Hibbloes posted:

Okay i went out and bought it. so far im having a great time.

the game reminds me of the coma 2 with a lot more player agency and a gothic sheen. the combat is a fittingly slower paced than the usual metroidvania, but the thing that really draws me in is the variety the player has. you have a array of craftable spells that grant a heap of buffs and abilities- damage bolts, summonable allies, and hp restoratives/shields. in addition you have a bundle of usual material world supplies, distractions, and weapons that you can toss and craft. the game has strong clock tower vibes, with the player being able to distract and hide tougher stalker type enemies, but they too can be felled with your weapons and spells if you dedicate yourself to combat and the ability to set up traps and distractions feels like a great way to get started on a tougher enemy. you can even put a little english on your combat- the strong windup attack carries you forward a bit, but if you swing the other direction at the last moment you lose the momentum, letting you not carry the attack past the enemy in front of you. the roguelike design of the game seems really appropriate- you can die and the game will shuffle rooms around floors and rez the enemies, but your plot progression items and major equipment are all saved so death doesnt feel too stinging, and you permanently up your stats with enemy drops.

the game has a haunting mechanic where spells and enemies fill up a curse-o-meter, and as that jacks up you see the environment go from regular turn of the century spooky to silent hill meets castelvania style. getting cursed also gives you some benefits, however i wont spoil anything there. the game's mood is well set by the soundtrack, with some rooms being silent besides the creak of wood under footsteps, and others cranking up the weird reverb and screams and you enter weirder areas (although i particular loved a unusually goofy tune that plays for one of the characters).

im not terribly far in yet- i beat the first boss, and am getting into the next biome area (helpfully, the game tells you what items would be useful in the area im venturing into via a little shopping list). its been a great time so far, and my brief foray into the next area started with some terrified running and flailing. ive avoided any mention of the plot, but suffice to say its weird- if the great opening doesnt catch your eye, id be surprised.