An excellent metroidvania when judged on its own merits, despite not giving me the exact same feelings as Rabi-Ribi.

Level design is beautiful and brilliant, with many devilishly hidden upgrades and clever puzzles. Progress is story-gated most of the time, rather than ability-locked, which isn't ideal for a metroidvania IMO but not a dealbreaker either. Boss fights are a little weird, in that some seem to be a bit too scripted and others let you just go ham and delete HP bars like they're nothing. Combat in general has quite a few subtle differences with Rabi-Ribi that make it not click quite the same way, particularly in regards to combo rank... but that's alright.

While there is perhaps a bit too much focus on story, it is a nice one, and I really enjoyed it. The voice cast really enhances its impact, too. Playing the standard story mode is recommended for a first playthrough, and I understand why, given the work and care they clearly put into it.

Luckily, the game offers extra modes that make it a bit more like Rabi-Ribi in its approach to progression (if you know, you know) and with built-in randomizers and the like it's very fun to break and potentially very replayable. I've already done some goofy stuff and I'm eager to jump back in for a full replay to get all the achievements I'm missing.

In conclusion, it's one of my favorite games in one of my favorite genres, and I highly recommend it.

An excellent metroidvania when judged on its own merits, despite not giving me the exact same feelings as Rabi-Ribi. Level design is beautiful and brilliant, with many devilishly hidden upgrades and clever puzzles. Progress is story-gated most of the time, rather than ability-locked, which isn't ideal for a metroidvania IMO but not a dealbreaker either. Boss fights are a little weird, in that some seem to be a bit too scripted and others let you just go ham and delete HP bars like they're nothing. Combat in general has quite a few subtle differences with Rabi-Ribi that make it not click quite the same way, particularly in regards to combo rank... but that's alright. While there is perhaps a bit too much focus on story, it is a nice one, and I really enjoyed it. The voice cast really enhances its impact, too. Playing the standard story mode is recommended for a first playthrough, and I understand why, given the work and care they clearly put into it. Luckily, the game offers extra modes that make it a bit more like Rabi-Ribi in its approach to progression (if you know, you know) and with built-in randomizers and the like it's very fun to break and potentially very replayable. I've already done some goofy stuff and I'm eager to jump back in for a full replay to get all the achievements I'm missing. In conclusion, it's one of my favorite games in one of my favorite genres, and I highly recommend it.