ArdieDaGreyt

When I first picked up this game, the only things I knew about it were that it won game of the year and that it looked like a badass ninja game. I had no idea of the challenge in front of me, and as soon as I started it, I felt in over my head. I could not time my parries correctly at all, and for the first ten hours, I was miserable, as I was repeatedly beaten into the ground as I failed to get a grip with the combat. But the art design, the music, the atmosphere, and the level design kept me going, and once it clicked, I was able to view this game in a whole new light. The combat is absolutely incredible, and probably the best of any game I've ever played. The system of an intense, back and forth flurry of blows where one mistake might mean death is exhilarating, and the deathblow system channels all of that into one exciting moment that never gets old. And while the enemies are all unique, fun, and difficult, the bosses take the core concept of the gameplay to the next level. Each one is a heart-racing duel from start to finish, and they always keep you on your toes. The constant deaths can get frustrating, but the feeling of reward and satisfaction when you finally take down a boss that's been stomping you into the ground for hours is absolute heaven, and makes all the pain and suffering that came before totally worth it. The level design also serves to make the gameplay extremely engaging, with multiple options of stealth and head-on combat to take out an area full of enemies. Grappling around with your prosthetic arm feels amazing, and there's something to be said for both strategically taking out enemies one by one with stealth and rushing in and doing your best to survive the madness of combat. The story is another amazing aspect of this game. I found the main narrative very compelling, and the way the greater story of the world is told through the environment and item descriptions is mind blowing. There's an intense depth to the mythology and story here that I doubt I will ever fully understand, but the way every theme of the game is interconnected is genius, and there were multiple moments where I had a