I’ve discovered that when I’m playing a game full of secrets. One of two things will come out of my mouth on a regular basis. Either, “God, I love this game.” Or various flavors of, 2. “Fuck off. How was I supposed to know that?” (And rarely do these things mix together.)

A mood that only tends to increase the more I keep playing. Thus, the longer it goes on, the higher/lower my score will get.

So with that said, I’m at the final boss encounter of HAAK. And it would be unfair of me to simply state, much like Ender Lilies, the game provokes the latter option. (Since I don’t hate the game, and I’d argue it does many things better than that one.)

But there’s many things that I don’t like either. And the things that I do, are only getting worse through how long this game feels to play.

Because the game is certainly challenging and has plenty of content in it. With more story, lore for every monster, necessary side quests, sequence breaking flashbacks, uninteresting characters, and so much fucking dialogue to go through. That it easily takes the prize for “Most bloated plot-driven Metroidvania”.

However, I don’t know why the creators seem to hold such contempt for the player. But I feel it in so many of their game design choices.
[list] 
[*] Almost every single room has a secret wall (likely multiple) that you’ll easily miss, a door (likely multiple) that blocks progress, fake routes that are impassable, or a pathway that you cannot go into until way later in the game. A bit TOO late into the game.
[*] The overall challenge is often very cheap and gimmicky. With Dark Souls Two levels of monsters in cramped/closed off spaces. One hit kill lasers. Poison gas. Gimmick platforming sections that demand precise controls. (Which this game doesn’t have. The slide is needed everywhere, and yet it only works half the time.)
[*]The common occurrence of monsters hitting you the second you go into the room. 
[*]The inability to pan up or down, makes the platforming “leap of faith” a lot of the time.
[*]The moral options in side quests always offer you less rewards.
[*]The game openly mocks the player with “a git gud” rating, if you decide to use certain upgrades.
[*]Several secrets in the game are ‘developer notes’, in which they complain about playtesters not getting how their mechanics work.
[*]The game constantly takes control away from you, in order to provide you with imperfect english-translated dialogue scenes.
[*]With unlikeable and obnoxious character moments. Such as how the main character gripes about your customization choices. A pointless side character that condescends to you about “how you need to enter the right code, to open the coded door” every time you come across one. Another main character who blames you for doing something in the story. (Regardless of if you actually do it.) The game even has a side character questioning if you pirated their game.
[*]It has a random terrible trial and error (Ori And The Blind Forest-like) chase sequence. [i]Without the pretty visual spectacle to go along with it.[/i]
[/list]
[hr]
I'd say its probably looking at a 5 out of 10.

With my only other comments, pointing out how their discord is full of people and none of them are playing HAAK. (Some are even playing other Metroidvanias instead.) And because it always happens, I found a reddit comment in response to criticism about its controls. Suggesting "There's bad controls in all games." Like my man has never played Hollow Knight before. But seriously, how is that a defense? And why do people insist on downplaying other (much better) things in order to defend something they like?

[hider=And I'm not saying I hate redditors.]
[hider=Again, I don't hate redditors.]
[hider= I'm just saying, I'm repeating how much I don't hate redditors. In a tone that might indicate that I in fact hate redditors.]
[hider= Nnnnooooo...]
Don't know why anyone would have a problem with them frankly. Seems to be out of nowhere, far as I'm concerned...
[/hider]
[/hider]
[/hider]
[/hider]