I almost didn't get this game due to the negative comments, but I am glad I did. After playing the game, it's clear most negative comments didn't understand this is primarily a (melee) combat game, with skills and character upgrades to support this. There are ranged abilities, but no ranged weaponry. The fighting is very skill-based, timing dodges, blocks, and attacks to succeed - it becomes very trivial as soon as you have companions with you or (permanent) summon abilities, as you can just swarm and stun lock your enemies. Hence why these types of abilities are limited, and you can only have a couple of companions with you. Similarly, you are limited to the items you have equipped, and potions on your belt when you enter a fighting area - after this point if you run out, that's it, making each fighting area a challenge. During my playthrough I definitely felt like the devs had done a great job balancing the weapons and skills.

In terms of the gameplay you have an overworld-style map similar to Heroes of Might & Magic, with enemies and other NPCs moving around, and you move from location to location capturing areas, fighting monsters, and completing quests. You can choose to play solo, or competitive - in competitive you are competing against heroes from other regions in your main quest, so it seems like a timed game mode (I didn't play this way).

The areas are all very nicely done, music is normally pretty good also and fits the area you're in, and the combat is very well polished (this is what stood out most about this game for me - the combat was very fun).

Overall enjoyed it a lot, just a few thoughts on things I thought could use some work:
- There are some quests that are timed, without this being clear to the player. When travelling you suddenly fail them and only then realise this was the case. It would be great if these were highlighted to the player more obviously.
- The zoom changes back to default 'zoomed in' when transitioning between move/scout mode on the overworld, and when transitioning between areas. This becomes frustrating.
- Every area eventually becomes a check list of picking up / handing in quests, often checking between day/night (as NPCs change) to make sure you get them all. The quests also mostly are typical 'go here' 'fetch this' etc. type quests. Some stand out as memorable, but still eventually you barely read any dialogue for them and just scan for what you are meant to be doing quickly.
- A few english issues - one example I remember was 'frozed' instead of 'frozen' status effect during combat.
- I picked 'evil' on my playthrough but not sure what actual impact this had if any - given there aren't really any options in dialogue I still just felt like a goody-two-shoes running around doing errands for everyone I met and saving the world.

This game is the absolute hight of "Tell, dont show". The gameplay would be fun, except the game wants you to spent 50 minutes reading for every 10 minutes of playing. It's like the maker of the game is some wannabe 2/5 stars author who is desperatly trying to bring his 08/15 fantasy story to life. What a shame. If you would reduce the amount of text to a dark souls/elden ring level, the game might actually be good.

EDIT: I would have let this be but the devs have called Elden Ring a "No-Lore Product", and I took that personally.

The game lacks environmental storytelling in its entirety. Most quests are simple fetch-quests or kill quests. Player agency is non existent, and most characters are written morally entirely black and white. Whats more the world entirely lacks in originality. You have elegant elves in the woods, brawny dwarves in the cold mountains, generic humans in fields and grasslands and savage but honorable orcs in their deserts.

Alright, so do most fantasy stories. Being generic is not necessarily bad. Except the magic is also generic, so are weapons and armor choices. Hell, so are STAT choices on gear.

Well, maybe the RPG elements are worth it? And to be fair, the character creation is awesome. You create your own custom background, with a LOT of customization options, and it really feels like you become part of the world. Then the game ignores it for 99% of all interactions. You also dont get to choose stats, or have them influence you gameplay. Remember Fallout 1? The game that came out in 1997? That game had infinitely more in depth RPG mechanics.

I am not even sure if you HAVE player agency in this game. In my 20 hours of play I dont think I encountered choices that actually influenced the story in any meaningful way.

I would rather have 10k words written by a master than 300k words of this slop. How many words were written for Hollow Knight? Propably a lot less, yet that game actually told an amazing, innovative and memorable story that most of its players remember. No one will remember Alaloth. "No-lore product", gimmy a break.

What's with Alaloth, dissin my realms?
Why does he gotta front?
What did we ever do to this guy
That made him so violent

Oo-Oo
But you know I'm yours
Oo-Oo
And I know you're mine
Oo-Oo
And that's for all of time

Ooh-Wee-ooh I look just like King Adrith
Oh-oh and you're Grand Matriarch Mazoga Baelgrin of Baga
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care 'bout that

Don't you ever fear, I'm always near
I know that you need help
Your thrones are besieged, your tombs are damned
You need a champion

Oo-Oo
But you know I'm yours
Oo-Oo
And I know you're mine
Oo-Oo
And that's for all of time

Bang! Bang!
Knock on the door!
Another big bang, down on the floor!
Oh no what do we do?
Don't look down but I lost my boot
I can't run and I can't kick
What's a matter babe, you feelin sick?
What's a matter What's a matter What's a matter you
What's a matter babe, you feelin blue? Oh-oh

[Bangin' lute]

Ooh-Wee-ooh I look just like King Adrith
Oh-oh and you're Grand Matriarch Mazoga Baelgrin of Baga
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care 'bout that
I don't care 'bout that
I don't care 'bout that