This is a solid Metroidvania experience with a fair learning curve, simple yet effective mechanics and a lovely aesthetic. The combat is basic yet flashy and fun to get the hang of. The level design is well thought out with plenty of secrets and hidden paths to reward players for their exploration. Most of the bosses, with one unfortunately unfair exception, are a fair challenge with some interesting attack patterns, and I really felt like I had got better at the game by the time I defeated the final boss. This isn't the greatest game I've ever played but its a consistent and enjoyable experience that those new to the Metroidvania genre will likely enjoy. Its only around five to seven hours long but for the price its understandable, and with a new game + mode I'm yet to experience and a few corners of the map still undiscovered I feel like this game still has plenty to offer me.

My only complaints:

Pardoner Fannel's boss fight borders on unfair at times, with her being able to change direction in combos and telegraph and make randomised attacks within my window of healing. I totally understand why her character has the movesets that she does yet I felt like this really pushed boundaries. A solid boss fight but I do have my issues.

Other issues include a mismatch of tone on occasion, with the humour feeling out of place with how gloomy and dark the atmosphere of the game is, and sometimes the backtracking can get a little stale. There are also some issues with translation and grammar at times but these are very minor. Besides my issues with the boss fight these issues are minor however.

Overall, a game I don't consider perfect yet overall one I can recommend to fans of Metroidvanias and platformers in general.