I never got past the 2nd level of this game as a kid, despite what might have been hours of trying. I came back all these years later to beat it and put an old journey to rest. Little did I know what I was in for.
The art is excellent, and there is a well-realized, if morbid, world here. The semi-randomly generated levels are a neat trick for the 2000s, and the gameplay is tight, in a way that kind of resembles old school castlevania if you squint really hard.
But oh my god there is so much nonsense in this game. The harpoons, getting knocked back into death pits, respawning above death pits, the entire 4th level, every single boss, and the game over screens going for about 15 seconds before you can play again.
Definitely nostalgic, and it feels great to finally beat this game, but there was quite a struggle to get there.