So, I FINALLY found some time to play through this. Here I offer my critique:
The gameplay was solid, about what I remember from the old WoD release. I seem to recall the Contravention asteroid trap mission being more complex than that, but I like the simplified version better if that is the case. Loved the final boss... definitely establishes the Nordera as, you know, an actual threat this time around. A wider variety in the various races capital ships is also welcome.
As for the story... well, I am not sure how to put this. All the pieces are there and the reimagined characters are great (I mourn the loss of the male LSDF fighter pilots though), but something seemed... off. I think it has to do with how characters seem to make major decisions very quickly, seemingly just to move the story along. Everyone seems EXTREMELY easygoing about everything, and I get that part of that is just WoD's general tone, but it's not always in a good way.
This was most obvious near the end of Episode 2, where Acella (sp?) suddenly decided to support Kunoichi in her "Make Dawn a goddess" plot. For that matter, how quickly Dawn went along with it. I mean, excuse me, WHAT? Deciding just like that to betray, as Acella put it, the "highest branches of the Cryvan government"? And Dawn going into this full steam ahead, without any hesitation or consideration toward the implications or consequences of such a goal, whether they succeed or fail? Granted, Acella might be lying and going along with them for the moment, but seriously Kunoichi, Acella, and Dawn, apply some brakes to that train of thought! There's diving headfirst into something and then there's diving off a cliff with a jetpack propelling you downwards.
I also feel like Dawn was made a bit too powerful, but seeing as the story is incomplete, maybe Spoon has something in mind on how to develop that plot point going forward. So on that I reserve final judgement. That info-dump seemed a bit early in the story though. You sure you want to reveal so much so fast, Spoon? Or do you perhaps have more up your sleeve?
On the positive side, this does flesh out the Wings of Dawn universe tremendously over the old one, and if we can expect this kind of additional worldbuilding going forward, that is excellent. The various different factions of the Terrans are great (even if the New Brittainians are insufferable to the extreme... I'm with Jello, I don't think I could ever like such holier-than-thou pompous bigheads), and we apparently have some
inter-faction conflict among the Cyrvans.
This makes everything much more complex, intriguing, and ripe for new plots to open up.
On the whole, I feel like it's obvious a tremendous amount of work went into this and I am excited to see where it's going.
