Grime

Grime is yet another Metroidvania Souls-like. That means it's a 2D (in terms of gameplay, not art) side-scrolling platformer with a focus on combat, but also a big interconnected map and backtracking. The usual. In fact, it's so usual that I quickly got bored of it. As I always say, if you're going to make a game in a genre that already has a lot of games, especially one that has a lot of good games, and you're not going to have some truly transformative innovation, then you have to make a really, really good game. Grime is definitely not a bad game, but in my short time with it, I saw very little innovation, and definitely nothing so good that it would keep me playing.

If anything, the biggest innovation I saw was the absorption mechanic. It effectively works as a parry, as you have to time it as the enemy attack is about to connect. This basically just instantly kills the enemy and consumes their essence, letting you collect them and become stronger. It also acts as a health potion once you absorb a few enemies. Of course, as the game goes on and enemies get tougher, you can't just absorb everyone anymore, at least not right away. Personally, not a big fan of parrying, especially as a mandatory game mechanic, so this little half-innovation isn't even a positive for me.

Personally, I wasn't a fan of the aesthetic, music, or anything else I saw either. Again, it's not a bad metroidvania, but with how much selection, and how many stellar options we have to choose from, I find it really hard to recommend it.