Скорошни рецензии на MrWoodenSheep

https://youtu.be/fGQtTR9OLC8

Empire of the ants is a third-person RTS based on a novel of the same name. The game puts you in the role of a commander ant that can traverse the battlefield and order units around in order to win wars for your federation.
Given the more grounded perspective, the gameplay sits somewhere in the middle of the spectrum in terms of RTS complexity, which I found really enjoyable.

You can only control a handful of units at a time. The basic three unit types are warriors, workers and gunners, all of which beat each other in a rock, paper, scissors-like manner. However, given your charming ant pheromones, you can also utilize other species as special units, like beetles that can aggro multiple other units at once, or aphids that heal your nearby troops.

The main way to shift victory into your hands is by capturing nests around the landscape. These can then house upgrades for your army, defences for the nest itself, or even grant you active abilities that you can use to buff your units during battle, or fast travel around the map. Nests have a finite number of chambers that can be used to create these upgrades, and each nest can only create and be the home of one unit. This means that you need to expand your territory quickly, and be thoughtful about how and where you create different upgrades.

The story mode was much more engaging than I expected. There are no signs of humans aside from occasional leftover objects like footballs. You are left to your devices as a meager ant, trying to win a war for your federation. There are short snippets of dialogue in between missions that tell a tale of intrigue and drama. I never would've expected to be invested in peace treaties between ants and termites, but I really was!

This is very much helped by the lovely execution of feeling like a tiny ant in this vast world. Shallow amounts of flooding are clearly detrimental to your tiny bodies, and all of it is accentuated by the gorgeous art direction and graphical fidelity of the game, as well as the wonderful soundtrack and sound effects. All of this really brings the ant fantasy to life.

Interestingly, the singleplayer mode has a number of different types of missions for different play styles, and you don't have to do them all, allowing you to experience the parts of the game you enjoy the most. Aside from the strategic combat encounters, there are also missions that purely have you explore, or traverse the level, which I also found quite enjoyable.

Currently, the multiplayer modes only allow for 1v1 or 3FFA, but I think it'd be really cool to see some sort of team modes as well.

As for my gripes with the game, I found that sometimes I was stuck watching fights go on for a while with not much to do. Perhaps it's maybe because I'm not the best at RTS games and so don't multi-task as much as I could. Although it was always fun to watch my warrior ants yeet ladybugs into orbit, so I can't complain too much.
Additionally, some of the UI can get a bit confusing at times. I love the intuitive and almost diagetic base building UI, but distinguishing between friendly, enemy and allied units is not as clear as it should be in the chaos of combat.

However, overall I really love the charm and attention to detail the game brings. It is really a lovely atmosphere and experience to play, and although the game is maybe more simple than a traditional RTS, I think the way everything is balanced is very thoughtful and results in really rewarding gameplay.

https://youtu.be/KCcnYMYQGz8

Space Marine 2 is a highly-polished and satisfying sequel to the original 2011 game.

This is one the coolest looking 40K games I've played. It truly immerses you in its grimdark world with its stunning environments, attention to lore, meaty audio and intriguing narrative.

The game comes with three modes, the first being the campaign, which is playable solo, or in a 3 person squad with friends. It follows Titus, the protagonist from the first game, as he embarks on missions to take out a new Tyrannid threat.

Each of these missions have you fight through a variety of level layouts with their own unique aesthetic. As you progress the campaign and explore slightly off the beaten path, you'll gain access to a decently-sized arsenal of weapons that come with unique movesets and playstyles.

Space Marine 2 trains you to continuously juggle between ranged and melee combat, as different enemies will have different weaknesses that you need to take advantage of. Ammunition is more scarce than you might expect, and you won't be able to take out an entire horde purely with your guns.

There are many bigger enemies that fight you up-close, and parrying their attacks, and breaking through their defences with your melee weapon can prove to be your most effective means of taking them down.

Melee combat feels great, and comes with a good number of combos and freedom. It also has a very important role in keeping you alive, as executing low-health enemies grants you some armor and regenerates recently-damaged health.

This dance throughout combat was incredibly satisfying to me, and as you get better at it, you really feel empowered. Despite this, it felt like I could die in any fight. I was often barely hanging by a thread by the end of combat, at least on the game's recommended Veteran difficulty. Missions are long and arduous, but in a good way, and due to this continuous struggle, success was very fulfilling.

