Addictive and fun little game, not too long, not too short just right. I was pretty enthralled in the universe created and enjoyed my time spent playing. My hands are gonna enjoy the slight reprieve from smashing the shoot button over and over, lol. Once the game clicked it really clicked and i couldnt stop thinking about it, when i realized i was inching closer to the ending i tried to hold off on playing it to savor it a bit more. I hit up another friend of mine and highly recommended this game to them. Indie games like this are exactly why I signed up for steam, big box games are cool in their own right but for me, this love letter to the days of yesteryear style of games are the best and most enjoyable. Usually for more than half of the cost of bigger budgeted titles as well. Props to the team for seeing this one thru. Please make a sequel

It's a beautiful game with wonderful music, but often times it feels as though it was made to play a way specific to the developers wishes. Ironically enough the game feels like a caged bird. You have all these wonderful abilities but you're constrained to use them in only one fixed way. More often than not the reward for traversing or completing a challenge is exposition to a world, while interesting in theory, just doesn't seem to elicit a want to find out more about it.

It also doesn't help that while the core cast of the game is relatively charming, everyone else seems to always find a way to sour the moment or push the character down, preventing any lasting growth. A somewhat weak redemption towards the end doesn't feel earned nor earnest enough to give a sense of closure.

With a few other design options that can be viewed as questionable and an excessive amount of exposition, the game is one that just needed a little more revision to it before it went final. I wouldn't completely write it off, but I wouldn't recommend unless you have a desire to play something like this.

First play-through took me roughly 10 hours. It was a wonderful experience. Not too difficult. Some boss fights took me multiple tries and are part-puzzle, part-skill. Story is simple but well-executed and strong.
The art and music were amazing. It really takes me back to the golden age of SNK/Metal Slug.
Sometimes wished I had a map, though.
(Don't forget to use the bonfire between major events!)