Pros:

- Endearing character interactions
- Gust Music
- Passage of time on returning faces
- Misc gameplay improvements

Cons:

- Disjointed level design (I felt like the map was a little too disconnected, it doesn't help that progression doesn't really feel that earned unlike the first game)
- Severe backtracking (Picking up "lore" in ruins after having already traversed said ruins is honestly a chore)
- Too reliant on "Tell don't show"
- Gatekeeping the truth until the very end
- Very short endgame
- Lack of secret super bosses (in the first game there were 2 available without needing to be in Post game, on the second game, there is no single super boss available, and actual hard content is behind a paywall, lol)
- 200 basket capacity (too little in contrast to how much items you can gather, especially as you unlock gathering upgrades, which is pace breaking when you're trying to explore)
- Mild Pacing Issues

This game is still very enjoyable, but there were too many things the first game did better that were lacking on this sequel, and that heavily hindered my enjoyment, there were also some other mechanics that were tediously overwhelming that felt like playing the anime version of Skyrim.

A masterclass of story telling and character depth.

The world building was great, even tho you never really leave the bar (or your house for that matter) the game still does a solid job at making Glitch City and engaging town that feels lively (and quite dangerous at times).

All Characters you interact with have a solid amount of layers on them, and what makes them even more likable and organic, is the fact that they also interact with each other and are not limited to Jill, which leads to certain revelations and connections to feel really charming. (Someone has to put a restraining order on a certain press chief tho, he's a dangerous individual lol)

As for the gameplay itself, it was quite interesting, being able to mix drinks and serve them, which ultimately affects the endings you get is a cool idea for a VN, it felt very interactive, even more so the fact that you're getting little bits of character story by doing so,

The music is also nice, and you can certainly control the mood of a conversation by switching songs. (There were a couple of songs that were not of my taste unfortunately, but most of them were great.)

As for the art direction, I was always fascinated by the effort put on pixel art games, the art on this game was great, which also contributes to the world building at times (the attention to detail is great)

And you also get to play a side scroller Touhou minigame! (if you're up for the task, that is, lol)

All in all it's a really fun solid VN.

I don't know why I avoided Sekiro that much, was it because I feared that it would be too difficult for me to handle?

Idk, but I really had a blast with this game (I still need to do the extra stuff too of course, will re-review the game after I do)

For my first impressions, Sekiro has a steep difficulty curve, but if you start learning and practicing all the game mechanics the game gives you, you start breezing off the game.

There are times I did frustrate myself, but I did not realize I was not even using half the game mechanics, and when I started doing so, I felt like an unstoppable force.

Sekiro is a game of calculating your risks and battles, where even the most meh mobs can crush you if you're too cocky, and some mobs can be a steep difficulty spike (like the Blue Samurais at a certain location)

But instead of stubbornly trying to solve everything with unrelentless barrage of attacks, I decided to study my enemies so that I could defeat them, which worked wonders, specially the more I played, and after a while, the frustration turns into a giggle when I finally defeat enemies or even bosses that gave me trouble, From Software game's feeling of victory is unmatched to this day.

Owl/10 would get Mikiri Countered again.