One of the best games I've ever played. I try to tell people about this game as much as I can, and have played through and beaten it at least three times now.

Everything about this game is top-notch. The visuals are stunning. Absolutely beautiful pixel art and extremely smooth animations make this game a joy to look at. The combat feels very satisfying, and gets progressively better and better as you unlock more and more upgrades. The difficulty is perfect, challenging but not too punishing. The story is subtle and mysterious, but intriguing. The world is beautifully realized. The core gameplay loop is super fun. Enemies and bosses are varied and interesting. There's lots of collectibles to find that provide you with great benefits. I could go on and on, its unbelievably polished in every single aspect you could think of.

This is just a fantastic game that has stuck with me for many years. The only thing I have left to do is to beat it without dying once, which I hope one day I'll be able to do. I love this game, and I'll be coming back to it for years to come.