This review is based on 100% completion and 21 hours of gameplay. Recommendation: Would I recommend this game? I would, yeah — it’s a very enjoyable little game. Don’t let the cute and cosy look fool you though, it can be a bit challenging at times. Honestly, while I was playing it, I had the thought that it felt like a cute and cosy Souls-like with all the dodging involved. Starting with the game’s design — I really like it. It’s simple, clean, and easy on the eyes. Some elements, like enemy red attack zones being hidden behind trees or scenery, can be a bit frustrating, and when multiple attacks overlap, it can get a little messy. But overall, I really enjoyed the game’s charming, cosy aesthetic and minimalist style. The sound design and music fit the vibe nicely and I had no issues on that front at all. Narrative-wise, I thought the game was great. It’s simple, easy to follow, and just engaging enough to keep your interest throughout. There’s no voice acting, just text, but it’s not massive walls of dialogue. Think of it more like an interactive manga — short, sweet, and to the point. The writing itself is well done, with some genuinely funny and clever lines that made me smile. All in all, the story adds to the overall charm and works really well. The gameplay is a bit hit or miss, and I don’t think it’ll be for everyone. It’s got that classic “don’t stand in the red” kind of combat — you attack, dodge the red zones, then repeat. For the most part, the dodging and attacking feel good, but there were a few moments where it felt slightly clunky or off. The game has a decent variety of loot, each with different effects that suit either of the two main archetypes — melee or magic — along with modifiers for things like health and armour. Gear becomes outdated as you go, and there’s definitely a best-in-slot setup eventually, but the progression overall feels satisfying. This game features a challenge mode (called “Mew Game”) , which you unlock after completing the main game once. You’ll need to go through the game again from start to finish, with the main twist being that you can apply modifiers to make the run harder. These runs can be pretty tough, as a lot of enemy attacks will one-shot you, and if you have the 9 Lives modifier on, it can be even more brutal since you only get nine chances — once you’ve died nine times, the run’s over. Completing this mode with certain modifiers active rewards you with the best equipment in the game, which you can then use back in your base game save. There’s a piece of gear for finishing a run with one modifier, another for using two, and a final one for completing a run with three or more. Now, while the game does offer a New Game+ as well, personally I didn’t find much replayability once I’d finished everything. I ended up getting the best gear but didn’t really have any reason to use it, since I’d already done all the content. So outside of going for achievements, testing yourself with a harder challenge, or doing a speedrun, I’m not the biggest fan of this mode. That said, if you’re after more of a challenge or just fancy doing another playthrough, you might get more out of it than I did. Overall, I really enjoyed this little game. It’s got a unique charm to it and was something different from the usual. It’s been out for a while now, so it goes on sale fairly often — I’d definitely recommend picking it up during a sale if you can. But even at full price, I don’t think it’s too bad value-wise if you’re keen to jump in straight away. Achievements: To get 100% completion in this game, you’ll need to finish the base game once, then complete Challenge Mode (“Mew Game”) four more times — so five full runs in total. There are only 12 achievements overall: 6 are easily done in the base game with a bit of grinding and planning, and the other 6 are tied to Challenge Mode, which unlocks after your first full playthrough. Since there isn’t a great way to track progress for a few of the base game achievements, I’d highly recommend creating a table or checklist you can tick off as you go. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re missing. A good starting point is a list made by Yunie Rozier in the Steam Guides, which you can use to help build your own checklist — you can check that out [url= https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1246014230] here. The base game achievements aren’t particularly difficult — they’ll just require some time and a bit of forethought, and should take around 14–15 hours to get through. It’s the Challenge Mode achievements that are the real test, as each one requires you to complete a run with different modifiers turned on. I’d definitely recommend looking up the guide by Schimmerfuchs in the Steam Guides. It’s really well put together and lays out a clear, efficient roadmap to help you get through the Challenge runs with as little hassle as possible. You can find that guide [url= https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3076834263] here. Each Challenge run should take around 40–60 minutes if you’re following the guide. It took me a total of 6.4 hours across the four runs, including four wipes while I was still getting used to the mode. There’s definitely a bit of a “git gud” aspect here, so take it at your own pace — and if you start to feel frustrated, I highly recommend taking a break and coming back to it later. You can save and quit at any point, so you don’t have to do the whole thing in one go. Just keep in mind that if you’re using the 9 Lives modifier, once you use up those lives, that run’s over and you’ll have to start again. To beat this mode, you’ll want to get good at dodge rolling — most things will one-shot you, so movement really is key. Overall, while the 6 base game achievements are nice and straightforward, the 6 Challenge Mode ones are definitely a bit tougher — so just keep that in mind if you’re aiming for full completion. For more in-depth yet straight-to-the-point reviews, feel free to check out my curator page [url= https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45595645/] here.
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