Chryssalids – UFO: Enemy Unknown. 9 iconic & notorious enemies from 90s' games
Table of Contents
- Genre: turn-based strategy with RPG elements
- Release year: 1994
- Developer: MicroProse
What were the chryssalids?
The names comes from the word "chrysalis." In the first game in the UFO series, which became known as XCOM, the chryssalids were deadly, bipedal, crab-like aliens with pincers on their upper limbs. They used them for lightning-fast melee attacks, which, if they succeeded in killing a victim, injected an embryo that turned the corpse into a zombie. To make matters worse, the defeated zombie would spawn another chryssalid!
The authors of the game are said to have been a bit inspired by the xenomorphs from Alien, as evidenced by their code name – Ridley – from the name of the director of the first Alien movie.
Why were they memorable?
Chryssalids could get under your skin, attacking in packs using their deadly pincer strikes and poison injections. They were very mobile, they quickly covered large distances and never used cover, although they could sometimes use camouflage. The best strategy to combat them was to get as much distance as possible and shoot, so as not to let them get too close, within the range of the pincers. Along with the successive upgrades, the soldiers could be much better equipped for clashes with the chryssalids, and over time they did not pose such a threat as in the early stages of the game.
