[beat chronos a few times, progressed game steadily up to around the 25hr mark]
pretty fascinated by this one, having loved so much of H1 then bouncing off of H2 quite firmly. i think it's bc [stream of consciousness begins now]
Zag's plight was personal while being relatable. we've all felt that urge to discover more about ourselves / the world around us and take positive steps. Zag's privilege in being able to afford that action while having a safety net back home is recognised and part of the tension. we also see his journey play out before our eyes, front to back, developing his relationships with the cast (with the god's jovial boon banter feeling tonally on point).
Mel's plight, at least initially, is a revenge course she has little stakes in beyond her own indoctrinated upbringing, for a family she doesn't know. Maybe more is revealed but the sense of urgency associated with a widescale war between gods feels distant from our scenario. We are not privy to the battle beyond occasional boon commentary (that predominant banter now feeling widely misplaced) and wafty optimism from a new hub cast that seldom offer anything remarkable which helps Mel grow alongside the player.
The same feels true in the way Zag and Mel's stories are told through a rogue-lite genre. Where the former's story felt intrinsically linked to a rogue (his levelling and weapon progression begins when he sets out to escape Tartarus and beyond), Mel is (according to Hecate) prepared for her duel with Chronos, with her training complete. But we know that isn't true, because we've got dozens of empty equipment, weapon, farm and cauldron unlocks that immediately tell us otherwise! Similarly, death for Zag usually meant he was edging closer to his deeply personal goal, with time on his side; Mel meanwhile, is in a literal battle against Time to stop a war, death hurts her cause tremendously but there's no mechanic to represent this, good or bad.
less worried about where combat is right now bc it's early access, but fwiw i don't vibe with it bc
+ hex is a major limited factor to expression until we spend a boon on regenerating it in any meaningful way (often your Hex Ult is literally unusable bc it's not possible to expend enough magic)
+ many weapons feel underbaked and simply aren't fun to use currently.
+ cast attack in general is underwhelming
+ Cerberus just a big ol' health sponge. Chronos phase 1 takes place in a literal hallway. Hecate both bores and frustrates with her spells, mainly taking up time more than asking anything impressive of the player.
by the time I would be entering the Hades fight with Zag, my chest was more often than not puffed; i knew what my build was about. With Mel, my tail is almost always between my legs, i don't know what my win condition is, and i've got a stack of death defiance's to prove it.
i am entirely confident that Supergiant will find more fun in HII and i will be in there, but I'm less convinced it casts a stronger spell than it's predecessor.
pretty fascinated by this one, having loved so much of H1 then bouncing off of H2 quite firmly. i think it's bc [stream of consciousness begins now]
Zag's plight was personal while being relatable. we've all felt that urge to discover more about ourselves / the world around us and take positive steps. Zag's privilege in being able to afford that action while having a safety net back home is recognised and part of the tension. we also see his journey play out before our eyes, front to back, developing his relationships with the cast (with the god's jovial boon banter feeling tonally on point).
Mel's plight, at least initially, is a revenge course she has little stakes in beyond her own indoctrinated upbringing, for a family she doesn't know. Maybe more is revealed but the sense of urgency associated with a widescale war between gods feels distant from our scenario. We are not privy to the battle beyond occasional boon commentary (that predominant banter now feeling widely misplaced) and wafty optimism from a new hub cast that seldom offer anything remarkable which helps Mel grow alongside the player.
The same feels true in the way Zag and Mel's stories are told through a rogue-lite genre. Where the former's story felt intrinsically linked to a rogue (his levelling and weapon progression begins when he sets out to escape Tartarus and beyond), Mel is (according to Hecate) prepared for her duel with Chronos, with her training complete. But we know that isn't true, because we've got dozens of empty equipment, weapon, farm and cauldron unlocks that immediately tell us otherwise! Similarly, death for Zag usually meant he was edging closer to his deeply personal goal, with time on his side; Mel meanwhile, is in a literal battle against Time to stop a war, death hurts her cause tremendously but there's no mechanic to represent this, good or bad.
less worried about where combat is right now bc it's early access, but fwiw i don't vibe with it bc
+ hex is a major limited factor to expression until we spend a boon on regenerating it in any meaningful way (often your Hex Ult is literally unusable bc it's not possible to expend enough magic)
+ many weapons feel underbaked and simply aren't fun to use currently.
+ cast attack in general is underwhelming
+ Cerberus just a big ol' health sponge. Chronos phase 1 takes place in a literal hallway. Hecate both bores and frustrates with her spells, mainly taking up time more than asking anything impressive of the player.
by the time I would be entering the Hades fight with Zag, my chest was more often than not puffed; i knew what my build was about. With Mel, my tail is almost always between my legs, i don't know what my win condition is, and i've got a stack of death defiance's to prove it.
i am entirely confident that Supergiant will find more fun in HII and i will be in there, but I'm less convinced it casts a stronger spell than it's predecessor.