genuinely don't get what all the fuss is about. the platforming is frustrating, the dialogue and narrative are painfully one-note and the combat definitely doesn't have enough going for it to keep it interesting throughout. after about the third main boss everything just starts feeling the same. the "verse" stages are a terrible mix of boring and frustrating, and while the first few bosses were cool, again, i don't think this game has enough legs to keep them interesting for the entire thing. also, a very personal thing, but i really fucking hate being graded. this is, like, the second character action game with a grade system i've played and both times it's really annoyed me. i know it's there for people who want to 'master' the combat but i have absolutely zero interest for that kind of thing so the entire system actively makes the game more annoying. like i'm just tryna chill and vibe i don't want my 'performance' graded like i'm submitting an essay in high school.

honestly? nothing about this worked for me. i can see the love and care that went into creating it, but everything from the generic music to the combat to the shitty platforming to the art style just stirred absolutely no feelings in me at all. i didn't hate or even dislike it as an overall thing... but i can't say i enjoyed my time with it either.

Super relaxing and well-crafted game that shoots itself in the foot when you start spending twenty-thirty minutes hunting down the last specks of miniscule dirt you missed beneath a random veranda or the corner of a shed gutter. In those moments, you just want it to be fucking over already and you're racking your brain trying to figure out where the last drops are, and that runs completely against the relaxing and easy-to-play facade this game presents. And unfortunately, this hurts the game way more than it thinks. Satisfaction gives way to madness, and there's a hollow feeling when you spend upwards of an hour plus on a stage and realize you actually aren't getting paid in the real world for your attention to detail and thoroughness. Like, say what you will about escapism, but if I wanted to play a video game that literally feels like a job, then I'd much rather just work, because at least then I'll get paid for the soul-sucking monotony.

starts off mostly okay, if not a bit bland but crashes and burns BADLY in the last chapter or so.

in order of enjoyment i'd rank the character's storylines as:

Donna > John >>> Meena

"If you don't mind me asking. Have you ever had sex?"
"No I haven't"
punk4eva will remember that

This was the single most intimidating line in the entire game.