I love these games so much. The story, the aesthetic, the powers, so much of it makes it very easy to get engrossed in this series.
But there is also so much that makes me just not want to keep playing. Sections where the problem isn't "how do I get around this" but rather "gee I hope I can kill one of the enemies before I die this time." Dying stops being a punishment and starts being an expectation.
I love games that play with shields/invulnerability to make you take damage to get past an obstacle. But what made me stop playing this game was a respawning snail positioned right in front of a crystal that I had to run through, staring down a long tunnel that made avoiding it impossible. *Maybe* I was supposed to go find another shield upgrade, or *maybe* I was supposed to just throw myself at it until the patterned worked out for me. I honestly can't tell, and that's what's wrong with this game.