Customer Reviews

UFO Aftershock - Altar Interactive

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Even though Aftershock was created in the X-com vein, it's not an X-com game and as thus, should not be compared to X-com.

Instead of talking about what was good, I'll just discuss the bad things which is a much smaller list.

The game introduces resource management, which can be really difficult. I would strongly recommend going to www.strategycore.co.uk and reading the resource management FAQ. Read all the Aftershock FAQs as well, to enhance game enjoyment.

The game is actually too long. Near the end, I pretty much stopped using strategy and just swept the mission area, killing and healing as I went. :)

Sure, there are bugs. Nothing is perfect. There are also workarounds. I finished the game long ago so I do not remember what the latest patch number is. Again, those FAQs and reading the strategycore forums will help you alot.

<<Update at the bottom.>>
...and this game SO reminds me of a current-technology update of the favorite X-Com that this game is derived from.

This game has evolved from it's previous incarnations. Better tech, Diplomacy, Research and Manufacturing. Multiple bases and Character advancement for each of your squadmembers.

I encourage you to download the demo before buying the game if you have broadband, it is worth the look. I actually didn't like the previous UFO game, and didn't play it 30 minutes. This demo sold me to this game.

(The average rating is because I have yet to play the WHOLE game in all it's complexity.)

JW

<Update>
The games pirate protection may cause your PC to blue screen at times. The blue screen will happen whether you are playing or not. I finally had to ditch the game - uninstall it completely. I only got 5 missions into the game. Good game - bad protection.
bummer.

JW

This would be a fantastic game if the developers actually worked out the bugs. To date they have not, even with a 1.2 patch.

The turn based strategy game had me hooked for months until I reached a point in the game where one of the many glitches meant I was unable to complete the mission. Upon reading associated forums, I could fix this problem if I restarted an earlier saved mission (2 solid weeks worth) or emailed the saved game to the developers. I have been waiting two weeks for this 'fixed' save game to be sent back. Really annoyed, by all accounts I was just one piece of research away from finishing. I have no faith in this software developer and consequently will never buy one of their products again.

Nice graphics and good ragdoll physics do not make the game any more fun. It's pretty good for a while but ultimately the player is just killing time as (s)he waits for the next plot point to unfold. The variety of weapons is okay and not as xenophillic as in the original, but really, it's not as fun as the original X-Com. Moreover, it's rife with all sorts of bugs and the nefarious StarForce copyright protection, so, -1 star for tech.

First off, I don't think it fair to compare this game directly to X-COM. Yes, it's the same STYLE of game, but considering another X-COM game is probably not in the works, UFO: Aftershock is the next best thing. Research weapons, armor, ammunition types, various devices such as scanners, train your squad members in various classes with different abilities and bonuses. Squad members level-up RPG style, by gaining experience for completing missions successfully. Great ragdoll physics. Tactical missions are conducted in a pause-and-give-orders style, then you can unpause and continue. One caveat: This game has Starforce protection, unfortunately. Find a way around it if possible.

The plot is your basic aliens attack Earth in order to conduct some giant experiment in order to turn the planet into some sort of biological supercomputer. Meh, but the gameplay is enjoyable.

First of all, I've got the latest patch installed. So, a lot of the instability issues some folks are seeing have been fixed.
The game stands on its own fairly well. The stop-go combat has it's advantages and disadvantages. It'd be nice if your guys would open up on new targets without being told, but that's fine.
One thing it does better than Aftermath is getting to combat sites. I got stuck in Aftermath more than once where I couldn't expand because my guys would get halfway to an attack site and I'd have to reroute them to defend a base. After ten such trips, I got sick of that nonsense. X-com you had the multiple squads, this one you've got instantaneous drops.
All in all, not a bad game, much better than the first.
As for the detracters that say 'all the combat sites look alike'. Well, hate to say it, but so did x-com's. X-coms AI was better, but they both have repeating combat site layouts. I also enjoy the ability to modify weapons and micromanage my squads specialties. But, I miss the size of x-com bases and the diversity you could build into them. With only three to five 'buildings', you really have to grab land in a hurry just to get any research progress.
On it's own, it's a good game. Compared to X-Com, it's a little lacking in spots, but I think it does a few things better or maybe not better per se, but different in a way I like. Maybe Afterlight will fix a couple of the weak areas.

Being an avid Xcom series fan, this game and the others in this line (UFO Aftermath and UFO Aftershock) were instant buys on my list. It is therefore incredibly frustrating and disappointing to actually experience the disaster that is Altair Interactive's answer to Xcom. The first game in the series started slowly and then rapidly became a monotonous replay over and over of the same missions against the same monsters. Then I made the mistake of upgrading my video card. Instantly, my video was upside down and backwards. After many hours of suggested fixes and patches, the game went on the shelf of dead games. Phase 2 has been different but even more aggravating. Apparently, according to the "explanation" I have been given, there is some type of conflict between the game mechanics and any computer with multiple processors or Hyperthreading Tech. So the end result is literally hundreds of crashes to the desktop, save times that approach 1/4 hour, and more freeware fixes, suggestions, and patches that do nothing to fix the problem. In some cases the suggestions actually make the problem WORSE. Listen up fans! If you are as desperate as I am to follow the Xcom theme, please save yourself the trouble and money. Wait for a company that is forward thinking to step out into realm to build a game that will actually play without all the extra crap to wade through.

