The controls and the camerawork are a stroke of genius, though there are times when they don't get along with the otherwise enjoyable level design. Everything else seems kinda bland for now, and I partially blame the bad english translation for that, since it unintentionally robs the narrative of any seriousness, drama, heart, and sometimes even readability!

Metroidvanias haven't clicked with me yet but this one might do the trick. On a moment-to-moment scale, the elegant simplicity of the levels and the dope animations come together for a smooth experience where not a single movement feels wasted. Zooming out, the consumable system dissuades you from hoarding and makes each drop exciting. I look forward to playing the whole thing!

This must be what it felt like to play Doom when it first released.

This is how I find out that Drakengard's repetitive gameplay is not a mistake or a statement but a staple of the genre lol. Not complaining tho.

damn

This game's all like "I bet you're just pretending to like me. I bet you'd rather be watching the movies. Here, watch them, it's fine". But I do love you, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. You're well paced and have a nice, sometimes beautiful, presentation. Now kiss me.

Undeniably cool as hell. Simple to the point of bravery, so I'm curious to see if it manages to stay fun all the way to the end (probably not).

On paper, enjoying a game this basic would be a challenge to anyone over the age of 9, but maybe 9-year-old-me was onto something. It's just too cool and shiny...

Each moment of this game is like a vertical slice of itself. Incredible game-per-second rate.

TLDR: Although there's much to love here, it does little that hasn't been outdone by later entries.

Resenting the bloat of Yakuza Kiwami, I came here wishing for a slicker, more rudimentary game. It certainly is more rudimentary, but what few pieces it has aren't strong enough to come together into an experience that feels complete. Still, Kamurocho is rendered beautifully enough and the combat is visceral enough for me to look forward to revisiting it in the future.