I think that is old Mantic you're talking about. Mantic currently does awesome work with their Kickstarters, components and miniatures. Take a look at the last Dungeon Saga kickstarter, that was perfectly done: the miniatures, components, game and everything was fantastic. One of the best Kickstarters I backed.
And about the art direction and models, disagree there. They do great miniatures nowadays. Most of their stuff is now in hard plastic (HIPS) or resin and especially the resins are fantastic. And although they started out as GW ripoffs, they now really have their own aesthetic and look and what they create is quality stuff.
Deadzone is in my eyes one of the best (if not the best) sci-fi games out there. With awesome scenery, great additional components and miniatures for a fantastic total package.
The only reason I am not backing Warpath is because I don't want another scale in my home. I already have more than enough. Otherwise I'd probably jump in. With Mantic you always get insane value for your buck in their Kickstarters.