jamescovenant
One of the best games I've ever played. The perfect synthesis of modern and retro game design. Stunning pixel art. Highly recommended to anyone who is a fan of Tim and Chris Stamper's games at Rare and Ultimate Play the Game. And oh yeah, the game is free!
Kind of disappointed that the only way to defeat Miraak is to make a Faustian bargain and become the slave of Hermaeus Mora. At first, I thought I had gotten the "bad ending," but from what I've read online, it's the only story option.
Loved the new Dwarven Ballista enemy type. They put up a good fight at higher difficulties!
Loved the new Dwarven Ballista enemy type. They put up a good fight at higher difficulties!
2021
This review contains spoilers
Enjoyed this game immensely! Art style is instantly appealing. Music is pleasant, especially the main leitmotif. Combat is challenging, although significantly easier than Elden Ring or Hollow Knight. I didn't have much difficulty dispatching bosses until the very end of game.
The dark themes of this game remind me of Hollow Knight, but the world building and combat never reach that level of excellence. And the game's lore and writing is far, far inferior to Hollow Knight's.
Favorite Boss: the Grey Crow. Amazing atmosphere fighting in the void. Took me half a dozen tries to beat him - probably the most difficult boss for me.
Favorite Puzzle: Royal Family Tomb in the Witch Urn's Garden. Had to pause the game and inspect one of the collectibles to reveal solution to puzzle. Reminded me of Dragon Claw key puzzles from Skyrim.
Petty Grievance: some characters are referred to with the singular "they/them/their" pronouns. Modern trends like this cheapened the writing and took me out of the game. I would have preferred the gravitas of traditional archaic speech. The Lord of Doors is clearly masculine.
Least Favorite Part: True Ending. I collected all the macguffins hoping for one more boss fight. Instead, got a cutscene full of esoteric mumbo jumbo revealing that this games shares the same universe as Titan Souls. Boring!
I was compelled to get 100% completion on this game, even though the post-game content got a little tedious.
The dark themes of this game remind me of Hollow Knight, but the world building and combat never reach that level of excellence. And the game's lore and writing is far, far inferior to Hollow Knight's.
Favorite Boss: the Grey Crow. Amazing atmosphere fighting in the void. Took me half a dozen tries to beat him - probably the most difficult boss for me.
Favorite Puzzle: Royal Family Tomb in the Witch Urn's Garden. Had to pause the game and inspect one of the collectibles to reveal solution to puzzle. Reminded me of Dragon Claw key puzzles from Skyrim.
Petty Grievance: some characters are referred to with the singular "they/them/their" pronouns. Modern trends like this cheapened the writing and took me out of the game. I would have preferred the gravitas of traditional archaic speech. The Lord of Doors is clearly masculine.
Least Favorite Part: True Ending. I collected all the macguffins hoping for one more boss fight. Instead, got a cutscene full of esoteric mumbo jumbo revealing that this games shares the same universe as Titan Souls. Boring!
I was compelled to get 100% completion on this game, even though the post-game content got a little tedious.
2018
Got stuck on "Quick, sword in the mechanism". Tried attacking the machine to no avail. Spent a shameful amount of time wandering the world looking for something I had missed, when all I had to do was attack the gear. I must have just missed the hit box! A frustrating end to a frustrating game.