Newsin' It Up

I've been bouncing around between several games (and, semi-guiltily, I also felt a strong urge to re-visit The Witcher 3 for the 9,000th time) and feel like I'm having some gaming ADD.  I haven't quite finished one of them (and I'm struggling to get it done), but decided that I had played one of them enough to write up a review.  If you're feeling an urge to run a fictional 1930's style newspaper empire, you'll want to check out News Tower.

What is it?

A management/simulation game where you run an old-timey newspaper.  You hire a team of dedicated news professionals responsible for the various tasks associated with the paper (reporters, telegraphers, typesetters, and even more mundane tasks like cleaning) and are responsible for researching various stories that must be published by the end of the week.

How much gameplay can I expect?

This will depend heavily on your engagement and dedication.  If your ultimate goal is to monopolize the newspaper market (which means wiping out all competition) you're probably looking at a significant chunk of playtime (maybe 30-40 hours).  There are tons of things to unlock, but again, it is dependent on your desire to keep playing.

A shot of my medium-sized tower.

Pros:

+ It's something different and the retro focus is fun.  You start off with a very basic news operation--a reporter, a telegrapher (who receives information about potential news stories that you can send a reporter to), and a typesetter.  As you progress and make more money you build up your "tower" and can add more levels, hire more staff who can add more complex aspects to your paper (like graphics or photographs), and buy better equipment to make your newspaper bigger (so you can publish more articles).

+ Gameplay loop that is satisfactory (for awhile...).  You play through a one week timeline where you initially get to choose your goal--your #1 goal is to expand subscribers to your paper so you can target specific districts.  Each district wants to see specific types of articles published so your goal is to try to satisfy their requests (there are "tags" for each type of article that a reporter can gather information about).  Reporting on these articles takes differing amounts of time and sometimes there are risks associated with certain stories--your reporters can get injured (and have to spend time in the hospital...not reporting), they can get into legal trouble which results in potential fines/lawsuits, can have the cops fine them, or even have the mafia show up and damage your equipment.  You have to decide if it's worth the risks to report on certain items (if it's a goal for a district you pretty much have to go for it).

At the end of the week you get to choose which completed articles you place in your paper.  There are bonuses for reporting on similar tags (like sports, for example).  As you progress and unlock more features things get more complicated as you can choose articles with a certain political bent (right or left) and there are weekly bonuses for publishing toward one view or another.

+ Management that's not too onerous.  Hiring staff--especially reporters--means keeping an eye on which types of stories they can report on.  Each reporter has certain "skills" and can only report on stories that fall within those article types (for example, politics).  You want to have a balanced pool to cover many different types.  You also have to make sure that you keep your tower stocked with the various supplies that are needed to keep it running (paper, food, and fuel).  You also need staff to maintain and care for the tower--maintenance people to repair broken/damaged items and cleaning people to tidy up.  All your employees have basic needs (food and restroom) so you have to make sure they can take care of those.  As you progress you can add a variety of different staff to help you avoid negative events (like lawyers to help counter any lawsuits).  Your tower fills up pretty quickly!

+ Various factions to side with.  Each week you can choose whether you want to try to satisfy the requests from different groups around the city.  The mayor's office might want you to avoid publishing politics stories for a week to avoid potential controversies.  They'll reward you with money or a special currency that can be used to purchase new items (that can buff staff abilities or improve their mood).  The downside...siding with one faction means you'll lose approval with another--to the point of becoming "enemies" with them--meaning that they will no longer offer you jobs.

+ Fun, jazzy music that matches the time period/vibe.

+ Good tutorial that explains the gameplay basics.  It's very easy to pick up.

Cons:

- Gameplay loop is satisfactory at first, but doesn't change much as you progress.  I found myself losing interest after about 10-ish hours.  It will undoubtedly depend on your level of engagement--if you really like it, you could easily play for many, many hours.  I sort of had to walk away for while and then come back.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself taking breaks or doing the same.

Recommendation:

If you're a fan of management games and are looking for something fun and mildly challenging, look no further.  News Tower offers up some enjoyable gameplay that's going to be dependent on your level of engagement with the gameplay loop.  Some reviewers have banked 60+ hours while others (like me) have found themselves losing interest after 10-ish.  I plan on returning to News Tower and think it could be worth your time and money.

