Good:
As an RPG, I think the main narrative is fairly compelling, if a tad generic. It leans somewhat into the "everybody is an asshole" trope more heavily than I like, but then again, Rivellon seems like a fucked up world to begin with. You being the Godwoken is so hilariously shonen that it's a wonder the game manages to play it straight and not shit all over themselves immediately. The layers of grey you get from your decisions is surprisingly based.
I am very surprised to discover everything is voiced, even the narrator, with still acceptable amount of reactivity to your actions. Mind you, it's very easy to see the limitations of scripted reactivity, but while the veneer is not broken, it's actually surprisingly immersive.
The engine is definitively built around allowing creative solutions for puzzles and combat, and has a nice level of interactivity and rewards creative thinking. Crafting's pretty comfy too. I think I spent hours just trying to combine shit. Reminds me of Witcher 1's crafting really.
Also, tambura gang rise up, the idea of character specific instrumentation is pretty genius. Adds a bit of personalization to an usually uncustomisable aspect.
Mixed:
Combat. Ugh. Where to start. I definitely enjoyed it, for most part. I do appreciate the game allowing you to cheese any part of the combat to your heart's content, whether by simply stacking up environmental hazards or by luring off the enemy piecemeal. It actually made the terrain and your placement matter. That said, I think their choice of using armor and a binary "yes you get status'd 100% after your armor is whittled down" have a net negative on the system overall. It incentivises alpha striking and crowd control too much, while downplaying the traditional aspects of aggro (why is Provoke in the game?) and healing.
A pet peeve of mine was how the game simply cheats the initiative order. Why the fuck does newly spawned adds get shuffled right to the front of the list while I get to sit like a retarded kids in the back of the bus eating all the AOE they put out? Who the fuck thought that was a good idea? (Yes, I'm specifically referring to the second part of the final battle as the prime offender for this fucking bullshit). If they allowed you to preposition and also made newly spawned adds to the back of the queue, it'd probably solve 90% of the complaints I have on this game's combat.
The origin characters, while touted as having a good story and the first choice to play first, had me scratching my head. Baffling decision to be sure, because I'm pretty sure 90% of the reason for anyone playing WRPGs is to make their own characters and explore the world with their own eyes, not with a premade. I'm also disappointed on how you're already missing out on the VA by playing as them, which is paradoxical given that the rest of the game is voiced. As companions, however, they're alright for most part, with stories that intersect with the main plot, and sometimes interacting in an unexpected way.
Bad:
The game world desperately needs more attention. The artificial nature of the setting quickly becomes apparent once you start breaking the "rules". Murder all the magisters in Fort Joy? No problem, the next group you meet probably wouldn't recognise you right until you stab them in the back. A faction reputation system, as artificial as it is, is sorely needed.
Also, if you're looking for indepth game lore, haha, forget it. The timeline of the game itself is fucking whack, and from what I read, the Divine himself got character assassinated to artificially provide the conflict we see ingame now.
