I wasn't sure on this game when I first bought it, but it immediately hooked me pretty solidly. It's got a compelling story, and the first few hours of gameplay are pure action-puzzler fun. The action bits aren't too demanding and are more about clever use of your environment than anything. And then... the twitch gaming/bullet hell sequences start. Okay, so there's only about three of them, but they are absolutely INFURIATING, and placed right at the points where the plot is really taking off. The last one in particular (those of you who've played know what I'm talking about) is maddening beyond belief and completely out of tone and style with the rest of the game. I almost quit playing without finishing right then and there. It didn't feel fun, and it didn't feel fair. That said, the rest of the game is an atmospheric gem. The puzzles are clever and usually very well designed, the mechanics are interesting and change as you go along to keep things fresh, and the art style is gorgeous. As others have said, there are significant problems with the checkpoint system and the hit detection, but if you can push through those 90% of the game is just plain fun. If not for those bullet hell sequences this would be a solid 4.5/5, but as it is, I can only give it 3/5. They really do reduce the fun and value of the game by that much.
