I have actually played this one when it was in early access, things were a bit rough around the edges, but this was no Ender Lilies. The gameplay from that is somewhat lukewarm, with over the top difficulties and stringent gameplay. Here it feels flexible, and easy.
Fine-tuning the gameplay in release is all it took to make it relatively a Hollow Knight familiar, where it gets most of what that game does very well this time. While gameplay is much seamless, once again I got to enjoy the beautiful, yet melancholic narrative with some crazy production value for a metroidvania. It's not the best game, but it is a few leagues ahead.
Rewarding my time spent with intricate story sequences, characters, breathtaking level designs with gorgeous backgrounds, using the most out of Unreal Engine to even create good lighting reflections. The released version is also longer than the early access.
Waking up after a dream sequence in a pretty sordid area, Lilac now has to head out in the Lower Stratum, finding a way to get back to the main city. Finding a Homunculus stabbed, before attuning her back to normal. She's now added to Lilac's repertoire.
Like Ender Lilies, instead of spirited undead, you're adding Homunculi to cast abilities. You have your double jump, dash, and four specific buttons to cast the ability attacks. Difficulty has options adjustable, so I'm playing at 1.4x the difficult, which is supposed to be more challenging. Yet, I was breezing through, the first boss fight was even nothing.
But the challenges start to come around, from that fight, I got another Homunculus ability to use. I had to make use while finding placement between enemies, and eliminating them soon as possible. The other one is another bossfight, which has two forms.
That other form was destroying me due to their large projectiles, and persistent attack patterns. This is where the game tried to shape up my reflexes and adjust me to the gameplay. It's not like any other, where I instantly get a grasp of the mechanics after a while. Movement telegraphing, and quick reflexes are mostly it. Though, not always the case as later parts of the game.
As they introduce different kinds of situations that require other ways to get around. Fighting enemies is one thing, trekking the downtrodden areas is another. Sometimes visibility is limited, to the point that you're coming across a level that might result in death, and will have me going to the very beginning. Beginning of Respites, which are save and respawn points that can also be fast-traveled to. And I mean, just from the game map anywhere.
It's not easy casting the abilities, which is why I pick and choose which button is slotted on what. One of the other great things about the game is no contact damage makes engagement more feasible. There will be abilities in the future, where attacks are outright blocked, allowing me to stay temporarily in chokeholds before escaping or eliminating the threats.
Navigating multiple areas for each segment of the map is rewarding, you get items that increase health, currencies to spend, amulets, braces, even hidden areas have particular rare ones. The game has entries that add lore, each with some form of emotional depth to it as well.
Now, by this point, I have a main attack, gap closer fist attack, blasters for range kiting, and an owl that auto attacks. Now, these four Homunculi aren't the only ones. There's way more, in fact, each Homunculus has different ability types as well.
Unlocked simply by finding parts or buying them off, in fact in the span of 4hrs, I found enough to experiment on 5 or 6 of these. There are limitations to using equipment items, it's all based on relics slots, which can be increased by finding them or through the blacksmith by crafting. Currency can be earned through smashing crates and killing enemies.
Not every Homunculus gives specific abilities for combat, some are for traversal, like this guy who has a drill on his arm, can open up closed levels. In the sewers, I found another Attuner dead, but found a swimming equipment that later helped to swim through the water in every angle.
And as I've stated, exploration can be scary, I have drones coming too fast with their spinning blades, and then others blasting projectiles. If you think that's bad, wait till you meet the rats. I had to change my blaster's ability to the one that has a drill taking out their stance, leaving them stunned temporarily. Like, I was easing in everything till these littlt buggers showed up
For a game, this has enough to merit engagement, if the story, music, and visual style wasn't brimming with quality stuff. The OST is scored by a Japanese group named Mili. The soothing yet haunting orchestra will stick around for so long. The main story is evocative, something that will get you emotionally invested in most of the characters. It hits a different ceiling.
In fact, fans of the original will find the characters from there heavily referenced, despite this one taking place several generations after that. The boss battles have their own tragic stories as well. Most of them are Homunculi tossed away by their creators.
It's not their fault they have developed consciousness with the magic stored in them. Lots of QOL changes, it's even better looking than its earlier state. Enemy design is balanced, yet provides ample challenges as well as their environments. If I was in a plane with a Switch for long hours, I'd definitely play the heck out of this one without feeling the boredom.
