randospacecat
HLD is a game that gets all the little things right. Sound design, exploration as a driver of the story, graphics all really work to immerse you. The combat is challenging, but not brutal, and maybe I need a playthrough on Hard Mode but the bosses seemed just a little bit easier than I'd like. Overall, though, can't recommend highly enough.
2021
I think the biggest thing is, if you like a 2D Metroid game, you'll really enjoy this, if not then there are some things to critique. There a lot of re-used enemies; the bosses are cool and challenging, but not frequent enough; I found the game routed you really well so no level grew stale, but the constant hopping between areas didn't lend itself to creating a sense of progress or forward momentum (esp. with the loading screens, Switch Pro plz Nintendo!). All that said, fighting the final boss and learning the dodges/attack windows really delivered and leaves a lasting memory, so I really enjoyed it overall.
I wasn't sure what to expect coming in, I never tried parrying in the DS games but did a lot in Bloodborne, and I feel like the challenge was steeper as a curve than those, but a bit easier once you got the hang of it, and once you do it's a much higher sense of accomplishment to beat a boss. Level design A+, enemies maybe a little less varied, but the ways the timings and patterns change kept it feeling fresh. Disclaimer: FromSoft fanboy but not like, capital-F Fanboy.
2016
Loved it, go play it. I'm not fantasizing I'm a demon under the control of Makoto you are.
2016
This game is weirdly divisive. It is pretty unfair in spots and one fight in particular requires you to master a mechanic you had maybe not used once before, but I found the game does a good job moving you through and ends before you get sick of it. The visual style is cool, the wins are rewarding, if you've got 10-15 hours and enjoy a challenge you can do worse. It achieves exactly what it sets out to do.
Pretty good game! The gunplay is fantastic, the level design in places is infuriating and you can completely ignore the story. "More fun than it has any right to be" feels very accurate.
2015
I tried this a few years ago and enjoyed it but wound up dropping at the third boss due to difficulty with very little intention of picking it back up. Then, a couple months ago I had just beaten Breath of the Wild and needed another game with that level of freedom and exploration, and saw a streamer play through a bit of DS1 and it seemed do-able, so I decided to give it another shot. Proceeded to burn through the main game and DLC in about 4 weeks and have developed a backlog of souls-like games. It is probably in my top 5 games I've ever played. It takes some patience and determination to get through the opening wall, but once you break through you never look back. The difficulty is a thing, but it's not as cruel or bad-faith as some other games, and it works to build on such a fun experience of curiosity and dread that propels you on through the main campaign but especially the optional areas and DLC.