I've played a couple hours so far. The core climbing mechanic is wonderfully realized, but something always feels a little insubstantial about playing the game. I think it has to do with lack of specificity in the scenario/level design. The broad idea of the game world is undeniably cool. But the opening cutscene decides to favor mysteriousness and grandeur over setting up a clear situation for the player character, and so there are no real stakes when you're playing it. It's an approach to story/world that feels nearly identical to something like Journey, which a lot of AA and indie games have taken good and bad lessons.

Speaking of set pieces, the level design clearly evokes Fumito Ueda's games, but I think it fails to have the same dramatic pacing as them. There is set dressing sort of sprayed everywhere. Beautiful as the art style and models are, there's not much contrast in the look and feel of one space from the next. The theme of each area tends to be vague as well, as if all the artists had to go one were two word prompts like "fishing village". There's too much stuff for it to feel minimalistic like a fairy tale, but not enough specificity to feel like a real space. I believe that there will be more dramatically different biomes further on in the game, but I'll be surprised if the general level of purposeless detail diminishes.

Last gripe: you have a cute little blobby friend who rides on your shoulder. I'm definitely barging into the party and pissing in the punch bowl here, but this little cutie grates on me so much.

One good thing: The model of the player character is cool! Love the shin guards.