absolutely beautiful game in visuals, audio, voice acting, and character writing, sadly brought down by critical issues in narrative and scope.

i was in love with it right up until the ending, which was so jarringly unsatisfying it made every story/lore thread that had been established and then not followed through on unravel the more i looked back on it. it made me terribly sad, because the characters really, deeply spoke to me, but in the end i was sorely disappointed, because they didn't get a satisfying conclusion like they deserved.

it's not a bad game! it's still enjoyable to play, and its flaws are really just the fault of overambition, since the team absolutely wasn't lacking in talent. but those flaws are still major ones, and in this case, i left the experience mourning what it could have been more than anything...

i think i would still recommend it if you're a fan of metroidvanias and want to enjoy the artistry on display, but only if you're prepared to be let down by the ending and unrealized potential.