Wow I loved this game...right up until it...stopped being this game. The puzzles and exploration are super fun, I love the basic concept with the fog-outs and going to different islands. The puzzles were tricky but had a nice difficulty curve, I had a bit of trouble with one of the [REDACTED] but found everything eventually. If this game had ended at the regular ending, I would give it 5 stars! As it is...4.5.
Spoilers below:
It did not. Exploring for the three lamps was very fun, I will say, and collecting the glowworm and reaching the final island was very in line with the rest of the game.
...then it...became a bullet hell.
Now, I understand the concept of a difficult final challenge. And I suppose this was technically that. But it was COMPLETELY UNRELATED to the skills the rest of the game had been building up, culminating with a boss fight that quickly made me realize my main motivation to continue forward was to see if something remained that would be more in line with the rest of the game. Then I beat it, and...nothing. The other two parts of the final temple aren't finished yet, and I had finished the current content of the game.
I don't think I'd have a problem with the bullet hell stuff as part of a different game...apart from the funky hitbox that I don't like having to keep track of. (Messes with my instincts.) But in this game, it just feels out of place. Maybe if earlier sections had something resembling it, but...as-is, I honestly think the best option would be to make that part its own game and rework the true ending. And if you HAVE to keep it...please, PLEASE let the other two paths be some other twist on the formula that's less precision-focused. And maybe ease up on the difficulty of this section a bit.
Four and a half stars, would play again right up until before entering the secret temple. Saving my actual review for when it's finished.