In terms of mechanics (exploration, puzzle-solving, combat, etc), I found it to be a solid Metroidvania with most of the joys and frustrations typical of that genre. It’s enough to support the game as a whole, but may leave you disappointed if you have no interest in the storytelling. The boss battles are the most exciting and creative parts of the game and add a lot of weight to the story beats. On the other hand, they also throw a lot of visual information at you all at once, and it sometimes felt impossible to learn how to deal with a boss without the trial and error of repeated defeat. The story will either hook you or lose you by the end. The characters and the world are given a lot of depth, with protagonists being as often charming as they are flawed or unlikeable. I found the conflict driving the plot was, for much of the game, less engaging than the world-building and character development that takes place along the way. Overall, it’s a really ambitious story in a genre that is characteristically lightweight or opaque narratively. The art, presentation, and game feel is consistently great and really speaks for itself. The music is overall good, with a few standout tracks that really amp up the scene and a few duds. Ultimately, there’s something uniquely engaging about the game and it succeeded in the ways I find the most exciting, which is why I’m rating it 5 stars.
