If you don't trust Early Access titles, then this game may change your mind. I can honestly say that I have NEVER in my time playing Early Access games, seen a developer team that works so closely with the community, and even comes on the servers and plays with every one and asks questions and makes sure that the communities voice has been heard. But to get down to an actual review of the game, here goes.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay for it being an alpha early access game is PHENOMENAL, the firefights that you get into are intense, and really get your blood flowing. The game is so well designed that from the standpoint of gameplay, you actually gain a sense of fear before assaulting a compound, or hearing footsteps outside a wall unsure if it is a friendly or not, and being unwilling to check your map for fear of potentially getting shot. The in-game comms are very well done, Local positional voice, Squad voice, and Squad leader voice (For SLs talking amongst other squads). The medical system is an ever changing system, but it is also a system that works, and it works damn well. The weapon handling is fantastic, it really emphasizes not blasting full auto, unless of course you are in a CQB situation then it works perfectly fine. Fob building is great as well, clear images of what is going to be there once it has been built by squadmates, and what direction it faces. Overall, coming from Project Reality myself, the gameplay for Squad gets a solid 10/10 from me.
AUDIO
Honestly, I have never heard a military shooter with such crisp audio. From the footsteps of friendly and enemy soldiers, to the supersonic crack of a bullet flying passed your head. Nothing in my opinion beats Squads audio team and I really commend them for doing all the research they can to get the sounds as close to what they are in real life. The weapon sounds are crisp, clear, and sound powerful. Not like other games where they sound like peashooters. The death screams are a nice touch, and help with identifying allies that have gone down and need a medic and confirming kills. The music score in the main menu is also phenomenal, it really brings to life the thought of being sent to a warzone and not knowing if your squad is going to make it, although the music isn't featured in the actual gameplay, it's a welcome and very well done touch to the main menu.
GRAPHICS
The graphics are a huge step-up from Project Reality. I've played games like Arma 3/2 and before that, I've also played the entire battlefield series (but stuck with BF2), and countless other games that are very intense when it comes to graphics. Squads graphics in some aspects are some of the best I have seen. From the backblast of an RPG or LAW, to the actual explosion of hand grenades, 40mm grenades, or the warheads from the LAW/RPG they are fantastic to watch and truly a sight to see, and gives a sense of danger when you see this huge cloud of smoke land just feet away from you as you are taking cover behind a wall waiting for your moment to break cover and return fire. The player models are always being updated, with the new Russian, Militia, and the Insurgent factions getting a welcome makeover since I started playing in September. The Americans are due for a makeover as well, but this will come in due time.
CONTROLS
Unlike the Arma series, Squad doesn't feel even close to as clunky as arma, but offers the same range of movement(Save for free look which is a possibility in the future). It offers a rich and rewarding movement system that causes you to think before you make an action as the momentum of your soldier is what propels you towards the direction you are facing, unlike games like Battlefield 2/3/4 where it feels like you're constantly sliding around with a constant momentum in either direction where you can turn on a dime and get a headshot. Squad isn't a milsim, but it also isn't a twitch shooter, and it really finds it's balance by bringing the two together and taking the good parts from both, while getting rid of the bad parts as well as incorporating a lot of the phenomenal things that Project Reality has done.
TEAMPLAY
I'm going to say it simple, and blunt. If you DON'T communicate with your squad/team, you WILL fail. I play in a highly organized clan where we are all comfortable with each other, and understand each other. We know what is expected of us from our Squad Leaders, and the #1 thing that you can, and have to do to be successful, is LISTEN to your squad leader and COMMUNICATE what is going on around you. Giving valuable information such as enemy movement in a certain direction (0 to 345, 0 being 360), letting your squad leader know when you have stumbled upon an enemy FOB, or even letting the medics know you've been tagged and need medical attention. I cannot stress enough how valuable communication and teamwork is in this game, working as an effective squad where that squad is helping the team will make or break your experience.
All in all, I recommend squad 110% the game took my breath away from the moment I stepped on the sandy hills of Logar pressing through hostile fire coming from the central village, or stepped into the deep desert valley of Kohat. Now with the addition of Fool's Road, I can add the intensity it was when we had three squads all communicating together storming up the side of a steep hill, to overtake an enemy FOB and release the capture point from their possession. If you pass up the opportunity to buy and play this game, I guarantee that you will regret it, Squad has been the best money I have spent on a game in a long time and I couldn't be happier. To give you some perspective on what I mean by teamwork, here is a link to a video I recorded tonight (2015-12-14) that should shed some light on what it's like to really play as a team.
I chose to replace the original video with one that shows what you will see more of in Squad. This is what you will experience 95% of the time while playing. Or at least what I have experienced 95% of the time while playing.