CNET Networks Entertainment GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer | Metacritic | MP3.com | TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games Books TV
Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
53 AGON: The Lost Sword Of Toledo
xx Arctic Stud Poker Run
xx Armageddon Empires
78 Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition
85 AudioSurf
xx Avernum 5
xx Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
63 Bus Driver
xx Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
65 City Life 2008 Edition
67 Club, The
77 Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
58 Conflict: Denied Ops
xx Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come
xx Cry of the Infected
xx Dancing with the Stars
xx Devil May Cry 4
xx Diamonds in the Rough
xx Dracula: Origin
xx Dream Pinball 3D
xx EA Sports GameShow
75 Europa Universalis: Rome
71 Experiment, The
xx Fate of Hellas
xx Ford Racing Off Road
72 Frontlines: Fuel of War
xx Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor
xx Galactic Command Echo Squad SE
xx Golden Horde, The
xx Great War Nations: The Spartans
xx GRID
xx Happy Tree Friends False Alarm
58 Hard to be a God
xx Highlander
xx Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge
xx History Channel: Lost Worlds, The
xx Hope Springs Eternal
xx Hour of Victory
63 Imperium Romanum
xx Incredible Hulk, The
xx Iron Man
67 Jack Keane
xx King of Clubs
xx Kung Fu Panda
xx Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne- The Kamael
77 Lost Crown: A Ghost-hunting Adventure, The
59 Lost Empire: Immortals
xx Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition
52 Lost: Via Domus
xx Magic: The Gathering Online III
xx Mass Effect
xx My Horse and Me
xx Napoleon's Campaigns
xx Ninja Reflex: Steamworks Edition
xx Noitu Love 2: Devolution
xx NOMBZ: Night of a Million Billion Zombies
60 Obscure: The Aftermath
72 Overclocked: A History of Violence
xx Panzer Command: Kharkov
xx PDC World Championship Darts 2008
xx Penny Arcade Adventures Epsiode One: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
77 Penumbra: Black Plague
xx Pet Vet 3D: Animal Hospital Down Under
77 Pirates of the Burning Sea
xx Powerboat GT
72 Rail Simulator
xx Requiem: Bloodymare
69 RHEM 3
68 Riddle of the Tomb
xx RPG Maker VX
61 Saga
79 Sam & Max Episode 203: Night of the Raving Dead
84 Sam & Max Episode 204: Chariots of the Dogs
85 Sam & Max Episode 205: What's New, Beelzebub?
75 Savage 2: A Tortured Soul
38 Seven Kingdoms: Conquest
86 Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis
xx Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions
xx SimCity Societies Destinations
xx Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens
73 Sims 2: FreeTime, The
xx Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff, The
73 Sims Castaway Stories, The
88 Sins of a Solar Empire
xx So Blonde
xx SpaceForce Captains
xx Spandex Force
60 Spiderwick Chronicles, The
41 Stranger
xx Stronghold Crusader Extreme
63 Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory
79 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
xx Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
xx Top Trumps: Doctor Who
xx TrackMania Nations Forever
84 Trials 2: Second Edition
39 Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
xx Turok
xx UEFA Euro 2008
71 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm
65 Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March
58 Warriors Orochi
74 Wonderful End of the World, The
xx XIII Century: Death or Glory

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

UFO: Aftershock pc Game Reviews
UFO: Aftershock
Critic Score
Metascore: 67 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.3 out of 10
based on 20 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

The sequel to UFO: Aftermath - Global strategy and small scale tactical missions intertwined...The year is 2054. Fifty years ago, something terrible happened and the surface of Earth became uninhabitable. The remnants of humankind escaped to an immense flying island, the Laputa. However a revolt against increasingly rigid and corrupt human leadership of the island escalated into a conflict that eventually destroyed it. The survivors of the survivors flee once again. Can they reclaim the Earth from the unknown forces now holding her in their grasp? The game features new amazing technologies and items to be researched and developed, new enemies and allies, resource and base management in the strategic game, and improved SAS and RPG systems in the tactical game. [Cenega Publishing]

PUBLISHER: Cenega Publishing
DEVELOPER: Altar Interactive
GENRE(S): Turn-Based Strategy, Real-Time Strategy, Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2005

