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This DLC has some pretty compelling content that enhances the game. It does have some real issues that become apparent the more you play though. I’ve spent around 45 hours, more than the main game which lasted me around 35 hours.
The Axatana weapon is great for being a hybrid, you can switch to one of the two stances on the fly. The 5th shell is basically giving you the complete freedom to customise your skills/passives based on the 4 other shells along with a few unique skills. It’s a very cool idea, it makes you think carefully while feeling powerful. The new mode, Virtuous Cycle, has some unexpected changes that make the experience feel pretty fresh despite the areas being the same from the main game. Gone are the previous skills/passives, you earn different ones by interacting with towers, finding them in the field and beating enemies. Your starting point, the skills/passive/stat drops and enemy placement are random. You get teleported to the next dungeon after completing the previous one, so there is no coming back to the main hub anymore. The DLC contains some new story, lore and voice acting (with the sister) as an attempt to make the story a bit more personal even though it’s still kept a bit vague. The last boss fights were a nice surprise. You can pursue optional objectives to unlock 3 shades for each of the 6 characters. The shades are not just cosmetics, but they also contain some unique buffs or debuffs. The currency from the main game is now used to permanently upgrade the DLC mode to allow rarer drops, allow you to keep part of your tar upon death and more. When you start a run, you select a character and one weapon you won’t be able to change later. The starting riposte skill only matters at the beginning, the rest will become available with every next dungeon.
And so, these tweaks and changes successfully turn the game into a roguelike despite the game not being designed with that in mind from the start. It’s a very fun and addictive loop. A run can last anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 and half hours depending on how extensive you are. The three main issues are worse bugs, more unnecessary grind and the third level’s death pits being cruel in this mode. It’s not just visual bugs, there are some serious bugs too. I’ve had rare fights where my character stops reacting. This could cost you an entire run if you don’t quit fast enough. There is an item that allows you to heal when getting hit while in a harden state. I’ve had multiple times where the item stopped healing with a foundling, making it harder to complete runs. The bestiary doesn’t record the 7 seeds you collect, you will still see ??? entries even though you have them. The third dungeon has too many death pits, it’s very easy to fall down due to the way lock-on works or when you get unexpected hits with a huge knock back. There is no checkpoint system or progress getting saved when you die, so it’s a horrible feeling when you die because of bugs or unexpected falls. I’m okay with the game being grindy. I think it’s pretty fair to make you complete runs with all the 6 characters (7 if you include the obsidian shade) at least once. What I don’t like, is asking you to kill specific bosses 5 times with specific characters. Now I know you don’t have to complete those runs, you can focus on those kills and then die. But this kind of grind adds NOTHING to the game aside from wasting your time. Completing the game with 7 characters at least allows you to experiment with different stats, animations etc. Changing this to one boss kill or not making this a mandatory for the achievement but picking something else, like collecting all lutes would have been better for the game and more natural.
I’m missing the 7th seed, didn’t complete the obsidian run and didn’t get all the shades even though I’ve made attempts and was planning on it. The bugs and many deaths got to me. I’ve seen the same levels and enemies too many times. Just the thought of having another go is making me sick at the moment. I might return for those 3 achievements later down the line but I need a long break. I still think the DLC is worth it on a sale if you’re a fan of the game and you like some of the roguelike elements. It’s just a shame these bugs weren’t ironed out and the grind is too excessive.