I've been a huge fan of Crypt World since I played it in 2016. The atmosphere of the game is akin to magic, giving me an experience unlike any other piece of media I have consumed. Having played Crypt Underworlds, I can safely say that it is no different. In fact, it is so much grander.
I'll get my only gripe out of the way; I figured that the nice lighting from earlier versions being removed was due to optimization, but the game does not hold the same atmosphere without it. I have no idea if it would be a difficult task to have a settings toggle for the lighting on startup, but that would be a nice compromise. Don't feel like you have to though, as you have already worked hard enough. I mean that.
That being said, getting around is a lot easier. Especially moving vertically. The item equip and leveling system is so weird yet perfectly in place with the world. I love how you can find (most of) these items in so many locations; that contributes to the freedom well. It also allows for so many fun little secrets to be hidden around the place.
Areas feel packed with stuff to see. So many areas, models, little doo-dads to just gaze at. I seriously admire how much effort went into every little thing. I love the text too. I rarely interact with every little thing in a game, but I do here because it somehow manages to be varied despite there being tons of text.
I just want to say more and more but at the same time I don't feel like I have the right words for it. Thank you and the rest of the people who contributed to this gigantic project. Very rarely do games stay in development for this long and show that it was worth the wait. This is one of them.