Thoughts on conclusion of first game

[Aotrs Commander]

I always try to leave something like this somewhere, where the devs might see it, as a little feedback.

This was my now-traditional Game I Start on Christmas Day. (Since it is now functionally impossible (or at least practical) to actually get games as a physical present.)

Overall, enjoyable. Light-toned, though not really quite laugh out loud funny (but also with some serious stuff and overall handled well.) I found the characters all engaging, the plot interesting and well handled and the style of humour enjoyable. (Some have commented it is a bit quippy, but... I am afraid I am one of those terrible people that actually likes quippy and still quite enjoys the MCU...)

Jen was obviously the real powerhouse with her mobility for most of the game, only getting eclipsed by Dall in the back half of Act 3/4 when swap came properly online.

Zan sort of fell by the wayside from most of the game, with his most useful ability being time bomb. I feel like his primary upgrade could have come earlier mechanically, if it was narratively the right point, since he was suddenly a lot more useful again. I wonder if his main attack couldn't afford to have been bumped up a point from what is was (even with the +1 damage perk).

I think I pretty much picked the right choices for perks - I never bothered with Bank's Bigger Head, for instance, because I never found it that hard to line up shots. I did feel around late act 2 that I was sorely lacking in damage ability, but Dall largely remedied that, Being turn based and with the rewind (which very definitely elevated the game, that was clever and novel), it meant that I actually used all the abilities I had. Sometimes, even in TBS games, I find abilities that I just never remember to use, and probably wouldn't without such a deliberate playstyle and going back to try things a different way,

I aimed towards the confidence goals and while I didn't get every one, I most often got more than not. The game was definitely at its best when it was being a puzzle, less so when relatively few random elements got in the way. Given there were relatively few of those (i.e., the in movement of reinforcements and when the area mines were laid), I found when they did interrupt, they were more jarring.

(For instance, on the penultimate level, I was really put out because the random heavy gunner that showed up dropped a grenade right on top of the militia I'd carefully been saving, when I only had one character left and absolutely no way I could have moved them out of the way, because RNG, so I missed a goal. One of the dream levels I replayed about ten times because the enemies moved to different positions every time, and I had to wait until they moved right to be able to do it.)

I'm not a fan at all of RNG, but it's something I have to tolerate it in gaming, so the fact it *was* light in this game for the most part was very much appreciated. (Since I'd paused pretty much all my ongoing games due to the fact they weren't helping with my stress; which is already at overload, but December has been rougher than the new normal because of family health issues.) So for the most part, those few portions aside, this was nice and deterministic.

I found, then, in a lot of ways, it sort of peaked mid-late-game, where there were enough tools to use, while the enemies were not being frustrating (e.g. chasers in particular, especially on he protect militia goals). I found the final battle with Liv absolutely a chore, since it basically curtailed all my options fairly heavily. I did it, but not without a lot of swearing and not in a fun way,

I that aside, I think maybe the only thing that it could have benefitted from was a more clear LOS display - like Zan's clones prodcues - when a range ability is selected, since more than a few times, I had to rewind because it wasn't clear that, no, I could not see from that square. (And I mean for the thrown effects as well.) It was functional, as it was, but I feel like it could be refined.

I completed the main campaign and the dream levels (bar the last three proving grounds) in about 32 hours, which is a pretty decent time for a game of this size and scope (and a bit more than I was expecting, honestly). While there is the ability to replay the missions, I think I have had about enough by that point, so it was a good length.

So, in conclusion, a nice little game and I would certainly be interested in an eventual sequel (et al) or more from that world. But as a complete package, it can stand proud as it is.