I just completed the game and it was a lot of fun! I - as a person how grew up with the old Nintendo and Sega consoles - enjoyed this game really much. It has all the things I like about old JRPGs like Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger etc. and adds modern elements to it. Everyone who likes named JRPGs should really check this game out. It is lovely designed, has very likable characters, challenging puzzles and a good story with a plot twist in the middle and a beautiful ending. There are even a lot of treasures and interesting quests to find. The quest design is also very great and diverse. The combat is very balanced and fun! No button smashing and rock/paper/scissors principal. Conclusion: Everything you need! The only thing I have to criticize is the aiming with the XBOX Controller. You aim with the right analog stick and unfortunately the aim position seem to lock every 45°. This is really troublesome when you need to aim in between during fast combat or time limited puzzles. I had to switch to mouse at some points to be able to aim fast and precise. What some players might want to know: I needed some time to get used to all the mechanics and the crafting system at first. It has a lot of mechanics. You have to try everything out and after a while you get used to everything and later on everything becomes second nature. The game also explains every new skill and mechanic at an appropriate time - with the option to reread and redo every tutorial. Very convenient! Backtracking and grinding makes also a small part of the game. You don't have to grind - which is nice - but makes things a little easier ;) The game is nearly perfect for me. I really wish I could give 5 stars - but I have to give very honest 4,9 stars due to the controller issue!
It was really boring playing this game. It took me 3h45m to finish it. Most the time you run through levels without even fighting. There are some nice nordic lore elements to discover in every level - which I really liked - but the gameplay gets really repetetive and boring very fast. In general the movement and attack speed of your avatar is really slow. Naturally the levels took even longer to complete. At the end of every level is a bossfight - 6 in total. For me 4 fights were really easy (including the last boss) and two were somewhat hard (Lightning and Fire). The design and graphics are really nice though. I got it for free - so I don't mind having it in my library. You should only buy it if you like to discover the world and learn something about nordic mythology. This part of the game is very well executed. If you look for fast paced action you shouldn't buy it.
I enjoyed playing the game and made it to the end. The graphics, music and sound are very nice and the overall atmosphere was really fitting. The only problems I had with this game are some design issues which made the game for me - at some points - really annoying. You use skills and switch form by singing a specific order of notes. At first this seems pretty cool - but the longer you play, the more annoying this feature gets. Anyhow you can switch forms by using the number keys. The world is really beautiful, but at the same time very large and uninteresting from a playing perspective. Considering this is a MetroidVania game which includes backtracking, large, empty spaces you have to swim for several minutes get boring very quick. During my first (and last) playthrough I swam through the same areas many times before I found out where I have to go. There is a fast travel system, but the spots are sometimes hidden and rarely found throughout the map. My last issue is, that some puzzles are too hard. *Spoiler* To enter the final region of the map you have to find a companion, who unlocks this area. If you don't find him, you stand in front of the door with no clue how to open it. *Spoiler End* Additionally some puzzles in the last area forced me to look up the results. This can get very frustrating. Overall a nice game with some design issues. Could have been a better game with some design changes.