My Favorite Video Game Romances

In honor of Valentine's Day I decided to reflect on my favorite video game romances.  Having the ability to form fictional romantic attachments in video games might not be something that all gamers seek out or enjoy, but I'll fully admit that it's something I enjoy (and it seems like many people do enjoy given the number of gripes/complaints about romantic options that I see online).

#3: V and Judy Alvarez in CyberPunk 2077

There's just something about Judy...

I've always enjoyed Judy Alvarez as a character--she's a great example of CD Projekt's ability to write flawed, but still engaging characters.  Judy's idealism is her biggest flaw--she feels a fierce sense of protection for all the dolls/sex workers and winds up involving V in a crazy plot to take on a powerful gang that controls a local sex club in order to replace the leadership with Judy's very untrustworthy ex (who, of course, has her own plans).  The entire plan backfires and nothing turns out the way it was planned. For me, part of Judy's allure is her blind idealism--she's passionate about her closest friends (who happen to be mostly dolls/sex workers) and is willing to go to the mat for them...even if it means potentially catastrophic consequences.

#2: Geralt of Rivia and Triss Merigold in The Witcher series

I'm fully aware that this is a bit of a hot take and that there's plenty of good reason to shun Triss as an option (the main reason being that Triss basically takes advantage of the fact that Geralt has amnesia to pursue a relationship with him).  With that said though, I've always found Triss to be so much sweeter and more affable than the haughty, self-serving (but still smokin' hot) Yennefer of Vengerberg.  I've always highly enjoyed the masquerade quest in The Witcher 3 and the ability to opt to kiss Triss and share a highly romantic moment.  There's always that inkling of doom lurking in the background though--the Rose of Remembrance that Geralt gives to Triss is supposed to permanently bloom as long as there is love between the giver and recipient.  When Geralt finds the rose early on in TW3 it is wilted and dying, so there's that though.

#1: FemShep and Liara in Mass Effect

Liara is another character that I read many complaints about.  Many gamers feel like BioWare sort of automatically angles you toward her (although let's be real...your options in the original game are very limited to begin with).  Personally, I also feel like the Asari species was designed to be mush more appealing--who wouldn't want to romance a species of beautiful, blue alien ladies?  I still find Liara to be an enjoyable character to get to know and watch grow throughout the course of the three games.  She starts off as a very awkward academic type who has spent much of her life on digsites and is just learning to interact with other aliens.  When she finally appears in the second game, as an information broker in Ilium, she immediately demonstrates how much her confidence and skills have grown as she implores Shep & Co. to go after one of the most illusive and powerful entities in the galaxy--the Shadow Broker.  By the third game she has proven herself to be a confident and capable leader who is still vulnerable about her own family issues (a mom that betrayed the galaxy to help the Reapers--that's a real bummer) while using her influence as the new Shadow Broker to help build a super weapon that could save the galaxy.  I just find Liara to be another likable and well written character who has some of the best animated glances in video gaming.

Whether your romances happen in the digital world or real life, I hope everyone has an enjoyable Valentine's Day.  Even if it's not your favorite holiday, at least it's a good excuse to eat some heart-shaped candy.

Frosty Cult Leading in the Woolhaven DLC

I am a big fan of the oddball cult leading adventures in Cult of the Lamb so was excited when a new DLC was announced.  Just this last week I finished up the "Woolhaven" DLC, so it's time to talk about it.  Should you shell out the ol' buckaroonies for some more sheepy cult leading fun times?

What is it?

A "full-length" DLC for the base Cult of the Lamb game.  It introduces a brand new area, called Woolhaven, and sets our beloved lamb on an adventure to uncover the story of a new goddess known as Yngya.

How much playtime can I expect?

Depending on your playstyle (someone who just focuses on the main story vs. a completionist who does it all), I'd estimate that it adds somewhere around ~10-20 hours.

Pros:

+ Two new combat zones.  The main story involves completing a path (similar to the combat areas in the base game) through a zone known as the Rot or Ewefall.  Similar to the base game you navigate a series of rooms and get to choose your path through various challenges at the end of each area.  There are new mini-bosses and new weapons.  The Rot is a sort of disgusting, mutated goo-filled region that is tied to events in the main story.  Ewefall is more aligned with the winter theme of the DLC and you face off against new enemies in the form of various wolven baddies.

+ New weapons and curses.  There's a new flail but also a series of "legendary" weapons that can be unlocked as part of quests found in Woolhaven.

