Phoenix Point brings many good new ideas compared to the new XCOMs. The base and resource management is well done, the research mechanics, fights, equipment and leveling up are all solid. If you liked the XCOMs you certainly can't go wrong with this game. There are, of course, some flaws. It's all complex enough, but I think the game needs a bit more content in some areas. The research can be a bit sluggish, since at one point you need to ally the other factions (or steal from them) or kidnap enemies to unlock more options, so maybe you will spend several days where there's nothing for you to research at all. In theory there are enough classes and you can even combine them, which is really nice. However it's a bit annoying to unlock them, as you'll also have to interact with the factions to get them and it can take a while, so you may be stuck with the basic 3 classes for a while. The vehicles are a great idea and well implemented but it seems like by now there's no way to upgrade or modify them at all. It's all very promising though, if I think about how this is hopefully the first part of a new series and they had to invest lots of resources into developing the engine and the lore from scratch. They seem to be continously adding new content, so maybe what I mentioned will be improved in the coming months. And a sequel with the engine and lore already prepared and all the experiences of this game has the potential to be absolutely amazing. As I said, if you liked XCOM you should try this game, it is already very fun to play and it will get better with every addition.
The new additions fit in very well. The crafting adds another option for all the trash you bring home: You can disassemble weapons/tools to craft new ones instead of just selling them. It's a bit luck based and balanced, so you won't just construct OP stuff and breeze through the game. The neuro implants are fitting to the sci fi setting and present new options, too. I would've liked more options though. There are about 5-6 high level implants (if I remember correctly) with no drawbacks at all, so naturally you'll just save up and get them. Maybe add 2-3 with some crazy effects like some Fallout perks. The inventor class plays great, the idea of being shieldless is well executed and interesting. The new random encounters at the station seem like a good idea to make the game more lively, however in my playthrough I sadly never encountered these two: - Defending the station from randomly intruding raiders; - Brawling with rival scavenger crews; This may be due to a bug. It's not that easy to balance these kinds of encounters to not make them obnoxious by occuring too often or boring by occuring too rarely. So sadly I can't judge how they handled it. So all in all if you like this game you can't go wrong with getting this DLC and supporting the dev. It adds some nice new additions that are fitting to the atmosphere and balanced. Don't expect anything too crazy though, the core gameplay and mechanics remain the same.
Of course Siege of Dragonspear struggles with the fact that mechanically the start of BG2 did neither intend nor need an add on between both games. Thus from a purely mechanical point of view you "only" get some more XP and some more items to import into BG2. However, albeit being sceptical because of the many bad reviews, I found the add on to be well done and resembling what made BG1 and 2 great in many instances. I liked the available followers (well one was annoying but I just ignored him), the locations were very interesting and had lots of variety. There are also intense fights against strong enemies. The quests were ok (not amazing but enjoyable) and I liked the story. In my opinion most of the things fit nicely into the BG trilogy and the Forgotten Realms lore. This add on just offers more of the same, and if you like isometrical CRPGs you will have a good time.
