tl;dr - Fun game, good atmosphere, and feels like a notch up from Stalker SOC. I'd say it's more like Call of Pripyat 2, if that matters to you. Still missing some parts, but devs are diligintly updating and its showing. Many of the game breaking issues mentions by other reviews have been fixed. Now that performance is improved, I can whole heartedly recommend. A little more detail - I'm writing this as of patch 1.1.3. By this point performance has been hugely improved and we're starting to see A-LIFE come online. I'm running the game underpowered but I'm still able to hold my own without using perf mods. I'm using GTX 1650 (low-profile), 16gb ram, and an i5-4690K cpu. That being said - It is sadly missing some features introduced in previous games. I have seen the factions, but haven't found a way to meaningfully interract with them. Initial shader cache build is also offensively long, but at least load times are short once you actually get into the game. Patches are also huge, though that's a complaint at the devs, not necessrily the game.
tld;r - Fun gameplay. Great art. Meh campaign. Sparse servers. I'd buy this game for ~$15, but I recommend you buy (or share >.>) another copy and play it with a friend. The rest of the review - Girlfriend and I picked this up a year or so ago for casual game nights, and it's been a blast! The actual game is easy to pick up but offers enough control to keep things interesting as you learn more. The units are all unique, both in terms of gameplay and artistic style, and the inclusion of non-mobile combat fixtures (ie, turrets, mortars, landmines) can really spice up your games! There are no war-crimes in Tooth and Tail; you either win, or you're lunch. And my favorite part: matches are generally ~5 minutes, give or take a few minutes depending how things go. Even my worst games only lasted about 3 minutes before I got pulverized; short enough I can't really get angry about it. Even the long, drawn out, down to the wire matches only last upwards to 8. The sound is great too. The music is on point, the sfx are well done, and everything just flows well together. It's a tiny, fuzzy, experience, and it's hard not to grab a thimble of gristmill liquor and sing along with your fellow country-mice! That being said, balance is a bit harsh. Some picks have hard, hard counters. I don't mean "this will be an uphill battle" hard. I mean "this matchup will lose 9/10 times" hard. So, if you make a bad pick and have no plan b, then you're done. Some of the hero's are also a bit of a miss. Not bad, exactly, but I guess not everyone can be a racoon with a minigun or a flamethrowing boar. Also, as I mentioned, I play this with someone I know. I can't comment on the online community, and the server list looked pretty empty last time I checked. But all that being said, the game is fun and I think that counts for a lot. I'd pay $15 for it hands down because I've enjoyed it. If you're wary, I'd say lower that to ~$10.
