UNSIGHTED

Hyper Light Drifter is one of my favorite and most replayed games of all time, so I don't take this comparison lightly. It has satisfying combat, and parrying is your best friend in the game. The dungeons in the game were a blast to play through, and you can supposedly tackle in no particular order. Given the game's crafting system, I imagine I could do a little bit of sequence breaking, which far too few games allow. I'm definitely going to be replaying the game to try that out, if not to also play at a higher difficulty I just unlocked. On the note of items, it's as if the developer bugged my house to listen to my criticisms of Twilight Princess, because the spinning wheel and double hookshots are extremely helpful in the game. I really like the idea of everyone having a limited time to live, including yourself. It facilitates immersion and makes the world feel very dynamic, and that you have a direct impact on it. It's especially useful to get rid of the game's biggest pest, Iris. She interrupts your play frequently to give you tips anyone with a prefrontal cortex likely would have figured out on their own and ALWAYS reminds you that you can craft items whenever you die. While I could no longer increase my chip capacity, the trade-off was worth getting rid of her, in my opinion. The writing in this game isn't particularly compelling, though. I've spoken my piece on Iris, but really none of the characters made me care enough to want to keep them alive. The weapon storekeeper had a very long lifespan, so there was no need to give them meteor dust. When I read that certain folks went unsighted, I just shrugged my shoulders and moved on. Overall, though, I really enjoyed my time with the game and it is probably the best game I've played in 2021. Highly recommended.

Aside from a few minor frustrations, this game was one of the best I've played recently. I couldn't stop playing it. You play as part of a race of sentient automatons that are slowly losing their minds (becoming "unsighted") because humans have cut off the source of that consciousness. You have to fight and figure out your way to the source and stop the humans before you and all of your friends are lost. I thought the story was engaging and heartfelt, and the way it was intertwined with the gameplay elevated both. I was sad whenever a character went unsighted, and seeing others' time running out made playing the game feel that much more impactful. Could I have saved someone had I not messed up so much in the aquarium? I need to be better in the next area. It was motivating and stressful without becoming demoralizing, and I thought it was a brilliant emotional mixture. The core of the game is also really fun and it felt very satisfying to get better at the various mechanics the game presents. My only gripe is that the spinner should have been its own button rather than being attached to jumping because it was too easy to accidentally use the spinner rather than double jump. But utilizing all the different items and abilities you acquire to solve puzzles and get to new areas was rewarding and kept the game interesting all the way to the end. It has all of my favorite things in a game: character building, multiple ways to accomplish goals, fun and challenging gameplay, a story that fits well with the game, consequences, and an immersive world. I see myself coming back to this one frequently, I really enjoyed it.

The game clearly has no reason to blush in front of more famous indie games. It is good looking (except for characters portraits during dialogue and cut scenes, imo). It has depth, gameplay wise (weapons, passive skills, temporary buffs, dodge, parry, ...). It is generous (loads of secrets, alternative endings, great replay value). It is smart, with great level design that especially shines in dungeons. A good mix between old 2D Zelda and Nier Automata, give it a shot !

If you enjoyed CrossCode, you'll love this one too! Just play it, don't waste time reading reviews :)