SPOILER WARNING!
The long awaited sixth entry in the Mario & Luigi series is here! A lot of people are worried (reasonably so) due to the new developers, so let's see what the deal is here.
A Slow Start
One of the most common criticisms I see regarding the game is the beginning, which I will admit is a little slow. It takes a while just to get the Hammers, and you don't get your first Bros. Attack until you defeat Gorumbula. After that, you don't any new attacks until Lottacoins Island (and if you're like me and sent Luigi in, you can't even use them yet); and I only just recently recieved the Bomb Derby and Jump Helmet. This isn't anything too out of the ordinary for a M&L game (looking at you, Dream Team), but it's still something I feel I should point out as it's my only real criticism of the game so far.
Battle System Changes
Brothership retains pretty similar gameplay to the post-Inside Story games, more specifically Dream Team. However, the addition of what I like to call Combo Attacks makes basic combat much more interesting. The basic Jump and Hammer attacks now make use of both Bros.; making them much more satisfying to pull of, and giving even more incentive to keep both of the Brothers alive (the Trip and Dizzy statuses are also more harmful).
I'm also a big fan of this entry's Badge replacement, Battle Plugs. You craft plugs with Lumenade, something I'll explain in more detail later, and can use the plugs as many times as you want after that. Each plug has a different number of uses before it needs to recharge, which it does simply by not being used for a certain number of turns. Since you can freely switch your plugs up in battle, you can adjust your strategy on the fly or replace plugs that're on cooldown. There's a wide range of effects too, and even some combos you can pull off; so there's plenty of room for experimentation. I honestly prefer these over the Badge system Bowser's Inside Story introduced; they just feel more fun to use.
Shipshape Sailing
The sailing mechanic is something I'm a little iffy on. I've found myself mostly using the speedup option that's unlocked later on, rather than doing side quests while I wait for the island to slowly drift towards my next destination. Finding Reefs and Islets is fun though, so I won't be too harsh on the mechanic.
Side Quests & Sprite Bulbs
This game's side quests are one of the things that give it a unique feel from other entries. They're unlocked throughout the game and are 90% of the reason you'll be revisiting islands you've already linked. They're mostly just fetch quests requiring you to talk to a couple NPCs or navigate a newly unlocked area, but they're rewards are worthy enough I feel (Beans are very useful). Some of them are limited time, which I saw a lot of people freaking out about before the game's release, but they're almost always pretty easy to do and tie in with the story enough to where they don't feel like filler. My personal favorite quests so far have been the enemy fighting ones I forgot the name of, that have you fight beefed up versions of enemies with insanely fucked stats (like Hydro Seedles that heal 999 HP at once, making them very difficult to kill).
Sprite Bulbs are your other reason to revisit islands. They give you Lumenade when collected, and are scattered around each island. Since a bunch only appear once the island has been linked, you're forced to revisit if you want to craft all the Battle Plugs. I like this system, but wish the new areas these Sprite Bulbs appeared in had a bit more uniqueness to them; since most are just small enclosed areas with, like, an item block or two.
Split Decisions
Lastly for now, I'll go over how much I fucking love the split story system. Most of 'em are pretty small choices, but having the option to do them is fun. I sent Luigi into the Lottacoins prison, for example, to gather info instead of Peach. It didn't affect the plot overall, but having to fight off enemies as Mario solo made for a unique challenge that I quite enjoyed. I hope future entries keep this idea, 'cause I think they could really do a lot with it.
Enough rambling from me, though! Hope y'all enjoyed my first proper blog post, I'm hoping to make this a semi-regular thing so be sure to check back.