As a huge fan of the original game this "sequel" is anything but. While it does sort of capture a rudimentary feeling of an "abridged" run into the tower of barbs it's definitely its own thing (so keep that in mind and gauge your expectations)

That being said, I was originally not a huge fan of the game. The initial launch was mainly focused on pushing out a PvPvE tarkov-like, and the game suffered on multiple fronts because of it. The bones of a great game are there just buried under alot of bad. Much to my surprise they have pivoted from this and are genuinely listening to the community bringing in much requested features earlier than expected like coop & PvE

As of the season 2 update announcement and community AMA the game and it's future look much brighter. They've added PvE only mode along with coop Duos. they've also made plenty of updates to combat including a lock on system.

The game still has nothing in terms of "permanent" progress which is its biggest weakness currently imo. There's not much reward in continuing to play after defeating the seasonal boss. This however has been addressed by the devs in a recent AMA and they are considering adding more permanent progression & rewards. (Will update in the future should this be changed)

All in all, it has become a fun (although punishing) PvE roguelike, (with PvP on the side, should you want to engage with it) I definitely think it's worth a $25 price tag but would only recommend upgrading editions if you play and enjoy the game.

PS: The "create rooms" restriction is not a big deal as it only really applies to the mostly dead deathmatch mode. Which is not at all the main focus of the game.

To address the AI controversy, while I'm a very anti "AI art" person generally I do see nuance in this discussion. AI isn't going away and there are valid uses for it in terms of making actual workflows for talented people easier (not wholly generating a product with it).

In this case I see no egregious Use of AI in this game. it seems to have only been used in the early concepting phases for the most part (how it should be used). There are two "otherworldly beings" whose voices are largely done by AI but the two characters mostly speak indiscernible gibberish. While I do wish they hired VA's for this, I don't think it's a soul-less decision as some seem to be making it out to be. It does fit those specific characters and isn't noticeable.

TLDR: despite its awful launch, the recent PvE pivot and communication from the devs is refreshing. The game is definitely worth trying out at the $25 price point. Especially if your issue was with the PvP at launch. This is a tough & punishing game though so keep that in mind.

The music is great to play in the background. I would like the option for the OST, please!

Please remove the seasonal wipes from the game. Make it optional or only for PvP. I’m waiting to go past the 2-hour mark just to understand whether I should request a refund or not.