quick thoughts after 1 ending done and around 25 hours in: it's good, but there's also a lot i don't like. specifically the focus on bosses; it feels like nearly half of all the missions in this game have a boss in them and it's just tiring. actual AC fights are a lot of fun of course, but when it comes to non-AC bosses, they can be pretty hit or miss. this combined with the fact that these bosses truly have an inordinate amount of health means bosses feel less like a test of skill but moreso one of endurance, which would be fine but they just take so long. i'm also of the opinion that it's a bit too hard, just generally overtuned, but we'll see if i change my mind on that, i still have ng+ and ng++ to do, as well as pvp stuff, hunting down hidden parts and logs, stuff like that. the story was a pleasant surprise, though a bit confusing in its messaging, for my ending at least. lastly, it just feels so good to play. sound design is out of this world, the game looks and runs insanely well, it's just a very fun game that the developers push to its stressing point. maybe i will come around to the boss design but as of now i'm just not really feeling it, it feels more like i'm fighting a souls boss than anything and that's the last thing i wanted to feel and my #1 fear coming into this game. oh yeah the VA for walter is fucking awesome too, ayre is so bland in comparison, give me a better garage theme, reverse joints are actually good now, music is pretty forgettable unfortunately. this is stream of consciousness writing if you werent aware. fuck balteus