I actually played up to the final level back in 2019 and then dropped back in today to try to clean out some unfinished games before the new year... so I don't really remember what it was like playing through the majority of this game. what I do know is that it's a solid mega man descendent that's loaded with many interlocking mechanics and lots of Anime, and if you're into either of those you'll probably enjoy this. combat revolves around gunvolt's flashfield mechanic, which causes AoE damage as well as targeted homing damage if an enemy has been tagged. the number of tags that can be assigned at once varies on the weapon, and the weapon can be switched on the fly to adapt to the current scenario. gunvolt can also tank damage with the prevasion system, which can absorb attacks using the EP meter that is used for the flashfield when the field isn't out. and then there's another meter (SP) that's used for a variety of special attacks that can be tied to the right stick, and then there's crafting, and randomized material drops, and rankings, and etc. etc. etc... it's really meant for an audience that wants a lot of customizability and is willing to go for top-level ranks. the game is pretty beginner-friendly though, with generous checkpoints and reheals upon death. if you're not willing to invest time into the grind both for crafting and to improve times on each stage, you won't be able to wring out this game's full potential, and I'm sad to say I'm one of those people. given the price though, a five-hour game is totally fine for me, and the content that's here I definitely enjoyed.

the main stuff I played today: I tried out the first level and quickly was reminded how dull the starting missions in this game are, it's a lot of just running right and taking on groups of copy-pasted enemies. that level in particular has moving platforms that you have to wait for... really not my favorite mechanic. the middle stages from what I remember have more interesting gimmicks and more verticality as well, and all of the bosses were solid from what I remember. from there I proceeded to the final boss, which is a solid little two-phase fight. if there's anything I really appreciate about the flashfield mechanic, it's that it allows you to shift to a defensive mindset once tags are set and focus on avoiding projectiles. retrying the fight over and over again forced me to monitor my EP usage carefully to tank damage when needed as well as maximize damage output. it gets hairy with some of the instant kills that the second phase has access to however... I fell to my death multiple times because I happened to be in the air when the wind gust attack occurred, and there's another instant kill mechanic to that fight towards the end that got me once. once finished, I got a quick cutscene with an atrocious ending and then had to sit through the final credits to discover that I needed to collect hidden gems in each level to access the true ending, and it looks like I won't be doing that anytime soon since I want to move onto other games.

rambly review but I don't have many cohesive thoughts on this game. tldr good run-and-gun game, rough around the edges, lots of mechanics, good for those who want lots of replayability. also the graphics are scuffed since they're up-res'd from 3DS, but ymmv if that's an issue for you (I played this on switch through the collection).