Estencel

Finished the game + got all achievements and gotta say it won't be for everybody but i've enjoyed it a lot!
I hesitated getting the game at first due to the mixed ratings.
In my opinion (now that i've completed the game) most of the negative reviews are unjustified/outdated.
I played version 2.2 of the game with a controller which worked very well.
Didn't encounter any kind of stuttering or input lag as stated by other reviewers. The game runs at a steady 120fps for me.
The main critique by many seems to be that the game is "unpolished".
Now when it comes to the level design some assets are reused quite a lot and somewhat ugly world borders are visible in many areas. The interconnection of different areas on the other hand is really well done.
Since i didn't encounter any bugs neither visual nor technical during my playthrough calling it unpolished seems unjustified (especially considering it is a solo dev project) from my experience.
The enemy and especially boss designs are very unique and make for demanding challenges.
The combat seemed very fair and satisfying to me at all times.
I think critiques like the "dodge window is just insane" or "every boss's attack is too fast" come from players not using the additional weapons to their full potential and/or players not understanding that this is a very parry-heavy game instead of a dodge-heavy game despite many notes before boss fights telling you to "parry, parry and parry".
When it comes to navigating through the world of Estencel the game is somewhat demanding of the player since you need to pay close attention to the NPC dialogs to know where to go at all times.
The mid-game bosses would be even better if they were a little harder.
The final boss on the other hand was my favorite part of the game being a nice difficulty spike compared to the rest of the game and a great challenge all around.

As a solo dev game, trying to bring the Bloodborne experience to PC players, it's not bad. But it has some major issues.
Pros:
- Solid atmosphere. Some views and areas look really cool.
- Lots to explore. It's very branching.
- Great enemy designs. Much like a lot of the environments, they look cool, and animate well.
Cons:
- Rough performance. Even with DLSS, it can get rough in areas, unless you turn it to below "balanced".
- Very unforgiving. Yes, it's a souls-like game. But some enemy placement feels like free XP, while some feel like hell. Thankfully, you can summon AI partners in some areas, and I imagine playing with a friend helps a lot too, if they know what they're doing.
- Map is hard to read. This map was a new addition, so I can't complain too much for it being added in response to feedback. It even keeps unexplored areas a mystery. But it's not clear on routes. It's just to get an idea of what you're closest to more than anything. Giving you the general area instead of a detailed map of patches you can take.

A humble one-person indie game that presents a uniquely surreal, strange world worth experiencing if you are open to experience a game that is rough around the edges.
Estencel has improved a lot both design and balance wise with its big 2.0 update; it's the first Unreal Engine 5 game I've played, and its lighting is stunningly beautiful, elevating its otherwise simple graphics.
Parrying is a lot of fun, and the large number of sub weapons add lots of flashy variety to combat. When you get into a flow state of making progress through areas, defeating enemies and collecting items, it is a lot of fun. Some areas can be tricky to navigate, as some rooms and hallways can look same-y (I was lost in the Gray House for a while), but the bizarre architecture can at other times make very striking imagery.
Love was clearly poured into Estencel and I overall appreciate it and enjoyed my time with it, aside from some rare moments of frustration. I recommend giving it a try if you have a patient mentality.

Genuinely one of my favorite independent projects that have come out in recent times. The combat has its own unique flow with the sub-weapon system it has and exploration felt pretty rewarding consistently. The ability to summon the NPC clones of yourself to help you in combat actually added a lot to the experience from my perspective, either helping with areas which were hard alone or making future runbacks to the boss much easier.
Level layouts are generally pretty good, with multiple routes to reach the lategame areas. I always felt like I was achieving something when I was venturing off of what seemed like the intended trail, which is one of my favorite things in video games.
The graphics are gorgeous, not enough to sit down and stop playing just to admire the sights but enough to keep me constantly immersed in the experience and genuinely wanting to see what the next area has to offer visually. Most areas do have a distinct visual style to them, from the clustered, crammed together mess of the first area giving way to more organized streets and buildings as you ascend.
My biggest complaint is those thrice-accursed creatures with scorpion-like tails that have a lantern on the end in the late game. They are my bane. I cannot understand them or their attack patterns and they hate me as much as I hate them.
Shoutouts to Yhornik, my favorite and creepiest little doll NPC. Hoping for the the best for you, Yhornik.

My original review of the game was pretty harsh. I had a bad reaction to the update and I didn't take the changes well. Personally I prefer the style and combat of the game before update 2.0. It still a good game, I just got salty with the dev for updating it while I was making my lets play.
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When I was first playing the game I really enjoyed it. I loved the visuals, the combat, and what not. But then I put the game down for a few days and come back to find the games been updated. "Cool." I thought. I figured that some small bugs had been patched or something. NOPE.
When I opened the game again, EVERYTHING was different. The lighting, the level designs, the combat, the sound effects, the UI, etc... I played an additional 3 hours to see what this update was like and I hate it. I prefer the previous version of the game.
I was making a lets play series on this game and I made about 20 episodes worth of content up to this point. Compared to the version of the game I had when I was recording my lets play, this new update feels like it was cobbled together and is incredibly unpolished.
In my opinion, it's a case of too much too soon. As it is right now, I would not recommend getting the game.

It was amazing experience . Great thanks for that good project.