Wasn't really feeling it initially due to the art direction, but it grew on me as the game went on as did the gameplay. The focus on parrying had me concerned at the beginning as I'm usually a dodge/block type of person when it comes to Soulslikes and Metroidvanias, but the window is generous enough that it never felt frustrating and by the end of the game I wasn't even attacking enemies at all and instead relied on the damage the parry was doing because it was a lot more fun. This is, in general, a surprisingly great Metroidvania with great bosses, fun traversal (when the full moveset is unlocked) and fantastic world design. The story kinda falls flat and the music is fine but largely unmemorable, but I think that's about all I dislike about the game? I'm genuinely surprised this flew under the radar. The sequel is definitely a day 1 purchase for me.

Grime is abundant with rough edges but the core design is well done. There are great bossfights here (the Final Performance!) that are worth enduring some odd difficulty spikes and jank. The exploration rewards are fantastic, with tons of cool weapons to play around with. The amount of content here, paired with the surprisingly high level of graphical fidelity, make it bargain and a must play for fans of Soulslikes and Metroidvanias. The biggest shortcoming is the animation work which makes some of the movement & attacks feel floaty.

The game has some of the most unique art direction I've ever seen, the combat is satisfying and the platforming is challenging but never frustrating. It somehow manages to retain most of the mechanics of 3d soulslikes, like stamina, parrying, and weapon scaling, and feels just as 'complete' as its higher budget counterparts as a result. The bosses are simply perfect, with a difficulty curve so expertly designed that every single death felt like an incremental learning experience. A true gem, one of the best in this crowded genre.

played on steam deck - I rate the playability 4/5, some occasional stutters.