If you've been busy blasting aliens to smithereens in Altar Games' UFO: Afterlight, you might want to take a breather first and read this particular article. We'd like to inform you that the latest patch for the game has just been released, v1.6. Ain't this great news? Read more on that patch after the jump.


Download: UFO Afterlight patch v1.6

Playfuls has posted a few updates regarding UFO: Extraterrestrials and UFO: Afterlight. UFO: Extraterrestrials, whose 2005 launch was hampered time and again by unexplained delays, is currently listed for a February 28 release date on the game's official website. Playfuls reports, however, that publisher Tri Synergy has revealed that it's actually due out on March 16.

Playfuls also reports that according to IDEA Games, Altar Games' tactical strategy title UFO: Afterlight will also be made available online on February 26 through the Sproket website. The game has already been out in Europe for a couple of weeks now, but this should give those who haven't bought a copy yet an easier way to get one.

According to Playfuls, the previous two installments in the series - UFO: Aftermath and UFO: Aftershock - are also available for €9.90 and €19.90 respectively.

The third title in the strategy series, UFO: Afterlight from Altar Games is set on Mars, where a human colony is building a new life with the help of the Reticulans (this follows the events of UFO: Aftershock). But Mars isn't about to roll over and be colonized: it turns out that Mars once had a highly intelligent and very advanced civilization, and the robots of this bygone era are still very much operational. And they will do whatever it takes to wipe out other civilizations on Mars.

This game is a combination of tactics and strategy. You can get an idea by looking at the screenshots.

The game is scheduled to be released February 9 (US / North America) and February 23 (Europe). It's published by Cenega Publishing, our favorite Czech publishing company.

More screenshots after the jump.

Altar Games has released tons of info about its upcoming UFO: Afterlight, the game where Mankind bites Martiankind in a reversal of roles. UFO: Afterlight is set in Mars where humans moved to after the destruction of Earth. Unfortunately, the red planet is protected by robots, part of the self-defense mechanism the previous owners forgot to turn off.

Game Features:

• Combination of global strategy and tactical missions
• Powerful story built on the events from UFO: Aftershock
• Extensive technologies, weapons and equipment to develop
• Attractive environments provide a gaming landscape far different to Earth
• Highly replayable - Diplomacy and research decisions open up new and varied routes
• Strong RPG elements allow for greater character generation

Strategy Features:

• New enemies and new alien races with varying weapons and battle tactics
• Several character classes, each with attributes, skills and abilities
• Diplomacy has strong influence on the game story
• Research enables terraforming of the planet as the game progresses
• Enhanced and ‘transparent’ construction and building management
• Friendly interface and easy orientation in the game, with useful information readily accessible

Tactics Features:

• Advanced tactical elements, including indoor and outdoor landscapes, entering buildings, thermo visions and more
• Take advantage of elevated positions and destructible objects
• Reasonable and intelligent enemy behaviour
• Authentic physics model
• Employ adaptive tactics as the enemies change and grow stronger
• Aliens and robots available for tactical squads
• Hostile environment requiring the use of different types of spacesuits
• Invade the minds of your enemies and use psionic abilities

In UFO: Afterlight, humans get up and invade Mars. See, this is what happens when mankind gets sick of being invaded by aliens. We invade right back.

In this next installment in Altar Games' UFO: Aftermath and UFO: Aftershock series, mankind has been dealt a cruel blow. Earth is lost, and survival rests on conquering a new home for mankind: planet Mars, a barren planet that holds not a few unpleasant surprises for its would-be conquerors.

Squad-based tactical action and global strategy take centre stage in UFO: Afterlight. Players manage resources, research advanced technologies and control elite ground troops to secure a new future for humanity.

Since the action takes place on the planet Mars, new threats and enemies abound, but thanks to a wide scope for researching extensive technologies, manufacturing advanced weapons, and even changing planet conditions, mankind may just have a chance.

Altar Games' UFO: Afterlight is due to hit retail shelves in the U.S. on February 9, 2007. Gamers in Europe will get their hands on this title on February 23, 2007.