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Interesting Italian Souls-like, Still Need Some Time In The Oven Though

This game deserves a mixed review. Every time I find something interesting about Enotria: The Last Song, the game always reminds me that this is a buggy mess. Combat certainly rocks, but the camera angle has a mind of its own; weapons and masks all look fancy, yet I need to roll through an inconvenient and forgetful UI to get to the things I want. However, if you are willing to look pass the technical issues and the lacking of quality of life changes, there is definitely something special here.

Things I Like About Enotria: The Last Song:

1. Italian Style And Theatrical Theme
A refreshing take to the otherwise usually gloomy and hopeless Souls-like.

The bright color and the Italian touch certainly feels refreshing. The sceneries are beautiful. I guarantee you will be amazed by the golden sunflower fields in the beginning.
The exotic town of Quinta, the crystal-clear water and the bright white shore of Falesia Magna, and the gorgeous watercity of Litumnia, each area in this game is nothing short of wonder.
Of course the whole mask feature and the flamboyant costumes are inspired by the Venice Carnival. This pique my interest greatly.
I like the theatrical theme. The world is a stageplay drafted by the powerful mask bearer. Because of stalemate between each being, this stage is forced into stagnant script. You, a mask-less one, are born from change, and it's on you to write an ending to this lasting interlude.
I also like how the characters speak in such a bombastic way, especially bosses. The exaggerated gestures combining with their quirky intonation easily make them memorable. Shame not everyone is voice-acted though.

2. Mask-changing System And Builds
Basically, an instant loadout switch.

One of prominent features of this game is the mask system. You can customize three loadout slots and you can switch between them freely on the go.
You can equip one mask(usually a passive ability and an awakened one), one role(stat boosting and some minor enhancements), four mask lines(active abilities that need to be charged first), and six perks(playstyle modifiers) in a loadout.
The sheer amount of perks, masks, and mask lines allows you to create your own playstyle. And on top of all these, weapons and consumables can also be equipped separately between loadouts to truly tailor your ideal build.
One thing worth noting: switching masks also grants you the "awakened" state, meaning you can fully take advantage of each mask's awakened condition by actively switching loadouts.
This naturally leads to some interesting playstyle. You can have an aggressive build going all out for a second, then switch to a more defensive/healing-focused build to either parry or recover. The flexibility is amazing if you experiment around.

3. Other Compliments

You can refund upgrade materials from a weapon as many time as you want. You still need to farm memoria though.
Wearing certain masks can trigger special dialogue for some NPC.
Tons of cool and unique weapons to collect. I also like that rarity actually adds something new to the weapons(Rare grants some attacks elemental bonus, Epic adds new attacks to existing combo, Legendary offers completely new move sets).


Thing I Like And Dislike About Enotria: The Last Song:

The Four Elements
Intriguing on paper, in need of refinements on execution.

Like
Instead of using the usual elemental trope, Enotria: The Last Song creates its own elements and gives them a sort of double-edged effect. Vis cause Dizzy, giving you attack boost and stamina regeneration at the cost of lower defense; Fatuo cause Wicked, increasing your elemental damage output but enemies will heal when they hit you; Gratia causes Radiant, offering passive healing but will make you explode when hit; Malanno causes Sick, a poison DOT that will affect you stand too close.
Knowing their effects and playing around them can be a massive boost to your power. Likewise, inflicting enemies with the right element can often turn the tide.
Dislike
Currently I think Vis and Fatuo are way too strong. Their status effects are useful no matter who the receiver is and completely overshadowed the other two. Sick status decays way too fast considering its DOT ticking way too slow. Radiant is just not worth the trouble. The explosion doesn't justify the healing effect.
I wish there were some interaction between each element. Something along the line of Sick status can also trigger Wicked's healing effect, or Dizzy can boost Sick's DOT damage or reduce Radiant healing power.


Things I Dislike About Enotria: The Last Song:

1. Some Quality of Life Needed
From bugs to bad UI designs, it is quite annoying.

I hate that you have to manually click the increase button every single time if you want to buy multiple.
Scroll down from the bottom will be bring it to the top, but somehow it doesn't work in reverse?!
Please add more columns to all the menu. Rolling down a single long column just to find one thing can be tedious.
On the same note, why can't the game remembering my sorting method? Whenever I equip a weapon, I have to re-select the sorting options every single time.
If you click to read the compendium entry pop-up during any NPC dialogue, you will be soft-locked and neither your controller nor keyboard will work(only in game).
If you stand right under the bosses when they do any jump attacks, there's a chance their AI will freeze for the whole fight(very inconsistent though).

2. Other Complaints

Please for the love of god add a storage box or something similar.
I feel like the Ardore Burst and the whole "reshaping reality" thing are under-utilized.
Half of the mask lines are just re-using weapon move sets.

中文小簡評
→義大利風味的類魂，體感不錯，可惜一些不人性化的UI和bug很勸退。
→意外地很喜歡這種明亮且充滿異國風情的設計，開場的向日葵花園令人印象深刻。
→故事背景深受威尼斯面具影響，再搭配舞台劇風格，造就出與眾多類魂截然不同的體驗。
→角色也因為演員的身分常常有浮誇的獨白，特別是Boss很有記憶點(雖然不是每位都有配音)。
→至於戰鬥的部分除了架招和閃避外，有個特別的面具系統。基本上是能讓你隨時切換不同的裝備組合，多樣主被動技能配合不同面具的能力可以玩出很多花樣，可以先用高傷害的面具進攻，情況危急時切換防禦或回復型面具架招回復。
→遊戲也鼓勵玩家多切換，切換面具會自動進入覺醒狀態觸發面具特效。
→諸多很酷的武器供玩家蒐藏，本作也讓你隨時降級武器取回強化素材，去嘗試不同武器與裝備。
→武器有不同級別，稀有級別會讓部分攻擊上元素傷害，史詩級別動作會新增額外攻擊，而傳奇級別則有完全不同的連擊。
→四種主要元素相互克制，每個元素都有雙面刃的特性(暈眩會讓降防增傷)，玩家和敵人皆適用，有效迴避負面特性就能獲得強力增幅。可惜就目前狀況只有兩種元素好用，另外兩個的效果非常雞肋，除非是敵人有屬性相剋，不然完全不建議使用。
→太多不人性的UI設計：買東西要一個一個點不能按著自動增量、往下滑動到底部會自動回到第一項，但向上滑動卻不會拉到底部、裝備介面應該要多點格子而不是一格拉到底、系統也不會記得我的分類，每換一把武器就得重新設定。
→太多bug：在與NPC對話時如果點文件提示閱讀的話很容易讓你的鍵盤或搖桿完全失靈(僅限遊戲)、如果你在Boss跳躍攻擊時站到他正下方，他的AI有機率完全癱瘓。
→怎麼會沒有儲物箱的設計啊.....
→「改變現實」這項設計的運用稍嫌不足。
→近一半的法術都只是借用武器攻擊的模組而已。