The second game mode is called "Operations", and is also a 1-3 player PvE mode. It includes unique missions separate from the campaign, where you can play as distinct classes with their own unique abilities. The cool part here, is that there is some meta progression. As you play, you can upgrade your weapons, put points into your skill trees, and unlock new cosmetics.

The third game mode is called Eternal War, and is your relatively run-of-the-mill PvP mode, with expected game modes like deathmatch and capture points. You play with the same class types mentioned in Operations. It can be quite fun, but in my opinion, is not the main attraction of the game.

Overall, I think Space Marine 2 feels wonderful to play, and is an absolute blast with friends. The attention to detail, and weight in everything you do really makes it a joy to play.

This game is elegantly simple. You think you'll play it for 5 minutes, but if you're a true gamer, and want to master the art-form known as spreading, it will suck you in.

Keep spreading the good spread.
Spread 'til I die!

https://youtu.be/kQTiDgd50ac

Indika is a surreal story-driven game that made me feel a mix of emotions I have never experienced in a game before.

You play as Indika, a nun whose convent looks down upon and shuns. It's evident there's something not quite right about her, which his portrayed by a voice in her head that antagonizes her throughout her journey.

Everything in the game is done deliberately to really make you feel on edge, through the uneasy dialogue, strange happenings, and some of the most unusual and interesting camera angles I've seen in gaming. The game even has strange video game theming woven into it, via its UI, and level up system, further pushing forward the feeling of being out-of-place.

As for the gameplay. For the most part, you explore desolate locations, talk to companions, and solve simple puzzles. That's because the game at its core is a narrative-centric one, and everything else is a means of delivering Indika's unusual story, of which I found very intriguing, and incredibly uniquely portrayed.

The gameplay isn't its strongest suite, but that's okay, because it's a ride unlike any others. Indika's most compelling selling point by far is the fact that its story-telling devices are so fresh and original. I really haven't experienced something like this before. I would regularly be laughing, disturbed and intrigued all in one scene.

And if that sounds like something compelling to you, I'd recommend picking up the game!
It's a short experience, but definitely something very unique!

https://youtu.be/6H3WvLleCdc

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, is a narrative action game from the devs behind Life is Strange.
You play as a couple of lovers and Banishers, Red and Antea, who have been tasked with uncovering the mystery behind a paranormal curse that plagues the land of New Eden. The situation is worse than they thought, and Antea loses her life as a result, coming back as a ghost, the thing she swore to banish from the land of the living.

The strongest aspect of the game for me, was its narrative. As Banishers, you continue to solve hauntings throughout the land, piecing together clues found at the scene of the crime, talking to culprits, ghosts, and watching moments from the past. For the most part, solving a mystery is a linear experience. It isn't like LA Noire where you can piece it together wrong, and accuse someone innocent, but that wasn't a problem for me, as every case was super interesting, and presents a tough choice at the end.

Solving hauntings for other people also has an effect on Antea's fate. You see, at the end of a typical case, you can for example, help a possessed villager by violently banishing the ghost that haunted them. However, by digging through their history, you might understand why the ghost did what it did, and choose to peacefully help it ascend from the realm of the living. There is also a third option though...

You can cast a "blame" ritual that kills and absorbs the life essence from the living target, with the aim of bringing Antea back to life eventually.

The choice isn't easy, as cases are usually quite complicated without a clear victim. That is the main problem you have to juggle throughout the game, which I found very intriguing. I even thoroughly enjoyed the side-quests in the game, and found them to be worth my time for the most part. All of this is heightened by the fantastic voice actors, and likeable personalities of the cast.

Banishers isn't purely a narrative game though, so let's talk about the gameplay too.

Combat is really fun. Red uses a sword with a light and heavy attack. It can also parry, and he has a rifle for longer range combat. Antea can utilize powerful spells, and avoid permanent health damage. You are encouraged to switch back and forth during combat, as they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Antea deals more damage to possessed bodies. However, when she attacks, her spirit bar drains. In order to refill that, Red needs to deal damage.
The constant juggle back and forth feels super fun, especially when you pair it with interesting talents and equipment that further reward certain playstyles. It's great that your talents aren't locked in, and you can freely move your selections around on the go to try new playstyles. Unfortunately, upgrading gear doesn't have that same freedom, so I found myself a bit scared to commit to upgrading certain items in fear that I'd just find something else I liked and wasted my materials. Another minor gripe I had, was that many of the attributes attached to equipment, and what they do are not explained.


