Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro The bosses
If you like massive, seeming impenetrable bosses, then this game is for you. Seeing them for the first time is extremely fun, and just the prospect of getting to fight and conquer another one of these beasts feels like a real accomplishment.
Pro The graphics
If you have watched any video of this game, this is probably no shock, but the graphics are amazing. They are hand drawn, detailed, and beautiful. They give a surreal, almost unsettling feel without becoming overbearing or overwhelming.
Pro The approach to levels is original for the genre.
While this game has some rogue-lite elements in that you restart at a central hub when you die and the level design shuffles, it is a Metroidvania at heart as you gain new powerups which unlock new areas and combat techniques. What makes this game feel fresh is that the room layouts change which each death. They are not truly random in that there is a limited range of layouts, so you will start to memorize the potential layouts from rooms you die in a lot. However, this also means you do not have to get sick of fighting through (and dying in) the exact same generic hallway for the umpteenth time.
Pro Combat is fair
As mentioned in my con, the combat can be a serious challenge. You will have to develop different strategies with the array of tools in your arsenal to succeed. That said, it is also incredibly fair. While you will frequently feel overwhelmed (especially early on) if you invest some time into learning the combat and purchase more upgrades, you will soon find yourself overcoming hordes of enemies that were previously unstoppable. Furthermore, there's no area that ever becomes too easy. Even the first area will require that you stay alert when you return.
Cons
Con Too few bosses
As mentioned in the pros, the bosses are amazingly fun and well drawn. However, there's only 4 total (ok technically 6, but the 2 extra require multiple playthroughs). They are the highlight of this game, and I found myself wanting more by the end.
Con You will die, probably a lot
If you're looking for a casual exploration game or one where you can switch into autopilot after a while, this is probably not for you. Combat takes the form of enemy swarms where dozens of enemies will descend upon you in each room. They are not unbeatable by any means, but this does mean you will have some frustrating deaths where it seems impossible to progress.
Con There's very little in terms of story
There's a frame of a story there, but it mostly progresses around boss battles, meaning that they significant chunks of time that you spend exploring, killing enemies, and grinding for powerups in between the handful of bosses feels very disconnected from any real narrative.