+ Winter is coming.  Woolhaven introduces the winter seasonal shift to the base game.  When winter arrives you need to build a special furnace that is fueled by rot (a resource you collect in the Rot) in order to keep your cultists from freezing.  If your cultists freeze, they can be unfrozen using a special new baptismal font (that requires items from the Ewefall zones).  If you don't unfreeze them, they stay frozen throughout the duration of the entire winter season (they don't do jobs or worship...they're just frozen).  Your crops freeze and farming is limited during the winter.  Basically, it throws a bit of a survival wrench into the base game.  The winter season only lasts so long though and eventually things thaw out and its back to business as usual.

As you progress through the game the winter season gets harsher and periodically blizzards roll through.  During a blizzard your cultists will stay in their shelters and do no work until it's over.  You can grow chili peppers which let you cook a hot dish that can keep your cultists from freezing.

+ Introduction of a new cult activity--ranching.  You can now build a ranch where you can raise a number of different critters that provide a new resource, wool.  Wool is used to unlock special buildings and events in Woolhaven.  It is harvest from fuzzy critters that you raise on your ranch.  You can also raise critters that provide basic resources (seeds, crystals, and spider silk).  Ranching involves keeping your animals alive by feeding them and raising their level by petting and walking them.

The New Woolhaven zone adds lots of new quests and content.

+ Tons of stuff to do in Woolhaven.  Besides the base story there are also special quest givers that have several quest chains.  One of those buildings unlocks a new silly game (similar to the dice game) where you face off against different foes to unlock special game pieces.  There are also the graves of various lamb-y heroes from the past which require different amounts of wool to unlock and reward new capes for the lamb (so far they don't have any special abilities though--they're just cosmetic).

+ New follower forms and types.  You can find "rotten" followers as you navigate the Rot.  These followers only live for a short time but they provide special rewards and resources (their poop is highly useful!)  There are also several different new animal forms such as a snow leopard.

+ New winter themed doctrines.  

+ New winter themed decorations for your home base.  This includes an icy theme for your chapel.

+ Exorcise those bad traits!  One of the new buildings you can add to your base is an exorcism platform where you can swap out follower traits.  It's totally random what they get replaced with but it's a way to get rid of the more obnoxious traits.

+ A new main story with two new big bosses to take down.

+ Base expansion is possible.  You can pay a new star-nosed mole character to add a couple of different new areas to your base if you're feeling pressed for space.

+ New photo mode that includes fun stickers.

Cons:

- Bugs are still being worked out.  I experienced a few bugs and noticed that there were almost daily hotfixes/updates.  I only had a couple of issues (and none of them were game breaking--just required a re-load) and it seems like things have improved with the numerous hotfixes.

 Recommendation:

Woolhaven adds in quite a bit of new content and I had fun with it.  The winter season can make things feel a bit more stressful because you're trying to take care of the cult and navigate the main story.  Despite the bugs (which seem to have been largely worked out), it's a new opportunity to return to the cult and make it even better.  If you enjoyed the base game, you'll definitely want to give it a go.

PowerWashing with Perks

On top of finishing up the excellent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I also puttered my way through PowerWash Simulator 2.  I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment in the decidedly quirky game about cleaning up.  Sure, it's no Clair Obscur, but it definitely scratches a very specific itch for a certain type of gamer--namely the type who just wants to relax and wash away hours of grime in numerous fun locations.

What is it?

The second game in a series where you simulate the role of powerwasher extraordinaire.  Gameplay consists of using your upgradeable powerwashing equipment to remove the dirt and grime from every nook and cranny of a location.  Sure, it might sound boring, but they have implemented a clever system of "ding" noises when you've fully cleaned part of a location--those dings are so satisfying.  There's a bit of a story baked into the locations you clean and it provides some fun background.

How much playtime can I expect?

I finished up all the locations in 64.9 hours.  I'm going to admit that I'm likely a pitifully slow cleaner and that I should utilize the variety of different attachments to improve my times.  Let's just say that there's plenty to keep you busy.

Pros:

+ New tools!  There's a new washer--the Urban X series--which promises increased power at the cost of area.  They also added in a floor washer with several different sized cleaning heads for all those flat surfaces.  Each washer also includes a set of extensions and different angle/size cleaning heads.  One of the best additions is a re-sizeable head that allows you to manually adjust the size of your stream.  Most excitingly, they made the soap attachment a default piece of equipment--no more annoying money spent to re-stock soaps!  The only downside is that it has a bit of a cooldown--you can't just soap with wild abandon.

