Faerie Afterlight was supposed to be my highlight of the month but it’s honestly another dud. Can’t believe it’s getting mostly positive reviews, because I can count a ton of issues with it.

The exploration is pointless. Nothing is well hidden, and if you do manage to find something it’s just poorly written lore and a couple of coins.

The combat feels terrible. Hit boxes are inconsistent and the SFX really kills the feel of it. The animation is also strange. Bosses are so repetitive and anticlimactic.

The story and dialogue are also super basic and uninteresting.

Finally, the confusion with navigation is unbearable. There’s no real logic or signposting on how areas connect. The map will tell you “100%” even if you don’t find the 6 lore items (the only optional thing to find). Fast travel is consumable and only works within the area you’re in, the fast travel between areas isn’t even marked on the map.

It has a couple things going for it though. Level design is basic, but the platforming is pretty good. It feels nice to move around. Also, the artwork and ambience definitely has its moments.

Overall, I bailed near the end. I never really had fun and the level design gets really convoluted in late game areas. Not recommended.