I really hope we haven't seen the last of D-Pad Studio, because this game has some of the best sprite work and pixel animation I have ever seen. Maybe THE best. Every single frame of this game is complete eye candy, and it never stops being impressive; it was a decade long-project well spent, and if this is their most notable work, the future looks incredibly bright for them.

It's just a shame that the game itself is mediocre at best. I don't even think I know exactly what genre this game is. Sometimes it's a platformer, sometimes it's a zelda-like, sometimes it's metroidvania-esque, sometimes it's a stealth game, sometimes it's a puzzle game, sometimes it's a bullet-hell. If I had to describe it succinctly, you basically go from one linear "dungeon" to the next, each with its own gimmick, and explore a very open and empty overworld in-between them, all without a map.

Its ideas are so scattershot and unfocused, and none of them are executed well. I don't think I had fun with any part of this game, I was mainly just frustrated at how many half-baked ideas it has as well as the subpar controls.

And this is a game that I really wish I liked more than I did. It's very Mystery Dungeon-esque in its charm and writing, and it has a great score. And I feel bad that a passion project that took this long to make didn't end up being a game I enjoyed very much.

But despite how obnoxiously unfocused it is, its highs peak so high that I can easily recommend this game. I'm a solid fan of this studio now, and I'm glad this game ended up being so successful. I hope that you support this game as well, and that you enjoy it more than I did.