UFO: Afterlight is the third instalment in the UFO series, bringing a unique perspective to the story of Aftershock through its focus on human inhabitants on Mars. The game combines strategic and tactical elements for an immersive experience, featuring new technologies, weapons, and environments different from Earth. Its replayability lies in players' key decisions related to diplomacy and research. A strong RPG component allows players to get to know their team members by name while they battle against various alien races with variable tactics. Diplomacy has a major influence on gameplay as does research which unlocks terraforming capabilities later in the game. Tactical missions are controlled by intelligent scripts for better enemy behaviour while physical models require versatile tactics from players who must adapt their strategies as enemies become stronger. Players can also use mind control abilities or employ psionic powers when needed in addition to using thermo visions and entering buildings strategically for advantage over opponents.