I've noticed a definite tone-shift between the original game and this one. If you remember NGTM's and my LPs of XCOM and TFtD we had clones, and when dudes died they usually died in groups and we laughed... This new thing makes it harder to LP light-heartedly, 'cause when a dude gets shot he's all splattery, and because squads are smaller, each soldier makes a big difference and you get more attached to each individual, so losses are more serious.
Which is good for a game! But less good for a bunch of buddies to role-play and talk about each other getting shot in the face by aliens or splorched by a cryssalid.