Didn't really like the early-game much. Mostly my fault because I didn't really think to use the manual much at that point and I was under the impression that I had to hug every wall and hope to find the way forward. However, I later found out that that is not the case. Every secret path is alluded to in some way in the manual at the time you're meant to find it.
And because I didn't realize the importance of the manual right from the start I often went to places far too early, like going deep in the Quarry area when I didn't even have the shield yet.
When I realized that there's much more to glean from the manual than just simple control instructions and a few maps, I started having a lot more fun with the game. That was around the time when I finally found the shield.
Another reason why I didn't have the greatest time in the earlygame was because of the combat. When you only have the stick (and a little later, the sword) combat just isn't any fun.
It does get a little better after receiving some more combat items like the fire wand and the tentacle though. But even with those tools I didn't feel like the combat in this game was one of its strong suits. There's just too many annoying enemies
The midgame was so fucking good though. I absolutely loved some of the aesthetics like the Ziggurat and the Library. That shit was beautiful. Getting new tools and figuring out more and more stuff with the manual felt great too.
This part of the game that I enjoyed the most lasted up until the Heir fight. I did not really enjoy that fight but even worse is what came after that.
The endgame or Golden Path I did not like at all.
The fairy hunt and golden items hunt was basically just all backtracking to each area and as soon as you figure out what to look for in the manual it trivializes the challenge of figuring the puzzle out. Almost all of them boil down to inputting a sequence of directional key inputs.
Other sections of the Golden Path are extremely obscure and made me feel bad for having to look those up. Especially since I didn't really look up anything before that point. I was getting more and more frustrated with the game and not enjoying this part at all. Then when you finally get through all the stuff and complete the Golden Path you get a very unceremonious ending that made me unsure if I actually completed it.
Now for some general points.
I loved the atmosphere. Some areas were absolutely stunning like the inside of the Ziggurat. Great sound effects and good music too. The combat wasn't the best however but it did get a little better after acquiring more combat options.
I also wasn't the biggest fan of the bosses. I thought they seemed a bit out of place in a game like this, mechanicwise. Some were pretty hard (the Heir), other were a complete joke (Librarian). None of them were super hard though.
Overall, a great game with the manual serving as a very unique gimmick. It's held back by its slow beginning and frustrating and obscure endgame though.
And because I didn't realize the importance of the manual right from the start I often went to places far too early, like going deep in the Quarry area when I didn't even have the shield yet.
When I realized that there's much more to glean from the manual than just simple control instructions and a few maps, I started having a lot more fun with the game. That was around the time when I finally found the shield.
Another reason why I didn't have the greatest time in the earlygame was because of the combat. When you only have the stick (and a little later, the sword) combat just isn't any fun.
It does get a little better after receiving some more combat items like the fire wand and the tentacle though. But even with those tools I didn't feel like the combat in this game was one of its strong suits. There's just too many annoying enemies
The midgame was so fucking good though. I absolutely loved some of the aesthetics like the Ziggurat and the Library. That shit was beautiful. Getting new tools and figuring out more and more stuff with the manual felt great too.
This part of the game that I enjoyed the most lasted up until the Heir fight. I did not really enjoy that fight but even worse is what came after that.
The endgame or Golden Path I did not like at all.
The fairy hunt and golden items hunt was basically just all backtracking to each area and as soon as you figure out what to look for in the manual it trivializes the challenge of figuring the puzzle out. Almost all of them boil down to inputting a sequence of directional key inputs.
Other sections of the Golden Path are extremely obscure and made me feel bad for having to look those up. Especially since I didn't really look up anything before that point. I was getting more and more frustrated with the game and not enjoying this part at all. Then when you finally get through all the stuff and complete the Golden Path you get a very unceremonious ending that made me unsure if I actually completed it.
Now for some general points.
I loved the atmosphere. Some areas were absolutely stunning like the inside of the Ziggurat. Great sound effects and good music too. The combat wasn't the best however but it did get a little better after acquiring more combat options.
I also wasn't the biggest fan of the bosses. I thought they seemed a bit out of place in a game like this, mechanicwise. Some were pretty hard (the Heir), other were a complete joke (Librarian). None of them were super hard though.
Overall, a great game with the manual serving as a very unique gimmick. It's held back by its slow beginning and frustrating and obscure endgame though.