Man! Wasn't expecting to like this so much. I'll get the bad out of the way. While it was funny and referential, some of the more meme heavy stuff has dated horrifically. And for those that prefer their metroidvanias to be a little more obtuse and exploratory, this one could fall a bit flat as a more linear adventure. That being said, it straddles the line between linear and exploratory really well, as it really rewards going off the beaten path and backtracking, digging into the nooks of the game world, even if a lot of that reward is more intrinsic than anything else. For example, I didn't use the Intenso skill at all, but that didn't stop me from engaging in the platforming challenges to earn a slightly bigger Intenso Bar. It was just fun. And really, that's what makes this so good, it's just pure fun from start to finish. The combat was a mix of a power fantasy and a challenge, though it never got too bad, it was one of the best, most fun and fluid fighting systems I've ever seen in a game like this or otherwise. So many metroidvanias use ranged weapons, it was fun to see one that was pure hand to hand stuff. The platforming was challenging, inventive and fun, and the side content was surprisingly beefy, with these 5 orb challenges completely hidden during regular play, plus the substantial and challenging El Infierno. The bosses were a let down for the most part, stripping away the big bombastic combos in favour of smaller scale stuff, but the last few more than made up for it, especially the final one. Awesome stuff. Even the art style, which at first I thought wasn't totally my jam, I really felt added to the experience and made it feel so fluid and funky. Brilliant game.