In summary, this game is highly recommended for those who enjoy side-scrolling action and exploration with a haunting atmosphere.

I found the first twenty minutes of the game to be a little stilted and off-putting, however the mystery and atmosphere of the setting was enough for me to persevere. After a few hours, it had grown on me greatly with its inventive story and mechanics as well as the rewarding exploration.

The game comes across as an engaging chimera of Castlevania, Metroid, Silent Hill and Seventh Guest with some Rogue-like tendencies. It is rogue-like in that there is some element of randomness in the arrangement of rooms as well as an initial "lose everything on death" penalty. However, there are many different mechanics at play that allow you to chip away at these constraints through caution, incremental knowledge and careful planning. You will see a number of people complaining about the loss of items on death, however I ultimately found this insignificant. About two-thirds of the way through the game, you will find that the mechanics are actually forgiving to the point where any deaths will be entirely your fault and progress is always possible. This is despite the fact that the combat is often somewhat janky and clumsy.

Overall the game is polished and I only encountered minor cosmetic issues. There were no crashes or game breaking bugs, which is just as well given the forced saving of progress at all times.

I took my time and and finished the game in just under 40 hours. Layers of mystery and systems continue to be added and peeled back throughout the entire game, including into NG+ mode which is unlocked immediately after completion. This mode isn't just a replay; further mysteries await in the dream!