Every Day We Fight First Impressions – Love It Or Hate It?

As a gamer diving headfirst into Hooded Horse’s Early Access title, Every Day We Fight, I must admit it feels a bit rough around the edges with its unpolished finish. However, beneath these minor imperfections lie some truly intriguing ideas that have me hooked, and I find myself pulling back the curtain for more each day. In its current state, I believe it’s worth taking a look if you’re interested in innovative gameplay concepts.

  • Genre: Turn-Based Strategy/ Roguelite/ RPG (Role-Playing Game)
  • Developer: Signal Space Lab
  • Publisher: Hooded Horse
  • Release Date: 10th July, 2025
  • Price: $29.99/ 29,99€/ £24.99
  • Buy at: Steam | GOG
  • Reviewed On: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.70 GHz, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 2080

Instead of viewing this as a formal review, consider it as my immediate, unrefined thoughts on it. Keep in mind that these impressions are quite surface-level because the game is currently in Early Access, and I prefer to await its complete release for a thorough, comprehensive evaluation.

Every day, you engage in a strategic, turn-based battle game with rogue-lite elements, often reminiscent of XCOM. In this game, you find yourself trapped in a time loop, leading a team of resistance fighters against an extraterrestrial adversary (or so it seems). Notably, the well-known tactics-focused YouTuber ChristopherOdd is involved as executive producer, which already piques my interest due to my admiration for XCOM. However, Every Day We Fight presents some unexpected twists I’m eager to explore further.

In Every Day We Fight, unlike traditional XCOM games, combat takes a more interactive approach. Instead of your troops automatically hitting targets based on their stats and positioning, players will be responsible for aiming and firing weapons themselves, similar to Valkyria Chronicles. However, there’s an added twist – when you shoot at an enemy for the first time in a turn, they have the chance to flee. This means players need to “lead” their shots, making the combat feel more like a first-person shooter. It’s important to note that this only happens the first time you shoot a specific enemy on a given turn; subsequent shots won’t trigger the fleeing action unless the enemy moves.

This tactic applies to grenades, so it’s wise to ensure all adversaries are shot at first, making them immobile before throwing a valuable explosive. This combat style works effectively because enemies sometimes manage to evade shots, preventing the game from becoming too easy (similar to a ‘turkey shoot’). However, I don’t prefer this system over the traditional one, as I appreciate the RNG mitigation in XCOM-like games. Yet, this new approach offers a refreshing change and an intriguing system worth exploring more often, though not at the expense of the original. This system encourages players to be less passive, avoiding excessive use of Overwatch to indiscriminately eliminate enemies as they appear. Interestingly, while on Overwatch, enemies are still moving, requiring first-person shooting accuracy too.

As a devoted fan, let me delve into another facet of this captivating game: its challenging nature. Good grief, the initial phases are no walk in the park! Now, I’m not saying this is a negative aspect, but it can definitely test one’s patience, especially for those not accustomed to high difficulty levels. This isn’t like Dark Souls, where the game mechanics essentially reward skill and caution. Instead, the adversaries in Every Day We Fight are less predictable. In the early stages, brace yourself for being overrun, outmatched, and even outsmarted. Stick with it, and as your characters grow stronger, the battles become a tad more manageable.

As a gamer, let me share some thoughts on the third aspect that caught my attention: the game’s storyline and roguelike elements. The roguelike mechanics align seamlessly with its time-travel theme, but I find myself questioning if they truly enhance the gaming experience. While I appreciate the unique approach, it feels like repetition from certain missions back could be more about prolonging gameplay than adding depth. At times, this loop can become a bit exasperating.

In the game, the captivating storyline is what primarily draws me in, as I’m eager to unravel the mysteries of this world and learn about the reasons behind all the chaos. Even for someone not usually invested in video game stories, this game serves as a strong recommendation. The essence of it is: Aliens have paused time to mine Earth’s resources, but your team has miraculously avoided their fate and is battling the alien threat. I’ll mention the real-time map exploration since I find it enjoyable. In Every Day We Fight, you get an RPG-like experience by exploring the vast overworld map in real-time, which adds a sense of curiosity about potential discoveries such as secrets, new weapons, or hidden pathways. However, the game needs to enhance its exploration aspect for a more engaging experience. Currently, the world feels somewhat empty; we need more items and locations to uncover.

In this game, Every Day We Fight, the aspect focused on is squad management; however, unlike other games in the same genre, it does not permit players to form their own squads. Instead, from the beginning, you’re given a pre-assigned team of three members. Your options are primarily limited to upgrading them, selecting their weapons and equipment, but that’s about it. If you’re fond of creating your own squads and assembling a dream team with the names of loved ones, I regret to inform you that this feature is not available in Every Day We Fight.

To put it simply, is “Every Day We Fight” a game you should consider playing? If you’re a fan of games like XCOM, Jagged Alliance, Xenonauts, Valkyria Chronicles, and other turn-based strategy titles, I think it’s worth giving a shot at its current price point. Keep in mind that it’s still in Early Access, so it’s expected to improve as development continues. One thing I would like to see improved is the initial difficulty curve, which can be challenging even for experienced players like myself. The transition between floors in a building could also use some work, as it currently looks quite disorganized visually. All in all, “Every Day We Fight” has great potential and is on its way to becoming a standout title.

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2025-08-15 19:05