Narratively, the game doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of storytelling. It’s gritty, heart-wrenching, and painfully human, even though it unfolds in a fantastical world. There’s something compelling about the way this story is told...it feels lived-in and genuine. You’ll come for the battles, but you’ll stay for the characters and the raw emotional weight behind them. I've never had a game hit me so hard in the feels during just the prologue. I think it's best to go into this game blind so you get the whole narrative experience. I haven't completed the game yet, but at 28hrs in, I'm still constantly surprised with the direction the story has taken. It's not predictable, which I really appreciate.

Combat is no cakewalk, especially for those like me who aren’t the best when it comes to quick reaction times. I have spastic diplegia cerebral palsy which affects my ability to hit buttons quickly or to a specific rhythm but I'm still able to play the game and enjoy it [although I have it on the easiest setting.] The developers were kind enough to offer a range of difficulty options which you can change at any time- if you're finding things tough, don’t be afraid to drop it down- there’s no shame in it! The point is to experience the game, not punish yourself unnecessarily. Don’t let pride rob you of an incredible journey because this game is worth it. From a bit of reading though, the easiest setting predominantly affects how much damage enemies will do and it gives you a bit more time to react with parry or dodge. According to others the only difference between the other two modes is damage done. This might affect what difficulty setting you choose so I figured it was worth mentioning.

I love the homage it pays to old school RPGs- this feels like a Final Fantasy game but they're just a small group of 20 or so french game developers who created it with only a fraction of the budget that they rightfully deserve. I haven't personally had any performance issues, but after reading a few talking about crashes I can't help but wonder if it's not the game but Microsoft One Drive in the background trying to back up the save file as they're playing that's causing the crashing. I uninstalled One Drive awhile back and would suggest others do the same if they're experiencing issues.

The graphics are among some of the best, no matter what game I compare it to... and the music throughout the game is an absolute masterpiece! I can't believe how much game they packed into only 37gb. This game hands down is the one I would nominate for Game of the Year. I also bought Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and a few other AAA titles this year... but they honestly have nothing on this game.

There are a few things I'd love to see implemented in the game just for quality of life features:
The ability to pause during cut scenes or in the midst of battle. I don't want to miss those story moments at all. If there were a feature that gave you a better idea on when you need to time your parry or dodge, maybe through colors or a target marker, that would help me a lot. There's also no feedback of how you messed up if you fail to parry or dodge. It doesn't say you were too early or late, so you're just left guessing, so a visual indicator of some sort would be massively appreciated even if they only offered it in the easiest setting. Sometimes I notice when I'm in a cave or dark area, it's really hard to make out any details. Sometimes the character will shine a small light of sorts- but I don't know how to trigger that and it doesn't always do it. Maybe a toggle or something to brighten things up with a light in game when needed? Also holy molly am I directionally challenged... so I'd also love to see a compass in game so I can figure out what direction I'm headed to know if I've already gone that way before. A mini map would also be super cool, but even just knowing the general direction I'm going if I'm facing a certain way will help immensely. All of these are suggestions I have, but even without any of these implemented I would 100% spew at the mouth telling friends that they need to play this game.

10/10. I literally can't imagine enjoying another game as much as I am currently with this one. It appeals to me on every level.