I find the combat somewhat lacking in something hard to pin down. In good combat, generally, creative actions snap together into a sense of fluidity that feels satisfying and complex. I think that's missing here. The combat stutters through chunky, halting moves that never seem to flow. Individually, the many moves, weapons, and abilities are fun and interesting; they just don't combine well. They combine effectively; yes, in other words they can be combined in ways that facilitate your goals, but they do not combine satisfyingly.

That said, the overall presentation of this game sets the bar for rogue likes. There's an incredibly well-designed sense of progression and narrative, and this sense continues to evolve over the course of playthrough after playthrough. It feels like dialogue never repeats itself, and even when it occasionally does it feels natural. There's a plethora of abilities and modifiers to choose from, and the combinations make each run feel different enough to keep a sense of exploration alive. The voice acting is exceptionally superior, and the dialogue is well-written and engaging.

I find the combat somewhat lacking in something hard to pin down. In good combat, generally, creative actions snap together into a sense of fluidity that feels satisfying and complex. I think that's missing here. The combat stutters through chunky, halting moves that never seem to flow. Individually, the many moves, weapons, and abilities are fun and interesting; they just don't combine well. They combine effectively; yes, in other words they can be combined in ways that facilitate your goals, but they do not combine satisfyingly. That said, the overall presentation of this game sets the bar for rogue likes. There's an incredibly well-designed sense of progression and narrative, and this sense continues to evolve over the course of playthrough after playthrough. It feels like dialogue never repeats itself, and even when it occasionally does it feels natural. There's a plethora of abilities and modifiers to choose from, and the combinations make each run feel different enough to keep a sense of exploration alive. The voice acting is exceptionally superior, and the dialogue is well-written and engaging.