Reviewing at halfway through. Not sure if I'll be able to get through the rest of it. Pros, game has good graphics and environmental storytelling. The progression of the horror matches well with the steady decline of your surroundings, and the puzzles are designed as such that it's easy to pick out the interactables from the scenery. There is a decent amount of tension in some areas, and the music is good at fostering an uneasy but focused atmosphere. The puzzles are unique and have some challenge for a mid-level player, but not too much that you'll be stuck for hours. Even though it's clearly a Portal clone, it does well to establish its own mechanics and identity so that it doesn't feel like you're playing a cheap knockoff. Cons, the physics are cumbersome, making the game feel like a massive chore to play and making platforming difficult. The puzzles frequently involve long sections of carefully navigating slow-moving platforms, meaning that a single poorly executed jump can waste huge amounts of time as you have to retread your steps--this is particularly frustrating because it discourages experimenting to find the solution. The mechanics of the Mag-glove are also boring. It's mostly boxes and platforms. It's just not variable enough to carry an entire game, even with the minor tweaks that Gamaji (a Studio Ghibli character in a Lovecraft horror? Really???) makes to the glove as you progress. I'd be willing to put up with the clumsy gameplay if the story was good, but both the story and characters are uninteresting and underbaked. Special mention goes to the protagonist, whose generic commentary effectively kills any enjoyment of the horror. The Lovecraft elements also feel very forced; Lovecraft's horror is best as a subtle, slow build to a final terrifying revelation. This feels more like just copy-pasting in the monsters and cults without putting in the time to build them up properly That said, I'd recommend giving it a chance if you catch it on sale.
