i said i wouldn't rank these til the first half ended... but the archon quest was literally PEAK. fontaine's story has been ehhh for me. i liked neuvillette but the previous acts felt so long. furina's story is genuinely so interesting and really saved her character for me. i thought she was annoying and honestly didn't really like her visual design (it has grown on me but it's still not great. her all blue outfit is better!!) but i completed the quest and immediately i really like her. getting into some spoiler territory now: the story of focalors & furina was truly the best way they could have handled it. when 4.2 leaks revealed furina wasn't going to be the true archon, i was excited to meet focalors but also because i knew neuv would most likely be annointed as some form of new archon/true god. to see that be subverted but still meet those expectations was really awesome. genshin has so many issues, especially in its stories, but the ideas they utilize in their archon quests has never been one. say what you will about their storytelling in its pacing and length and the excessive amounts of exposition dumping, the stories at their core are so interesting. really excited to see where the rest of fontaine will take us.

that being said: i'll probs re-do a new rating/review as time passes and i expose myself to the new story quests, exploration, etc. from 4.2

the only thing holding back from a 5 star rating is how same-y the worlds and dungeons are, but i have 100% confidence this game will develop into something special as it's early access period comes to an end. im generally jumpy when playing horror games, but something about the environments, unique ticks and sound effects per monster, and the sound of proximity chat as your friends scream in the distance while theyre mauled to death... its truly a unique horror like no other. like i said, i am generally jumpy with horror. this game actually made me feel more than just cheap jumpscares, i felt genuine dread. there was a time i was stuck alone in a room, trapped by 2 slimes while no one was answering my radio. i escaped, only to see a monster in the doorway. i slammed the door, realized i was trapped, and said "fuck it." i opened the door and crept into the hallway.

the whole time, i was just going "shitshitshit im fucked" without even REALIZING because i was so tense. it was dark, aside from the occasional scan, and the rattling of a sound-activated monster followed me. i was forced to weave in and out of this maze-like dungeon, completely alone, and unfamiliar with the monsters that waited for me. i was so afraid at one point trying to find the entrance i genuinely considered just sacrificing myself to the monsters but i perservered, and escaped the building just to be hounded down by large dog monsters.

the adrenaline rush i felt was RIDICULOUS and the moment my friends respawned on our ship, i felt all my nervous energy just melt away only to realise we were going to be doing that... again!! it was so much fun. i really dont think i've had such a fun horror co-op experience in YEARS.

i feel like i have so much to say about this game, but its hard to really put to words just because i liked it so much. if you have some close friends willing to fork over 10 dollars, give it a shot.