+ Varied puzzles that all require a good level of thinking but never have any sense of frustration.
+ Nice art direction and graphical style make for what is just a calming and cosy experience.

- Not being able to review collected notes from the inventory makes for some slightly annoying back and forth, and doesn't make the puzzles any more satisfying to solve.
- It would be nice if the journey lasted just a little bit longer.

+ As vast and crazy as is to be expected from a Yakuza/LAD game at this point. There's so many options of things to do at all times that it never becomes tedious or boring even after 70+ hours.
+ Expands and improves on the RPG combat from the previous game - and with the job system and skill inheritance, it stays interesting through the entire game.
+ While the wider story isn't really that interesting to me, where the game shines is its extremely strong characters, with Ichiban solidifying himself as one of the best protagonists in history.

- Suffers from the same issue as previous Yakuza games, where cut scenes take 10 minutes of dialogue to explain what could be conveyed in 1.
- Loses a bit of steam towards the end, and I feel while the story doesn't necessarily leave any threads open, a lot of the resolutions feel slightly flat.

+ Very well voice acted, with a couple of interesting twists at the end of the story.
+ The overlay of the hand drawn characters is a nice touch which I would've liked to have seen the game lean more into.

- There's not enough to engage with from a gameplay level, and the minimal level of interaction hurts the experience.
- While there is a reasonably satisfying conclusion, the story as a whole isn't particularly interesting, and the level of mystery probably won't be enough for most people to see it through.

+ Extremely tight platforming and combat.
+ Introduces some fantastic Metroidvania quality of life improvements that should be used as a benchmark of the genre going forwards.

- While definitely not bad looking, visually the game is reasonably uninteresting.
- Poorly spaced out fast travel points make back-tracking a pain, especially at the beginning of the game when your mobility is limited.

+ One of the best 'loops' I can think of that doesn't rely on being a roguelike. Catching fish and organising your storage is just as satisfying the 1000th time as the 1st.
+ Vibes, atmosphere and visuals work flawlessly together to create an uneasy and mysterious world that just demands to be explored.

- There's not a whole lot of time dedicated to what there is of a story, which means the ending feeling a bit flat.
- Also, once the story was completed, I felt there wasn't enough motivation to carry on and finish all the research/abberations etc.

+ An RPG that wastes absolutely no time – never demanding any unnecessary backtracking or grinding.
+ A beautiful visual overhaul that also keeps the essence of the original.

- If anything, it's perhaps a little too straightforward, requiring very little thought or strategy to get through even a lot of the harder battles.
- All of the "mini-games" feel horrible to play and isometric platforming very rarely works.

+ As tight and refined a Metroidvania experience as you'll find, even if it doesn't do anything particularly inventive.
+ Fantastic pixel art combined with grotesquely brilliant world and character design make one hell of a visual impression.

- Story and characters that left little to no impression on me.
- Frustrating difficulty spikes that felt like a turn off rather than a satisfying challenge.

+ One of the most entertainingly ridiculous narratives I've ever played, with multiple standout moments that are up amongst some of the greatest set-pieces in video game history.
+ The dual stories of Saga and Alan intertwine really nicely, while still feeling separate both tonally and from a gameplay perspective.
+ A stunning game to look at and listen to - beautiful environments and lighting, seamless implementation of live-action footage, and top class voice and physical performances from all the actors involved.

- As ambitious as the story is, there are times where the writing feels a little bit convoluted and nonsensical, and while I will absolutely play the next entry in this universe (whatever that may be), the open-ended nature of the conclusion is a little frustrating.
- Occasional frustrating gameplay moments where the survival horror nature of the combat feels unfair due to bullet-sponge enemies.

+ Incredibly inventive and never stops surprising you with new ideas. Not knowing what's going to happen every time you pick up a Wonder Flower is a joy throughout.
+ While the art style isn't revolutionary, it's an improvement over the bland 'New' series, with the small 2D flourishes on collecting a power-up a particular highlight.

- An unpopular opinion I'm sure, but I've never been the biggest fan of the controls in 2D Mario games and this is no exception. Having to hold down the run button for 95% of the playtime is awkward and annoying.
- While the Wonder elements are incredible as mentioned above, the structure of the game is still largely unchanged from how the series was 30 years ago and is becoming a bit too formulaic.

+ Most importantly, the quality of puzzle design is still great. While minor gripes could be thrown at the rollercoaster level of difficulty when moving between areas, for the most part it really hits the sweet spot of making your brain work while rarely being frustrating.
+ Regardless of quality, an escalation in scale that could be compared to the giant leap between the two Portal games – the way the game has evolved from the original in so many ways is truly notable.
+ Absolutely stunning graphics and world design that make arriving in each new area a real joy.
+ An engaging story with interesting characters, strong dialogue and pretty great voice acting.

- Swaps out the more open-ended philosophical nature of the first for more of a mystery-style adventure which some fans of the first game might not like.
- The massive scale can get a little bit tedious towards the end when you are sprinting around for minutes at a time trying to cross off the last few puzzles.

+ The climbing is a genuinely interesting and engaging mechanic that could have sustained itself for even longer if needed.
+ While the art style is relatively simple, the game is a beautiful showcase of Unreal Engine 5, with the lighting in particular looking spectacular.

- The storytelling and writing is okay, but the way it is delivered as sparse, lengthy passages of text isn't very interesting. I think the game would actually be improved by having the story told wordlessly through the environment.

+ For a studio with little experience in the AAA space, the production values are remarkable. Attention to detail, visualsm sound and overall level of polish are all extremely impressive.
+ Well thought-out and interesting world and character design elevate it above other Soulslikes.
+ For the most part, the gameplay feels tight and satisfying, and (for the most part) relatively fair.

- A handful of bosses feel particularly egregious in their design, where it seems the solution ends up being trying to find a way to survive through brute force rather than skill.
- Still commits the same old sins that annoy me about all Soulslikes (tedious runbacks, multi-stage bosses, consumables being expendable and therefore largely redundant), although I understand this can be an unpopular opinion!

+ Unbelievably satisfying core puzzle loop, where you genuinely feel like the smartest person in the world when figuring things out.
+ Complex while never feeling overwhelming, and is neither too short nor drags on for too long.
+ Gorgeous minimalist artstyle.

- Slightly irritating and out-of-place stealth/action sequences.
- The final minutes of the game don't really land and are a strange diversion away from what makes the rest of the experience so good.

+ Wonderfully intricate puzzle design that always knows just how much to ask from you, so the puzzle is always 'how to execute' rather than 'what to do'.
+ Inventive use of boss battles in a game where there is essentially no other 'combat'.
+ Runs smooth as butter, and the effect of diving between orb worlds never stops being impressive.

- What little can be picked up of the story is a bit too abstract for my tastes.
- Later puzzles can feel like a lot of carrying puzzle pieces around, even after you've worked out the solution.