I decided to buy it and… I'm still divided on what to think of it.
Combat is clunky. It's not the worst ever, but the gun play feels awkward, and the melee clumsy and unresponsive. Maybe DS has spoiled my sense of what "good combat" is supposed to be, but there could have been a lot of improvement here.
The world feels bigger than other open world RPGs, even though I'm certain it's smaller. The unexpected consequences from the various quest lines are interesting, but the dialogue often feels lacking. Exploring is interesting, but doesn't quite match up to other series (Elder Scrolls, Deux Ex, etc.). There are however interesting reveals along the way.
Early game you're mostly running away from enemies, but I didn't feel like I had to grind. You'd almost get a dark souls vibe from it, if only the enemies were more sophisticated. Even early game reavers and mutant are mental after mid-game, and difficult to fight in groups unless you pick them off from a distance or jet pack dance.
Buying grenades is sort of mandatory early on. It helps get you through the early combat missions without companions. Who are pretty fragile themselves.
Factions seem unbalanced, with Clerics appearing to be well above the other two. Combining (ranged) energy weapons and PSI, with lenient skill requirements, without neglecting crafting. STR and CON can be ignored this way till mid-game, unlike the other two.
Overall, it's not bad, but it's top tier either. I'll have to see if it has any replay value. There's enough content and mechanics for different playstyles.
>>14612485
RAD is supposed to be armor piercing. Few to none enemies have high PSI resistance, which is supposed to make it good at high levels. Black Hole + Energy shield is good if SHTF.