If you played the predecessor then two things really stand out about this one, first the removal of the ability to shoot from corners of buildings. Second a lot better mission design. You can tell that the developers got more experience in this game and they've put it to good use. But it's still with a lot of flaws and imbalances which mostly relates to the weapons and the ai which is quite poor. Often you'll find yourself in a mission where the aliens try to run you down like a pack of angry bulls, and you just need the widest spread possible on your guns or use grenades. Luckily most of these issues are fixed in the excellent Weapon Rebalance Mod by ShadoWarrior which can be downloaded here http://www.strategycore.co.uk/files/index.php?dlid=260 A more recent mod and with some scifi like effects is the ACM Total Conversion by Okim which can be downloaded here http://www.strategycore.co.uk/files/index.php?dlid=725 Using either of these mods will really improve the playability and enjoyment of the game, it actually gets so good that I've played through it a couple of times, Aftermath I've only been able to complete once in comparison.
This series is largely being criticised for "not being x-com" . And that criticism is correct in the same way that one might blame a bicycle for not being a jetplane. Obviously the purpose of a bicycle is not to fly. UFO: Aftermath actually continues the tradition and ideas set forth by the original X-Com developers in "Apocalypse" and in the unfinished project "Dreamland" which was canceled by Hasbro and the game's subsequent assets purchased by Altar Interactive who made the UFO series. So in Aftermath they expand the ideas of the original developers in their last unfinished game meaning it has no relation to "UFO Defense/Enemy Unknown" or "Terror From the Deep" as both are turn based games, or jetplanes. Theres many cool ideas to find in Aftermath, like a cover system and expanded training model, again like the one in Apocalypse. Suffice it so say if you found Apocalypse to be a good game then you'll have a good time with Aftermath and the rest of the series by Altar. The second game "Aftershock" got some very nice mods and the third one is definitely the most refined one. But they're all part of the UFO story which develops through the series and are all good games in their own way.
Earth 2150 is a game of discovery, awe and wonder; like so many other RTS's you start out with the bare minimum of available units for construction and use. But soon it becomes apparent that through research you can get both new weapons, traction systems, armors, shields and aerial propulsion systems. The design of the units will thus in time, become up to the player, who will be able to make units for any situation and counter his enemy's units and weapons through clever research and construction. Compared to most other RTS's the research and design adds a new element, not only will you be restricted to always see the same types of 8 units but you can diversify and your opponent will most likely have a different design for you to counter - or die trying. Not only will you have to master the ground and they skies you'll also have to defend and attack underground, diggers allow you to dig tunnels all the way under your opponents base, allowing you to launch a surprise attack from underground. The only bad thing about the game is it's camera which in the first game is not always intuitive, luckily the two latter games fixed this somewhat, still you don't get to see as much as you do in for instance Supreme Commander. That said, the possibilities are virtually endless and the modding and multiplayer community is still very much alive to this day, giving you many hours of fun.
