User Rating: 7.3 | UFO: Aftermath PC
I agree with a lot of what the original Gamespot reviewer said. UFO: Aftermath is no UFO: Defence, it doesn't have nearly the satisfaction of player choice or influence on the game. I miss the drive to collect money to improve bases or purchase gear, as do I miss being able to lay down patches of incendiary chain gun fire on insidious alien hulls. However, the review wasn't all about the original X-Com, as comparisons have been done to newer games on the market. Judging by the Silent Storm demo I could say that you should look there if you have a craving for an improved version of the original X:Com's squad combat (either that or Laser Squad. Though I haven't played Commandos 3, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find somebody has managed to do squad-based real time combat better than UFO: Aftermath. That said, UFO: Aftermath is nonetheless a reasonably good game on it's own merits. Continual patches have been brought out since release - I'm playing version 1.2 right now and am reasonably satisfied but look forward to future patches. While UFO:A's individual parts of tactical and strategic views may not impress, when put together and combined with the plot the result is quite reasonably good. While the tactical control scheme is glitchy and takes some getting used to, once you've got it down pat you'll find it is fairly robust and powerful. It's fun to pause the game, order 4 soldiers to run up, crouch, and unload fully automatic machine gun fire on some bothersome foe, then unpause and watch the action. Once you've got the hang of things, you can do all this in less than a minute. Some terrain is fully destructible (albeit not as much as the original X-Com), and you’ve some powerful toys at your disposal to combat the alien menace. Though easy enough at first, as the game progresses and you're put up against nastier foes things get more interesting. The other part of the game, the strategic overlay (world view), is highly streamlined. However, it nonetheless proves a good story telling medium. R&D reveals a story behind the events and individual creatures/items in the game. You are in control of the action as you dispatch interceptors, delegate missions to be taken by conventional ground troops, and manage your elite squad. This is not to say that this game does not leave you wanting. More than one squad would have been nice to have. Further level of customization of bases and equipment would have been nice. A user-friendlier tactical interface would have been nice. However, these are all things you can get used to. If future patches are added and the already included game mod support is made use of, all this could be met and more. To explain the rest of my scoring: The graphics are competent but not mind-bogglingly good, I thought the sound and music were pretty good, the value is pretty good given that the gameplay is geared towards long term play (complete with sophisticated randomized maps), and finally I'll give it a reasonable reviewers tilt on the grounds I wasn't really disappointed with UFO: Aftermath.
