Project Aftermath Demo

Although base-building is a defining characteristic of the classic RTS genre, it can be easily dropped in the favor of other, more modern mechanics. Moreover, although it may not sound like it, getting rid of it can actually make the gameplay more tactical and difficult, since the entire effort can be concentrated on the actual troops and their behavior on the battlefield.

Project Aftermath is one of these RTS games that puts its eggs in an entirely different basket when it comes to the gameplay mechanics, since it opted to exclude the possibility to build yourself a base and gather resources. Hence, everything is centered around the heroes you control and the soldiers that are part of their squads, meaning that keeping them alive and making proper use of their abilities is vital throughout the campaign.

Speaking of which, the career mode puts a few missions at your disposal and tasks you with the annihilation of the New Order, which is an evil faction looking to change the entire world according to their views. By undermining their plans and destroying their equipment, each mission gets you closer to the goal, although it gets increasingly more difficult as you advance.

As previously mentioned, the lack of base-building mechanics means that the few soldiers under your control are all you have and you must do your best to keep them alive throughout the missions. Coming out victorious means that you get rewarded with equipment and powerful new items that can be used by your squads, such as shields and weapons designed to destroy the enemies faster.

One interesting gimmick is the fact that these items come in different colors and the damage they make or receive from the same-color equipment depends on the combination. Hence, it is recommended to mix them up in order to avoid becoming extremely weak against certain types of weapons, although you can also gamble it all and just go for the color with the most damage, while hoping everything goes well in the end.

Although it is true that Project Aftermath isn't very original or particularly amazing, the gameplay works like it should and you have plenty of opportunities to test your might on the battlefield. The massive number of army customization options completely makes up for the lack of base-building mechanics.