As I write this, The Möbius Machine has a recent rating of "Mixed" on Steam, and that feels unfair. It's a competently made Metroid-like with some of the best art direction/graphics I've seen in a 2.5D platformer, enjoyable combat and satisfying exploration. I wasn't even bothered for 2/3 of my playthrough by the reuse of enemies and level design as it offered up opportunities for the game to either prepare me for a familiar challenge or play with my expectations. There's a weirdly, pleasantly chill vibe to exploring this hostile alien world that I found refreshing after the punishing aggression of a game like Zexion. That said, Zexion is ultimately a better game both because it has higher highs (e.g., far more engaging bosses and set pieces) and better overall pacing. By the final third of Möbius, I was less forgiving of the samey-ness of it; once I'd beaten the final boss, I suspected I'd missed the true ending, but traversal through the nooks and crannies of the map had gotten so mind-numbing, with upgrades increasingly so lackluster and fast travel just limited enough to be annoying, that I uninstalled it and moved on.

That said, this is a *good* game. A very good game. I thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of my playthrough and could easily recommend it to anyone. Though it had me pining for some late-game Blade Chimera-esque fast travel at the end, it's worth Metroidvania fans' time, especially those who favor Metroid-likes specifically.