izigame.me

This is the first game I've played that I'd describe as a Hollow Knight-like, caked in grime and sporting a few cracks, but fundamentally nailing its premise.
What really struck me about Grime was just how unique and interesting the setting was. In a world where every soulslike seems bafflingly bound to retread the same story, Grime stands out as its own thing. The world full of cute little rock people, sinister plants, creepy body horror, and cultish societies is incredibly unique and engrossing, coaxing you in with exactly the sort of environmental storytelling this genre excels at. The story lands a little too far on the ambiguous end of the spectrum when all's said and done, but the originality helps make up for it. With a slightly clearer thrust to the central narrative, this could've blown most other soulslike stories out of the water.
Gameplay-wise, Grime has some of the best metroidvania combat I've ever seen. It sports a great parry system combined with an invulnerable dash and a magnetic grab that can yank enemies into a vulnerable state. Individually these mechanics are all fun and satisfying, but combine them together and you get combat that sometimes borders on the stylish flow of character action. This shines strongest during the boss fights, some of which challenge you to repeatedly chain all of these mechanics together while working in hits to deal damage. Tough combat can get tiresome when the mechanics are basic and the challenge boils down to harsh punishment for slow reactions, but Grime never feels like that. The tools in your arsenal mean that there's always an obvious way to optimise your strategy, making repeat attempts on bosses thrilling rather than frustrating. Enemy attacks are telegraphed beautifully, patterns are varied and interesting, and platforming mechanics are integrated in an elegant way that makes it feel like you're bringing your full toolkit to bear.
Speaking of platforming, that's the second main component of the gameplay, and unfortunately it doesn't hold up quite as well. It isn't bad by any means, but it lacks that tight responsiveness that always makes you certain of your next input. The 2.5D engine results in some occasional glitches with collision, mostly harmless, but occasionally offputting. While one platforming mechanic in particular is very fresh and interesting, the basic functions of jumping, grabbing, and dashing can sometimes be a little finicky. This all results in platforming that's very functional, but doesn't always feel particularly satisfying in the moment-to-moment. When I got to the end of Grime and started tearing around the world searching for all the secrets I'd missed, I eventually began to lose interest, not because I'd run out of things to do (quite the opposite!) but because I wasn't having all that much fun platforming. Again, it's not bad, but the endgame exploration really underlined for me that this isn't a game I would've stuck with if it were about the platforming alone.
Speaking of exploration, that's the final part of the metroidvania formula, and fortunately Grime does it very well. Ever since the recent DLC, which expands and improves on the core game across the board, there are a lot of optional paths to take and rewarding secrets to uncover, including unique abilities that come from defeating side bosses. I had a blast getting lost in the midgame going through side zones and taking on harder challenges for greater rewards. There are tons of little secrets to uncover, items to find, and unique areas to progress through. No two zones feel alike, with different layouts, enemies, and environmental challenges keeping things fresh from start to finish. My only mild criticisms would be that the endgame leans a little too heavily on setpiece areas rather than playing to the strengths of the core gameplay, and there are just -so many- secrets that some feel a little underwhelming.
Overall though, Grime has way too many strengths for me to get hung up on the weaknesses. This is a 9 that would be an easy 10 if it were tightened up in just a few areas. If you liked Hollow Knight, this is the closest thing to it on the market. In terms of combat and bosses, it might just be the current pinnacle of the genre. It's also got a chunky playtime of 15+ hours, with lots of optional content and alternate playstyles to extend that dramatically. There's an ambitious NG+ DLC coming soon that looks set to make replays a blast.
Give this one a shot. It's one of the best in the genre, and definitely deserving of more recognition than it currently has.