Navigating the environment is quite restricted, however through enough exploration you can unlock shortcuts. The maps have a metroidvania-esque feeling to them, as you retread a lot of your steps after obtaining new abilities in order to access new places with hidden loot.

I'm normally someone who likes to fully explore and collect everything, which I did here too, and enjoyed for the most part, however there were times where I found the backtracking to be a bit tedious. You can only fast travel from one camp to another, you might not always have the materials you need to start a side-task, and so on. But for the most part, I had fun with it.

Overall though, I really loved playing through the game, as I enjoyed the characters and world. In my opinion, it's biggest strength by far is the interesting narrative. The combat is really fun, but I would only recommend the game to someone that is intrigued by the premise of ghost-mystery solving and dealing with moral dilemmas, which in my opinion, Banishers does incredibly well!

(BONUS: The game looks beautiful, and I've had no bugs or performance issues.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj1z0ea00H4

Amnesia The Bunker is quite an interesting departure in many respects when compared to its predecessors.

While the previous Amnesia games were mostly linear, this game pits you in one larger area, a WW1 bunker, where you'll be running back and forth, avoiding one single main entity.

I am a fan of all of the Amnesia games, but this one is definitely up there as one of thse most stressful ones. This is thanks to the ever-present monster that stalks you from the walls.

The most interesting part about the Bunker, is that you constantly consider every action you take, as they all have consequences. Sprinting, charging your flashlight, shooting a lock all can create noise that will draw the creature out of the walls.

Everything is a balancing act. For example, you may opt for breaking a padlock open with a brick instead of shooting it, because it's quieter, however finding a brick may take a while, so you might opt for a louder approach like blowing it up with an explosive.

That would be because the game's clock is constantly ticking. In the main safe room, there is a generator that you can keep fueled up, which powers and lights up the bunker. However, fuel is always dwindling, and you are constantly searching for refills as you explore, so you need to be as efficient as possible with your time.

If that wasn't bad enough, you also have to wrestle with an incredibly limited inventory space, which forces you to consider what items you want to take into the field with you, forcing you to weigh your options between going out with assurance in the form of weaponry and bandages, or perhaps leaving your inventory more empty to allow for scavenging.

For the first time in the series, you can actually fight back, which puts a lot more pressure on your decisions, and forces you to think on your feet all the time. While you might've been saving resources in order to enter a certain room, the monster might appear and force you into consuming your items to ward it off.

The game's amazing sound design always builds tension, and gives you information on the monster's whereabouts & aggression. It gave me chills frequently.

And the written notes in-game do a wonderful job at building suspense and painting a picture of what awful on-goings have been taking place in the bunker.

Unfortunately, despite all of this, I did find myself growing used to my deadly stalker, and fearing it less and less as time went on. This was a result of learning how it behaved, being stuck with it for so long, and personally not being that scared of its design. That's obviously a bit more subjective though.

However, it didn't help that I occasionally grew frustrated with the AI. I could tell the game was "cheating" me at times. When moving from area to area, there were moments where the monster obviously "teleported" to my location to ensure I was being stalked at all times, despite my knowing that it couldn't have gotten to me so quickly.

I did also have a few occasions where it surprise attacked me without any real telegraphing, which wasn't that fun.

Overall though, I think it's a very interesting approach for the series, and it terrified me like few games have. The Resident Evil 1-like levels of resource management and trip planning was very anxiety inducing, and constantly being followed was overall very tense. I personally wasn't as gripped by the story as I was with previous installments, but it's a short and sweet, terrifying experience.

I have so much fun every time I play this game. It's kind of like a cross between Lemmings and Worms, with the terrain destruction and creation.
You can tell every aspect of it has a lot of love put into it. The graphics and music are great and character interactions are funny, however these are just cherries on top.
More importantly, the gameplay feels very deliberate and rewarding. In most levels, you'll have to escort some "lemmings" that you find throughout the world. You can give them orders to follow you, run left, or right, or wait. Each level will have a minimum amount of these guys that you need to successfully take to the base at the end.

However, the game becomes interesting based off what else exists within the level. There are enemies that shoot at you, some that eat ground that you create and kidnap your lemmings. Combat and moving around the landscape are simple, but very fun. You can obtain a jetpack, a "ground-maker" gun that is similar to the glue gun from Prey. You can also pilot different vehicles. All of these feel great, and make for some really fun interactions, and opportunities to get creative.

