UFO: Aftershock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

UFO: Aftershock
Image:UFO - Aftershock Coverart.png
Developer(s) Altar Interactive
Publisher(s) Cenega
Platform(s) Windows, Xbox
Release date PAL 2005-10-21
NA 2005-11-23
Genre(s) real-time strategy, Real-time tactics
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) ESRB: Teen
OFLC: Mature
PEGI: 16+
Media DVD
Input methods Keyboard, mouse

UFO: Aftershock is a computer real-time tactical strategy game created by Altar and released in 2005. It's a squad combat game at its core with overlying strategic elements and a clear debt to the lauded classic X-COM: UFO Defense (1994), though a smaller one than that of its predecessor, UFO: Aftermath.

It's set in a post-apocalyptic 2050 and comes after the events of UFO: Aftermath. The game assumes that you took up the Reticulans offer of resettling the most able of humanity in a space station, while allowing the rest to die, consumed by the Biomass that the Reticulans could not control (However, if you were a particularly skilled player, you could reject their offer, and save the Earth while defending against both the Reticulans and the Biomass. Then this game can be seen as taking place in a parallel universe). Having lost contact with the Earth, you must find out what happened. The combat section is a real-time system with adjustable and pausable speed, and it has been improved to feature such things as multi-level battlefields and enterable buildings. The strategic section holds resource and squad management, research, development, some limited diplomacy and planning of attacks. As a departure from the X-COMs and the prequel, there is no air-to-air interception.

Aftershock is unfortunately notoriously buggy, even after several released patches, and has received mixed reviews. The developers have already released a third game, UFO: Afterlight, to execute the same concept on Mars. Note that UFO: Aftershock is protected by the controversial StarForce copy protection software on all store sold copies of the game. A version of UFO: Aftershock can be purchased and downloaded from Gamersgate that does not contain StarForce. It is also possible to download UFO: Aftershock from SprocketIDEA, that version also does not contain StarForce.

UFO: Aftershock also has a mobile version. The license was given to Czech company Redboss Games, a subsidiary of Redboss.

[edit] External links

Languages