Project Aftermath
Verdict: gorgeous
In a Nutshell: Project Aftermath is a new approach to real-time strategy with a very slimmed down resource management system and a greater focus on combat strategy.
“In the aftermath of a great war, when your enemy has wiped out everything you hold dear, the time has come to regroup and strike back. Enlist in the Morphid army and use all the weapons and genetic powers at your disposal to eradicate the New Order menace!
Project Aftermath is an Arcade RTS game where you command up to four squads of soldiers in exciting battles in a retro-futuristic world. Equip your squads to suit your playing style, researching new items using the spoils of war; choosing from over 100 different weapons, armour, power-up augmentations and spell-like special attacks. “
- Fun Rating: Fun
- ESRB: n/a
- Players/Mode: Single-player / Campaign
- Game Duration: 5-10 hours
- System: PC
- Developer: Games Faction
- Website: http://www.gamesfaction.com/project-aftermath
- Cost: $19.99 from the Games Faction site
- Demo: http://www.gamesfaction.com/download.php?game=ProjectAftermath
| Would I play this again? | yes and looking forward to the head-to-head expansion |
| Would I recommend this game? | yes |
| Was the story good? | it was o.k. |
| Was the music good? | yes |
| Were the graphics good? | definitely |
| Was this game difficult? | yes |
| Was this game frustrating? | only because of no saving |
| Was this game offensive? | heroes come in one flavor: white and male |
| Was this game worth your time/money? | yes |
Playing the game
In Project Aftermath, you are a commander of up to 4 controllable heroes and 2 auxiliary units. Controlling each uses a lot of the basic real-time strategy controls of selecting the unit and clicking the location on the environment that you want them to move to, interact with, or attack. Units are selectable by using number keys, or clicking the unit or the unit’s icon. The hero units have a sub-menu accessed with a right-click that allows you to choose troop formation, carried weapon, or to use a field effect.
Before starting a level, you get a brief overview of what you’re going up against and then head to the equipment screen. On the equipment screen, you decide how difficult or easy you are going to make the upcoming level for yourself by deciding, first, how many of the available heroes you send on the mission. After that, you decide how strong each hero is, how many troops each has to back him up, and what weapons, field effects, armor, and enhancements each squad (hero plus troops) uses. However, there’s only so much “goop”, the currency for Project Aftermath, to spend and every selection costs goop.
The equipment screen also allows you to research more advanced weapons, armor, field effects and enhancements with the research points earned each level.
Each level starts with some amount of goop left over from the equipment screen. More goop can be earned by destroying enemy units and equipment or by picking up goop canisters. Goop is spent by using the “field effects” (aka magic) or resurrecting your heroes. In order for the level to be completed, other than the mission goals, you need to come back with goop in the bronze, silver, or gold level of the indicator. The more goop, the higher the score, which is the overall goal of the game.
What the game gets right
Unlike most other real-time strategies that I’ve played, Project Aftermath has a terrific camera system allowing you to see the big picture and then zoom in for the action. In addition, the pan and rotate allow you to see all angles of the enemy’s position before you attack. All of this is possible because there is no “fog of war” (the unexplored area found in pretty much every other RTS), which I greatly agree with as it fits the world (advanced space travel and military technology should allow you to see, at the least, every surface detail of every planet, after all).
In the Project Aftermath universe, there is not time to farm; there is no time to fish or hunt for food. There is only time to hunt down your enemy and destroy them. Diverting from the traditional resource management and instead using a form of currency for upgrades keeps the action moving along at a good pace.
Another deviation from the traditional that I appreciated was the limited units to command. With up to only 6 controllable units, tactical management was simplified and, again, keeps the action moving.
What the game gets wrong
The biggest beef I have with Project Aftermath is that there is no saving your progress in the middle of a level. For me, if I have to start a level over the first time through a game, I’ve failed to save the world and now the enemy will consume the galaxy and dominate all those I love. Not being able to save your progress, if you have this sort of mindset, when getting into a game’s story, is torturous. (On the other hand, I guess it does make you accept that it’s “just a game” . . . ) (UPDATE: Nov 14, 2008, Games Faction reports that this feature is coming soon.)
Another feature that would have been nice (but was probably nixed for a good reason) would have been the ability to call for backup and “beam in” another of your selectable units. I found myself unable to complete the last level with the way I had equipped my hero and had to start the level over which, as stated above, is a bummer. (UPDATE: Nov 14, 2008, Games Faction reports that this feature is coming soon.)
Where are the girl heroes? The heroes of a different skin tone? The heroes with a different accent? Understanding this is an independent game where cost is even more of a factor, it would still be nice to see a variation on the heroes and engineers.
Sum it up
Project Aftermath is an independent game? But, the graphics are . . . lush! While not necessarily part of the “fun” aspect of a game, an independent game with graphics that gives the big guys a run for their money should be congratulated and learned from. The cut scenes are graphic novel style which was decent, but seems to inhibit the immersion a little. Still, the style seems to fit the game and I’m glad that they put the graphical effort into the game proper instead.
Though Games Faction bills Project Aftermath as an “arcade style RTS” I would call it more of a “tactical RPG” since the focus is on up to 4 characters instead of a tribe and weapons and armor upgrades are bought with funds from killing enemies instead of harvesting crops or minerals. The arcade label does fit, however, and it would be fun to see this as a stand-up machine “Insert coin to continue” . . .how I miss that phrase.
All that aside, pick up the demo of Project Aftermath. I think it is definitely worth your time and should be considered an initial investment in some fun to be had.
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