In its first stretches, this game was a blast. It looks and sounds great, nails the atmosphere, and it's just good fun to be a big ol weird horror creature going around eating people. But this game seriously needs a mapping system because holy hell the navigation is a chore. Actually, it doesn't just need a map: it needs more legible level design. It's fun when you're grooving along, but the nonlinear level design and ability gating enforces backtracking, and it gets worse the further you go. In fact, the whole reason I couldn't finish the game despite it reportedly being short is because it reached a sort of critical mass where the backtracking got bad enough that I didn't want to put in the effort. I think part of the reason it was built this way is because the gameplay is admittedly pretty basic, so the navigation seems to be meant to add complexity and challenge, but I think it would have been better to dumb down the level design and increase the combat complexity instead. So anyway, in conclusion, if metroidvania type things and horror/gore aesthetics really speak to you, go for it. But otherwise I would stay away. And if you have memory issues or expect to not be able to finish it within a couple days of starting it, DEFINITELY stay away.
This game is great. The art and music is amazing, creating a very melancholic and meaningful world. It taps into the great feeling of exploration and discovery like no other game can. The non-linear nature of the game is very interesting, creating many branching paths to find and explore. It has a lot of areas and a lot of content, and it's very immersive. The combination of a couple of glaring flaws are what's keeping it from masterpiece status in my book. The backtracking is a bit much, the checkpoints are too scant, and the death system is very irritating, time consuming, and too harsh. Some sections tend towards the "tedious and irritating" kind of difficult than the "challenging and engaging" kind of difficult, which does not compound with the previously mentioned flaws very well. Still, it's overall a recommendation from me. Give it a go.
