This would be a "Neutral" review, but Steam only allows "Positive" and "Negative" reviews.

Hard West 2 is not a turn-based strategy game. It is a puzzle game with RPG elements. Someone described it as a series of manicured encounters, interrupted by story elements. This is the best description I have come across. The selling point of this game will be the story/flavour aspects. Not the gameplay.

A character only has enough action points to shoot once per turn. However, if you get a kill then all of your action points are refunded. That's the central premise of the entire game. To find a solution to the puzzle, in which your character moves seven times in one turn.
The in-game tips even encourage loading an earlier save, and retrying the mission with a perfectly-tailored loadout (now that you have prescience of what enemies you will face, their exact spawn points, the map geometry, etc.). So, it's a puzzle game.

Comparisons to XCOM are completely insane. Stop it. HW2 is an entirely predetermined and linear experience.

HW2 gives off the impression of having a larger budget than HW1... with predictable results:

• The game has been streamlined to appeal to a wider audience. Some of the simplifications are understandable (removed reloading/ammo management). But some decisions make no sense (the wound/permanent scar system is gone... I hate to see such a cool and innovative system removed - its' removal actually detracts from the morbid/creepy vibe of the Hard West).
  
• The cutscenes have a higher production value. They're still sliding 2d panels, but more vividly illustrated/animated. It looks like they had more budget for artists. Consumables and trinkets also have actual art instead of monochrome.
  
• They hired a lot of talented voice actors. Unfortunately less than half of the dialogue is voiced. This gets in the way, especially since the same conversation can alternate between the same participant being voiced, and being not-voiced. Hear that silence? Time to start reading! HW1 only had the narrator (except in DLC), and there was a lot of reading. But you always knew when to read, and when to listen.

HW2 is a bit different from HW1, but describing gameplay differences makes little sense when gameplay is not the selling point of either game. However, the the flavour, and the worldbuilding are superb. If you're okay with that, and with the price tag, then it's a recommendation.

This would be a "Neutral" review, but Steam only allows "Positive" and "Negative" reviews. Hard West 2 is not a turn-based strategy game. It is a puzzle game with RPG elements. Someone described it as a series of [i]manicured[/i] encounters, interrupted by story elements. This is the best description I have come across. The selling point of this game will be the story/flavour aspects. Not the gameplay. A character only has enough action points to shoot once per turn. However, if you get a kill then all of your action points are refunded. That's the central premise of the entire game. To find a solution to the puzzle, in which your character moves seven times in one turn. The in-game tips even encourage loading an earlier save, and retrying the mission with a perfectly-tailored loadout (now that you have prescience of what enemies you will face, their exact spawn points, the map geometry, etc.). So, it's a puzzle game. Comparisons to XCOM are completely insane. Stop it. HW2 is an entirely predetermined and linear experience. HW2 gives off the impression of having a larger budget than HW1... with predictable results: [list][*]The game has been streamlined to appeal to a wider audience. Some of the simplifications are understandable (removed reloading/ammo management). But some decisions make no sense (the wound/permanent scar system is gone... I hate to see such a cool and innovative system removed - its' removal actually detracts from the morbid/creepy vibe of the Hard West). [*]The cutscenes have a higher production value. They're still sliding 2d panels, but more vividly illustrated/animated. It looks like they had more budget for artists. Consumables and trinkets also have actual art instead of monochrome. [*]They hired a lot of talented voice actors. Unfortunately less than half of the dialogue is voiced. This gets in the way, especially since the same conversation can alternate between the same participant being voiced, and being not-voiced. Hear that silence? Time to start reading! HW1 only had the narrator (except in DLC), and there was a lot of reading. But you always knew when to read, and when to listen.[/list] HW2 is a bit different from HW1, but describing gameplay differences makes little sense when gameplay is not the selling point of either game. However, the the flavour, and the worldbuilding are superb. If you're okay with that, and with the price tag, then it's a recommendation.