izigame.me

I was left deeply satisfied after finishing the main game.
Here I will present its features and how I felt about them.
1. Combat. Your main way of dealing damage is shooting simple magical projectiles or channeling your magic to receive buffs and unleash a special powerful attack. The type of buffs and special attacks depend on the element you're using. You can also hit enemies in melee distance with your staff to deal small damage (or medium/high damage while charged with certain elements) which helps channeling magic without consuming mana.
There is also a mechanic which is kind of similar to a parry in bloodborne - striking the enemy in melee precisely before he hits you lets you avoid all damage from that attack as well as restore a lot of mana. Dodging at the right moment also gives you some mana.
Most enemies have several different attacks but it doesn't take too much time to learn to avoid or parry them.
Stamina management is also quite important since trying to run or dodge with depleted stamina will result in you falling on the ground (in a rather cute manner) and become vulnerable to attacks for a couple of seconds.
Consumables come in the form of gems which you can find in the barrels, chests or buy at the statue (campfire equivalent). They can heal hp, regen mp, increase defence or create hp healing or mp regenerating areas.
The game does not require you to mostly use ranged attacks, it is possible to play around buffed melee attacks. But in my opinion it is most fun to combine ranged and melee playstyles.
2. Progression. For me the first one third of the game was the most challenging. The first two bosses don't really have a big weakness or moments for a critical strike but their attacks can be avoided with a little bit of observation and practice. The third boss is quite a bit harder than the previous two, but it has a moment of weakness for you to exploit to deal a lot of damage.
After the third boss you start getting noticeably more magic tomes and soul essence to upgrade your stats. I recommend to explore the locations thoroughly since some elemental magic upgrades have very powerful bonuses. Some optional bosses are also kind of hidden but they guard magic tomes and other useful upgrades.
It is possible to farm soul essence by resetting the area at the statue. It can be useful if you feel like you're not strong enough to battle the next boss, but don't overlevel since enemies don't scale with you.
3. Lore. Storytelling in this game is quite souls-like. In the beginning Nobeta doesn't know much more than her main goal - getting to the throne. There are around 100 collectibles in the game and each of them has a piece of story about the world of Little Witch Nobeta. Through these collectibles, dialogues and a bit of environmental storytelling you can slowly build a clearer picture of the nature of this world, its inhabitants and the truth behind your adventure.
In my opinion some pieces of lore could be more drawn out, but the main idea is explained well enough towards the end.
4. Graphics & Design. The graphics aren't anything to write home about, but are nonetheless quite pleasant. I haven't noticed any rough edges or graphical errors. The visual effects are just right, not too flashy and not too dull.
The level design is fine. The first part of the game is purely inside the castle, the layout of which is more akin to a dungeon in many of its sections. The second part is a bit more open but not by much, though its aesthetic feels refreshing after the confines of the castle.
The character designs are really good. The developers did a great job at implementing anime-styled characters in 3d. Their looks and movements are quite smooth and fluent and the outfits for Nobeta are diverse and cute.
Overall the game is put together quite well. There are almost no bugs and the ones that exist don't interfere with the gameplay. I'm positive it is quite possible to not encounter a single bug during a playthrough.