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

92
eToychest
Aftershock is a very difficult but fun strategy title that marries strategic and tactical portions which are both compelling and fully-developed, as well as an important RPG system, which also interconnects quite well with the other portions of the game.
Read Full Review
88
Pelit (Finland)
Much better than Aftermath. Geoscape and RPG elements are excellent. Tactical fighting is far better than before, but still needs some work. Battlefields should be generated randomly, and structural damage is not good enough. Take Silent Storm for a role model, please. [Nov 2005]
84
PC Gameworld
If nothing else, the combination of squad-based combat with a RTS title makes UFO: Aftershock worth picking up, but the game surpasses its gimmick with solid gameplay.
Read Full Review
80
Loaded Inc
ALTAR Interactive has done an admirable job of improving upon UFO: Aftermath and delivering a very deep, fun game. The learning curve is steep, but gamers who like obsessing over details will find rich, rewarding gameplay.
Read Full Review
78
PC Format
It's plagued by page after page of 'I don't daren't [sic] skip this' tutorial help, but there are rewards for those who persevere. [Dec 2005 p.89]
75
IGN
I think a lot of these interface and order problems have to do with the decision to go both turn-based and real-time together. While it was certainly a noble attempt, it just didn't work together as well as it might have.
Read Full Review
75
Armchair Empire
While the game features its own amount of idiosyncrasies when it comes to the menus and interface, and a steep learning curve, there is some fun to be had, even if it takes a while to get to that point.
Read Full Review
72
Game Over Online
One of those hit-and-miss games. It gives you some things to think about and the tactical missions work well enough, but those missions are too similar, and they just go on and on and on, well past the point of tedium.
Read Full Review
72
GameZone
If you are aching for a good and highly challenging strategy game, then look notfurther then UFO: Aftershock.
Read Full Review
70
Game Chronicles
Combines solid graphics with time-tested gameplay from the classic X-com series. Sadly, this title has far too many glitches and its lack of diversity hurts it greatly in the long run. Only hardcore fans of the infamous series should check this title out.
Read Full Review
70
My Gamer
At its core, the game is almost solid. Good graphics, fun combat sequences, and the slowly rewarding element of research and development have potential for a real winner. However, the game is just simply too long and repetitive for its own good.
Read Full Review
68
Worth Playing
The graphics need to be overhauled, the missions need to be more diverse, and I would definitely like to see a deeper diplomatic side to the game. The bottom line, however, is that if you like strategy and micromanaging a lot, you should give this a try, but if you are easily bored, you'd probably want to pass on this title.
Read Full Review
68
Cheat Code Central
Control freaks need apply. UFO Aftershock may be sluggish in pace but there is lots to ponder like a good game of chess.
Read Full Review
60
Four Fat Chicks
But the fact is "X-Com" is twelve years old, and memory has a way of polishing off the burrs and nits that flaw a game, leaving you with only the hard candy shell of perfection. UFO: Aftershock cannot measure up any more than "UFO: Aftermath" did, but it hits a lot closer to the mark.
Read Full Review
60
RewiredMind
UFO Aftershock is, in short - strategy gaming brilliance, spoilt by lacklustre interfaces and controls, and one truly terrible camera.
Read Full Review
60
DailyGame
Playable, but lacking any "fun factor".
Read Full Review
60
Computer Gaming World
A solid "X-Com" clone, tailor made for grognards and entomologists. [Feb 2006, p.86]
51
PC Gamer
Solid tactical engine. Now, if it only had a brain to back it up. [Feb 2006, p.52]
50
Sydney Morning Herald
A pale imitation of an age-old PC classic that tries to innovate but fails to grasp what was great about the original.
Read Full Review
40
GameSpot
While UFO: Aftershock improves on its predecessor in some ways, there's just far too much wrong with this copy of the classic X-COM alien-hunting strategy series to recommend it.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Muz gave it a6:
Unlike UFO: Aftermath, Aftershock is a long way off X-Com style gameplay. The game concept is solid and it has one of the best storylines I've ever seen. However, the game tends almost impossibly hard quite early on (before you get proper weapons) and in the late-mid game up to the point where I'd be happy that my soldiers even survived. In most other parts of the game, it simply got too easy and repetitive. The game has an excellent tactical concept, but many missions can be resolved without tactics. And worst of all, it tends to slow down badly if you have too many units on a mission and the base management can be frustrating late in the game. However, it's a great, fun game with an interesting storyline, worth a look if it's in the bargain bin or purchased as part of the trilogy.

Rob E. gave it a2:
Very sorry, loved X-COM in 1995, but copying it exactly in 2007 is not a good idea. Especially when you have everything you need in UFO: Afterlight. Stay away from this. Bad graphics, terrible interface.

Jhgjhgj jhgjhg gave it a0:
It's old shcool and far too buggy.

Wizyy gave it a9:
Excellent game! Finally a strategy game that got me hooked after some years of MMORPGs. It's so incredibly underrated, it's really such a shame. I didnt play 1.0 version, just 1.2 and its almost bugless. I think horrible rating are coming mainly from those who reviewed 1.0, but also from the ones who played UFO: Aftermath which was really very poor game from the same publisher. Maybe they just didnt have the patience to give it a chance. THEIR LOSS! Anyone who enjoyed XCOM, Fallout and Jagged Alliance MUST play this!

Richard C. gave it a10:
Great game very addictive but hard to get used to so controls but that is all preference.

JW gave it a4:
After reading Andrew H's review (if you like Xcom, Jagged Alliance, Fallout etc.) I had to post. I loved those games - they are still on my shelf. Unfortunately, UFO: Aftershock comes nowhere close to these elite titles. The graphics are bland, muddy and, with no adjustable camera, often in the way of the gameplay. The enemies are nondescript, poorly rendered and there are only a handful of "types" - there is very little variety or imagination in the opponents. And, while some repitition is okay in maps, most games offer the repition primarily in the random encounters while offering stellar unique maps for the story arc - er, not this game. So, do not waste your money. I was suckered in by these user reviews (desperate for a good tactical game? I am, but refuse to accept this dreck) and now have a coaster. Do not get it except after it reaches $14.99 or below - then it's worth a rainy day's afternoon (barely).

Cameron M. gave it an8:
A huge improvement over Aftermath. Criticisms about repetitiveness are valid but hold across the genre and this game makes up for that with good graphics and improved RPG and strategy elements. Must mention : The Gamespot review is anomalous, ill-informed and written by a game-journo-hack who had no idea how to play this style of game. He certainly got no more that 10% of the way through the story. (Read the review to see what I mean) With this release perhaps now people and shoddy reviewers will abandon XCom comparisons and treat this and future UFO After* titles as elements in a solid independent series and worthwhile addition to the genre.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | BOOKS | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

About CNET Networks | Jobs | Advertise | Partnerships                                Visit other CNET Networks sites:

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use