UFO Aftershock is fun. I've spent numerous hours enjoying it, and expect to spend many more. It's easy for me to like, as I've always been a fan of similar squad based / tactical / RPG style games, but it would earn my approval even if I wasn't. While the "Aliens are attacking the world and you must fight them with your team!" theme has certainly been done before, I feel that the Altar / Cenega series offers a unique style. Consequently, in evaluating Aftershock I think of it mostly in relation to its predecessor, UFO Aftermath. They share far more in common with each other than they do with most other games of the type.

The story is interesting, and even more enjoyable if you played the previous game. Since the premise for the beginning is one of the alternate endings to Aftermath, it ends up covering ground that is usually untouched in the genre. This makes the story more unique and less derivative than might be expected.

The resource management element is more complex than Aftermath, but still fairly simple, and easily grasped. The new reputation and diplomacy tool is nice, and can be quite useful at times, though it often helps most when left alone. The new races are an interesting addition, and the soldier recruitment system is more convenient than the "have a new recruit randomly appear in the roster every so often" system in Aftermath.

The tactical combat is the heart of it all: the chance to use the soldiers you've carefully improved, trained, and equipped. If you enjoy the combat, you'll probably enjoy the game in general, and the combat is definitely enjoyable. It's much improved from Aftermath, particularly with the ability to go inside structures without it requiring a second map, and to use ladders, stairs, elevators, and teleporters to move on multiple levels of the same map. The new weapon mods improve your ability to customize your troops according to tactic or whim, and the weapon balance is much better, with different damage types and delivery options being significant factors on the battlefield. As a whole, the tactical options are greatly expanded, and it feels more natural and fun.

I'd like to be able to end it right there, and leave on a happy note, but sadly the many good points of the game also make you really notice the flaws. First and foremost, the game regularly crashes to desktop, usually after no more than an hour or so of play. This is a serious and inexcusable problem, even after patching the game, but for me simply saving frequently reduced it from "game-breaking" to "annoying" status.

Second, the game comes bundled with and dependent on the much-despised StarForce copy protection software. StarForce is intrusive, hard to get rid of, and some people have reported that it resulted in permanent damage to their optical drives. It is, however, fairly low-profile and inconspicuous, and for me the risk of possible drive damage wasn't a major deterrent. Even if something did happen, optical drives are fairly cheap these days. I'm willing to risk it if it means I can enjoy the games that, like Aftershock, regrettably punish those who legitimately buy their copies, leaving anyone able to remove the copy protection a compelling reason to do so.

Finally, there is a valid complaint to be made that while fun, the combat missions feel old after a while. This is mostly due to the mission generation system: because many maps and environment elements are re-used, and while the circumstances may vary, there are ultimately only a few mission objective types. For me, this was a bit of an issue, but I got past it by not letting my units have permanency. I found that as long as I was always trying a new armor, weapon, mod, special ability, or tactic, there was something new and interesting that kept me involved even if I was fighting a battle I'd basically already fought before. This will understandably be less helpful after you've played the game through, and explored most of the options. If you're bored easily, you might want to try renting the game or finding a place to buy it heavily discounted, because replay value will be limited. There are a lot of options to explore, though, and I've managed to go through it twice without feeling like it wasn't worth my money.

In the end, there's serious problems that keep me from recommending the game the way I'd like to. I found that I could work with them though, and really enjoyed the game apart from them. If it sounds like you could handle them too, I'd encourage you to give it a try. I know I'm glad that I did.

well i prefer aftershock then this one. the opening of the ugly anoying guy talking is sorta anoyance i would much rather have read it, and it kept on hitting problems after problems with bugs, one of which was anoying every time i moved the screen would flip out like crazy till they were done moveing, some times it would even freeze. i am sure it is ot like that for every one but on mine it was sorta after a day i just deleted it. i am sure it is a good game if you have a copy that does not screw up all the time

I've played this game quite a few times, but only played to completion twice. It is far too long and by mundane mission #120 you are wondering when it will end.

But that is the only bad thing about the game.

Good Points:
-Player Modifiable System. Below was mentioned the games website. In the forums section are MODs which REALLY do a great job of improving the game. You can also MOD it yourself. Playing with totally new weapons, armor, and people makes this truly enjoyable. The fact that a game can be modified allows players to fix much of what they do not like.

-X-Com like play, but with a better system than time points or the old Real Time from X-Com APOC. The first UFO Aftermath game (also modifiable) was good, but was more akin to Fallout in its "you have to scrounge weapons to live". UFO AS also has this "find a good gun or fight unarmed" in early sections, but you can actually build multiple factories and labs to build items faster.

-Enemies abound. Using some MODs from the website, I can now have 20-30 enemies attack my troops who now have better weapons and pretty cool armor to fight back with. Makes for an interesting time.

The Bad and Ugly:
-Can have long load times on older systems (pre-mid 2006).
-Resource system leaves you wanting to cheat and get more at first.
-Missions, even with MODs become mundane and boring between 2nd and 3rd (finale) stages. This is one of the reasons I restart. After I defeat 90% of the enemies and have researched almost everything, it becomes a 20 mission wait to see when the last mission will arrive. It is more fun in the beginning than near the end.

So a great game that is lots of fun and modifiable, but waaayyyy too long.