Very cute game. Too much backtracking between long, empty rooms. Combat is a chore and the power cell items do nothing when they could've been much-needed health upgrades.
The puzzles in the icy section are easily the game's high point- fantastic job on those. Same thing with the elaborate cutscenes.
The orb-shooting statues and precarious ledges overstay their welcome after their first or second appearance, and I'm baffled to see them used over and over. The final dungeon's corridor, which is nothing but orb-shooting statues and precarious ledges, is the most tedious thing I've played this year so far. I'd rather do one of those mouse cursor mazes that end with a screamer. The fact there's a combat room right after (and the fact you can get there without the key) is just sadistic.
Most importantly, when making a game, you should pick ONE of the following:
1) A cutscene before a fairly tough final boss, and another after the first phase
2) Unskippable cutscenes
You can't have both. Not in The Year Of Our Lord 2021/2023.
So yeah I'm not beating this game. Pretty fun romp until the last 10% and a lot of care was put into this (you didn't have to make fully functional maps, but you did and that's fantastic). Overall, that love still shines through.
(P.S. The turrets in the second mage-bird showdown can still shoot and kill you while the boss plays their defeat animation, which locks the player into place. Probably the only bug I've found though, which is good!)