City of Brass

The look and feel of this game is so cool, the combat is more slow and calculated than a quick hack and slash

I know I don't have a ton of time in the game but I already really like what its putting down. Its very fun and as someone who is dealing with a lot of bad carpal tunnel pain the fact that it has controller support has really made me happy. Its very responsive with a controller and I really don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage compared to when I tried it with mouse and keyboard. I quite like it and plan on playing it a lot more while I get used to playing with a controller.

TL;DR SUMMARY: It's essentially Spelunky but in first person. Core gameplay is fun, but only if you're setting your expectations correctly.
Picked this up on sale and was pleasantly surprised. My first few runs felt frustrating, but once I figured out that the game is meant to be played like Spelunky and not, say, Immortal Redneck (which the aesthetic and environment remind me of constantly), the pieces clicked into place and I was able to grasp what the game was expecting of me.
The controls feel okay in general, at least good for the game's goals. My only real complaint is that the grappling mechanics are messy and unwieldy, but that's OK because aside from a few places where you can grapple to get hidden treasure, and one specific area where you need it to exit an arena, it's by-and-large an optional mechanic that doesn't get in the way. Speed-runners apparently love them though because they can be used for speed boosts and to bypass areas.
I originally wrote that the stealth mechanics needed to be better explained; it turns out that most of the "stealth mechanics" come in the form of equipment you have to buy during your runs. So if you're trying to be sneaky and it's not working, it's probably because the RNG hasn't given you any good stealth tools yet.
I will say I adore the environmental approach to dealing with mobs. You can push and pull enemies to take full advantage of traps and damage items. The first time I herded 4 mobs in one spot and triggered an explosion, using nothing but the whip, I felt super clever.
On that note, here's my protip: unless you're almost out of time and need to book it for the exit, NEVER spend money to deactivate traps. It's basically paying too much money to make your self-defense way less effective.
I also like how the environment is slightly confusing to navigate, yet you have a compass that helps you determine the shortest path to your goal without pointing directly at it. It encourages exploration while giving you on-the-fly solutions when your time is running out.
Would love at least a hint on how to deal with the bosses, as their feedback is minimal and nobody has health bars. The second and final bosses in particular were incredibly annoying to try and figure out through gameplay alone. I really do wish devs didn't just assume players are happy to have a walkthrough or wiki open in another window.
Oh, and if you're looking for story, look elsewhere. What little story there is informs the gameplay only slightly more than BPM: Bullets Per Minute. Still, given the inspirations in play (again, this really does feel like a 3D take on Spelunky with all the South American references changed to Middle Eastern ones), it's not what I'd call a deal breaker.
All in all, I played it long enough to beat it, and I'm definitely gonna be playing some more.

I was extremely surprised by how much I liked this game. I had my apprehensions based on the many negative reviews I had seen but, after beating the game, I'm so glad I decided to try City of Brass for myself.
GAMEPLAY:
The gameplay really is the star of the show here. Its fairly simplistic melee combat but is made great by your ability to use the environment and your whip in tandem with the core swordplay (pulling an enemy into a trap never gets old). The vast array enemies also do a great job of keeping the game varied and engaging. I normally really dislike roguelikes because they are heavily RNG reliant and if you don't get the right items your run is doomed. I didn't find that to be the case here, you get more utility than power meaning that each run plays a little different but, if you are good enough, RNG won't stop you from succeeding. The upgrades here also felt largely more impactful than in other roguelikes I've played. One important thing to know before picking up the game is that it does a horrible job of explaining itself and it will take some figuring out (or researching). The game initially seems quite difficult (many reviewers said it was insanely brutal) but once you understand the systems you realize its very doable.
EVERYTHING ELSE:
The game looks fantastic, I love the art style and theme. There are some rough edges (some sand textures get cut off) but besides that I loved the presentation of the game. The music was good, not overly standout, but good. The story wasn't a focus.
CONCLUSION:
This game is great. The low review scores confuse the heck out of me (4/10 IGN, really?). Its got great combat, a beautiful setting, and satisfying progression. I loved this game, now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go 100% it.
Edit: Nevermind, I'm not 100%ing it. "Glutton for Punishment" (complete the game with all burdens active) is one of the worst achievements I've ever seen in any video game I've ever played. Success is entirely down to RNG and more or less requires a full normal run to bank items/money. Truly an awful achievement that embodies everything that sucks about rougelikes.