I have never played a Kirby game before, but hearing the praise for this game being a significant move in a new direction for the pink creature, I decided to pick it up. Most of this game is best thought of as a museum piece, and by those standards, there are many interesting sights to see, mechanics to explore, and secrets to discover. For most of the game, the main missions were fun only when I tried to complete them without using guides--they never presented any real challenge, but the clever ways the creators hid passageways throughout the diverse environments kept me looking in every corner. I have to admit I was disappointed to arrive at the sixth world after the fifth world gave hints that the game may be coming to an end. I was ready for that end. However, the final world, and especially the couple of boss rush levels at the end, were by far the most fun I had with the game as I got a final go with each of the game's mechanics. This game gets far more intense narratively and conceptually than it has any business being, and the colorful imagination for the major plot twists at the end was truly a sight to behold. Finally, I adored the final boss fight and the challenge it presented! I was not expecting to commit so hard to learning a boss' moveset in a Kirby game, but it was such a joy to die a few times until I could figure out the best tools for the battle. When all is said and done, I'm glad this was my first Kirby game.

WOW! When this game hits, it hits. My jaw was dropped for the last three hours of the main storyline... Unfortunately, that journey was also marked by long breaks from the game due to poor pacing. Most notably, I stepped away from this game nearly every time I switched to controlling Atreus -- his combat style was just not engaging and he did not have nearly enough customizability hooks for me. But that's my only complaint.

It was a wonder-filled path through the nine realms for most of the way, and somehow, they made me care about such a broad cast of characters, returning and new. The most special thing about the actual Ragnarok sequence was seeing the little cameos of every character I had seen throughout the game, and EVERY TIME, grinning like a child and feeling a kind of empathetic gratitude for each of their contributions. I want to give a special shout-out to Freya in this game -- her journey is perhaps the strongest in the game, and she absolutely chews every scene she gets in her extended treatment.

I think this game also did a really good job with the extra content. I'll admit that I was shocked every time they added a new collectible throughout the story, but at every turn, I was able to find those collectibles in the course of exploration and they opened up new storylines with the core characters.

I walk away from this game with a strange mix of memories -- I think the positive regard wins out, but I'll never forget that it took me 6 months to beat this game because of some of the meandering parts.