I finished the main campaign in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. It was fantastic from start to finish. I’m now slowly grinding and chipping away at the remaining collectibles to get 100%. I play for maybe 30-minutes a day to mop them up.
But what I want to really talk about most is Mina the Hollower, my most anticipated game in the last three years. I ignored reading reviews (though I did see the scores), only watched the first reveal trailer, and went in completely blind. Boy, my expectations were met and more.
I’m a few hours in, a couple of dungeons and bosses down, and I feel as if I’m only scratching the surface as to what this game actually **is**. It’s the perfect blend of 2D Zelda titles, and Soulslike difficulty. The checkpoints can be unforgiving, and if you die you lose your “bones” unless you collect them back after your death. This may turn people away — understandably, might I add — and it caught me off guard.
If you are willing, there are a ton of modifiers to help make the game easier. Some of these options don’t feel like cheating, or making your playthrough feel less than. For example, you can turn on the ability to heal faster.
The moment to moment gameplay feels fantastic, as does the handful of weapons. I’ve tinkered around with a few and settled on the hammer, but I do enjoy the Castlevania-esque whip. The RPG-lite elements are a nice touch, too. Leveling up your weapons, gear, and other trinkets creates a layer of depth that has tons of options for unique builds.
Meanwhile, exploration is consistently rewarding. Being a mouse and using its abilities such as burrowing is such a fun element to incorporate not only in its combat, but exploration. I’ve discovered numerous of secrets so far, some of obvious, while others are challenging. Mina has that rare feat where when you uncover a secret you feel as if you’re the first person to do so.
As mentioned, I’m only a few hours in so I can’t really go in depth with an analysis of the game. With what I have experienced so far, I can say it’s shaping up to be my GOTY. Whether or not that will change the further I progress is to be determined. But right now, I can confidently say Yacht Club has burrowed it out of the park again.