Recently replayed the main levels again, actually going for every strawberry I saw and collecting the B-Sides I encountered. So with everything fresh(er) in my mind now, I feel like I can write a proper review for it.

The way levels are designed is so, so, so damn good. It is phenomenal how damn creative the team gets with each screen, how mechanics are so well introduced (incredibly subtly too, sometimes- Like platforms you can go through and stand on) and then further utilized... As an aspiring game dev, noticing how well structured everything was this time around felt so crazy. I loved going after every strawberry because it felt so satisfying engaging with the mechanics in every way possible, even if getting the timing right in the resort was a nightmare for my impatient self. Maybe someday I'll replay the Core and then try braving my way through the more B-Sides and Farewell, but I'm satisfied now by just the base levels lol.

And all this doesn't even touch upon how lovely the art of the game is, that even with its simplistic pixels its so pretty, and the story is incredibly touching and how it leads to such a thoughtful way of thinking of things, and the characters are delightful, and and and ! Man! What a good game.