+ A fun, new partially customizable office.  On each job you earn two types of currency--the classic dollars (used to purchase new equipment)--and a new powerwash currency.  The powerwash currency can be used to purchase dirty furniture that can be cleaned up (of course!) and then placed around the bare ground floor of your office.  There are several different styles of furniture to give your office it's own unique feeling--from whimsical, colorful pieces to dark gothic.

Triple the feline fun!

+ Three cats to pet!  Ulysses, the mayor's cat from the first game (who it turns out wasn't a male), had some babies so now the cat population has increased to three.  You can pet the kitties and they accompany you on each job.  Part of the fun is to find the cats on each level--they're always somewhere fun.

+ Co-op play.  You can clean solo or with a friend.

+ Silly achievements.  I always forget to pay attention to them, but there's usually an achievement for cleaning up in a specific order or doing something specific.  It's worth checking at the beginning of each level if you like achievements.

The curio wall fills up as you complete levels.

+ Fun curio wall to mark your cleaning progression though the game.  Located in the upstairs office you can find a new tiny model related to the place you just cleaned.  They also opted to keep the time lapsed summary of your cleaning at the end of each level (still wish they'd make them downloadable).

+ Tons of cosmetic items.  You can customize the colors of your suit (with options for your visor, suit, and gloves), purchase skins for your washer, and also even apply skins to your van.  There are a lot of fun options that cost increasing amounts of powerwash cureency.

+ A variety of locations to clean.  There are shorter levels that might be cleaning up a vehicle and longer levels where you are cleaning the entire exterior of a building.  Each location features lots of cute details tied to the story.  Many locations are colorful and seeing those colors pop out from underneath the dirt is part of the joy of PowerWashing.

+ Save and quit at anytime.  It's perfect for playing in shorter or longer chunks.

+ They've already announced the first of many DLC packs.  The first game also periodically received free updates, so we can look forward to more content.

Cons: 

- If you were a fan of the timed/speed cleaning challenge mode they decided not to include it.  Personally, I never tried it because I enjoy cleaning at my own leisurely pace.  You can re-play all the base levels and that's it.

- Furniture placement in your base is wonky.  You can't place anything on top of rugs and you can't position furniture freely--it has to be within a certain distance of other items.

Recommendation:

If you enjoyed the original PowerWash Simulator you will definitely want to pick the second game up.  The variety of locations to clean is unique and features lots of enjoyable environments.  The addition of new cleaning tools and the customizable office give you even more of a reason to play.  Pick it up at full price--you won't be disappointed.

An Expedition for the Ages

Earlier this week I finished up my adventure with the excellent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.  There was joy, there was rage, and there were tears.  Overall, it's one of those games that is totally deserving of the hype and I have to say that I'm highly anticipating future games from Kepler Interactive.

What is it?

A turn-based RPG with elements of semi-open world exploration.  The story takes place in a fictional version of Paris called Lumiere that has suffered a catastrophic magical event that caused a fracture that left the city isolated from the larger surrounding continent.  After the fracture a mysterious figure called the Paintress began painting a giant number on a massive monolith--this number represents the age of people who will mysteriously disappear at the end of the year in an event called the "gommage."  Every year the number ticks lower and lower...and eventually all life will be wiped out.  Each year an expedition is sent out in an effort to stop the Paintress--and each year no one returns.  The counter has ticked down to 33 and that's where the game starts with the 67th expedition.

Can you save a shattered world?

How much playtime can I expect?

This number can vary greatly.  If you just focus on the main storyline and ignore all side content it could probably be completed in ~30 hours (that's my lowest estimate).  My playthrough clocked in at around 65 hours and I explored as much as I could (but some areas were still marked as dangerous).  There is an achievement for reaching level 99, so I am going to assume that you could keep playing well beyond my 65 hours.

Pros:

+ Amazingly creative story.  The world, characters, and story are all very engaging and unique.  The story has so many different emotional elements and you will find yourself with a genuine attachment to your eventual party.  The story took an unexpected (although it probably shouldn't have been very unexpected because there's some very definite foreshadowing) turn right when I thought I was nearing the end. 

