This game is a lot like the original from 2001. It is similar enough for me to feel mostly at home, but many systems got touched up on, so you can't just do what you did back then. The tractorbeam is very different and needs some getting used to, but after a short adjustment period, I think I actually might prefer the newer one. The aliens and structures got reworked as well, but if you are familiar with the old cadre you will recognise their function quickly. Variable structures now also come with predefined optional layouts and I think you can even save your own, to make building easier. Research/unlocking of structures is completely different and does need some getting used to from the original. You no longer unlock stuff via the lab but with a dedicated subsystem using "prestige" that you gain from aliens liking your station/services. You can still improve stuff via the lab though. Biodeck got streamlined, which i kinda liked. The fundeck got reworked too, and I absolutely hate it. Only structures in the central sector are powered by default, in other sectors you need a special structure that powers stuff in a certain (small) area. This feels clunky and just like a chore. Combat got completly reworked. You no longer use your employees to fight, but cheap security drones and expensive mechas. It's better than the original, but still only okay-ish. It feels kind of detached but at least you do no longer wreck your healthcare while fighting. The campaign was really nice up to the first combat-focused mission. After that point I always felt pressured. The story of the campaing was meh with a few interesting hooks and an unsatisfying ending. Granted, the original didn't have much of a story either but at least they didn't try to convince you otherwise. New VAL is a downgrade from the original. The old one was a sarcastic bastard but still likable, the new one not so much. Would give 3.5 stars if possible.
SF: Fallen God works similar to Soul Harvest. Reduced damage types. 2 skilltrees per hero, one of which is preset per character and a synergieskill depending on the trees chosen. Ressources get stored globally instead of in each sectoroutpost separately and the units feel distinct from one-another. The story follows the trolltribe of the Moonkins. They are currently on the run from hunters and fighting for survival. For that they try to revive a Fial Darg, the titular "Fallen God". This story feels less cosmic and less of a strech than the Soul Harvest one. It fits a lot better into the world of SF. The members of the tribe are very likeable and their motivations understandable. One thing to consider though are the large models for the trollunits and heroes. Many maps in the campaign have tight spaces and the pathfinding AI seems to have problems to match those with the bigger hitboxes. This can make repositioning your troops/heroes in battle a challenge from time to time.
This Expansion is a lot different from the base game. It streamlined a lot of things. For example the 4 physical damage types were fused to only 2 while the 4 magic types were put together as one (more or less, fire and ice effects deal more damage on monsters from the other type and often no damage to the same type). Equipment was also heavily condensed. A little too much for my taste. The skilltrees have been completly overhauled. You no longer have 3 Trees (+ leadership on main) but 2 trees with one synergie skill, depending on which trees you chose (unforunately the game doesn't tell you what those synergies will be beforehand). The companions also no longer have a companion-specific tree like in the basegame. There are also fewer companions available than in the basegame. To compensate you can hire custom mercenaries, whithout personality. Unfortunately the others do not have much of one either. I never felt compelled to talk with them much. The RTS parts also got streamlined a bit. The sector outposts no longer have their own storage, everything is stored globally. You can now gather resources in the back and have unit-production in the frontline sectors without having to haul the ressources there. Most units have some unique unlockable skill or effect, which makes the different races more distinct than in the base game. So mechanics-wise they did a lot very right with only a few hiccups that might be only my personal taste getting in the way. But the story part lost me. The companions are lacking. The MC is even worse. Tahar was intriguing, Aerev is horrible. He "made a mistake" that should have him demoted, exiled or executed, but instead he gets to command the elite Wolfguard, because they killed Tahar offscreen. The main storyline didn't capture me like the one from the base game. It also felt unfitting for the SF universe. Much of it felt conflicting with the lore from SF 1 to me. So far I couldn't bring myself to replay the campaign because of that.
I enjoyed the game, but there are enough flawes in it that can lower the enjoyment quite a lot. They streamlined the game's mechanics and I quite liked that. Many buffs and debuffs got categorized into afflictions (debuffs) and inspirations (buffs) for each attribute. I liked that change as it helps keeping things ordered. There are still unique effects outside these categories, so it doesn't constrict the effects too much. They also overhauled the armor system. Armor no longer reduces damage by a flat amount but by a percentage, depending on the penetration value of the attack compared to the armor, which makes armor and penetration more useful than in the first game. Most companions are interesting. Each time you recruit a companion you get to choose one of three class-options. This helps fill gaps in the group. Everyone has a unique personality and react to each other. These interactions can be interesting but can also cause problems. Not all companions work well together. To adress that, there are "sidekicks" who do not participate in the relationship system. They also do not interact with you much, after they have been recruited, which is a disappointment. The four factions and their struggle is crafted very nicely. No faction is completely good or bad, not even the pirates. All have their interests in the area and it is up to the player to decide which faction to support. Each faction has its own questline and those are usually interesting to follow. The main questline about the rampaging god on the other hand is not. It consist of "go to A and talk to god" followed by "now go to B and talk to god" etc. And now my biggest peeve with the game: the ship. Exploring the seas gets old pretty fast. Especially because of the supply/upkeep system. That upkeep does not contribute to the depth of the game, it is simply annoying. Naval battles are also boring. Most effective is boarding which throws the naval battle over board.
I really liked the first three games and I really wanted to like this one as well, but I couldn't. It starts with some of the new mechanics. I really dislike beeing stressed by a time limit in adventures. Some of the old ones (e.g. Broken Sword) pulled those limits off quite well, but there you would usually only have to replay one decision should you fail. Here the loops are bigger, too big for my taste and that annoyed me. The next thing that annoyed me were the puzzles. I am a veteran concerning adventures and I have seen a lot of different adventure styles over the years. I am usually quite good at finding out what to do, but here I had my problems. It is normal for some puzzles to stretch logic a little, especially in comic-style adventures, but in this game, there were too many of those. Coupled with the time limits, it sometimes felt more of a chore than a game. The humor from the first three games also seemed to be missing. The first three games made me chuckle quite frequently, this one didn't. There were some funny scenes, but not that many overall, or at least not many that I actually found funny. Another thing I was missing was the singer between acts. He appeared at the beginning and I can't remember if he showed up again later. He was a constant in the first three games, why was he missing here? But my biggest problem with the whole game was the story. It doesn't add anything to the story told in games one to three. The plot was either predictable or seemed random, not much in between. So all in all, this game seemed quite unnecessary to me.
