UFO: Aftermath

Real time with pause system in worse form than ever. The marketing text says "A unique combination of real-time and turn-based combat", which is true, as long as unique also means terrible. This game keeps the worst aspects from both TBS and RTS: slow, and tedious (more so than many turn based games), but doesn't give that many tactical options or superb control. The badly aged graphics doesn't help either, but I could overlook that, if there was any enjoyable element of the gameplay. Or at least a comfortable interface. Really, I couldn't find anything positive.

Let me begin by saying, I don't find the other UFO games very interesting. Afterlight and Aftershock both missed the target in my opinion. Aftermath, however, hits a sweet spot. The gameplay is fun, methodical, and captures the feel of what the world is supposed to have become. Now, about every other reviewer comparing this game to X-COM... Don't compare this to X-Com. X-Com is supposed to be a different feel, with a different setting. This is darker, grittier, and imho (if you enjoy post-apocalyptic games) better. Grab the ComboMOD, which adds new missions, weapons, squad members, and enemies.

This is not XCOM, but it is a good game. It is not turnbased, but realtime with pause. You really have to play it modded but there are amazing mods available for the ALTAR games. It is incredibly hard but also incredibly rewarding to play. If you completed TOTD you can handle this. DO IT.

Trying to go to sleep last night I suddenly thought of this game. I have played Xcom EW lately, and got to think about this game. I remembered the sounds, music and awesome research screens. The game just felt so right, in a sense that almost all hope is lost, humanity is almost gone. I just had to get up and buy it from GOG. The game is not an xcom equivalent but the feel and atmosphere of it is totally awesome. Even 11 years later.

Well it seems that I am not the only X-Com fan that bought this game without doing some proper searching, still though I consider it to be more of a win than a loss. The atmosphere is set perfectly for this kind of game, the streets are abandoned and filled with mutated freaks, the music in the geoscape is also perfect for the situation. The game has some very interesting story and the combat is solid, my one complaint with it is the difficulty curve, and this seems to be a problem that all of the games in the UFO trilogy suffer from, you will find yourself in a situation where a new unfimiliar enemy appears, and you are not at all prepared, and before you know it these new enemies are EVERYWHERE. on one side this does make the game more interesting and make you adapt your strategies, improve your weapons, etc. on the other hand it gets REALLY fucking frustrating in situations like attacks on bases that are overrun with aliens that have highly advanced weaponry.