I started my first game with the tutorial, but the game actually locked up during one of the tutorial missions and I couldn't complete the action it wanted me to. So I restarted the game with the tutorials disabled, and there was a lot less hand holding. If you played the demo, there really is no reason to have the tutorial enabled.
The base design is interesting, you excavate rooms and different levels to expand. The missions have been good, but I haven't fought anything other than sectoids yet so I'm sure they will get harder. The satellite idea is interesting, basically you are slowly creating a network of coverage so you can pick up alien activity, and you can place fighter jets across the world to intercept alien aircraft. It is a pretty cool system.