LogFAQs > #910556785

Here's my non-spoiler review

I beat the game in ~40 hours, A-ranked every main chapter map, but I skipped some skirmishes, haven't done any post game content. In terms of Chapter length it's about as long as the first.
Anyway, in terms of hours of content it's definitely worth 60 bucks if anyone finds a full priced game to be steep.

The gameplay, side missions, and squadmate characterization are vastly improved over the original.

Many people have been saying that they main characters are not as good as the main characters in the first.

I would agree with that. I don't think Riley and Claude are as interesting or likable as Welkin and Alicia.
But I just want to remind you that in the first game main characters were essentially characterized by an interest. Bugs, Bread, Vegetables etc

While in this game, all of the main character units have a complete arc, aren't characterized by hobbies, and have a past with each other. I find their arcs more rewarding and have a better pay-off.

In terms of Story, this game definitely has a smaller scope and you feel more inconsequential compared to the first. I also think that the first did much better in terms of world building and lore exposition. This story as a whole kind of felt like a DLC plot to what would be the first game.

Despite this, I think the Story and the events of this game had more of an impact on me than the first. I'll explain more about that in my spoiler post.

I think it dragged on a lot in the middle to late game, and at times it felt like the plot wasn't going anywhere and that it was just filler before the last mission. But all of that "filler" has a payoff and is culminates to the end. There are many points in the game where they introduced new plot elements that I thought they were just going to throw away in the next chapter (or the next), but surprisingly practically all of the subplots converge at the end in a way.

Overall I think 4 is actually better than 1, and I think anyone who loved the first game will love this game.

I'm not going to give it a number rating, but I personally loved the game and plan on playing all the DLC and post game content.