Bravo, a masterpiece! (spoiler warning)

This game is probably one of the best games I ever played and I've gone through probably 500+ titles in my lifetime.

The visuals were unbelievable! The main path through the game is quite easy to find, but I spent numerous extra hours just trying to explore every nook and cranny I could get into. Levels like Lorencius Farm and the Battlefield were absolutely stunning. Few games are willing to display such carnage as a the pig slaughter, but it really help set the tone of the game, especially when the rats appeared. Those same levels had such griping moments of beauty though like sneaking thought the grape vineyards to play hide and seek, finding an apple for Hugo in the dying city, and when I saved the soldier rather then feed him to the rats.

Not to mention the hidden sidepaths that helped build my personal relations to the other sub-characters. Rodric quickly became my favorite companion with his ability to take out armor guards, but his personality is what really got me. Breaking down burning doors leaving him scared, taking everything that comes at him head first, and when I got to his father's forge I felt so bad for him when he collapsed in front of it. We already learned that his father was killed but to see they burned his home to the ground too and the rats nested over anything that was left. Powerful stuff after you feel like he's an unshakable roughian, and when he died I knew it was coming, but when it happened... I was hoping he'd continue to live on and watching Hugo hold his lifeless hand, I shed a few tears.

Arthur and Melie were great too, and even Lucas. Usually I hate games that force companions on you but this game didnt make you rely on them too much and as you progress you just grow attached to them, especially the multiple sections in the castle where your just basically gather materials and explore until the rats lay siege.

OH AND THE CAPTAIN!!! It wasnt exactly a hard fight, my god is it a memorable one! I'll never forget when you bring him down and rises up and shouts "If you wont go to Hell, THEN I WILL BRING HELL TO YOU!!" and he comes at you completely on fire! Definitely one of the most intimidating enemies I've ever had to deal to with. Every time you see him up until then your just thinking "is this it am I finally going to fight him?" and when you actually do it did not disappoint, though I wish there was more I had to do with the sling besides put out fires and control rats. Something like the village lyncher where you had to bust the chain links would have been a nice touch, and I wish he charged at you a little faster, but still a great fight.

The final battle was a little predicable though, you know it's gonna be black rats versus white rats, but the way you built it up was genius. Having been fearful the whole game of the rats you get Hugo back and you just have this overwhelming sense of power as you attack the village, and by the time you reach the Final Boss you have a bravado going into the fight that for once your not afraid to fight and all you want to do is kill the bastard and free the mom.

With all the exploring I did I still cant believe I missed so many items in the codex! I ended with:
10/13 Herbarium
9/11 Gifts
16/26 Curiosities
And somehow ended up with two extra "tools" for upgrading and I saved the "no longer needs tools upgrade" for the last lol. I had so many resources I should have played more killer then fugitive but it was fun deciding how to try and sneak around fights rather then pick all the enemies off with brute force.

I cant wait to play through the game a 2nd time and try to find them all. I'm so glad for my first run I played without subtitles and "immersive" it really made the game joy to explore and take in without a bunch of hand holding leading me along. Next time I play though I think I'll take immersive off and play on french audio with English subtitles though to see how it plays out.

I absolutely loved this game Amicia and Hugo were a real treat to play and watch them interact with eachother. Everything from finding frogs, to waging war on the church with an army of rats.

10/10 I have no real complaints and anything I could think of doesnt deserve to be mentioned when compared to pure beauty and horror of the game. I only encountered one bug and that was when the flower in Amicia hair in the underground library was floating in the air after the cutscene where you and Rodric flee, which is amazing considering how buggy most games are these days.

I never wanted the game to end and when it did it made a lasting impression I wont soon forget! Everything in this game blew me away and there's just not enough good things I can say about it.

last edited by DangerousRival

Hello @DangerousRival
Thank you so much 💓 !!! I will send your post to the Asobo Studio team right away if it's okay with you. I'm sure this will warm their heart the same way it did for mine!
We are really pleased you liked the game and that you really went through it as if it was a new experience of its own. I hope you will find your second playthrough as amazing as the first one.

last edited by Raibi

I hope they like it hahaha. If I could suggestions for the next title.

  1. Have 2 different ways to deal with bosses or at least a few of them. The obvious and a not so obvious.

  2. Make an achievement for beating the game killing a few of enemies as you can. While I went for the stealthy approach by the end I realized I could have wage a one woman war if I had wanted to. There could be an achievement like "Fugitive" for killing less then 30 soldiers besides story arcs like when your holding the army as Hugo protecting the mom, and another easier one to get to for beating the game killing more then 30 soldiers like "Punisher." It would add replay value to the game. At least for certain sections maybe like the army camp. Melei
    makes a comment "You trying to win the war all by yourself?" after you kill a couple guards. While you could just headshot them once I heard this I put on the brakes and tried to sneak around as many as I could.

Thats about all I got besides my hopes for the next next game. The main concept is I want a "good" and "bad" ending more or less. I loved the story and it played out good but in the grand scheme of things besides a little dialog it seemed my choices had little impact tot he story.