This is one of those games where everything besides the gameplay is amazing.

The open world is lifeless and empty, but thats what makes it so beautiful weirdly. I felt like I was exploring Purgatory or something, lonely with only my horse guiding me. Life still exists here with the animals, guarded by almost sad giants, but the land feels cursed. The tone is executed PERFECTLY. Killing these guardians of this sacred and cursed land felt wrong, but the main characters purpose to save his beloved no matter the cost resonated with me. The entire story is told through almost tone alone. It's a work of art to be sure.

But the gameplay is hit or miss. Out of a total of 16 boss fights, I enjoyed around 6-7. Most of them were frustrating, and all required me to use a youtube guide in some way. Traversal with the horse while realistic sacrifices convenience and the controls get in the way most of the time. As I said though, there were some boss fights that amazed me, so it wasn't all bad.

If you can push through the outdated but ambitious gameplay, what lies underneath is one of the most unique worlds you could ever fathom.