GIRLS' FRONTLINE 2: EXILIUM

To preface, I originally played on mobile when this game launched. I had dropped the game because it was originally very unforgiving when it came to the balance of rewards and successful pulls, even after trying to stick it out for over a month. I decided to start a fresh account and pick the game back up again. I am pleasantly surprised to see the positive changes that have been brought about since launch. PROS [1] F2P Friendly in the early/mid/mid-late game. You can acquire a significant amount of the in-game currency by simply doing dailies and weeklies. Pulling for your favorites and throwing them in a squad will work just fine (ONLY for the early to later middle game, not so much the level 55+ late-game activities). I've lost every 50/50 (weapons included...), and yet I was able to get the 3 characters and 2 weapons I wanted from the limited banners so far. I have since reaccumulated 37k pull currency. All new commanders have the opportunity to obtain a previously released skin of their choice with a selector card (don't forget to check your inventory for it, it expires eventually if not used). [2] Model Quality. The character models are highly detailed. I'd venture to say they're far more detailed than 99% of the gachas out there right now. You can tell that there is no lack of effort, especially when it comes to the character movements, facial expressions, as well as how smooth the character's clothing moves with them without clipping into the model. The JP voice acting in phenomenal as well. [3] Story. It's thought out, immersive, and tugs at emotions. Once you start a chapter, you won't want to hop off the game until you've finished it. Even the limited-time event stories have the same quality. CONS [1] Skin Gachas. While the regular skins in the shop are fine, since that's how the devs make their money, gacha skins are a blight upon the gaming industry. They should have never come into existence. Blast it to smithereens. Begone. I've amassed 46 free gacha skin pulls in almost 100 hours of playtime. You need 100 for a guarantee. Good luck. [2] Phase Clash. This is where the game stops being F2P friendly. You're expected to build a full team of one element, or else you face a 50% stat nerf against roided level 70+ enemies (you can only raise your characters to max level of 60). What I've been doing in order to remain F2P is I've been making sure to level at least 1 character of each element, so that I can go in and funnel them with buffs to pelt the enemies, should I find myself getting into battle. You will NEED a strong shielder or healer if you are going to play this way, since the other 4 members of your team will be nerfed into the ground. I recommend Helen (team-wide shields, damage buff with ult, and can take damage for an ally) or Springfield (sustained heals). Be aware that playing this way will unfortunately make the instance take much longer. It takes me a good 60-75 minutes to get one run in, whether or not I've collected all of the supply chests. Thank goodness it's only weekly. [3] Late Game. There is a lack of activities to do other than dailies, weeklies, and the limited time event going on for the set duration. You log on for about 10-15 minutes and then log off. It will get a bit monotonous, but you can keep yourself going if you know there is a character you want releasing in a future update. OTs-14 WILL come home. [4] Covenant System. So, you want to "marry" your favorite character(s). You get 1 ring for free (to my knowledge, as I am in the late-game and haven't crossed an opportunity to get another unless I fork over $5), so use it wisely. When you do use it after getting your character to max affection, you simply get one short 2D still-scene with the character, access to their unique stat booster that you can equip, and a unique profile picture. That's it. When you go up to them in the Crew Deck, there is no special dialogue. No notion that anything has happened at all other than a glowing ring on top of their hand. I was simply hoping for some endearing dialogue between the Commander and the character, but no dice. To clarify, I am referencing the covenant-specific rewards. When it comes to simply raising affinity, you do unlock access to clicking on narrative voicelines in the dormitory as well as other rewards. For how unique the covenant rings are, seeing as you only get 1 for free and would have to pay for more, the "rewards" are a buzzkill. Conclusion: I still recommend giving this game a shot. Despite there being some things that could irk you, the Pros far outweigh the Cons. Even though the game has its downs, it is overall a polished experience with characters that have personalities of their own. Every character is unique. When it comes to gachas, this one will be your long-time partner, your old-reliable. You will be treated well.