reviewing this with only a pure 2.0 update optic : really cool game that seems daunting at first but is easier to approach than it might seem. the prediction system is cool and easy to understand (even if it can get CROWDED!), units are very customizable between pilot types & mech parts with traits, various type of gear items and a wide range of weapons. depending on difficulty level, rotating pilots and mechs depending on what mission type you're going for seems like it would be an extra level of things to care about.

combat mechanics are also pretty great! the battlefield matters a lot, from elevation to cover, different weapons interact differently with the environment (some weapons might struggle on certain battlefields, some can just pierce buildings) and mech types matter a lot. on top of that, the game has statuses that can happen (such as being unstable on a train) that mix up the game play a lot. i had a mech get stunlocked by a shotgun on a moving train because it would get hit as soon as it got up, get the unstable status and get knocked down immediately again. very neat, even if it cost me that map!

i think as of writing this is a sick strategy game. that said, the game has a handful of things i'd like to talk about that aren't praise! for starters, the campaign isn't great. it's "present" but you really are gunning to play as much as possible. it's fine but not impressive, since the star of the show is the gameplay.

another point is that not every mission is super fun. certain types (base defenses) are a tad long, especially because of the nature of the combat (bursts of 5 seconds). some mission types also might just require you to have some turns running which equally is not fantastic. not the end of the world but something i think is worth mentioning. gameplay can also get tiring after a while - this is not a bingeable game, because it gets very demanding very quick.

despite those things (which are not super huge problems, but still were things i wanted to talk about), i still do think in its 2.0 state the game is very much worth playing. there might be other strategy games that get close to this out there, but in the strategy genre it has an interesting little niche.

reviewing this with only a pure 2.0 update optic : really cool game that seems daunting at first but is easier to approach than it might seem. the prediction system is cool and easy to understand (even if it can get CROWDED!), units are very customizable between pilot types & mech parts with traits, various type of gear items and a wide range of weapons. depending on difficulty level, rotating pilots and mechs depending on what mission type you're going for seems like it would be an extra level of things to care about. combat mechanics are also pretty great! the battlefield matters a lot, from elevation to cover, different weapons interact differently with the environment (some weapons might struggle on certain battlefields, some can just pierce buildings) and mech types matter a lot. on top of that, the game has statuses that can happen (such as being unstable on a train) that mix up the game play a lot. i had a mech get stunlocked by a shotgun on a moving train because it would get hit as soon as it got up, get the unstable status and get knocked down immediately again. very neat, even if it cost me that map! i think as of writing this is a sick strategy game. that said, the game has a handful of things i'd like to talk about that aren't praise! for starters, the campaign isn't great. it's "present" but you really are gunning to play as much as possible. it's fine but not impressive, since the star of the show is the gameplay. another point is that not every mission is super fun. certain types (base defenses) are a tad long, especially because of the nature of the combat (bursts of 5 seconds). some mission types also might just require you to have some turns running which equally is not fantastic. not the end of the world but something i think is worth mentioning. gameplay can also get tiring after a while - this is not a bingeable game, because it gets very demanding very quick. despite those things (which are not super huge problems, but still were things i wanted to talk about), i still do think in its 2.0 state the game is very much worth playing. there might be other strategy games that get close to this out there, but in the strategy genre it has an interesting little niche.