all of the unjust criticisms people have for the PS1 Oddworld games actually apply here
the opening cinematic is annoying, abrasive and ugly and goes on for far too long, and the game proper doesn't fare much better, unless your idea of a good time is standing still for a few minutes and moving the d-pad about as you zap waves of shadows
the game really, really wants you to watch the little CGI cinematics that play when you die, like when you get bumped off a cliff by the shadow ram thing you're supposed to jump over, or when the fat fuck smashes through a wall, so be ready to spam the start button
even better is that once you've died a few times as you try to figure out the timing and controls, it has the gall to offer hints as if you haven't already figured it out
the only positive here is the visuals; it has the cinematic part of the cinematic platformer genre sorted, but as an actual game it's beyond mediocre, an exercise in tedium