First UFO: Afterlight Screenshots

[Slaughter]

The gallery section (http://www.ufo-afterlight.com/pages/gallery.html) of the official UFO: Afterlight site now sports 12 screenshots from the upcoming game. These are the first in-game screenshots released, and they clearly show the new art direction this game is taking:

http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/uploads/post-2704-1154108001_thumb.jpg (http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1137) http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/uploads/post-2704-1154108036_thumb.jpg (http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1138) http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/uploads/post-2704-1154108062_thumb.jpg (http://www.strategycore.co.uk/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1139)

What do you think of the new art direction? (and sorry for the late heads up)

[Jetherik]

I think I need to see more screenshots. Obviously they are going from Earth to Mars but they really revamped the whole art. It looks to be more detailed, but again, I will need more before deciding which I like better.

[Slaughter]

Yeah, it's a bit early to tell as you say. Still, there's something intriguing about the new art direction. Guess it gives me a more X-COMish feeling looking at the screens...

On a related note, the project manager is posting some rather amusing screens in this topic (http://forum.ufo-aftermath.com//index.php?showtopic=3737). Some are good for a laugh, and it's nice to see all the problems they struggle with during development.

[BlackPete]

Hmm... I like the overall art style -- more stylish and XCom-like.

However, I don't really like the camera's perspective in the combat screens. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I really prefer the top-down isometric view of the original XCom battles, and these new over-the-shoulder third person views don't really work for me. I hope there's a toggle to switch into isometric (I bet there is). These shots make the game look too much like another platformer...

I agree it's too early to have any solid opinions so I'm taking a wait-and-see approach...

[31 Flavas]

Hmm... I like the overall art style -- more stylish and XCom-like.This is x-com on mars I gather? or does this game have no relation? I looks a lot like it.

[Slaughter]

@BlackPete: You can pan the camera as you like.

@31 Flavas: No. It is inspired by X-COM for sure, but there's no relation. It builds on UFO: Aftermath and UFO: Aftershock. This is the third game.

[TrackZero]

I'll throw in my 2 cents and say I like the new art style.

[aversion2k]

It looks a bit amatuer. Although I can see in some of those screens some objects are still untextured. The textures just look a bit flat, they need more contrast to them. I guess you could claim its a style though.

I'm not much of a fan of the ufo series though, so it doesnt really matter what I think :D

[The_Reckoning]

The only niggle I can put my finger on is the health bars look AWFUL in the 3rd shot. They look like a chunk of Window's interface mixed in there.

[jpublic]

Wow, I can't believe we went this long without an anti-Starforce snark, considering the last one had it.

[BlackPete]

@BlackPete: You can pan the camera as you like.

Hmm no... I don't think that still works for me. It's hard to describe -- I guess the best I can explain is that for RTS games where you pan the camera yourself, it leaves me feeling a bit cold... but for games like Civ4 it controls the camera for you from an isometric stand point then that works a lot better for me. Even though you technically have control over the camera in Civ4, I actually didn't want that control.

I guess what I'm dreading is having to wrestle with camera controls while plotting my game strategy. Still too early to say, though.

[captainstrombosis]

I guess what I'm dreading is having to wrestle with camera controls while plotting my game strategy. Still too early to say, though.

Laaaaazy :D

I don't know where your coming from at all, as I find every 3D game ends up having a horrible camera angle. Including Civ4. So I like to be able to position the camera however I want. Guess we are just 2 completely different people.

[tombofsoldier]

Yay for companies realising they don't need cutting edge graphics an millions of dollars to make a good game and a profit in the gaming undustry!

[Savok]

Things seem a little too deformed sizewise sometimes, other then that it's really quite nice and a good improvement.

[aversion2k]

Yay for companies realising they don't need cutting edge graphics an millions of dollars to make a good game and a profit in the gaming undustry!

But at the same time, shame on them for not realising that you dont need millions of dollars to make a good game with awesome graphics. :D

[DeathtollWRX]

Great gameplay or not, Id still like to see better graphics. I'm not a graphics whore but there needs to be SOME eye candy

[captainstrombosis]

Great gameplay or not, Id still like to see better graphics. I'm not a graphics whore but there needs to be SOME eye candy

Wrong. I don't even need to explain why. If you need Eye candy, stick to First person shooters.

[aversion2k]

Wrong. I don't even need to explain why. If you need Eye candy, stick to First person shooters.

Well fps games also need more then eye candy to be fun.
And there are some Fps games with much worse graphics then this, which I still find really fun (duke nukem, blood, doom, system shock, deus ex..etc)
Good graphic's do add to the immersion and help sell a game though.
But I'm sure hardcore Xcom/Ufo fans wont need them to enjoy this.

And while this might not apply to this game, people should remember
Just because a game has bad graphics doesnt mean its good
And just because a game has good graphics doesnt mean its bad.

Its weird that people get angry now if a game looks nice.

[captainstrombosis]

duke nukem, blood, doom, system shock, deus ex..etc

Ok, list off some RECENT games...

[aversion2k]

Ok, list off some RECENT games...

Ok, heres a few recent ones that I'm pretty sure I'll still enjoy in 5 or more years

Half life 2
Swat 4
Hitman 4
Theif 3
Oblivion

Those are personal prefrence btw. I'm not saying anyone else will necessarily want to play those in 5 years.

I agree that there are games that concentrate too much on graphics (doom).
But it just seems that now days people complain when games have good graphics and assume it will be another doom or quake 4.

Anyway. I understand what your saying, I may have made it seem like I thought your opinion was more extreme "Graphics are evil!!"

Pc, Xbox live Arcade, and Nintendo DS are awesome because small studios can make games with awesome gameplay and arent pressured into spending a billion bucks hiring a ton of artists to get the graphics perfect.

That said, I think they can improve the art quality a bit on this before its release. But it wont kill the game if they dont.

[Com_Gaunt]

I like the look, much more X-com like then the others, hopefully it will involve just managing your base and going on missions to kill aliens in sectors vs the "Taking over sectors" approach.

[Roc Ingersol]

Good change. Not because they're closer to XCom, but because they've actually got style.

It's much better to have style than to have a generic 'realistic-ish' presentation.
The prior installments had easily forgettable graphics, while the original XCom's presentation remains iconic.