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THE EXCELLENT UFO SERIES returns with what looks to be a fantastic game developed out of Czechoslovakia. Once again it's your chance to face off against the alien hordes with a squad of military misfits. When UFO first hit the shelves it was a real winner. Its blend of small squad tactical combat, strategic base building and an evolving storyline captured the imagination of many gamers. It spawned various sequels, some just as good (and some not so good), however in recent times the franchise has been pretty quiet.

This is about to change with the release of UFO: Aftermath. The developers are quick to point out that this is not an "official" sequel, however by the look of it is a near to one without being one.

The story moves on from the original series, with the earth having being taken over by aliens and the planet slowly being absorbed by an alien bio-mass with small groups of humans trying to win back the planet.

Naturally, the game has made the transition from 2D to full-3D. Early screenshots show dark and moody environments that conjure up a world that is no longer dominated by humans. The world map returns, although base building has been replaced by base capture. This for some may be a disappointment however in the context of the storyline it would appear that it will fit right in.

Combat has been changed to real-time with the ability to pause the game (!). This may not suit some, but it will speed up combat by dispensing with a lot of the waiting aspects of previous games in the series.

The research of alien technologies makes a return, as well as a storyline shrouded in mystery and discovery. For us this game is one we cannot wait to get our hands on. Time to save the world once again!

The feature list for the game includes:-

• Simultaneous turn-based combat: combines the best of the real-time and turn-based combat systems;
• Randomly generated tactical missions: Each playing field is unique, no two games are the same;
• Strong RPG elements: your soldiers will improve as they gain more experience, allowing you to make specialists like snipers, medics, and many more;
• Intricate, rich, and frighteningly alien setting displayed in full 3D.

Show me the screenshots!