Thank you Devs!
Not every action game needs to be souls-like, Rouge-like!
Don't get me wrong, these can be fun too, but it's been a while since we got one of these more DMC-like games!
** Scroll down to the bottom for a note about older Polaris AMD cards performance.

This game will take you back to the good old PS2/PS3 days, with some quality of life additions.
So, classic level to level progress, stylish combat, ridiculous* slow mo cutscenes, bosses that talk too much and fixed camera angles!
*Not as ridiculous as DMC and DmC, but still ridiculous enough.

The combat execution itself isn't that complex, but it offers more and more layers and options as you progress, acquire new weapons and encounter new enemies. It is a bit like Ninja Theory's DmC with it's Blue and Red thing.
In general it feels really good when you get the hang of it.

One of the biggest criticism this game gets is the fixed camera angles, and how it likes to pull all the way back during exploration. For me, it certainly felt pretty jarring as I started off, even though I've played games like this in the past.
And I think it is that this game does it a lot more often, and the levels themselves have pretty big spaces.
Although later on it didn't bother me as much.
As for combat, they give you camera controls, as well as the options to adjust both camera distance and field of view (which you'll need to max out for some optional challenges).

The level design while I liked the design itself, visually, they could have used more variety. Like most of the game is just gray, same castle environment. And I get it is the color palette they choose to set the mood, but in 25 hours I finished the game, it got a bit repetitive seeing the same visuals, same lighting.

I played on normal and the difficulty felt fair, only one boss in particular annoyed me quite a bit. But there are many difficulty levels, and even easier ones with assist should you wish.
Sometimes the combat can become a bit overwhelming, with the number of enemy types and stuff on screen, and I think some enemies could use a bit of balance. Some are way too tanky imo.

There is level replay, and hidden challenges to clear, so there a lot to replay and enjoy this game.
You get ranks for combat and level clear, but no immediate ranking like DMC (A, B, C....). Instead you get Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. The better your rank, the more points you earn to spend on upgrades.

Anyway for a small indie team, and for a new IP, this is really really good! I had a great time playing this and looking forward to more!
I paid full price for this and I'd say it is 100% worth it!

**Note: If you have one of the older AMD cards, like my RX480, expect to encounter a glitch in one of the levels. Due to a certain particle effect, the game locks itself to 15 FPS in a certain portion of the level. It is apparently not something present in Nvidia cards, and probably not newer AMD ones.
I've contacted the devs about the issue and they said they could not reproduce the glitch, but they'll do their best to optimize the particles.
The game otherwise runs fine.
I'll update this review if there is improvement concerning this issue.

Thank you Devs! Not every action game needs to be souls-like, Rouge-like! Don't get me wrong, these can be fun too, but it's been a while since we got one of these more DMC-like games! ** Scroll down to the bottom for a note about older Polaris AMD cards performance. This game will take you back to the good old PS2/PS3 days, with some quality of life additions. So, classic level to level progress, stylish combat, ridiculous* slow mo cutscenes, bosses that talk too much and fixed camera angles! *Not as ridiculous as DMC and DmC, but still ridiculous enough. The combat execution itself isn't that complex, but it offers more and more layers and options as you progress, acquire new weapons and encounter new enemies. It is a bit like Ninja Theory's DmC with it's Blue and Red thing. In general it feels really good when you get the hang of it. One of the biggest criticism this game gets is the fixed camera angles, and how it likes to pull all the way back during exploration. For me, it certainly felt pretty jarring as I started off, even though I've played games like this in the past. And I think it is that this game does it a lot more often, and the levels themselves have pretty big spaces. Although later on it didn't bother me as much. As for combat, they give you camera controls, as well as the options to adjust both camera distance and field of view (which you'll need to max out for some optional challenges). The level design while I liked the design itself, visually, they could have used more variety. Like most of the game is just gray, same castle environment. And I get it is the color palette they choose to set the mood, but in 25 hours I finished the game, it got a bit repetitive seeing the same visuals, same lighting. I played on normal and the difficulty felt fair, only one boss in particular annoyed me quite a bit. But there are many difficulty levels, and even easier ones with assist should you wish. Sometimes the combat can become a bit overwhelming, with the number of enemy types and stuff on screen, and I think some enemies could use a bit of balance. Some are way too tanky imo. There is level replay, and hidden challenges to clear, so there a lot to replay and enjoy this game. You get ranks for combat and level clear, but no immediate ranking like DMC (A, B, C....). Instead you get Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. The better your rank, the more points you earn to spend on upgrades. Anyway for a small indie team, and for a new IP, this is really really good! I had a great time playing this and looking forward to more! I paid full price for this and I'd say it is 100% worth it! **Note: If you have one of the older AMD cards, like my RX480, expect to encounter a glitch in one of the levels. Due to a certain particle effect, the game locks itself to 15 FPS in a certain portion of the level. It is apparently not something present in Nvidia cards, and probably not newer AMD ones. I've contacted the devs about the issue and they said they could not reproduce the glitch, but they'll do their best to optimize the particles. The game otherwise runs fine. I'll update this review if there is improvement concerning this issue.