After Gunpoint and Heat Signature, I fully expected this game to play well and tickle my brain in certain ways. What I wasn't expecting was a story and cast of characters that matched up to if not surpassed how incredible the gameplay ended up being. The missions are bite-sized enough to play in short sessions, meaty enough to really dig your teeth into, challenging in ways that have you engaging with every facet of every mechanic, and forgiving in ways that a story-focused strategy game ought to be.
The characters are lovable and layered in their own ways while also bouncing off of each other delightfully. The writing is a fair bit quip-laden, but not in a way that's groan-inducing, heavy-handed, or un-earned. If anything it juxtaposes perfectly with the rising stakes of the story and reflects the coping mechanism of laughing in the face of insurmountable stress that a lot of us in our 30's seem to rely on. The protagonists have strong tabletop RPG energy in the best way, and I was compelled all the way through to learn more about them, watch them sort out their issues, and see where they ended up.
I went into TBW expecting a fun tactics game and ended up playing what, at this point, is my 2024 Game of the Year.