Narrative Trapped Behind mechanics
This presents a frustrating contradiction. Underneath the hood lies a genuinely compelling world with deep lore, rich writing, and an intriguing narrative setup. Unfortunately, actually experiencing that story requires wrestling through some of the most tedious, unrefined combat mechanics in a modern release.
For a title carrying an top-tier price tag, the baseline gameplay loop feels thoroughly unpolished.
Attacks feel delayed, and often target the wrong target entirtely, and basic movement lacks the crisp responsiveness expected of an action-RPG. Encounters frequently devolve into a chore rather than a test of skill.
Instead of challenging encounter design, encounters often rely on clunky camera tracking, lock-on failures, and stilted parry windows that make failure feel cheap rather than fair.
The biggest tragedy is that the writing and premise are actually good. But when every story beat is walled off behind long, miserable skirmishes, pushing forward feels like homework.
If this were an budget indie title, its mechanical shortcomings might be easier to forgive. But at full price, expecting players to fight the game's controls just to get to the narrative is unacceptable. Unless a series of heavy performance and mechanics patches arrive soon, save your money
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