UFO: Afterwhatever Interview at RPGVault

[Naked_Lunch]

<strong>[ Game -> Interview ]</strong>

<p>If you've been hanging around here long enough, you know how much I lub <a title="ddd" target="_self" href="http://www.xcomufo.com/">X-Com: UFO Defense</a> and conversely, how much I goddamn hate the shoddy, 3rd rate knockoffs that it spawned. One of the worst offenders if the <a title="dds" target="_self" href="http://www.altargames.com/pages/index.html">UFO After(insert word here) serie</a>s, which in all honesty, just plain suck. Well, it seems that the Afterfamily is expanding with UFO: AFTERLIGHT, as evidenced by this <a title="ddd" target="_self" href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/689/689238p1.html">interview</a> (Hey, this is the first I've heard of it):
</p><blockquote><p><strong>
Jonric: As an introduction to UFO: Afterlight, what type of game is it, and what kind of play experience will it provide? </strong></p><p>...The tactical
aspect is controlled with SAS (simultaneous action system); this is a
middle ground between a real-time approach and a turn-based one. The
game is focused equally on both those genres. </p></blockquote><p>Sorry, pal, but the "Real-time with pause is the perfect balance between turn-based and real-time!" doesn't work for <a href="http://www.bioware.com/" target="_self" title="MOPOOO!">BioWare</a> or <a target="_self" href="http://www.obsidianent.com/">Obsidian</a> and it certainly doesn't work for a company that's trying to emulate the X-Com series EXCEPT WITHOUT THE TURN-BASED COMBAT, WHICH WAS THE BEST PART!</p><p>
</p><p> </p>

 

[Araanor]

Afterlight? Haha. I can see they still haven't learned what UFO/X-Com was about: tactical combat. Still pulling the marketing monkey rhetoric-logic to harp on about their wonderful mix of turn-based and realtime as if it is something new.

 

[Jason]

The best part of the first X-Com was the intro movie with its pulse-pounding music and the gatling gun scene. It's like the best 1980s cartoon in a 1 minute slice.

I haven't played any of these UFO games so they might be super awesome. But it does seem kind of odd to make a niche game and then avoid the part the niche audience is into the most. Maybe they know something we don't if they're able to be making the third in the series.

 

[VasikkA]

X-COM: UFO Defense was named UFO: Enemy Unknown, at least here in Europe. Hence the name.

I hope they ditch the continuous turn-based combat (or whatever fancy SAS thing they want to call it) and replay the original X-Com. Add movement that swithces to turn-based on grey sightings, destroyable environments and some 1950's UFO goodness and you've got a classic. All you need to do is a graphics update of the original, really. And the mutant/cultist shit has to go.

 

[Araanor]

Maybe they know something we don't if they're able to be making the third in the series.

They're Czech. I'd believe they're not spending any huge amounts of money during development.