I love this game.

You'll hear people preach about its flaws, but that's just a testament to how dynamic perspective can be. TLDR, the consensus of most people's opinion is that they compare it to other games. Yes, there is clunkyness in the gameplay, yes the mob density can get a bit annoying, and yes the enemy variety begins to waver in the last 30% of the game.

But I don't think any of that denies that this game was made with love. The level design is a blast (except for some pretty lame areas later in the game). The story and lore, the worldbuilding, all so well done.

That's just it though. I love this game because of the things that appeal to me. I urge you to read as many reviews as you can. That said, if you were on the fence for this one, I suggest picking it up. Take your time with it, explore (it's very much rewarding to explore).

Also, did I mention that this game has built-in mods for NG+? Enemy randomizer, loot randomizer, and more. Love it.

Here are some quick complaints to get out of the way:
- Weapon movesets are limited, which kind of hurts the point of having INCREDIBLE weapon variety.
- The last boss is ABYSMAL. Despite me kissing this game's ass, I have NO IDEA what they were thinking with this. We needed more. If you know what I'm talking about, you know. BIG L. Easily one of the lamest last bosses I've ever fought (it made me so frustrated that I immediately started a new game)
- NPC sidequests feel a bit too tedious. I dislike having to look up a guide to have them completed, all to find out that I accidentally progressed to far, and that I'm going to miss some content.
- You will get stuck on the environment sometimes. This is especially annoying when you are being blasted by fire spells or arrows.
- And yeah, speaking of fire spells and arrows. I heard they toned it down, but sometimes the encounter design made me roll my eyes. 50% of the encounters are ranged enemies throwing things at you, while 1-4 Melee enemies chase you down.
- Dodging while locked on is clunky.
- And, last and probably the most important for me... *POISE NEEDS DEEPER MECHANICS*. I like the slower, mushier combat of this game. But if you're going to lean into that in future titles, we NEED deeper poise mechanics. What is the point of me dual-wielding greatswords if I can't stagger basic enemies?

Might seem like I complained a lot, but the love and energy put into this game far outweighs any of it's flaws. I would take a game like this ANY DAY over some generic open-world action rpg filled with timewasters.

Please, keep making these games!