UFO: Aftermath

While it’s been a long time in development and gone through several different names and developers, UFO: Aftermath is finally here, and the results are pretty good.  The game features an interesting mix of RTS, turn-based and straight strategic gameplay and varied mission designs.  However, the turn-based/RTS system may seem a bit convoluted for some gamers who expect a more simplistic action-oriented approach to squad-based strategy.  However, anyone looking for a deep tactical RTS would do well to check out UFO: Aftermath.  

UFO: Aftermath takes place in the not-so-distant future.  Alien invaders have covered the globe in deadly spores that not only block out the sun and poison the Earth’s oceans, but also kill off a good portion of the population. Your rag-tag group of military specialists are all that stands in the way of alien takeover and the complete annihilation of the human race.

The gameplay does a pretty good job of blending together various genres.  You begin with an overhead view of the world, with your command centers marked out.  You also have a Research and Development department that can give you better weapons, armor and other things that directly influence how the RTS stages pan out. In the overhead map, as the clock progresses, you gain access to more missions and you can recruit more soldiers, each with their own traits and specialties.

While the overhead map sections are diverting, the RTS missions are the real meat of the game. You control your group of soldiers across the playing field running various missions.  These sequences are pseudo turn-based and pseudo RTS, in that you give your soldiers orders and they carry them out in real-time, but once they are out of orders, the game will stop until you give them a new line of orders. This system works pretty well, but newcomers might have a tough time since it does manage to interrupt the flow of the game at certain points.  Also, it’s quite easy to get your characters stuck behind a wall or somewhere that they are unable to shoot the enemy, leaving them wide open for attack.

As if RTS/turn-based strategy weren’t enough, the game also features some nice RPG elements as well.  As your soldiers stay alive for more and more missions, they can hone their abilities through gaining experience, developing certain traits like marksmanship and mastery of explosives, and even develop psychic powers to help them in battle.

The mission designs are nicely varied, but the objectives can be a bit sketchy at times. A few times, I couldn’t really figure out what I was supposed to do in a mission, so I just walked around a bit until finally I found an alien that I hadn’t killed, and that got a little redundant.

UFO Aftermath’s graphics aren’t quite the best that have ever been on the PC, but they do their job and still look pretty good.  The soldiers look a little polygonal, but they are well-animated.  The levels are huge and feature a lot of little details, which adds very nicely to the atmosphere.  The alien models are pretty creative as well, and they vary nicely with some enemies having guns and others looking like huge spider creatures.

The sound in UFO Aftermath is also pretty good. The music is subtle and ambient, setting the stage nicely for the overall mood of the game. The sound effects are crisp and clear, although the voice acting is kind of on the corny side.

UFO Aftermath is a strategy game that does a fine job of melding together various elements from other genres.  While the end result might be a little confusing to newcomers, hardened strategy fans will definitely find a title that’s worth their time.  

Gameplay: 8.5
While it may be a little convoluted and difficult for newcomers to grasp, hardened strategy fans will find a lot to like here. The mission structure is nicely varied and the game does a fine job of mixing good elements from several genres to make a deep, engaging experience.

Graphics: 8.0
The character models aren’t very detailed, but they are well-animated. Also, environments look great and are teeming with atmosphere.

Sound: 8.0
The music has a nice brooding quality to it and adds very nicely to the overall atmosphere of the game.  The sound effects are also very crisp.  However, the voice acting can be a little cheesy.

Difficulty: Medium 

Concept: 9.0
Few games have ever successfully taken bits of different genres and made a cohesive experience out of it. Fortunately, UFO Aftermath is one of those games.

Overall: 8.5
UFO Aftermath is a good strategy game that combines elements from various types of strategy games, from RPGs to RTSs.  Although the combat system feels a little disjointed at times and the learning curve is a bit steep for beginners, UFO Aftermath is still a game in which any strategy fan could find something they like.