+lowkey enjoy how punishing this can be +worthy companion to the tv series

+soundtrack +nostalgic +comfy but -i cant allow myself to find comfort in it -villager hats are ugly trash even if theyre iconic

+camp +metroidvania +every character is hot lol +setting is pretty but -gba graphics card is ugly -grinding is more viable than exploring -combat feel is awk -teleportation system feels a copout when backtracking is such a crucial aspect of metroidvania games in highlighting clever world design

+sound design +soundtrack +sprites -never found myself invested in the characters or narrative enough to force myself thru the horrendous combat and dnf

-clunky, unintuitive sprites take up too much space on the screen and have indiscernible hitboxes

+tragic and delirious +greatest soundtrack oat =anything negative that could be said about drakengard might as well be said positively

++envoy horn set +ashes of war/weapon arts ++~nostalghia review +tragic irony and paradox on a grand scale +worldbuilding/lore/item descriptions +message markers +vast majority of content is optional and players engage with the world/narrative on their own terms =even if AAA graphics are not to my taste they still support the gameplay mechanics and the elegant/stoic tone enough that i couldnt imagine it any other way =repeated bosses are amazing but also not amazing -neglected weapon classes (rapiers, straight swords, etc.) arent viable in late game pve -close quarters combat is infuriating when battling massive bosses (ulcerated tree spirit and such) due to the camera truncating your view and making it unnecessarily difficult to read their movements -boss battle music is almost always unremarkable as with all soulslike games

+animal care is fun and cute +charming cast of characters but -im not romantically invested in any of the male love interests -heternormative asf (+a proud life mod) -fatigue system is severely flawed and there isnt much incentive to cook and not just eat the weeds that grow on the farm especially when you can sell your crops to buy more animals/better equipment

+charming and eclectic +better than banjo kazooie in every way imaginable but also -painfully easy and rudimentary most of the time just like banjo kazooie

-sacrifices core game focus for superfluous variety in mini games and extra modes that have no replay value to speak of -gourmet race theme is better than the gourmet race itself lol +cute bc its kirby and the snes is pretty