This game got me back into playing and enjoying games after several months of wishy washiness. It's not perfect, but it is solid, and utilizes a lot of concepts from games I love.

Aesthetically and in core combat, it takes a lot from Metroid. It's Module system is nearly a direct lift of Hollow Knights charms. And of course in it's death and currency system, it pulls from Dark Souls, as so many games do (it also takes elements of DS leveling)

It's own identity comes from a) the characters and the storytelling, of course, which is so far quite engaging and charming, and b) the overheating and melee system. Firing your gun for too long will cause it to overheat, which in turn boosts the damage of your melee attacks, setting up a balanced play style between close and far range. Unfortunately this mechanic doesn't quite shine as much as it could, as melee attacks are rarely directly needed, and you can amass a vast arsenal of secondary weapons to help you out of tough situations