I previously reviewed an older game from this team, Titan Souls, which was a gameplay-focused souls-like with a very clever gimmick (PLAY IT!). This game however takes the look and feel of Titan Souls and converts it into a fully-fleshed fresh experience with some retro crypticness that is arguably within reason. I think I mentioned in the Titan Souls review how it was boss-rush like. I enjoyed that, but this game did not really have that feel most of the time. Rather, it focused on exceptionally well-told story, a much smaller number of boss fights but with greater design, taking full advantage of the isometric visuals, and bringing in RPG, collectathon, metroidvania, and Zelda-like elements.
The game has an overarching serious plot but with decent comedic relief and memorable characters. I felt the vibe of the game was strongest at the beginning two phases [spoiler] intro, Cemetery, and Witch [/spoiler], as well as the endgame [spoiler] epic return to cemetery for a somewhat expected but well-executed plot-twist boss fight, and final boss [/spoiler]. I felt the middle portion of the game was alright, but the first major boss after the first few areas of the game [spoiler] Witch [/spoiler] really stood out as a thematic character. Most characters after this point, including bosses, are more geared towards comedic relief and fun (with some character themes in terms of how they take advantage of the world they are now in), which is alright I guess, but I was really hoping the boss fight that they hyped up as a "dangerous beast" [spoiler] Betty the Yeti [/spoiler] would have a little more to it, especially since even the second major boss had a unique second phase that felt very modern game styled [spoiler] frog king [/spoiler]. That beast fight was somewhat tough but pretty straightforward. However, the game absolutely picks up after that, and I am really glad to say that the mid-game doesn't ruin the game for me. I should mention each area feels unique and none feels particularly dull, though the body of the game has a consistent gameplay loop that may contribute to why I felt underwhelmed by late mid-game.
The story is told explicitly by the end of the game, but I like that lore elements throughout hint at what is happening so you can start to uncover the mysteries of the game's world and be invested. The writing feels really good, down to the types of details they include in collectable items. It feels very tangible and emotional at times. The music ties everything together [spoiler] favourites include the office hub, witch estate, flooded fortress ambience and invading the fortress, as well as castle lockstone [/spoiler], exceeding the epicness and emotion of Titan Souls (though I still enjoy that music a lot too).
As for difficulty, I would rate this as a casual-intermediate souls-like (I didn't use the health pickup mechanic because I was not sure if it was single use, but I did fully upgrade at the soul vault and get all weapons [spoiler] minus the upgraded tools which I discovered in post-game, not sure if you can get them earlier [/spoiler], so difficulty depends on how you choose to play).
Overall, I loved this game and it feels like an authentic bridge between old and new games of the action adventure genre. Brilliant execution of the game's valuable message too; it doesn't feel forced even though the story is presented directly. I purposefully minimized spoilers for this review because I think it is absolutely worth experiencing in full, especially if you have played and enjoyed Titan Souls. Though for those that have already practically 100%'ed the game or don't care about spoilers: [spoiler] a very interesting take on a post-game immediately follows the final boss. It was a great attempt at getting players to collect more items and solve the mysteries of different areas that contribute to the true ending. The tie-in with Titan Souls felt pretty satisfying, because the similarities in soundtrack and design were uncanny, down to the eye design of the knowledge tablets, so I was expecting some kind of call back whether explicit or just inspiration from the previous game (confirmed a prequel!). I do think forcing the player to get all the seeds is a little overkill given the smaller scopes of the other objectives, and determining that you need a collectable photo item to solve the pot mystery just to find out you need to collect all the seeds and fill all the green pots felt like a leap to me, especially since most items are worthless and the photo being important felt pretty unprompted. In fact, I did not even realize you could click on the items and rotate them until I looked up the tablets online. That said, you kind of get the sense items could hold value once you return the gravedigger his medallion. Not to mention, the doors had the cryptic red glow for a reason: they want you to explore and stumble into the mysteries yourself and not hand-hold like so many games often do to ruin the experience (I am looking at you Prime 4). I feel somewhat bad looking up the guide in retrospect, but I am sure numerous others have too. I was surprised there was no final fight after the win conditions have been met, but it fits the story, and I cannot complain about the gravedigger fight [/spoiler].