I think all of the levels have great variety in what they make you experience, and the controls are quite intuitive. For the most part, the AI are pretty smart at navigating and figuring out, but there were a handful of times where they would get stuck on a pixel of dirt, or not take the optimal path.

My main complaint about the game is that if you don't complete enough side challenges per level to obtain "stars", you will at some point not be able to proceed with new levels, as it gates you until you go back to replay older levels and complete some extra challenges. I've never been a fan of this mechanic in any game. The problem is they aren't all necessarily score dependent either, but they require that you do things like "find a treasure", or "take no damage", which can be tedious when you just want to move on and see the cool next level. It's a minor gripe though, as levels are pretty decently replayable, especially since you can try new approaches, and the required extra stars will likely not be plentiful.

It's honestly just a really fun game overall, and everything about it feels polished in a way that is a joy. I love hopping out of vehicles as they are moving, throwing crates onto my lemming friends, and running through dead enemy goop.

Here's a preview I did of the first 30 mins if you want to check it out:
https://youtu.be/xIIIqmuCJ-4

https://youtu.be/z-DOAz8iZ9o

Atomic Heart feels like it's in the Bioshock Universe, only we get to see what's happening in the USSR.
In the same way Bioshock Infinite made commentary with the star-eyed patriotic citizens of Columbia, all of the civilians here loves communism and its leaders that do no wrong.

The USSR leads the technological race with wonderful advancements that will never go south. Until they do.
Then the game's other similarities shine. There's exploration, audio diaries, frantic combat with an array of weaponry, left handed magic/plasmid/tech stuff, a story of intrigue and so on.

Atomic heart wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but it definitely brings new things to the table too.
Primarily, the number one selling point in my opinion, the absolutely unnerving robots and machines.

It's a lovely conglomeration of soviet-era amusement park aesthetics with 50s sci-fi tech, and I loved seeing all of the creative designs as I progressed throughout the game. All of the designs feel authentic, and are animated beautifully. And once enemies start attacking, their sheer speed and weight is genuinely scary to go up against.

Combat feels really good. Not only do enemy attacks get my adrenaline going, but the weapons you use, feel and sound so meaty. The core combat loop will also have you dodging frequently as you fight. You are not that mobile, and can’t sprint, so you need to time your dodges well.

Additionally, you’ve got your glove that can cast certain abilities that will hinder your enemies. I didn’t find them as interesting as the plasmids in Bioshock, but they do give you a few more tools to spice things up overall.

Your weapons and glove all have plenty of upgrades you can choose from as well, which allow you to play around with different playstyles. It’s nice that you can also get refunds for everything you upgrade, which encourages experimentation even further.

Exploration is slightly weaker in my opinion. I did enjoy the quick-looting gimmick the game has, where you can just hold the interact button to suck up everything in front of you to speed up the process. But some of the environments aren’t that interesting to look at.
And I enjoyed the outdoors areas less. Although the atmosphere is nice, I found that trudging around got a bit tedious at times, especially because of the horribly annoying camera system.
There are tons of these things littered outside, and if you get caught by one, it will raise the alarm and spawn an enemy. If you’re seen fighting that enemy on the camera, even more enemies will be spawned. You kill them, or the camera, and then these little annoying drones come out and repair the camera and enemies. And sometimes it feels like an endless cycle.

Even if you don’t get detected by any cameras, it gets tiresome to make your way forward and have to constantly stop and shoot all of these cameras and drones. I found the game way more enjoyable in the semi-linear indoors sections.
But overall, I love the overtly patriotic setting the game takes place in.

Let’s talk about the story. I enjoyed the overarching story and lore, but the main character is a bit insufferable.

First off, he’s definitely the character that’s voiced the worst in the game. He's good and bad depending on the scene, which leads me to believe it’s more of a problem with the direction the actor got. Either way, his emotions and intonations are all over the place. Sometimes he’s cheerful when talking to a dead body, and other times he’s perplexed by the simplest concept explained to him.

