My core issue is quite singular so if you don't care about story or are only interested combat then understand that while janky the combat is fine? Some people enjoy it. I think it's not terrible and even fun at times. However. My core issue with the game is the narrative structure of the game. Fundamentally: You are playing the role of a noble. Someone who directly answers to the Governor of a colony. Therefore, why do I feel like I am a typical nobody from most other rpgs? If for example someone gets tossed in an Arena simply because of his race and the fantasy police are being racist, should the "Legate" not be able to simply say no and have them remove the man? Why must I the Legate fight in the Arena? Evidently, I understand this is a game. I understand combat comes with the story. But games need to justify themselves, and I feel like I am being asked to do all the heavy lifting.
I am not new to video games nor am I new to bad UI/UX design but this game is baffling to me. Never before have I felt like I had to fight the game so much. If you're too close then the mech immedately decide to go melee. Actively trying to attack can feel like pulling teeth because I have to repeatedly hit 1 until the game decides to cooperate and then I get to shoot or attack depending on how the game seems to feel. I spent an hour on this game. I refuse to spend a second more. I don't understand why so many people had a far more positive experience with this game, chances are it's because I'm an incredibly impatient person, but I don't want to learn to more patient. Not for this.
If you like New Weird/Weird fiction, you'll like this, if you like themes of power secretive organizations dealing with paranatural (instead of supernatural) stuff, you'll like this. If you like games where you get interesting powers and have to deal with bizarre entities then you will like this. To be fair this game has its own issues, it's the kind of thing you just know you'll like or not just on its aesthetic alone. I like SCP Foundation, X-Files, Fringe and all that kind of stuff. And I just vibe with these kinds of themes. This is a very cinematic game, and if you don't like story first games, then you might not like this. It's not a sandbox, and some of its scenarios feel cheap. But regardless. I had my fun so far.
First thing first, Tides isn't a bad game. I'd say it's pretty good. However the game has serious flaws that need to be mentioned. First off is the combat system, while I find the system to be interesting and innovative, it has serious failings in terms of; 1. Lack of information 2. Awful UI 3. Incredibly glitchy interface. In most Turn-Based games such as this, there are Action Points or similar mechanics, this game however has Movement "Points" which is actually just one point, and finally there is the Action Point, which can be used for movement as well as combat and dialogue, but only one at a time. The problem with this is that the games UI doesn't give feedback due to design issues and glitches. Each major action uses a stat pool, there are three, Might, Speed, and Intellect. I actually like this system. It gives more reason to rest, and also makes the effort and edge system more integral in the game. Unfortunately the game sometimes glitchs and doesn't allow you to actually choose an action. In other words you are occasionally barred from taking certain actions. There are more problems but I really want to get into the plot of the game. I'll say that I liked only two; Erritis and Rhin. But even they didn't have the depth I felt that they needed. Actually their story goes through long periods of inactivity. Not to mention that the games story arc isn't satisfying. WHen I reached the ending, I knew it was the ending, but it was incredibly unsatisfying to me, not to mention that many of my choices were irrelevant. Sure I get that the devs cannot make every choice meaningful, but even the seemingly meaningful ones are unaccounted for. Now the ending. Some have complained about the ending being a bunch of slides, which is an odd complaint for a text heavy game. My issue with the ending is the lack of choice. The game doesn't even answer it's main question nor does it ever explain it. I would like a sequel but I don't feel inxile can handle it. Buyer beware.