+ Fantastic graphics and a beautiful world.  This is the first "new" graphically demanding game I've played on my new-ish PC and it looked absolutely stunning.  They used a ton of motion capture in the production and the characters look amazing (if you're one of those hair people...the hair is great).  The world itself is filled with a vast array of strange, beautiful, and bleak environments that will keep you wanting to explore.  There's tons to explore with main mission areas, optional side areas, and multiple unique "challenge" areas.  Some of the challenges are more serious in nature--they feature increasingly difficult combat challenges while others are sillier and feature goofy little games (that are quite difficult at the highest challenge level).

+ Multiple difficulty levels to suit players of all skill levels.  If you just want to experience the story and skip some of the tougher combat elements (namely the timing based parry and dodge system) you can opt for story mode.  If you're one of the leets, you can opt for the expert level which requires split-second precision and great combat prowess.  I played it on the default (expeditioner) difficulty and found it to be a good balance--some of the tougher bosses were challenging, but overall it was manageable.

+ Skill system that is massively customizable.  Each character has their own unique skill tree and can equip 6 abilities.  On top of that, each character can also equip special buffs called "pictos."  Pictos are found throughout the world and once equipped for 4 battles become learnable (with special lumina points which are also found and rewarded) by all characters.  It's a lot of fun to experiment with different pictos to figure out the ideal setup (and there are TONS of pictos, so it's quite the challenge).

+ Skippable cutscenes.  There's nothing more annoying that dying and having to re-play the same cutscene over and over...luckily, they included the option to skip.  Thank you!

+ Collectibles and cosmetic options to find.  There are music records that you can find throughout the world and play while you're in camp.  You can also buy outfits and hairstyles from merchants scattered around the world (or defeat the many mimes sprinkled around the world). If customization is your thing, there's plenty of it.  There are also a wide array of weapons for each character that can be found or looted from enemies.

+ Epic music.  If you're a fan of soaring vocals and emotional piano (it reminded me of NIER: Automata in a similar but also different way) you'll be blown away by the soundtrack.

+  Relationship building system.  When in camp you can opt to spend time with the members of your party.  There are some dialogue options and as you level up your relationship you unlock unique combat abilities for each character.  If you're someone who's a fan of having a deeper understanding of the characters in the game, you'll enjoy this feature.  If you're someone who's seeking "romantic" type options, those are mostly lacking (sorry to burst your bubble).

+ Each character has their own combat style and abilities.  Figuring out the synergy between specific characters to create the ideal party for each situation is another fun challenge.

+ Epic boss fights.  You never know exactly what to expect (that is if you don't look it up).

+ Replayability.  There's just so much to discover, multiple playthroughs are almost required.  Plus, there's a pretty big story decision that can play out a couple of different ways.

Cons:

+/- Controller recommended.  I didn't experiment with the mouse/keyboard combo to see if it would be doable, but I'm guessing it would be tough.  Find yourself a cheap-y controller online.

- QTE/timing based combat abilities.  If you're someone who struggles with reaction time and dislikes QTE sequences in games...you're probably going to want to opt for the story mode.  Dodging and parrying are both timing dependent--basically you have to both watch and listen for cues to know when to dodge.  Certain enemies can be quite tricky and have fast sequences that can be challenging (although they're usually doable once you get the timing down).  Attacking also has an element of timing if you want to launch perfect attacks.  Parrying in particular requires very precise timing.  It can feel quite frustrating at times.

- No maps of specific areas.  There is a map of the larger world but not the exact zones that you enter.  I found this a bit frustrating because there are generally multiple paths (and, I suppose you could return to those areas and try to fully explore them) to reach your goal.

- There is one boss in particular that I never figured out the timing on his attacks.  It feels like his timings are just a tiny bit off...and it's irritating.  I did manage to take him down, but only because I got lucky and he didn't use a certain attack that I absolutely could not counter.

Recommendation:

There are many games that get a ton of undeserved hype--Clair Obscur is not one of them.  It's amazing what a relatively small team was able to come up with--a beautiful world, complex and likable characters, an emotionally charged story, challenging combat that manages to push you but still be fun, and even some silly moments of levity.  I got it on sale, but it's definitely worth a full price purchase.  Pick it up as soon as you can and be prepared for an epic adventure.

Plot Twist!

