I'm extremely mixed on this game. On one hand, the first part of this game is absolutely masterful. The atmosphere, the vibes, the cool gameplay mechanics are all incredible and jaw-dropping. But the moment the second half starts, the game seems to just.. drop the ball. It's boring, unappealing to look at, extremely RNG-dependent to play and overall unfun. I get it. It's about the ARG shit, the meta-narrative deal. I get it. It doesn't make it fun or appealing. It feels like a drag and miraculously, it manages to be good again in the final act!! Not as good as the first act but it manages to be fun!! Why couldn't the second act been like that??
The ending feels unsatisfying, it shows you there are so many assets they could have used, things that would have made the game obviously better, yet; these assets are wasted on single, not-fully complete encounters that I wish were expanded upon and fleshed out to be used as the second half of the game, instead of giving you retro-type bullshit in the name of a story that honestly feels too ambitious and too obsessed with itself while not being... good. If I have to go deep into these games files and do external arg research to get the most out of the story, and if this is simulatenously costing me gameplay and atmosphere hindrances, maybe it should not be included.
I feel as if the game is still worth buying for its masterful first act and pretty good final act, but it could have been so, so much more.