Good base gameplay, really nice use of cover movement and overwatch that feels at home for the series. Good level design, with occasional areas that have very similar looks to them. Unit classes with mostly good ability choices, some only good for certain mission types and some poor descriptions that make you think they will do things or different things than what they actually do. Poor recruitment system where you get a pool of new characters every mission likely stronger than your current ones that come with new gear, rescued characters already spend skill points when others allow you to choose making them worse choices. I had one character that I used every chance I could and she was the only one who, barely, levels above new characters, making the limited cosmetics and color options even more pointless as it is better to constantly replace everyone. Heroes have no unique features and even they might fall behind in level even when taking them as often as you can. What there is is good but lack of objective variety. Easy to sit around to wait for ability cooldowns.
For a strategy game there is almost no replayablity as you will have the characters to try all skills and you will see what all the maps and objectives have to offer. There is no larger strategic game outside battles, no good in world explanation for the strange level modifiers. Feels a lot like the original XCOM remake to me. Some poor choices with a lot that could be improved on with pretty solid base gameplay. Would like a sequel with new enemies and equipment and either more focused on randomization of levels and new objectives or just all varied prebuilt set-pieces let going through a Gears campaign. The grenades are massively overpowered, making the scout class that has an upgrade path where they can throw them every turn along with proximity grenades massively overpowered. Not enough emergence holes or fortified positions, way too many enemy dropships.
Cole was a preorder (or early game pass) hero character and his taunts and yelling as you use him made him the only character I really personality wise enjoyed having. There are some terrible looking beards on the recruitable characters.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8qIkZ9138E
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1259654508939898880
For a strategy game there is almost no replayablity as you will have the characters to try all skills and you will see what all the maps and objectives have to offer. There is no larger strategic game outside battles, no good in world explanation for the strange level modifiers. Feels a lot like the original XCOM remake to me. Some poor choices with a lot that could be improved on with pretty solid base gameplay. Would like a sequel with new enemies and equipment and either more focused on randomization of levels and new objectives or just all varied prebuilt set-pieces let going through a Gears campaign. The grenades are massively overpowered, making the scout class that has an upgrade path where they can throw them every turn along with proximity grenades massively overpowered. Not enough emergence holes or fortified positions, way too many enemy dropships.
Cole was a preorder (or early game pass) hero character and his taunts and yelling as you use him made him the only character I really personality wise enjoyed having. There are some terrible looking beards on the recruitable characters.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8qIkZ9138E
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1259654508939898880