UFO: Aftermath Impressions

We visited with Altar Interactive at E3 2003 for a firsthand demonstration of UFO: Aftermath, the tactical strategy game inspired by the classic X-Com strategy series.

As we saw, Aftermath will be divided into two parts: a world view that will let you view your holdings on a 3D global map, and a tactical view that will let you command your squads from a 3D overhead perspective. The global view will let you manage your various bases, and it will also let you track the progress of the biomass, a mysterious new substance that threatens to swallow the earth if left unchecked (if you and your team are unable to stop the biomass from covering the earth, you'll lose the game). To combat the biomass, you'll be able to construct and manage four kinds of bases, including antibiomass bases that can be used to directly stop the spread of the alien substance. The other three base types will be research (where you'll be able to unlock new kinds of weapons and armor), engineering (where you'll manufacture what you've researched), and military (where you can recruit soldiers and pick up weapons). Though you might be tempted to build only military bases, you'll eventually want to strike a good balance between the different base types, since you won't be able to prevail using only one kind of base. The game will feature about 70 different fields of research, including armor, weapons, and even psionics.

In the meantime, you'll be able to improve your squadron of soldiers' abilities, much like in a role-playing game. Your squadmates will have six different attributes that will directly affect different sets of skills. As we saw, your teammates will also have a paper-doll inventory system they'll be able to fill up with combat shotguns, assault rifles, pistols, and grenades. We've been informed that although your team will mainly carry conventional modern weaponry at the start of the game, after researching different ways to combine alien technology with human weaponry, you'll be able to eventually obtain futuristic hybrid equipment that will have the best features of both human and alien technology.

On the ground, you'll be able to choose missions from nearby hot spots and jump into the action, or request that the game create a nearby mission for you. In the version we saw at E3, we were able to freely jump to any part of the world for a new mission, though the developer hasn't yet decided whether this freedom of movement will make it into the final game. However, the developer has confirmed that there will be numerous different 3D environments for each mission, all generated randomly on the fly by the game's engine. We were able to take a look at a few different levels, such as a wrecked, futuristic version of an American city, complete with rund-down buildings and overturned cars, and a wrecked, futuristic version of an American suburb, which featured considerably more breathing room among its rows of burned-down houses. UFO: Aftermath will feature a relatively powerful 3D engine that will let you zoom in on and rotate about the world, and though the game will take place in real time, you'll be able to pause combat at any moment to issue orders, much like in Irrational's acclaimed superhero tactical game Freedom Force. UFO: Aftermath will be released later this year.