Recent reviews by PulpFictionally

It's TOO good.

Excellent atmosphere, sound design, and artistic direction. I loved Alien Isolation and this feels like a sweet love letter to that genre of game.

Devs really wear their inspirations on their sleeves. I'm enjoying the hell out of it so far and can't wait to keep going.

Don't think to climb in the window at the very beginning. Instant game over.
10/10

They've since added an easy mode and trimmed down the forced combat areas, so my main caveat to recommending this game has been somewhat addressed.

I think the game has wonderful sound design and atmosphere. If you're a fan of Ryukishi07's work, you'll find a lot of enjoyment in it too, but bear in mind you won't get the full experience without playing it a minimum of four times - getting the four main endings paints a fuller picture. Unfortunately, that is a hard ask of someone if they're content with one playthrough of a game. If you're able and willing, it's worth it.

I do appreciate the devs trying new things with the combat, but it is the weakest part of the game. I played on Hard mode my first playthrough on release and it almost deterred me from finishing. Going back through on my second playthrough on Story was too easy, so I regret my decision there. The combat was really unenjoyable. There were a lot of forced combat areas towards the end that were really unforgiving and almost killed my first run.

Now there is a casual mode and I understand it's way easier now, so likely more accessible so I feel better recommending it, but keep in mind easier combat and removing some forced areas still doesn't mean the combat is fixed. It's easily the weakest part of the game and if you're willing to look past it, the game itself has a lot to offer especially on repeat playthroughs with new lore and areas to explore.

I haven't played the original so compared so this does feel new to me.
It's a charming little game that's easy to pick up and play. The Bazaar is a neat little addition and the voiced character events is very welcome compared to older entries. Especially loving the autoplay feature.

This is a good opportunity for players like myself who missed this game's initial run to give it a shot now.

It's good except for the elephants.

This game has a lot of audacity being this good.

Optimization isn't the greatest so be warned there will be stuttering. It definitely needs a patch to help with performance.
However, all of Oblivion's charm is still there, just shinier. If that's something you're into, then go for it. If you already have Oblivion, you're not missing out on anything new.

it's good now. play it.