My perspectives as a returning player.
Seeing it available on the iPad - made it an instant snap purchase, and I have been loving it.
I played the hades out of Exile 3 and Blades (Exile and Avernum), I loved just how big exile 3 was. finding the secret tunnels, I think I missed a few things before I went online, but found nearly everything by head banging my way around the isle and every freaking crevice in dungeons.
I was mixed thoughts about this, it was great fun at the time, but that head banging/grinding play would make me bang my head against the keyboard now. I'm only just started in the A:EFTP, and find the subtle blocks very difficult to see even after getting nice big messages 'look over there' aka bandit fort. I hope these messages continue, 'cause i am going to miss a lot of secret places without them.
My big disappointments so far have been the lack of the non human races, but if that's coming in later title, it's all good.
The levelling system seems inferior to the old one. I miss it. Enough that purchase me some old school avernum.
Don't get me wrong, I'm loving A:EFTP even without my ol' levelling system of choice. But it feels watered down and far less diverse.
The no 'wait in combat' going annoys me, but I'm getting used to it. The bada bing recharge when entering town - well I see the point, and seems to be well better RPGish (or is it just more a timesink the way it is now?) than the run out of module, rest, re-enter.
In all, it doesn't suck, I feel it to be an interesting reinterpretation of the game with the mechanics changes more pleasing than others