i played this one with a friend, and we got like 12 hours in and we still arent finished. honestly, theres a lot here that kinda went wrong. it takes a lot for me to not finish a game, and every time i put this one down ive struggled to pick it back up. it opens up with a really enticing story, layered between a good amount of combat and puzzles. more information added to the story felt like a just reward for completing some part of the gameplay. then, the entire story just falls off and it becomes a pure puzzle game. it did so well at first with keeping the audience wondering what will happen next, and trying to get through the gameplay bits to find out. then, halfway through, its literally just "complete this super challenging puzzle to get 2 piece of dialogue that add nothing, then you get another complicated puzzle. i hate to critique games before i finish them, but its getting to the point where over half this game was a slog, and thats worth noting.
the friend who i played this with is BIG on stealth. she LOVES stealth, and man this game was disappointing for her too. i personally hate when stealth isnt a choice but a requirement, like ok ill try to stealth as many enemies as i can but if they spot me its fine ill just engage in combat. i get that they were trying to set the tone, i do, but man it was not fun. even in parts where enemies were running at you and you have to throw the rock in time, theyd move slightly and youd already miss their head and get one shot killed. i guess i just want an alternative or last minute solution to getting one shot killed. like can amicia really not do ANYTHING close up? are rocks her ONLY solution? she is smart, can she not use their sword or something? in moments like these, which are rare, but still in the game, there is literally 1 way to kill enemies, and if you mess up at all you have to restart. i think the parts with the rats i enjoyed more, even if it wasnt insanely realistic. they lost me with the human conflict.
overall, this game is just lacking. it feels like they will eventually add more but then youre almost done with the game. there hasnt been enough development, story, or combat added. i get that its trying to be unique, but i just cant get in the groove of it. other games take risks and do it so well you dont even miss what you dont have, this game made me miss everything it took out for the purpose of immersion.
maybe ill finish it later
the friend who i played this with is BIG on stealth. she LOVES stealth, and man this game was disappointing for her too. i personally hate when stealth isnt a choice but a requirement, like ok ill try to stealth as many enemies as i can but if they spot me its fine ill just engage in combat. i get that they were trying to set the tone, i do, but man it was not fun. even in parts where enemies were running at you and you have to throw the rock in time, theyd move slightly and youd already miss their head and get one shot killed. i guess i just want an alternative or last minute solution to getting one shot killed. like can amicia really not do ANYTHING close up? are rocks her ONLY solution? she is smart, can she not use their sword or something? in moments like these, which are rare, but still in the game, there is literally 1 way to kill enemies, and if you mess up at all you have to restart. i think the parts with the rats i enjoyed more, even if it wasnt insanely realistic. they lost me with the human conflict.
overall, this game is just lacking. it feels like they will eventually add more but then youre almost done with the game. there hasnt been enough development, story, or combat added. i get that its trying to be unique, but i just cant get in the groove of it. other games take risks and do it so well you dont even miss what you dont have, this game made me miss everything it took out for the purpose of immersion.
maybe ill finish it later