Eh, I'm fine with it being loosened up, but is it really "whatever they want"? If it is then I'd think annoying attention-grabbing messaging would become an issue. (Or, not an issue, in the grand scheme of things, but another in a long list of distractions)
The landing party moving through the attacked town positioning themselves around crates and fighting the youngling was like a glimpse of an XCOM adaptation to a tee (with fewer OP melee weapons and grenades).