I am slowly understanding that this is one of my all-time favorite games. The brilliance lies in the design and gameplay mechanics/recipe, which took me a while to appreciate. I actually didn't quite dig it the first time (see learning curve below), and initially put it away for a few months.

I now love it because it strikes a rare balance in the TBS-genre of challenging yet rewarding gameplay, without compelling me to save scum. I end up playing each mission 1-4 times because like any good TBS, success AND failure snowballs for each successive mission, and this game encourages you to do each mission WELL, but there is no need to be perfect (except for maybe nightmare/ironman difficulty).

The skill vs. luck/rng balance is also quite tasty in my opinion, though TBS scrubs and/or perfectionists may disagree. Misses are rare and not too devastating, and the damage variance seems reasonable. The variability of enemy spawn power/location is probably the most difficult thing to deal with, which certainly adds variety and replayability.

The flexibility in the classes and skill trees is also exceptional, and it generously allows class respecs between missions. Some skills are better than others, but none are useless, and there are many interesting synergies to explore. The power curve is VERY satisfying - fights that look imposing, aren't, especially as the campaign progresses.

The learning curve is medium steep and rather long (a.k.a depth). There is no shame in using guides, and the community is excellent at providing many resources and deeper explanations of game mechanics. The tutorial missions are quality, but possibly a bit deep-end-of-the-poolish for anybody other than fans of the genre. A DIY approach is do-able, but probably a bit painful at first.

The story is coherent. It can be skipped if necessary, but it certainly adds flavor. The plot and character development are minimalist, but I think it accomplishes exactly what it intends - a tiny piece of an interesting galaxy. I enjoy it about as much as a solid sci-fi short story.

The visuals are about on par for the genre (decide for yourself) - as a fan of the genre, I don't really care.
I like the sparse spooky music, kind of a low-budget Alien for me. The gun and attack sounds are adequate at best.
The UI is a bit challenging at first, but I've certainly gotten used to it. The lack of an undo move function is questionable. Although there is an auto-save each turn, the lack of a specific in-mission save function is a big bonus for me - the ability to abort or retry a mission without punishment (except for ironman) makes up for it, and avoids save scum exhaustion.

Overall, I am now a fan of the Trese Brothers. While I kind of like two of their other games (HoS & ST:F), this one is clearly my favorite, and possibly my favorite in the TBS genre. $10 is a steal, so I will buy any of their future games sight unseen until further notice.

I am slowly understanding that this is one of my all-time favorite games. The brilliance lies in the design and gameplay mechanics/recipe, which took me a while to appreciate. I actually didn't quite dig it the first time (see learning curve below), and initially put it away for a few months. I now love it because it strikes a rare balance in the TBS-genre of challenging yet rewarding gameplay, without compelling me to save scum. I end up playing each mission 1-4 times because like any good TBS, success AND failure snowballs for each successive mission, and this game encourages you to do each mission WELL, but there is no need to be perfect (except for maybe nightmare/ironman difficulty). The skill vs. luck/rng balance is also quite tasty in my opinion, though TBS scrubs and/or perfectionists may disagree. Misses are rare and not too devastating, and the damage variance seems reasonable. The variability of enemy spawn power/location is probably the most difficult thing to deal with, which certainly adds variety and replayability. The flexibility in the classes and skill trees is also exceptional, and it generously allows class respecs between missions. Some skills are better than others, but none are useless, and there are many interesting synergies to explore. The power curve is VERY satisfying - fights that look imposing, aren't, especially as the campaign progresses. The learning curve is medium steep and rather long (a.k.a depth). There is no shame in using guides, and the community is excellent at providing many resources and deeper explanations of game mechanics. The tutorial missions are quality, but possibly a bit deep-end-of-the-poolish for anybody other than fans of the genre. A DIY approach is do-able, but probably a bit painful at first. The story is coherent. It can be skipped if necessary, but it certainly adds flavor. The plot and character development are minimalist, but I think it accomplishes exactly what it intends - a tiny piece of an interesting galaxy. I enjoy it about as much as a solid sci-fi short story. The visuals are about on par for the genre (decide for yourself) - as a fan of the genre, I don't really care. I like the sparse spooky music, kind of a low-budget Alien for me. The gun and attack sounds are adequate at best. The UI is a bit challenging at first, but I've certainly gotten used to it. The lack of an undo move function is questionable. Although there is an auto-save each turn, the lack of a specific in-mission save function is a big bonus for me - the ability to abort or retry a mission without punishment (except for ironman) makes up for it, and avoids save scum exhaustion. Overall, I am now a fan of the Trese Brothers. While I kind of like two of their other games (HoS & ST:F), this one is clearly my favorite, and possibly my favorite in the TBS genre. $10 is a steal, so I will buy any of their future games sight unseen until further notice.