Game does an extremely irritating amount of hand-holding.
It presents an interesting looking environment that makes you want to run off and explore, then gates off every single direction but the one next on the script. NPCs have you on a leash the entire time, refusing to let you do anything that diverts from the directions you've been given. There's a constant illusion of choice. Tell NPCs in cutscenes you don't feel like talking, and they just ignore it and talk anyway. Be told to go explore a region with five different dungeons available, but only explore in set places and in the specific order we tell you to.

Honestly the whole tourist trap theme is brilliant irony considering you're on a so-called "adventure" that won't let you off a fenced path or stop shepherding you for two minutes.

this is i guess a half-recommend? it's visually charming as hell with great vibes and everything but the actual gameplay is a bit mid tbh. heavy focus on the same exact puzzles everyone's been doing since literally 1998 (some are just ripped straight out of Wind Waker for instance), and unfortunately the combat isn't great either, though part of that's just down to the weird inventory/skill controls that make assigning a fromsoft control scheme impossible, so you gotta switch between right stick and face buttons all the time like it's 2001 smh. it's not terrible (though it also swipes Okami's awful block-off-the-level-until-you-beat-these-mobs mechanic) but every combat encounter ends up feeling just a tad jank

speaking of that era it frequently ALMOST reminds me of megaman legends, but worse in almost every way (thankfully, this game doesn't have MML's terrible 90s-anime-dub voices, so that's a point for Hinterberg). that's not a criticism, "Megaman Legends but worse" is a game i would pay $70 for day 1, no questions asked. this ain't quite there, the dungeons might be visually more interesting but they're mechanically stale and it feels more linear overall. also zero weapon variety and cooldown-based (yuck) special attacks, and the world and characters are nowhere near as quirky/offbeat/fun, but i really shouldn't fault them for not being as good as a game that great. like, it's also worse than Ocarina of Time (definitely a bigger inspiration) but if it wasn't that would be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ wild

also big kudos for adding fashion features in the latest patch, even if it's sadly halfbaked with only a total reskin rather than proper individual clothing selection

overall i think it's worthwhile if you want a cozy-ish zelda-like, but it doesn't really live up to the aesthetics and kinda ends up feeling like a missed opportunity, at least so far. i'm having fun with it but its influences are just too good for it to measure up. less plagiaristic puzzles, better combat and controls, and/or more Megaman Legends and less Ocarina of Time would all be very welcome in a sequel

It's a cozy, fun, action dungeon exploration game.

Read the tin. That's what you'll get.