If you liked Xcom 2, you'll like PP. PP has more strategy on the map level and within battles than XC2, but XC2 is hands-down more a cinematic immersive game. I give PP a slight edge over XC2.
II've won PP on hero difficulty (second highest) multiple times, and here's my take-aways:
The good:
- Managing resources, investing, judging trade-offs in upgrading/expanding squad vs upgrading/expanding bases is an engaging challenge. Missions are more meaningful in how they affect your overall global campaign progress.
- Great troop customization. Can select up to 2 professions/classes (e.g. Assault, Heavy, Sniper are default professions; each faction provides access to their faction-specific profession) by spending skill points. Each soldier comes with some randomly-chosen optional bonus skills for purchase. Though I generally get same combo (Assault + other class), you can allocate points as needed; purchase new profession, unlock bonus skills, or improve stats (like movement range, strength, etc.). A fun/challenging decision is whether to purchase a so-so soldier early, but must time to level them up, but with poor bonus skills, or hold-out / be picky and purchase the high-quality recruits later. Can also purchase partially leveled up soldiers from the factions, but at hefty price.
- Factions: each of the three factions has a well-developed history, motivations, philosophy, view on other factions, as well as unique weapons, unique armor, a unique solider class, unique ground combat vehicle, and unique air vehicles. Also there are unique weapons, armor, and vehicles for Phoenix point (you are essentially a faction), and even armor and weapons for the so called "independents" (though independent faction weapons and armor are poorest quality, they are cheapest, so they may have their place early on in game play when you have little resources).
- Faction interactions/diplomacy: You can gain/lose your standing with the factions based on what you do with them. If you defend them when attacked, for example. As you gain standing you gain access to their technology. However.... you can also steal from them! Don't be afraid to steal from (a thus kill a bit of) your "allies". This is a war for the survival of the human race. If you need to raid your allies for their resources, their technology, or steal their aircraft to survive and save ALL OF HUMANITY... do it. The penalty is a small reduction in your standing. Steal an air vehicle, especially early in campaign when its cost prohibitive, can make it up to your allies later. You can win game with any diplomatic standing with any faction, but its easier to win being allied with factions. I generally max standing with all 3 factions after early stealing.
Also, each faction has different value for the 3 resources. So when trading with the factions, you should figure out who sells food the cheapest, who sells materials the cheapest, and who sells tech the cheapest (or just Google it ;). Some resources you can produce in your base...
- Status Effects: There are 4 distinct damage over time states; bleed, poison, fire, and acid. Each is distinct from the other 3 in what units are vulnerable/immune, initial damage, how damage amount changes per turn, whether it is affected by armor, which it affects armor, how challenging it is to heal, will it go on indefinitely, does it affect only the body part targeted / all body parts / the main health pool, or a combination. With virus effect, shock effect, will power etc. there's a lot here. Great thought went into the damage over time systems.
- Injuries: each limb or part of a unit (you and the enemy both) have a condition separate from the main health pool, and a unique penalty associated with disabling that part. E.g. for your troops, a broken arm means no two-handed weapons (e.g. rifle), switch to pistol/grenade until healed. Disabling enemy body parts can reduce key enemy stats and remove key enemy abilities. Strategic limb/part disabling is a pivotal part of combat for you and enemy.
- Free aim: big difference from XC2, is real ballistics model with "free aim" to target and injure limbs.
- Overwatch: more mechanistic than XC2. Orient a "triangle" where if enemy enters, you shoot. "heavy" weapons have narrow triangle, light weapons (pistols) have wide triangle. NOTE: 2 soldiers cannot do simultaneous reaction shots, so do overlapping triangles of varying length.
- Fatigue: More missions is more loot, more xp, etc. but more fatigue for each troop. Too much fatigue and troops stats suffer. Have to balance troop resting with campaign progress. Can build facility to expedite rest.
- Ground Vehicles: Ground vehicles take up "space" of several soldiers, so you have to plan carefully and decide whether its worthwhile to take fewer troops for one or more vehicles. I like to bring vehicles on missions to collect resources, whereas I may not bring a vehicle to a Pandoran Nest and rarely to Pandoran Lair (I do better on foot). Plus, whether you get a vehicle depends on how you interact with the factions, and there's some luck involved in that. Plus... it is VERY SATISFYiNG to drive your vehicle across a map in a camp of the disciples of Anu and crash through the walls of a dozen huts, smashing them to pieces. Try it... you'll love it, and there's no penalty for trashing their buildings (other than possibly losing cover)
- Developing Bases, Expanding Bases: I enjoy securing, building, upgrading bases. I enjoy defending my base when its attacked, especially when a Haven is infested (which is my favorite mission type, and can only happen when the Corrupted Horizons DLC is active)
- Character monologues, history of Phoenix Point: I appreciate that as the events of the world transpire, you hear speeches from various characters from various factions, with new speeches from characters in the DLC. These speeches are well-thought out and voice acting is decent. The Synod of Yearning gives me chills , love that character.
- Enemies evolve: they get stronger, get new abilities, more challenging as time progresses.
The Bad:
- music: this is subjective, but most music stinks. I like most New Jericho music, I like one song during turn of Disciples of Anu, and generally don't like the Synedrion music. XC2 music was much better, and I miss the cinematic cut-scenes of XC2 (Phoenix Point only has a portrait of a character appear while hearing audio of that person speaking).
- Soldier Skins/Cosmetics: the options are few, and generally stink, e.g. I have no interest in the weird hair colors. I want cigars, sunglasses, and tattoos (a la XC2)
- Wound healing: I thought it was dumb that you can have disabled/injured head, broken arms, broken legs, limp out of a battle, and after battle is over, all these injuries are fully recovered immediately.
- DLC weapons: The Kaos Syndicate DLC, though fun, introduces rather overpowered weapons with infinite ammo. Yes they explode eventually but its a small price to pay. Takes away a lot of challenge of managing ammunition. Consider higher difficulty with Kaos Engines DLC.
- Air combat (Corrupted Horizons DLC): Good sound, graphics, animations. Lots of weapons for you and Pandorans. But this air-combat minigame is either too easy to win for small air enemies, or so risky/dangerous that only option is hit/run/heal, repeat.
- The Scylla's screams sound like a child yelling "RRRRRR!!!!". Lame.
- Hate the Arthron crab "galloping/skipping". Triton frogs are boring enemies. XC2 enemies (sectoids, advent, mutons, chrysallid) are cooler foes.
- Too difficult (for me) to make Infiltrator "stealth" character work. High skill pt cost, hard to tell when enemies will detect me (until they attack). I do better with any other class. Hope you have better results with Infiltrator than me.
DLCs: can load Blood and Titanium, Living Weapons, and Kaos Engines on your first campaign. Wait for second playthrough to add Corrupted Horizons and/or Legacy of Ancients.
