Incubation is a turn based strategy game from Blue Byte Software which was released in 1997. In which, the player controls a squad of soldiers. The game was one of the first strategy titles to use fully 3D graphics, and supported hardware acceleration on the 3dfxVoodoo.
Incubation is part of the Battle Island series, though it is loosely related to the other games in the series. There are some shared features with the game Tactics Ogre. The plot revolves around a mysterious virus causing indigenous inhabitants surrounding a planetary colony to mutate into the monster Scay’ Ger.
The single player game includes around 30 missions which are set in futuristic interiors full of aliens, a squad of space marines battles to save the civilians and themselves. The game has some one on one and coop multi-player sup port via Local Area Network and other software. There are three difficulty levels which set parameters like respawn of the monsters and damage amounts.
Outside of real missions, the main decision is what weapons and equipment to buy to fit the troops. A good variety of weapons are available, most are for tactical balance rather than special damage effects. GameSpot's Greg Kasavin notes that "Most weapon carry limited ammunition, can overheat very quickly, forcing you to fire only when you have to."
Criticism
of Incubation was varied. P C Gamers take was good, giving it "Best Turn-Based Strategy Game of 1997". Kasavin felt the game made some steps in a very good direction but in the end it lacked the depth and difficulty needed for a really great strategy game. Nikko Nirvi of Pellit, who initially though that the game was a botched X-COM want to be, came to see it like a sort of puzzle game and was very pleased by it.
Blue Bite later produced an expansion, The Wildernes Misions, which had newer missions with more enemies, as well as needed map editor. The complexity and difficulty of newer missions usually start off where the missions from the original game ended.
