"... leaving naught but viscera in its place."
Again: I'm easily alienated by "subversion-of-royalty" stories, owing to:
α. Their prevalence.
β. The lack of backstory.
γ. The fact I read Camus and Shakespeare.
Don't get me wrong; some of the most engaging games I've played involve the toppling of tyranny. It's just that, without any World-Building, Context, or Exposition, I'm not morally prepared to do violence either to the State or to its Officials; a lot would have to happen first, and even then it would not be without ample grey area.
It's just one of those things that seem like fun until you are in power and you're on the receiving end, forced to confront the karma of what you have done.
As far as combat goes, turn-based combat is fine, but usually some form of visual or auditory feedback would be preferred. Simply reading about combat never serves to make me feel immersed in it, since reading and fighting are such diametrically opposed activities. Somehow, descriptions of brutality and violence only serve to make it less appetizing and cathartic... but perhaps that was the point?
[({R.G.||S.M.G.)}]
P.S.: please make the Axe stronger.