Currently my GOTY. The gameplay is incredibly smooth. Could use some better settings like being able to make subtilties bigger and a different color, same with the hud. The story was cool but i think i like some of the previous entries' stories a bit more
Coming back to add to this review now that I have completed NG++, got the true ending, completed the entire arena and all the missions. The game continues to be impressive in game-feel at every moment. Its so addicting to play and so easy to just boot up missions and have a blast with them. Even going back to the drawing board with builds in the lab is fun. There are a few stinker missions like Depths 1 which i despise and wish i didn't have to play through 3 times.
--Spoilers--
The story actually got even weaker for me now that i've seen everything. The Flames of the Raven ending feels like the one that got the most attention and is the only one i really liked. The other two felt both a little short with the narrative and gameplay. Final boss of the Liberator ending doesn't have a phase 2 for some reason? The true ending final boss was fun but its set piece was not nearly as memorable as some of the others moments earlier in the game which is kinda disappointing given how much you have to do to get here. I wish the story stayed more in the horrors of corporate proxy wars for resources like it was in the opening hours. The most memorable story moment for me is the mission where you go and kill a test pilot who sounds like he's just a kid getting caught up in all of this. I wanted more of those harrowing moments like this found in the earlier games
Coming back to add to this review now that I have completed NG++, got the true ending, completed the entire arena and all the missions. The game continues to be impressive in game-feel at every moment. Its so addicting to play and so easy to just boot up missions and have a blast with them. Even going back to the drawing board with builds in the lab is fun. There are a few stinker missions like Depths 1 which i despise and wish i didn't have to play through 3 times.
--Spoilers--
The story actually got even weaker for me now that i've seen everything. The Flames of the Raven ending feels like the one that got the most attention and is the only one i really liked. The other two felt both a little short with the narrative and gameplay. Final boss of the Liberator ending doesn't have a phase 2 for some reason? The true ending final boss was fun but its set piece was not nearly as memorable as some of the others moments earlier in the game which is kinda disappointing given how much you have to do to get here. I wish the story stayed more in the horrors of corporate proxy wars for resources like it was in the opening hours. The most memorable story moment for me is the mission where you go and kill a test pilot who sounds like he's just a kid getting caught up in all of this. I wanted more of those harrowing moments like this found in the earlier games