Having just played the full chapter available, I feel like this game has a lot of potential and want to see what will come of it, but there are some issues I have with it mechanically. I read through the February notes and believe a lot of good decisions are on the way, but want to make sure other matters are addressed.
The first is the ability to see enemy movement and attack range. Perhaps some of this is due to my familiarity with the genre with a controller versus a keyboard and mouse, as there was a lot of adjustment on my part to learn how to rotate and pan over the battlefield. However, it felt like I was not provided enough information on enemy movement and range, and therefore wasn't able to make the most educated decisions regarding where I wanted to move in order to draw enemies forward while keeping my own units safe.
And speaking of keeping units safe, the friendly A.I. not only seemed incapable of keeping together in a group, but also seemed to make decisions that would put them in harm's way. This was especially true of Sirena, a spellcaster that seemed more than happy to march on the front line. It would be nice if the A.I. wasn't so insistent on pushing themselves into a corner as they charged ahead to face an enemy alone.
There could also be better UI elements to indicate when a character is suffering a status ailment, such as poison or burn. Change in stature, change in color outline, symbols above their heads, etc. Clarity of symbols would be useful as well. I figured out how to generally get the "songs" to work in combat, but I rarely knew what bonuses I was earning (as I certainly couldn't execute any of the provided "scores" without making less-tactical decisions).
In regards to jobs and the Opus, introducing those elements earlier is nice, but I think my biggest issue as the chapter wore on was how over-powered my basic three units were compared to the other two, which meant I had three strong units for the final mission and two weaklings that were as much a hindrance as they were a support. I think most players are going to want to stick to their stronger units as the missions continue on, especially with the assumption that enemies will get stronger. So while it's easier said than done, I'd say rework the earlier missions to allow for more characters on the field immediately, or create a system in the Opus that allows your teammates to go on excursions to level up outside of combat so that you don't have to grind completed missions again. Something that allows characters left off the battlefield a way to catch up so that you're more willing to experiment with classes and swap characters around.
Lastly, I'd reconsider unlocking the second job slot after mastering an ability, especially as it looks to take a really long time to do just that. If you really want players mixing, matching, and customizing jobs, then that secondary job slot should be open a lot sooner.
Curiously enough, looking at the February notice, I didn't have an issue with a lot of the complaints of other players. Talking heads? Fine. The dialogue and cut-scenes and character motivations? Seemed fine, seeing as this is the early stage of an RPG and therefore all the development is bound to occur after the opening chapter. The only thing I'd modify is some of Rime's speech. It's awkward to have the other characters, particularly Sirena, speaking in a formal and very fantasy-style tone, and suddenly Rime blurts out phrasing like "Hold up..." True, Rime is not educated or noble like Sirena, but "Hold up" isn't common vernacular, it is modern vernacular. There are better ways of emphasizing his lack of education or sophistication compared to Sirena or other characters.
Despite all of this, I am largely providing feedback for Little Orbit rather than a proper review. I also think it is too early to recommend or not recommend. I enjoyed what I played, but it was only about 3 hours of play time. That's not nearly enough to judge a game on. I think it has potential, and I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I think it needs to touch on some UI elements to better inform the player of what's happening on the battlefield while also adjusting some of its job system beyond making it available to customize earlier. These issues addressed, I think it could be a very worthwhile game.
I also think it's impressive to see what Little Orbit has done, considering the rocky history of this project. While I doubt anyone's socks will be blown off, or that it'll be the next Final Fantasy Tactics in terms of legacy and epic impact, it's definitely looking to shape up to be a decent-to-pretty-darn-fine game.
