Thread by @squidlord

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly There are two major portions to gameplay. The first is the meta-game where you effectively wander around in a third person 3D rendered environment collecting things, solving puzzles, and engaged in what I can only describe as an extended dating sim. And yet it's fun.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly In the second, more core gameplay section, you have what at first blush appears to be a standard tactical turn based squad system before you realize that unit movement is not entirely user-directed but part of executing other actions. Which utterly changes up the experience.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly On top of that you have the card-based action selection, which brings a bit of randomness and ways to level up things that you do via collectibles, tying together both meta-constructs.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly Frankly, it's probably the most innovative turn-based tactics game that we've seen released in many years because of the way it subverts expectations about unit movement.

It's a strange bird taken as a whole – but it's definitely compelling.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly I think my favorite innovation which I never expected to come from a Firaxis game is that it doesn't push you, it doesn't force you forward to rush through the story missions faster than you want to.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly You want to dick around doing side missions, leveling up every single person in the Abbey, build all the cool things, explore all the grounds, and play at your own pace?

It's cool with that. Perfectly happy. If you're enjoying playing, play.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly It dangles the unlocks for various characters who you can add to your group behind story missions, of course, as one of the big motivators. Which is just fine.

Otherwise? Play it how you want.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly Combined with the really decent writing, the actual character interactions which shift and change as your Friendship level with the changes, and just some of the absurdity of what's going on – I really like the gameplay.

@SpyDama_San @EricDJuly And there you go – nobody even had to pay me to write that review. Which is a shame, because it's better than most of the reviews I've seen written about the game.