Soulstice - Just hit the 10 hour mark
It is good, not great but not bad either. Your path way is blocked out - you cannot fall or go anywhere that is not open to either the main story or a secret. Found myself spending way too much time trying to jump/fall down areas that I thought could be a secret but was just an invisible wall.
I tend to agree that the environment feels much the same at each point. You are in a broken down city, go through a door now you are in a run down building, through the next door and back in the city - it doesn't seem to change much.
There is a bit of skill involved but it definitely does not take a scientist to work it out.
I am enjoying playing, the art work is really nice, fire cannot hurt you, monsters/encounters are run differently to standard playing through, there aren't really any puzzles as such just break these 3 things to open this one thing, anyway it is a bit of fun and I do recommend it!