Strong simulation and team building can't carry Menace forever

The core concept of Menace is intriguing: your ship is stranded in a semi-rebellious area where three local factions cannot survive retaliation if they kill you, but could use you to become powerful. They hire you directly in "OCI" (ship upgrade points) and indirectly through experience and loot. Notably, there is no traditional money; instead, loot is traded on a semi-randomized "black market," which also provides emergency manpower at a high cost or new characters for a reasonable price. This removal of currency adds depth to mission planning and gear acquisition, distinguishing the game from standard random generation tropes.

However, the execution of faction interaction currently feels underdeveloped. The choice of which faction to work for is largely irrelevant because missions do not conflict, and you must complete every offered mission to progress. Enemies remain generic: insectoid hive aliens, random "pirates," a rogue faction with no apparent motivation, and eventually the titular menace itself. The arrival of these factions often feels abrupt, lacking narrative buildup, which can make unskippable NPCs feel annoying rather than engaging.

The game appears to be holding back significant story, atmosphere, and factional systems for future updates. Ship upgrades are inconsistent; some are terrible, others are appealing but inferior to alternatives, and some are so powerful that other choices feel like mistakes. Furthermore, the faction system offers a random selection of four options from a pool, often presenting players with 12 options where 11 are worthless. In theory, this constraint could elevate design, but in practice, ship upgrades are too expensive for sub-optimal picks to be viable, rendering faction attention unnecessary.

Where Menace truly shines is in its squad management and character development. Players choose "Squad Leaders" who bring infantry or drive ground vehicles/mechs solo. These characters are hand-designed by the developers rather than randomly generated, featuring tailored perk collections instead of generic classes. Experience is gained through a shared pool of points spent on promotions, encouraging balanced team growth over creating a single overpowered hero and a roster of useless emergency losers.

The design encourages personalization and flexibility. Players can immediately promote newcomers to fit them into the team structure rather than maximizing individual efficiency, as there is no control over who becomes available next via the black market. While characters do not have deep interpersonal relationships or "vibes," players naturally find pairings that support each other, creating a cohesive unit. The game models individual shots and armor interactions realistically, treating armor as a hard barrier rather than flat damage reduction, which adds tension to every engagement.

Larger squads present logistical challenges regarding supplies and vulnerability to explosives, while smaller units allow for more diverse equipment choices but fewer shots per attack. The combat system excels at modeling individual shots and satisfying sound effects. Unique mechanics allow for 'weak' 2-man teams using specialized weapons that fire once regardless of squad size, exploiting leader perks like double morale damage or scavenging to refill ammunition.

Despite these strengths, the game suffers from annoyances that require attention. The user interface needs refurbishment to better present and clarify information, especially during battles where saving is impossible. Some mission designs feel like placeholders, such as manually moving to specific zones to evacuate a map you control uncontested or arbitrary turn limits. Additionally, the morale system has flaws; making a unit with "wavering" morale more vulnerable than one that is pinned or panicking feels counterintuitive and detrimental.

The most significant limitation is the lack of personality in characters. While the plot may be fleshed out later, existing characters convey less personality than dynamically generated ones found in similar titles like Battle Brothers. NPC characters and factions often come across as obnoxious, delivering self-consciously wacky jokes, awkward references, or generic military clichés. As the heart of the game mechanically, this side of the design is strong but lacks the humanity and charm needed to make the big-game-changer villain feel like more than just another chore on a list.

In summary, Menace offers a promising foundation with deep simulation and team-building mechanics that work well together. However, it currently needs substantial refinement in its narrative delivery, faction systems, UI clarity, and character writing to fully realize its potential. The game is a solid tactical experience that could become exceptional with the promised updates.