It's great, awesome even, with small caveats but it doesn't matter all that much. The aesthethic plays the biggest role, it feels like a distant cousin of games like Koudelka, Parasite Eve and Resident Evil, looks like a PSX game too. The tutorial is harder than Case 9, I think, but it's not a big deal. I enjoyed the combat, both pretty straightforward and rewarding. Some attacks are hard to avoid though and I think that sidestepping while weapon is drawn would work better - sometimes I was preparing to dodge just to have my character turn and jump at the wrong angle. Also Sylvia looks like a dude - both portrait and model looks like a man.
Navigation, puzzles and progression through the level are pretty good, but I feel that using inventory items automatically takes away from the experience. I also thought that the book shoulnd't be hidden, and yet it was a red herring so that's good. Too bad that plenty of cabinets weren't having anything and I found it kinda silly to have all of them be sealed shut. Even the cupboard in the kitchen?
That's all nitpicking though, the pacing is good, enemies are fun to fight, so much that I'd even add one or two confrontations more to the level, the story can get us in all different places and the exploration and surroundings are superb. Mirrors? Working mirrors? That one room with only reflections visible? Masterpiece.
Also I think the time counter was measuring time wrong? I'm pretty sure I played that case longer than 12 minutes...
