Honestly, this one is much better than I expected. I've started playing after its many updates, so perhaps the middling reviews were due toHonestly, this one is much better than I expected. I've started playing after its many updates, so perhaps the middling reviews were due to its state at launch, but the game currently is very good, imo. Its simpler presentation allows for more options in gameplay than in the current XCOM games, e.g. more status affects, classes, soldier upgrade options, equipment, etc. It melds FTL stage progression with XCOM style tactical battles. The battles tend to be faster paced than XCOM, or at least until the missions start getting harder, and they can get pretty tough. Oh, and the AI is no slouch.
It's rough around the edges in some aspects, but none of it so bad that it ruins the experience. The plot is merely serviceable, from what I've seen so far, and the dialogue can be kinda bad, but the setting is unique. Personally I enjoy its graphical presentation, but many will be spoiled by the XCOM games. Being a top-down horizontal view means there is no vertical movement, or at least the illusion of one, so there is no tactical nuance from multiple heights, but everything else is faithfully recreated from the XCOM style. The music is pretty good, some tracks are better than others but overall it's a solid effort. The game would benefit with more varied events and map node types, and more varied mission types/goals.
As for actual gripes, there's a few things that are annoying. Switching between characters is a little sluggish, oddly; and you cannot switch between characters after movement but before using the 2nd action, which limits coordinating your troops. Also, you can't vault over half-cover, so all cover is a barrier for movement. Turn order is hard to gauge outside of active combat, since enemies don't seem to move at all within the levels, so there's no "Enemy Activity" stage until combat starts. I'd like to see patrolling enemies, personally. And although the UI is good, it would be nice to be able to resize it as some elements are bigger than they need to be especially in docked mode. And little things like extinguishing yourself when on fire being an action that triggers an enemy overwatch shot.
I'd personally call this one a hidden gem. They've added quite a bit since launch, and I really hope to see more, as a game like this benefits from as much variety as possible to make up for elements that it lacks. It's not quite as refined as XCOM, but definitely worth the base price, and a studio to keep an eye on, especially if they continue to support this game. With some improvements and additions I'd definitely raise the score. If you like tactical turn based games, don't need a gripping narrative to guide you along, and don't mind the FTL style of map progression, it's a must buy.… Expand