This game is an arena for the build lovers, centered around intricate character building that begs you to break it. With all the skills being on-condition triggers, it provides a massive feast for those who love mechanics-heavy gameplay. Imagine the depth of playing Dredge in MTG or Wardloop in Path of Exile, but with every character embodying that level of complexity. It fulfills the aspirations I have for TOME4, offering a wealth of possibilities for diverse and imaginative builds. Beyond its gameplay, the game doesn't skimp on audio, delivering great soundtracks, and it has a little bit of intriguing lore too.

This game features a slightly above-average main storyline, but don't be deterred by that—its true gems lie in the exceptional side stories. The combat system is a standout feature, offering an engaging and enjoyable experience. Despite some pacing issues and a rushed conclusion in the later stages, the game remains a compelling indie RPG. The real highlights are the three exceptionally well-written side stories that are obviously a homage to Gu Long‘s style and enrich the overall experience. Plus, the game boasts stunning art that further enhances its appeal. In essence, it's a must-play for those seeking a unique and immersive Wuxia gaming adventure.

After BG3, I recall a game from over ten years ago that attempted a similar approach to Larian's, aiming to create a more accessible RPG with ample romance elements for a broader audience. It emerged during the darkest periods for RPG games and managed to preserve most of the essence of a good RPG.
this is the fourth time that I replayed this game, and it continues to hold up well, bringing back fond memories.
I still have a deep affection for it after all these years, and arguably, it excels in many aspects when compared to BG3. It successfully polishes the game to appeal to a broader audience, simplifies the character-building and combat systems for a more accessible experience, and maintains BioWare's signature companion writing.
Alas, BioWare is officially dead now and Larian is making all that money.
BTW it is long, actually somehow much longer than I remembered.

It's a decent game by Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) standards, offering a romantic yet realistic take on space exploration in the near future. One merit that often goes unnoticed is its intricate dialogue structure, with NPCs reacting to many of your actions and choices.

However, there are some debatable design choices, such as the tedious grind for item levels and the inclusion of random quests(and mixed them into some other good handcrafted missions), which I won't delve into deeply. In essence, it serves as a heartfelt ode to space exploration while being shrouded in outdated or somewhat lazy commercial AAA game design. It's a rather unusual choice from BGS, not necessarily catering to everyone's taste, but I personally appreciate its unique perspective on space.
definitely not the best first show for CE2 thou......

I completed the game on Tactician difficulty today, and while it's a good game, I can't say it's great. Larian Studios is truly impressed with its creation of an immersive and highly interactive DND world, complemented by excellent voice acting and well-developed characters. Without a doubt, it stands out as the best entry for players new to the CRPG genre.

While it's a good game, I must admit that it falls short of being the best in its genre. This isn't entirely Larian's fault(and mostly not), but rather a consequence of the DND 5e rule set the game is based on. After Act 1, the combat becomes quite dull, with little incentive to control your enemies or build magic defense layers due to the concentration mechanics and their limited effects. The resistance mechanics, where damage is halved when resisted, are also problematic, effectively doubling the HP of many enemies and turning them into sponges. (and Larian gave tons of enemies physical resistance in Tactician difficulty) The combat encounters are well-designed in ACT 1 but diminished rapidly afterward, due to the higher levels of 5E gameplay becoming monotonous, as the most effective strategy is often using normal attacks to hit your enemies, I finished the game like a breeze with these strat but it's far from fun and engaging.

While Larian's efforts are commendable, the game does have some drawbacks beyond the 5E rule set. The main story is just alright and somewhat boring, more like a forgettable Hollywood summer action movie with no thought-provoking events, idea conflicts, or philosophical dialogue. This lack of depth makes the game so much weaker when compared to classic CRPGs like the old Infinity games(including its predecessor BG2/TOB), VTMB, FNV, KotOR2, or Disco Elysium. Although the characters are likable and interesting, they can also come across as bland and occasionally cringy(I won’t allow Gale’s backstory if he is my PC). Overall, the game feels more like a mimic of a tabletop RPG with an ordinary story module, a competent Dungeon Master, and a group of just alright players.

Larian definitely deserves the praise they got, but also really needs to work on combat and overall RPG system and story/character writing.

Oh and optimal-wise the game runs well but it crashes when some bosses die/use certain skills, maybe it is my AMD gpu being AMD gpu.

surprisingly alright!
I was presuming a horrible nu-xcom game, but I get an actually decent jagged alliance game, forget anything you hear about it being xcom like, it has a CTH system, bullet trace simulation, lots of old JA merc with mostly great VA, and grity humor as well.
ok here are the cons:
enemy being braindead against stealth tactic
it does have some nuxcom horseshit mechanics: 1. the free move enemies get when entering combat. 2. the overwatch mechanic. they suck hard, I hope there will be a mod fixing them, especially giving the crossfire mechanic in JA2 1.13 back.
Last the real-time part is really hard to control if you are trying to get some simultaneous action going.
the good part is most of these cons can be fixed (and most likely will be fixed) with many mods.
will definitely replay it again when a mod like 1.13 out for JA3.