Recent reviews by BlueFlame

This game really hits a sweet spot as a fan of the original game. The combat is satisfying and deep, the world is wonderfully designed and it really scratches the itch I've been having for years. It really is a worthy successor to the first game.

Of course it is far from perfect, and many people have already stated the issues:
- The Performance doesn't make the game unplayable, but the frame drops definitely are noticeable. At least the Devs have published a statement that they're planning to patch this.
- The Microtransactions are scummy from a moral standpoint, I think so too. But they really aren't necessary to buy in any way. Nearly all the items can be obtained reasonably quickly in-game, you won't miss out by not buying them.
- Denuvo is bad. Nuff said.

Keep these issues in mind when buying, but despite them, the game is a ton of fun and doesn't deserve the review bombing it got.

What can I say? It's my favourite game and staying objective will be pretty difficult.


TL;DR: It is a fantastic game, and a must-buy considering how often it is on sale. Even if you don't put hundreds of hours into it, you will most likely get at least a couple of hours of enjoyment out of it, and boy is it worth it.


Just some random points I find particularily noteworthy about this game:

• The soundtrack is just *Chef's Kiss*. If you ever feel like the game is kicking your ass just switch to another cover in the options now and again, it'll keep things fresh. The OST is also a banger outside of the game, consider buying it too.
  
• The pixel art is simple but cute.
  
• The game only recently received a huge update with countless QOL-improvements, a new DLC and a teaser for a (hopefully) sequel. The devs really care about this game, which is always a positive.
  
• The game has a multitude of different characters, functioning as different difficulties and game modes. Coupled with other actual game modes and the new online modes you'll have a lot of variety.
  
• The characters range from challenging but fun, perfect for small runs in between, to bone-grindingly difficult, making beating certain achievements and challenges a learning process that might take dozens and dozens of hours (currently practicing Coda, send help!)
  
• Finally beating a challenging run in this game might be the most satisfying emotion I might've felt in a game, ever.
  
• Finally getting to the point where everything clicks and you're instinctively able to play the game comfortably might be the second most satisfying emotion I might've felt in a game, ever.
  
• The game really puts "hard but fair" first. Barring some rare niche situations (no game's perfect), you will always have a way to "solve" the game. Every death feels like a learning experience, an opportunity to get more and more comfortable with the game.

Some small negative points that come to mind:

• Latency calibration for video and audio can take a couple of minutes of fine-tuning. Like every rhythm/music game, really. At least the auto-calibration does a good enough job for the beginning.
  
• The new online modes are fun as hell, but latency can make it quite wonky at times. It's still fun though and has better net code that many other games (like seriously, CotND get's rollback but many fighting games don't?)
  
• This game made me annoy a couple people because I'm way too enthusiastic and couldn't shut up about it.

So yeah, it's a really good game. It even made me write my first Steam review.

Want to buy it, but are unsure about the DLCs? Here's a small recommendation:
The base game in itself is fantastic, but the Amplified DLC brings even more improvements to balance and variety, I highly recommend getting at least that DLC too.
The Synchrony DLC is still in Early Access, but also incredibly fun. Consider getting it too, but definitely prioritize Amplified if you intend to buy only one of the DLCs.