I expected a shallow and repetitive game that I'd bounce off almost instantly, but bought it because the devs racked up a lot of goodwill with their continued support of FTL.
It's good. Really good. The tactical possibilities offered by the different squads, loadouts and (to a lesser extent) pilots mean that I'm constantly having to change up my playstyle. There's a great variety of enemy types, and they're surprisingly different in terms in abilities. Extra enemies seem to be added on subsequent playthroughs. Terrain becomes an increasingly important consideration, with forest fire, sandstorms and the like becoming vital considerations rather than little extras. Arguably most importantly, the emphasis on protecting civilians makes this really unique. You have to balance the natural desire to wipe out enemies ASAP with minimising damage to structures, which is more complicated than it sounds when additional waves are incoming next turn. There are four bugs already active, with an additional three spawning next turn. I can lose one building and kill three of them, lose no buildings and kill one, or lose a mech while killing two and preventing ensuring only one addition enemy can spawn next turn. The correct choice will vary based upon a shitload of factors, but I can't think of any other game where placing my best character in a position where he will definitely die is a valid consideration.