Earlier this week I thought I was close to possibly wrapping up Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.  I had completed all the pre-requisite tasks and was ready to take on the big bads.  After struggling a bit with big bad #1 (I swear they intentionally made the timing on that fight just a tiny bit off) I had an easier time with what I thought was the final boss fight.  Finally, victory!  Then things took a dark turn...and, plot twist, there is actually much more game to go!  I'm actually glad about this fact because I've found that I'm greatly enjoying Clair Obscur and that it is definitely deserving of the high praise that it has received.

I'm not going to spoil the story or anything, but I sort of had an inkling that there was likely more game to go due to the fact that the map is scattered with side locations that were marked with an ominous red entrance (marked DANGER!) which I assumed meant that I wasn't high enough level.  Now, I'm trying to check out these many side areas and attempt some of the challenges.  I'm definitely not good enough to take on the uber-challenges (even at regular difficulty) but there are many different kinds sprinkled around the map.

One of the side areas.  Even they are visually stunning.

I feel like I'm not doing a good job with mixing and matching my pictos and could definitely be swapping them around for specific encounters.  There are so many!  I also have accumulated a large collection of weapons and feel like maybe I need to be spreading the upgrade wealth around a bit more rather than focusing on one specific weapon.  Maybe I'm not being strategic enough?  I am making progress though, so it must be okay.

Exploring the map is fun and I've found a few boss type enemies off the beaten track (and managed to take a few of them down).  One gripe I have about the game is that I wish there was some sort of indication of enemy level.  I found a giant Petank (the regular ones are hard enough to take down, so I knew this huge one would probably be a real pill) only for it to absolutely one-shot my squad.  I have a few other gripes, but I'll save them for my formal review.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy checking out as much of the map as I can and trying to defeat all the random bosses.  Happy weekend and happy gaming!

Being Embarrassingly Bad

I grabbed a couple of titles in the Steam Holiday Sale and have spent most of my time with one in particular--Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.  Part of me was a bit hesitant--I'm not opposed to turn-based games but I have no experience with the Final Fantasy-ish style of play.  Even with my hesitation the game seems to get rave reviews from gamers, so I decided that to try something new and I haven't regretted a minute of it (I only regret how bad I am at the timing based aspects of the game).

Unless you've been totally tuned out of gaming related news, I'm not sure you could miss the buzz about Clair Obscur.  It was a favorite at the recent Game Awards (although there was some controversy over some AI related art or somesuch) for GOTY.  If you haven't heard of it, it's a turn-based RPG from a French developer (it definitely has a very French flair and vibe) that features amazing (and somewhat bizarre) environments, highly enjoyable (and challenging) gameplay, and an odd, but intriguing story punctuated by moments of high emotion.  It's got a lot going for it!

An example of one of the many beautiful environments in Clair Obscur.

The story revolves around a world where a mystical event fractured parts of the world and isolated the city of Lumiere (the game equivalent of Paris).  Then, a strange figure called the Paintress emerged and began a yearly event known as the "gommage."  Each year she paints a new number on a huge monolith that represents the age of people who will simply disappear at the end of the year.  In response to this event the brave people of Lumiere have sent annual expeditions to find and stop the Paintress...with no success and no survivors.  The game starts as year 34 rolls over into 33 and you get to experience the emotional pain as the people of Lumiere watch parents, siblings, friends, and lovers simply disappear in a shower of rose petals.

You play as members of Expedition 33 who are the next group venturing out to the mysterious continent that is the home of the Paintress.  Each expedition has a new strategy that they hope will finally be successful and end the pain of the gommage.  The continent itself is a bizarre, magic-filled place filled with strange monsters known as nevrons that serve the Paintress.  Combat is party-based and you gradually add new members as you progress through the story.  Each character has a unique combat style and can gain experience to unlock improved abilities and new skills.  Combat itself is an enjoyable combination of learning the skills that work together the best and also timing-based dodging and parrying (I'm playing on the default difficulty and it can be challenging--particularly parrying.  Fortunately though, there are multiple difficulty levels and if the timing aspect is too difficult you can always switch it to story mode).

There is a ton to explore and plenty of fun side-adventures to be had--it's not all super-serious and depressing.  I'm about 30 hours in and I'm greatly enjoying all aspects of Clair Obscur.  One particularly enjoyable part of the adventure is finding the more challenging "chromatic" version of enemies and taking them down.  Each one poses a unique combat challenge and some have gimmicks that can take awhile to figure out.

If you haven't checked out Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, I would definitely recommend checking it out.  It's beautiful, challenging, and has tons of depth.  Plus, it's French, so you know it's super cool by default.