mechanics, it rules.

It’s the hardest game I’ve ever played, but it’s also very learnable. The combat is relatively simple (light attack, heavy attack, block, roll/dodge), but the bosses and enemies are designed to be hard. This can be very frustrating as you’re learning what attacks an enemy has (especially bosses), but it’s extremely rewarding. I think that’s what makes it so good: when you finally beat a boss, you feel like you actually did something, rather than just spamming certain attacks or whatever. But the game is also really fair, where when I day, it’s because I mistimed a dodge or did something wrong, instead of the game design being flawed.

The map is well designed and exploration is really cool. For example, one dungeon has a hidden second dungeon underneath it, which you would miss if you just kind of rushed through. There are several hidden chambers behind fake walls and hidden areas that you would only find if you were looking for secret areas. I beat the game 100% blind, then went back with a guide and realized I only played like 40% of the content.

The bad: there is almost no verbal or written guidance. There aren’t really any NPCs saying “hey you should go to this town,” so it leaves you to figure things out. It’s definitely doable, but it’s different than most games.

It can be frustrating too when you lose runes. Runes are the only “currency” in game, which you use to buy things from merchants and level up. If you die, you drop your runes. If you pick them up, you get them back. But if you die before you pick them up, they’re gone for good. That’s beyond frustrating sometimes.