I don't really understand the bad reviews. Some complain about the story not really being complete or the game suddenly ramping up in difficulty. I experienced none of this. However, I do feel the "side-quests" are needed to fully get the right experience. The game has some beautiful art, interesting mechanics with the dresses, health management and upgrades. Quite unique compaired to other metroidvanias. The only reason why I take off 1 star is because the game is somewhat unstable and buggy. I lost 10h of gameplay when the game froze and corrupted my save. But the fact I still finished the game after should tell you how much I felt the game was worth finishing.