Initially a very fun game, but over time it becomes apparent how shallow many parts of the game are - or rather only the very early game up to the first dungeon feels finished.

The combat is quite good, and the overworld explorations is nice. But then you start getting annoyed by the game copying the same puzzle rooms (and worse if you die to the boss in one of the hand-crafted dungeons, then you have to do the entire dungeon puzzle to try again, which can take 10-20 minutes), how all the items are basically useless except for acting as "keys" to getting to new areas, how much of the overworld feels half-done/pointless, how the overworld collectathon orbs are completely useless, and many other things.

Overall, it could have been a great game if it kept its scope small, but instead it starts feeling like its wasting your time halfway through.

An example is after you get the grappling hook, solve a block puzzle in a cave, and now need the grappling hook to get to the rewards chest. But no. Your grappling hook it too short, so you need to exit the cave, go complete a dungeon run, upgrade your grappling hook, and then return to the cave to pick up your puzzle reward.

Another example/rant is the second area. *SPOILER WARNING* After I got access to it, I went there and a NPC told me I needed the boots to go in one direction, so I went the other. After going through the entire area, I didn't find the boots, so I went back to the town where a NPC told me he needed a mushroom that I had just walked past... so I went back through the entire area again, and got the mushroom, after which I got the boots from the NPC. Now I could pass the boot-required area and got to a town... where I got a quest to go to find an area halfway back on the way to the special mushroom. After said quest I now got the tool needed to completely explore the swamp, so I could now go through the area again.

Initially a very fun game, but over time it becomes apparent how shallow many parts of the game are - or rather only the very early game up to the first dungeon feels finished. The combat is quite good, and the overworld explorations is nice. But then you start getting annoyed by the game copying the same puzzle rooms (and worse if you die to the boss in one of the hand-crafted dungeons, then you have to do the entire dungeon puzzle to try again, which can take 10-20 minutes), how all the items are basically useless except for acting as "keys" to getting to new areas, how much of the overworld feels half-done/pointless, how the overworld collectathon orbs are completely useless, and many other things. Overall, it could have been a great game if it kept its scope small, but instead it starts feeling like its wasting your time halfway through. An example is after you get the grappling hook, solve a block puzzle in a cave, and now need the grappling hook to get to the rewards chest. But no. Your grappling hook it too short, so you need to exit the cave, go complete a dungeon run, upgrade your grappling hook, and then return to the cave to pick up your puzzle reward. Another example/rant is the second area. *SPOILER WARNING* After I got access to it, I went there and a NPC told me I needed the boots to go in one direction, so I went the other. After going through the entire area, I didn't find the boots, so I went back to the town where a NPC told me he needed a mushroom that I had just walked past... so I went back through the entire area again, and got the mushroom, after which I got the boots from the NPC. Now I could pass the boot-required area and got to a town... where I got a quest to go to find an area halfway back on the way to the special mushroom. After said quest I now got the tool needed to completely explore the swamp, so I could now go through the area again.