror from the Deep experience. Rather than being a step-by-step guide that you must follow like a robot without understanding _why_(something that would be almost impossible anyway, due to the nature of the game), this guide provides the detailed information you need to make your _own_ decisions. Statistics on literally everything in the game, along with detailed explanations of how crucial game aspects like movement, combat, and finances _really_ work, make this one a keeper.