EDIT: I wanted to put a disclaimer after I played some more, but still leave my first impressions. This game is actually quite a bit different from SC2, it's just not apparent at first. The factions are very unique in terms of mechanics and function, though I feel like there's not enough for me to do with my units aside from attack move, and I think units without casts in this game can do with a pass for active skills beyond what's present on dedicated caster units. Many traditionally active skills like stimpack are now turned into passives behind buildings and tech, and it feels a little overly simplified to the detriment of some engagements, A nice thing to have would be something not critically important to micro in mid to late game, but with clever use can swing early game. Think Reapers and the like. Other than that, my outlook on this game is very positive having played it a bit more.

It's weird that this game is competing with a 14 year old game and is more like a variation of it that feels like it could have launched around the same era, rather than an improvement of it.

I am a huge fan of high skill ceiling games and competitive RTS, this game is a good RTS and is shaping up to be on par with SC2 somewhere down the line, but the gameplay changes here feel relatively uninspired and often times feel as if they were designed with the intention to quite literally 'BE' SC2 but with obligatory changes to make it different. Not dissimilar to a total conversion mod for SC2.

Because of that, I feel like I should just be playing SC2 instead considering it's the same game but better. It's a really weird situation where I don't want to give this game a negative review because it's perfectly fine and competent, but the game is setting out with its primary purpose being to emulate another game and, if that's your mission statement, then once the gameplay is emulated the most important thing to do is polish and present it with good execution, and while mechanically the game is great, the presentation and execution feels too derivative without improvement. If SC2 released on Steam right now with battlenet removed I think this game would probably die, and that's not a great spot to be in.

So do I recommend this game? Well I would recommend SC2 so I guess? But would I recommend this game to someone who casually played SC2 and would expect it to be a generational improvement on the formula 14 years later? I don't think anyone would honestly believe that, fans of this game surely understand this is a game built on the circumstances the genre finds itself in as a necessary stopgap, rather than a game that would have been made if the genre was in a healthy state. I sure hope it does well because I love this genre and game, but it's very much making the best of a bad situation, these games don't improve because the funding isn't there to justify it, because the lack of mass casual appeal doesn't provide the funding.

There's a future where we are still playing SC2 20 years later because it's the last great RTS a studio was willing to make. This game is also the only real attempt at continuing that legacy, and being in such an early state, it could very well replace SC2 in that role sometime in the next few years. It's not there yet, not right now though.

Get it if you're interested in RTS and enjoy the genre or SC2 in particular. But for new, younger, and casual players, I don't think this is going to be a good impression without that context, they probably won't enjoy it, but in an ideal world I hope they give it a chance.

EDIT: I wanted to put a disclaimer after I played some more, but still leave my first impressions. This game is actually quite a bit different from SC2, it's just not apparent at first. The factions are very unique in terms of mechanics and function, though I feel like there's not enough for me to do with my units aside from attack move, and I think units without casts in this game can do with a pass for active skills beyond what's present on dedicated caster units. Many traditionally active skills like stimpack are now turned into passives behind buildings and tech, and it feels a little overly simplified to the detriment of some engagements, A nice thing to have would be something not critically important to micro in mid to late game, but with clever use can swing early game. Think Reapers and the like. Other than that, my outlook on this game is very positive having played it a bit more. It's weird that this game is competing with a 14 year old game and is more like a variation of it that feels like it could have launched around the same era, rather than an improvement of it. I am a huge fan of high skill ceiling games and competitive RTS, this game is a good RTS and is shaping up to be on par with SC2 somewhere down the line, but the gameplay changes here feel relatively uninspired and often times feel as if they were designed with the intention to quite literally 'BE' SC2 but with obligatory changes to make it different. Not dissimilar to a total conversion mod for SC2. Because of that, I feel like I should just be playing SC2 instead considering it's the same game but better. It's a really weird situation where I don't want to give this game a negative review because it's perfectly fine and competent, but the game is setting out with its primary purpose being to emulate another game and, if that's your mission statement, then once the gameplay is emulated the most important thing to do is polish and present it with good execution, and while mechanically the game is great, the presentation and execution feels too derivative without improvement. If SC2 released on Steam right now with battlenet removed I think this game would probably die, and that's not a great spot to be in. So do I recommend this game? Well I would recommend SC2 so I guess? But would I recommend this game to someone who casually played SC2 and would expect it to be a generational improvement on the formula 14 years later? I don't think anyone would honestly believe that, fans of this game surely understand this is a game built on the circumstances the genre finds itself in as a necessary stopgap, rather than a game that would have been made if the genre was in a healthy state. I sure hope it does well because I love this genre and game, but it's very much making the best of a bad situation, these games don't improve because the funding isn't there to justify it, because the lack of mass casual appeal doesn't provide the funding. There's a future where we are still playing SC2 20 years later because it's the last great RTS a studio was willing to make. This game is also the only real attempt at continuing that legacy, and being in such an early state, it could very well replace SC2 in that role sometime in the next few years. It's not there yet, not right now though. Get it if you're interested in RTS and enjoy the genre or SC2 in particular. But for new, younger, and casual players, I don't think this is going to be a good impression without that context, they probably won't enjoy it, but in an ideal world I hope they give it a chance.