After the first level I was sure this was a 4 or even 4.5 star game for me, but a few hours later I found it had really started to drag. On reflection I think I was wowed by my first impression and the sheer stylishness of it, but the game didn't really evolve from there in any unexpected or interesting ways.

The main cuplrit is the uninspired platforming sections. They were slow and clunky with puzzles and secrets you've seen a hundred times before, and more importantly just didn't "feel good" to play. Rather than being engaged and curious, it seemed I spent most of my time meandering between the much more interesting fight sequences. There were glimmers of something more in the rail sections, and perhaps the later levels would have won me back, but I didn't fancy spending another hour or two trudging through yet another underground tunnel complex.

I have a lot of praise for the dialogue, voice acting, art direction etc. I doubt anyone could argue against this being a supremely stylish and cohesive game. It shines in its combat, with some neat interactions between the beat and various combos or mechanics. I'd have loved to see more focus on that both in terms of complexity and proportion of gameplay. Basically: get out of my way and let me play the good bits.