I think I'd give this a 7/10. I really enjoyed it (...mostly), but the level of polish, especially in the back half of the game, is a bit weak. I love jank but it tends to veer from jank to annoying. The constant loading, framerate drops and hitching, and on PS4 pro I had what looked like geometry culling along the sides of the screen (constant white flashes) was just WTF.
I would say the following:
1. The world design and interconnectedness of the world is fantastic, BUT it is hampered by the fact the only reason to explore is for souls. Why no other items?
2. The graphics are really superb and beautiful (not for an AA game or whatever, just period), BUT the art design in spots is too plain.
3. The combat stays fast and fluid for the entire experience, BUT the performance lets it down (this game reminded me a ton of Heavenly Sword actually).
4. Fury's personality is great and she doesn't smolder with generic rage (which I was afraid of), BUT the walk-and-talk nature of so much of the characterization is weak. Stop making me slow down please.
5. The plot of the game is fine, BUT I can't believe they made two subsequent games and didn't address the cliffhanger of the first. Seriously fuck y'all.
6. They copied some of the cool parts of Dark Souls, but not the mechanics that actually make it work. Respawning enemies, recharging estus, souls that disappear when you die twice. None of these are actually in the game. What they did preserve is some good (short cuts and interconnected world) and some bad (corpse running when there's no risk of losing your souls? What's the point?).
I would say the following:
1. The world design and interconnectedness of the world is fantastic, BUT it is hampered by the fact the only reason to explore is for souls. Why no other items?
2. The graphics are really superb and beautiful (not for an AA game or whatever, just period), BUT the art design in spots is too plain.
3. The combat stays fast and fluid for the entire experience, BUT the performance lets it down (this game reminded me a ton of Heavenly Sword actually).
4. Fury's personality is great and she doesn't smolder with generic rage (which I was afraid of), BUT the walk-and-talk nature of so much of the characterization is weak. Stop making me slow down please.
5. The plot of the game is fine, BUT I can't believe they made two subsequent games and didn't address the cliffhanger of the first. Seriously fuck y'all.
6. They copied some of the cool parts of Dark Souls, but not the mechanics that actually make it work. Respawning enemies, recharging estus, souls that disappear when you die twice. None of these are actually in the game. What they did preserve is some good (short cuts and interconnected world) and some bad (corpse running when there's no risk of losing your souls? What's the point?).