its flaws are so prosaically obvious (interaction is never more then heavily railroaded Bioshock For Babies, lets player mugging, story is slathered in worthless indie horror matpat vagueness) that i feel like a hack even namechecking them. but these things dont gather big fandoms without some sort of magnetism and honestly I Get It. it rly clicked in the third chapter, which is a showcase for some of the games biggest weaknesses (not being able to interact with a thing that seems intractable until the game Says So never stops being irritating, the combat doesnt have any real Options, the repetitive fetch quest structure [tho it is at least a bit compellingly Ritualistic]) but also just goes super hard on its environment and fleeting glimpses of moderately colorful characters. its Cool To Exist In, and the procedural presence of the ink demon/showdown with the projectionist are absolutely the most compelling horror in the whole thing that shit kinda fucked me up! none of the other chapters were that vivid to exist in for me, tho each of them has at least something that captured my imagination (again usually environmental) and some clearly lovingly crafted flourishes

most of what it has to offer is inoffensive first person adventure game stuff that just happen to be the way u interact with these rickety sticky cold spaces (the ink itself somehow stays vivid as an environmental touch the entire time, i was Always subconsciously avoiding the places it spills from the ceiling), but the spaces are super cool, and if thats all i ask from a walking simulator ig thats fine enough for me here. if i didnt like it more its because i find the theorybait storytelling the opposite of compelling which leaves me feeling a lil hollow on it. even then, there are some moment-to-moment narrative bits that i appreciate, like everything with good ol boris. dont take any of this as a sign that u, autistic person who knows all ab the lore, should not infodump to me about it, i would Love That please hmu