In general his dialogue pacing is off. Sometimes he rambles, sometimes he talks too quickly, and he’s just a bit of a weirdo in general.
The worst part of all though, is he’s just a bit of an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. It’s like the writers wanted him to be a cool 90s first person shooter protagonist like Duke Nukem, but without any of the likeable characteristics. No funny puns or one liners, just pure… bitchiness. He’s just always being a ♥♥♥♥♥ to everyone, even though he at the same time, tries to act like a tough soldier. It really annoyed me throughout my playthrough.

Well actually, I lied, he’s got one one-liner. For some weird reason, he loves repeating the most bizarre catch-phrase I’ve ever heard in my life. “Crispy critters”.
It’s his go-to exclamation for any situation he’s in, and feels quite forced.

Also, everyone including the protagonist sound American or British, for some reason, which I found very strange.

A frequent annoyance I ran into, was that I found myself progressing too fast for the game many times, which would then interrupt the dialogue I was listening to. It happened so much that I had to end up stopping in my tracks everytime exposition cropped up, which I’m sure you can understand broke the flow.

In conclusion, the game’s dialogue & protagonist are a bit of a weak point for me, but the world’s story is intriguing enough to keep going. That goes without even mentioning the fantastic enemy designs, great combat and kick-ass soundtrack. If you enjoy games like Bioshock, Prey, Half-Life, Wolfenstein New Order and so on, then I’m sure you will enjoy your time in Atomic Heart.

As a nice bonus, it runs butter smooth! A rarity in modern times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIN9Y9U6b7c

Forspoken is an action RPG with a fluid parkour system & satisfying magic spells.
I enjoy the game overall, but have some reservations that I'd like to delve into.

I'll start by talking about the game's strengths, which begin with its movement system.
Running around the world feels great, and although the environments can feel a bit soulless at times, your high speed and ability to effortlessly scale obstacles feels great. I also really liked that although your character is very powerful, you can't just run straight up any wall you see. Which means you have to plan your routes a little bit, and it encourages you to interact and think while navigating.

I found combat to be very enjoyable as well.
You have a bunch of aggressive spells to use that will be doing the bulk of your damage. Some are better for long range, while others are better at knocking enemies down, and so on.

You also have more passive abilities that do things like buff your damage in a certain area, cleanse negative effects, spawn allies, lay traps etc.

Combining these two is easy to do, and I found it really gratifying.
In addition to the main combat loop, you can also build up huge devastating attacks, as well as dodge and counter attacks, all of which keeps you active constantly. I found the juggling act to be really exciting.

At some point, I thought I had finally unlocked all of the abilities, only to find out I only had one of the spell trees unlocked, and that I had dozens more spells to gain. In the end, you actually have so much so much to play around with depending on your preferred playstyle.

On top of combat, I found my power increase to be incredibly satisfying, and consistent. I felt like I was constantly upgrading SOMETHING, whether it be a permanent stat boost from completing a landmark in the world, enchanting my gear with certain buffs, upgrading traits by painting my nails (which I found really unique), or completing challenges for my spells that permanently improve my magic proficiency. Forspoken does a great job always rewarding you with an increase in power.

Now I'll discuss the elements of the game that take a hit.
Exploring the world that this all takes place in, I found to be a little bland. It's not the prettiest (which I suppose is the point since the world has been wrecked, but still). Exploring can feel a bit baron at times. Although you will always be bombarded with something, like an enemies, treasure chests, materials to gather or small objectives in the open world to complete, it still felt a bit... soulless. I still enjoyed running around and partaking in those activities occasionally, but it does feel a bit shallow at times. The good combat and movement definitely helped keep me interested. After a while, the optional dungeons and combat encounters do become repetitive.

Ok, but what about the story? Well... it's ok.
You play as Fray, who although can be a bit cold at times, is by no means as unlikable as many people assumed she'd be based off the trailers. When taking in the story with the full context, and seeing her experiences, her jaded personality is more understandable.

With that said, I will say that I didn't find her all that likeable either. I did end up rooting for her, and it is nice to see her development as a character, but earlier in the game, she did make it difficult at times to fully care. This isn't helped by the cuff that accompanies and talks to you, who also is a bit of a smartass. They have a bit of a frenemies thing going on, and it kinda gets old. Buuut... I did enjoy the overall arc of their relationship, and Fray's story as she evolves.

As for the side quests, I don't think most of the side quests are worth doing at all. They're quite generic, and navigating the city and talking to everyone in between chapters can be a slog. I'm a completionist so I pushed myself to do it, but I did find myself skimming side quest dialogue in the end.

