Sundered: Eldritch Edition

After Jotun (which I could only beat because of the tremendous amount of hours I spent in Hades I + II), it seems like the developers at Thunder Lotus Games made freedom and ease of movement a top priority in their next title. And it really paid off.
The abilities, the combat, the exploration, and the discoveries, everything in this game is so much fun. The sense of progression with the central skilltree is really nice, and I very much enjoyed piecing the story together. It's not a large game, but it's very polished and well-calibrated (I played on Easy, Normal, and Difficult), which made me want to have more game than was there. So instead, I 100% my three saves.
The artwork is gorgeous and very creative, and a lot of effort must've went into the animated sequences (which reminded me of Jotun). And the voice actor for The Shining Trapezohedron (still not sure if the stone is talking or if it's a conduit for that Nyarlathotep guy) is super awesome. Whenever he would talk I would just stand there and listen. Oh, music and sound design, too. Both greatly enhance the atmosphere.
Also, I also wanted to say thank you to Thunder Lotus Games for featuring female protagonists in all 3 titles I've played so far. As a female player, it just feels different, somehow.
TL;DR: I liked this game so much I put other metroidvania games on my wishlist. I played through it three times, unlocking all endings and 100% the game's achievements. I could not recommend this game more.
NOTE: If you're having trouble with the game's unusual keybinds (I'm used to moving with WASD and attacking with my mouse), consider changing them in the options.

They mean it when they describe this game as chaotic. On early game, that can feel frustrating. After you get some upgrades and corrupt some abilities though? You feel like a god killing all those enemies like it's nothing. I think whether you'll like the game or not heavily depends on how patient you are to get through the frustrating start.
To me, Sundered is a good game that features some genuinely insane design choices. The unlimited enemy horde rooms are definitely one of those. These choices are not bad, and definitely make for a very unique experience with the game... But a lot of it can get overstimulating and "too much" at times. When I wasn't extremely confused about what is on my screen though? I was having the time of my life with this game. The combat, and the corrupted abilities especially, feel really smooth and satisfying to use, and going through endgame felt great as hell. The game is not balanced, but damn if it doesn't own up to it and feel great to play the endgame as an extremely OP powerhouse of a character. It's definitely a good payback after the weak early game. Also, the bosses feel so satisfying to beat. The overall game feel is good as ♥♥♥♥. Also the sound design, music and the language? Cool af, I rarely want to listen to these "companion"/"temptator" kinds of voices but this was an exception, this guy cool as ♥♥♥♥ and actually those abilities were worth it.
That being said, this same amount of chaos and freedom of the game and the unbalanced aspect of it all do have their downsides. The hordes can feel overwhelming very often, and usually when I was in such sections, at least before late game, I closed the game pretty fast, whether I succeeded or died, just because of the sheer overstimulation of it all. Eventually I learnt to ignore the hordes if they proved to be overwhelming and just do my own thing while they followed. I recommend you do the same, especially on early game. I also think the skill tree is too much of a headache, and requires too much grinding.I think there should have been less upgrades that do more and, potentially, cost more.
Other than that, not a good or bad thing but the game means it when it says it's equal parts roguelike and metroidvania. To me that was a fun balance, but i'm sure not everyone will appreciate that.
Overall I think if you don't mind the tidious early game or the skill tree being kind of a mess this is a pretty fun game to try out. It sure has its flaws but ultimately makes for a really fun time with some extremely cool bosses and the best ability set I've experienced in a metroidvania.

I rarely leave reviews, which i acknowledge is a personal failing of mine.
However - I loved this game so much that seeing it somehow have a "mixed" review status over the past 30 days compelled me to leave this.
My favorite Metroidvania of all time. The roguelike elements enhance every aspect, though they did take me a little "getting used to". The abilities feel incredible wihthout ever trivializing a room or section. Traversal is amazing and a delight. The story and lore are evocative and captivating. The quality of the art, visuals, and animation, remain top-notch from beginning to end. A true work of art.
Not sure what else there is to say. I think back to time spent with this game often - and always positively.

The art and the soundtrack are incomprehensibly good and work together to produce a magnificent atmosphere of the eldritch beating down on existence, the horde mechanic as much hate as it gets from others, seems quite fitting for the mood that the game is trying to set. You are not supposed to have chill time, the randomized levels not letting you get comfortable with layouts also tracks. I just wish there was more.

Just 100% the game, loved everything about it. Did wish the story telling could be a little bit more clear, but definitely one of my favorites.

A masterpiece. An amazing game. Came in with no expectation. Came out with an incredible experience.

Unfortunately, the game makes the mistake of making the Metroidvania experience procedural. People play Metroidvanias to admire the art that others create. This game throws that concept out the window. I did have fun, though, since I also like roguelites like Dead Cells. Still, I don’t recommend this game to players who are looking for a Metroidvania.
The graphics are still very pretty, though.