Recent reviews by Celestial Larvae

The greatest sin is the soundtrack is awful. Outside of 2 or 3 decent tracks, the music lacks a coherent identity and lacks a vibe or atmosphere that approaches anything in Bloodlines 1.
The setting becomes stagnant very quickly. Bloodlines 1 had 4 hubs, but even sticking with 1 main hub, this game takes you to almost no additional settings. There's no haunted hotel, no shipping vessel on the water, no Giovani Mansion. no Grout Mansion, no Griffith conservatory, it becomes all too stale visiting the same locations over and over. There are very few factions, very little player autonomy, inconsistent writing and a rushed ending.

A sequel the franchise deserved.

Far too much of the game are environmental puzzles, not nearly enough combat, and still full of performance issues that ruin the experience.

Match making sucks

The detail and complexity of this game is incredible. Each new playthrough offers new mechanics, new areas, new music and a new perspective on the world. I've never experienced a game that allows you to live the same events through the eyes of different characters. It's fun to see the previous character you played running about as an actor in the world effecting change while you struggle to exert your own influence. I love that you can experience new insights and nuances to the narrative and world as you find out what was happening across town with other characters you weren't with in a previous playthrough. Getting to interact with the previous character you played is a special kind of thrill.

There's a beautiful sense of familiarity that emerges through reputation. You walk the streets so often and speak with these characters so often they begin to feel like real people with real lives. Close friends, people you know, people you've survived a traumatic event with. There's such a satisfaction to realizing you've memorized the fastest routes and have backup plans if things go sideways. And what a world it is to become familiar with. Gorgeous music compliments the atmospheric, oblique and strange world that feels both alien and familiar. It's a surreal atmosphere that you come to feel embedded within.

I think the difficulty is overblown by a lot of game reviewers. I find the constant battle to balance your meters really satisfying. You can end up in some close call scenarios but that just adds to the thrill.

While I don't think this game meets the level of masterpiece that Pathologic 2 does, I've never played a game like this before and it's become one of my all time favorite gaming experiences.

Criminally underrated, the combat system is deep and takes work to master, but once you do it's incredibly demanding and satisfying.

A refreshing take on mortality in a culture that fears and suppresses acceptance of the most common experience in the world.

Spurred reflection on what memories I'm making with my son.

Game of the Year

Playing for the first time and I can't help but feel the positive reviews are from folks playing this with a strong sense of nostalgia. From my perspective the game is mediocre, and if I wanted to play a mediocre party based, semi open world rpg, I'd grab a newer game with more aesthetically pleasing graphics and a combat system that didn't make me want to bash my head in.