Great sequel (evolution?) to the original AFE.
FTE2 offers a more streamlined player experience, and one way this is achieved is by cutting down the number of weapons and amalgamating the original Marine classes/kits into new ones. This is balanced out by adding meaningful and enjoyable weapon options through Traits and Augments, as well as the new Specialist class.
The Specialist is a particularly great addition, allowing you to cross-kit abilities and traits from the fixed Marine kits — as long as you've unlocked them first. This gives you a lot of room to experiment with Specialist builds on the Endeavor, then take them into the field or Horde Mode to test and refine them. Want to make a ridiculously powerful tank Specialist? An uber-Medic? You can.
I'm currently experimenting with a Specialist running the Rumble Sentry with Electrical Field (Machinist class) for slowing groups of approaching Xenos, combined with Stasis Bolts for locking down priority targets (Hunter class). Together they provide excellent area control — slowing the horde while giving me the ability to single out and immobilise anything particularly nasty. It's a really satisfying way to control the flow of a fight. The trade-off is that this build sacrifices some raw damage output, so I need a Marauder or another high-damage Marine in the Fireteam to complement it — another good example of why team synergy and how your builds work together really matters.
You can also level up Marine classes faster once you've unlocked each class's 10% XP boost perk (universal), then stack them onto the class you are levelling - really handy.
I really appreciate the level and set design of Stoor's Boon. It feels eerily familiar to Hadley's Hope from Aliens — Cold Iron have absolutely nailed the frontier-colony aesthetic. The level design also makes much better use of verticality: overbridges, stairwells, looking down into areas you're heading towards, and seeing Xenos gathering and climbing towards you is really cool.
The gameplay loop still works and is enjoyable: move through an area, fight increasingly large groups of Xenos, Synths, etc., defend or activate something, survive, and keep pushing forward.
And that's ultimately why I think this is a great sequel. It's essentially the same game, but with more targeted customisation, four-player co-op — a huge positive, giving you more firepower and better opportunities for team synergy — and greater enemy variety.
I'll mention the level design again, because it really does make a difference. It's no longer as simple as "hold this choke point." The Xenos (and the devs) are smarter, so you have to be smarter, too.
When I first saw a Xeno Warrior quickly sidestep my firing line and attempt to flank me, I was genuinely impressed!
Being able to crouch and melee are also meaningful additions, and some weapons now have selectable fire modes. These are options that simply weren't in the original AFE and add more depth to the moment-to-moment gameplay.
Another thing I really like is how the challenge cards and consumable items have been handled.
Challenge cards are no longer randomised with one card selected for the mission — they're all applied. Loads better.
Likewise, sentries, grenades, mines, etc. (consumables) are unlocked once through purchase and are then available to take on missions. Again, loads better.
Overall, there's better progression and replayability through the combination of classes, weapons, perks, abilities, weapon progression, challenge modifiers, consumables and, perhaps most importantly, build experimentation.
There are technical problems and bugs, but these will hopefully be ironed out and, at least for me, they aren't game-breaking. A patch is also due to address some of these issues at the time of writing.
To be honest, I don't have the same gripes with the NPC scripting that many others have pointed out. Rather than having a token or stereotypical army grunt who simply gives and takes orders, the different NPCs actually have their own personalities, quirks and attitudes. It's another small but welcome way the game adds variety and makes the world feel a little more alive. I think Cold Iron have again tried to evolve the NPC's from original AFE.
Overall, I'm really enjoying it. Is it a true sequel, or more of an evolution of AFE? Maybe a bit of both. But for me, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It takes what worked in the original, streamlines and expands it, and adds more than enough new systems and options to make me want to keep playing.
