I'm in the same boat.  While the game looks interesting, $25 does seem a little steep.
 
 This game reminds me a lot of the 2d games that went along with the games Vietcong and Hidden & Dangerous 2.  I honestly cannot find ANYTHING about the existence of either of these games, but they were a top down, turn based, 2d games that had a few maps with different objectives. I remember defending and being able to hide in bushes and there was level systems that allowed your guy to see further or move quicker.  Unlike this game, however, you only controlled a single unit and each game was 4 different people vs 4 other people.

This game looks amazing and I have another friend that is interested so we are splitting the price since each of us will get a copy.

Not really.

I was interested in this game when I first saw the trailer on Rock, Paper, Shotgun awhile back. I didn't realize they had this deal, so when I saw the quicklook of it in action, I went ahead and ordered myself up a copy. So far I really like the game. It's a good strategy game with several types of game modes, and lots of depth. The play-by-mail nature of the game means I can have a lot of different games running at once.  
 
I suppose $25 might be expensive... but based on the amount of time I've already spent in the game, and how much time I think I will keep spending in the game... I think it's great value for the dollar.