"Gadget energy" regenerates at a glacial pace. This is a huge design flaw since you have the choice between playing optimally by waiting the 2 min (seriously!) it takes for a starting mage-type character's mana to regenerate, or charge ahead not knowing whether you would've needed that full charge in the next fight. There's no Rest feature, unlike Grimrock, and no energy recharge points in the dungeon. Besides this dealbreaker, the atmosphere is good with a world that's the most detailed so far in a grid-based dungeon crawler. Combat is hard with very fast-moving enemies, but you have a well-made mode that freezes time if you need help dealing with those. Too bad about the bizarre mana design, it's like the devs liked the look and feel of old dungeon crawlers but didn't quite understand the underlying systems that made them click. What makes it even weirder is that they made health a finite resource by giving you a set amount of healing items, and no innate health regeneration. Why then adopt a different design for mana, but make the regeneration absolutely tiny so it's infuriating, unless you invest all your points for a dozen levels in it?
If you actually like the game and want more content you'll be forced to move to Steam, purchasing the game again.
Locations that were mythical in the original game are now right there plainly indicated, possibly with a big fat quest marker, on a world map which spoils a lot of the discovery and the mystery. If you have the willpower to resist every clicking the world map button or using the W key, you can perhaps have the original experience. Except there's no guarantee that any revised dialogue still gives you sufficient pointers to navigate with no map, as it used to. There's also the addition of a fast travel system (from fixed locations, Morrowind-style) which feels out of place in this low-magic world and contributes in making the world feel smaller and less dangerous. RPG system was slightly dumbed-down as well, with new restrictions such as max 1 skill point per skill per level making it harder to fix a character later down the line. You can't close doors anymore, because the poor, poor iPad gamers were closing them accidentally! And speaking of controls, yeah you have full mouse controls but the tile right above your character is a royal pain to click. So basically, that leaves you with improved graphics, support for higher resolutions and a somewhat improved UI as the main selling points over the original.
Unique strategy game where you have to make the most of what you find in a procedurally generated galaxy to beat the AI overlord. The latter already controls the whole galaxy and launches predictable waves at you which increase as you take territory, as well as the not-so-predictable Hunter and Warden fleets. You can't possibly conquer the whole map, so deep raids to capture or destroy objectives are essential. A variety of allies and aliens can be added to the game to spice things up. Coop multiplayer (the sequel was renowned for this game mode) and a first DLC are coming Q2 2020. The strategy layer is fascinating and the game tense and very satisfying when you win, but the interface while better than the first game is pretty unpolished and confusing at first. I also find the unit control and actual tactical gameplay serviceable but somewhat dull, with units that differ only by HP, damage and speed as well as a complicated rock-paper-scissors system. All in all a unique game that's well worth trying. Once coop is in it might become the best coop strategy game out there.
