Holy shit this was so much fun, like I was playing aria of sorrow or sotn again for the first time. But also strangely enough, it finally crystallized why I prefer Metroid to Castlevania, the grinding can sometimes be a bit too much, like getting specific souls in aria or getting the crissaegrim in sotn. And the pace isn't as brisk as in Metroid. This game has quite a bit of grinding to make weapons, food, materials, and upgrade shards. If you really enjoy grinding, this is for you. But there's just so much to do, both as a compliment and a critique. It's a really fun game, and some of the weapons are worth the grind, with new game plus available I'll have a field day.