I will say that the whole game gets better as you progress, including the story. Things get more interesting, characters become more likeable and you get more abilities to play around with. It's got a bit of a slower start, (which I still found fun), but it really opens up after beating the first real boss.

Strangely enough, I'd like to commend the game's great options menu. You can tweak so many small details to cater the game to your preference, including disabling annoying lock puzzles, customizing difficulty, and of course changing graphics options to help the game run better.

Speaking of which, on my 2070 Super, I have actually had decent performance, considering. There were occasional slowdowns when the number of particles got insane, but nothing unplayable, and I never had a glitch or crash. I know that others are having it worse though, so I thought it would be worth mentioning. I assume this will improve with a few patches after release.

To conclude, I honestly enjoyed Forspoken way more than I thought I would going into it. My main issue with the game is just the asking price. The game doesn't earn it's increased 80 Euro price tag. It's not BETTER than other games priced at the typical 60.

Overall, I recommend the game, but not at its current price. I'd suggest waiting for a sale, as it'll be more performant and worth the content, unless you love what you see and need to grab it right now.
Underneath the flaws though, the game is genuinely fun. The movement is freeing, I enjoy the soundtrack, collecting weird fantasy cats for my safehouse, upgrading my character constantly, and playing around with the wide variety of relatively unique and satisfying spells!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS_jHagx8n4

Evil West is a third person action game where you take control of a monster hunter.
The best way I can encapsulate my experiences with this game, is that it feels like a hit from a previous generation.
and I'm not necessarily saying that in a negative way.

I'm just trying to highlight that it really brought me back to an oldschool adventure game experience. It does some great things, and feels like a triple A game in many regards, but it is also a bit rough around the edges, and doesn't do anything too mind-blowing.

To begin, the highlight of the game is by far the combat. There are so many tools at your disposal, and they are all super easy to use and switch between.

The game is mainly focused on melee combat. You do have firearms, however they serve more as counters to specific situations. Your main revolver doesn't need to be aimed, your ammo replenishes on its own, and your rifle is primarily used to react to specific vulnerable enemies. And even more weapons with their own unique attributes.

The game shines when you're up close and personal with enemies though. Depending on what direction you are walking in when attacking, you can perform a variety of moves, and upgrades allow you to expand on your arsenal.

You need to constantly be thinking of your positioning, as you can be rewarded for launching enemies into hazards or bosses.
You have dodges, interrupts, parries and teleports at your disposal, which can really get your blood pumping when mixed up in combat.

It's similar to Doom Eternal in the sense that you need to utilize your full kit to be truly effective in combat. However, I will say that Evil West does have a few more "useless" weapons, upgrades and abilities in my eyes.

Still, I thought the combat was overall really satisfying and I never got sick of it, as you consistently get new stuff to play with. Especially if you like to explore off the beaten path.

Exploration in between combat scenarios is a thing, although it is quite superficial for the most part. If you enjoy exploring in games, you'll probably have no trouble finding the slight off-path hidden money chest and occasional lore object.

However, I still found it really fun to traverse all of the highly diverse maps the game has you go through. I really appreciated that most levels had unique colour palettes, themes, and that they were a perfect length. It's a shame they're littered with so many ugly glowing chains. These chains are littered throughout the environment to help you navigate it, but it's really not needed, especially considering the game is quite linear and the path you have to travel is incredibly obvious.
Well, anyway that's just a minor nitpick.

As for the story, although it's secondary to the gameplay in my opinion, and I really expected it to be cheap action filler, I actually ended up being quite invested. Although it can be a tad bit cheasy, (I mean, it's about steampunk vampire hunting cowboys), there's some intrigue sprinkled throughout that kept me really interested.

Surprisingly, the game allows for co-op, although it has been designed as a singleplayer game. In co-op, you both play as the same character, so it's not technically canon. Although I haven't tried it, I can't say I think the game would work with a friend. Levels are relatively narrow, combat would feel less impactful and I feel like it just wouldn't work too well.
I mean, it's a nice bonus, maybe for a 2nd playthrough, but from what I can tell, I wouldn't recommend picking up the game for a co-op experience.

Overall, I thought it was a really fun game. Again, it feels oldschool in a weird way, but still modern in others. The visuals are appealing, the music enhances the mood, combat is meaty, the story is fun, and I really enjoyed my time with it.

If you like the sound of all that, I recommend picking up the game!