I'm not a fan of (or rather, not good at, depending on how you look at it) Soulslikes, but when I saw the reveal trailer for this in 2021 I knew I had to get it some day. That day finally came.
Having now completed my first playthrough on Legendary Stalker and getting the true ending (and planning to NG+), I finally understand. The combat is stellar, parry timing is just right, and the story made me feel like I had connected with Gepetto's beloved puppet.
The game has plenty of options for modifying your play style, among the stat spreads you can give yourself and being able to attach different blades and handles together. Regular enemies are easy to adapt to, with some of the later elites being more on the frustrating side. Plenty of mini-bosses and bosses to play through, that took me anywhere from first try to over ten tries.
The attack animations and hitboxes are in essence, perfect. The feeling of swinging at an enemy and dodging their attack through your own animations made for some peak moments I wish I had clipped.
Take a chance on this world full of lies; you might just find the truth, yourself.