izigame.me

This is a hard game to give a proper "yes or no" recommendation to.
I overall have to go with 'yes', because I feel I ultimately don't regret this purchase as a whole. The feeling you get when this game is at its peak, giving you chances to peel your way through levels, taking out swaths of enemies, managing to strike the balance between being too easy and too hard, feels incredible. It gives perfect action movie vibes overall. If you die in a firefight, usually you can attribute it to your own shortcomings. Plus (for the most part), many levels space out their enemies where, if you're rushing properly, you can chain a combo for a long period of time within a level. That feeds into a great gameplay loop mixing speed and precision.
The problem is when this game goes into its second half. It seems to completely forget that design philosophy.
Now, instead of feeling like a badass, more often than not, you feel like you're at the whims of the level design. Instant-kill pits left in areas that you won't strictly see coming, mechanics that aren't taught to you that kill the pace until you figure them out, and obtuse, slow puzzles end up plaguing the game the deeper you go. Combos are impossible to string between setpieces in each level, not because it's hard, but rather it's genuinely impossible to bridge those setpieces when there's a puzzle in the way you can't take someone out during, and tiny mistakes, sometimes ones you can't even be blamed for making, can get you killed instantly and without mercy, leaving you to bash your head into a segment of the level until you can barrel past it. Also, Pedro's world is a genuinely frustrating segment of the game that tanked my mood, and set the tone for the game's second half. I've never seen a more disgustingly frustrating way to introduce you to a mechanic you will ONLY use for two levels after it's beaten through your skull.
In regards to the ending, I have mixed feelings on it. I like the overarching plot itself, as it helps paint your character in an interesting light, and explains an ongoing mystery, what happens after the revelation...well...feels like a forced way to make Pedro the final boss. It fits the vibes, sure, but...I dunno, let MC be happy with his friend Pedro, y'know?
Overall, I think the fun moments in this game outshine the bad. It's a super solid gameplay loop that's bogged down by the game designers missing the point in the second half. It's got a fun goofy action movie vibe, and I think if the creators ever made a proper sequel, they'd probably be able to iron those problems out.
So, while I lean towards a positive review...I think you might want to try and catch the game while it's on sale? It's mostly up to you, just don't say you weren't warned about the second half.