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?

Cenega Publishing’s UFO: Aftershock is the sequel to the UFO: Aftermath game released back in 2203. We speak with Jiri Rydl from game development studio ALTAR Interactive about what we can expect from the game.

Hi, can you introduce yourself and the company?

JR: I am Jiri Rydl from ALTAR Interactive.

What is your history in the gaming industry?

JR: Our first title was a puzzle game called Fish Fillets, which is available over the Internet for free now. The next was real time strategy Original War about travelling in time and rivalry between United States and Russia. The last finished game is tactical squad based strategy UFO: Aftermath about reclaiming the Earth from alien invaders.

Can you tell us more about UFO: Aftershock?

JR: The story of UFO: Aftershock is loosely connected to that of UFO: Aftermath and takes place fifty years after the events of that game. Small part of mankind is living on flying island Laputa and the Earth is used for alien research. But revolt on the island eventually destroyed it and you have to find out, what happened to Earth and how to regain it back.

What are you aiming to achieve with this title?

JR: We want to continue in great story and make great sequel to UFO: Aftermath. We want to use our ideas and ideas of UFO fans, which didn’t make it in the last instalment and create better game with deeper tactical possibilities, many new enemies and larger variety of missions.

What are some of the new enemies and allies that will be featured?

JR: You will meet humans, aliens and mutants in the game and it will be your call which of them will become your allies and which will be your enemies.

How has the RPG system been improved?

JR: If you play your cards well, you can have up to three different races in your squad, with different possibilities and equipment. There will be also more trainings for your soldiers, each with different levels, and each training will give you some tangible benefit (not a mere +1 to stats).

How much of the development has already been included?

JR: We are in the middle of development.

Is the game engine behind the game the same as what was used in UFO: Aftermath?

JR: Well, it’s the same engine, but with so many changes to the code, it’s almost a new one.

What multiplayer elements, if any, will be incorporated into the game?

JR: We would like to see a multiplayer option in the game, but it’s a question of time.

Will the game be mod friendly in any way?

JR: I believe it will be even more mod friendly then UFO: Aftermath is. We would like to support our mod community. Players interested in modding should visit UFO:AM fansite at http://www.ufoaftermath.co.uk/, where they can download mods like Stargate SG-1, Rebalance and many others.

Was feedback about the original game taken into consideration when designing Aftershock?

JR: Many fresh ideas came from our fans! For instance you are now able to enter buildings, there are multiple levels in the game, there will be less but more variety of weapons, you can make allies, trade goods, manufacture weapons, ammunitions and equipment, you will be able to build your own bases and much more.

What future plans do you have for the UFO series?

JR: As long as we have enough ideas we want to make games that would be fun to play and also to develop. It could be another UFO title or something completely different.

There must be a lot of anticipation surrounding a sequel. How do you think you can deliver a game that must satisfy gamers of Aftermath?

JR: I believe we have already shown we listen to our fans and we always like to hear feedback from them. The knowledge of their wishes is our greatest advantage.

How do you think this new game can win its competition?

JR: There is just small number of strategies combining tactical missions with global strategy, trading and diplomacy. The alien threat is very attractive too.

Any secrets you can divulge?

JR: You can look forward to cyber implants too!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

JR: There will be new content at http://www.ufo-aftershock.com/ soon, so don’t forget to book this link.