Great potential, but rather tarnished
For the most part, I have to echo the statements by 852054 (see review below). I encountered all of the same issues, and some are fairly large bugs that need to be dealt with. I'd feel like a jerk if I asked if there even was a Beta Testing phase, but seriously I was forced to wonder at some points during gameplay. Then again, perhaps we *are* the testing phase...
I will readily acknowledge that a whole lot of work was put into this project. I can see it in the designs of the characters, backgrounds, HUD, main UI, and so on. The animations are fluid and tight, and generally hit detection seems pretty good (sans the everything-after-the-first-hit-is-sup erfluous glitch in gauntlet rounds). The special moves, power-ups, finishers and so on are pretty great and they definitely add a real arcade feel to the overall game.
There is some very annoying yet quite logical enemy AI (can we say hit-and-run bowmen?), and I found that the difficulty curve ramped up tremendously as I wandered through the forest level. Enemy HP levels were often shockingly high for anything in the double digits, and there are too many with undeniably cheap attacks. When you're getting mobbed by several different types of enemies, there's just no strategy that doesn't include getting pounded on mercilessly as you attempt to repay the favor.
The main story is based around the fairly standard "save the girl" idea that we've seen a hundred times, but there's a deeper story that revolves around the main character that I didn't really get into as much as I would like to due in no small part to the glitches and imminent frustration they cause. The music is pretty...or exciting...or whatever is required at the time. In other words, the music fits and does its job well without taking center stage away from what really matters: the action. Sound effects are similarly - pardon the slight pun - effective, and they lend themselves well to what's going on without being too intrusive. That also includes the voice acting, which was also quite good as far as I'm concerned.
In conclusion, I really love the artistic side of this game; the aural and visual aspects really stand out. What's needed is more polish on the technical side of the game. Find and fix the bugs that take away our very important ability to view our Health, Soul, and Experience meters. Without additional tweaking, the coveted "fun factor" just isn't there when it comes to extended gameplay. When a game stops being fun, people stop playing. I can see the hidden potential for a truly impressive Flash gaming experience, but for now it is being marred by gameplay issues, the need to gravitate to a different site for additional content, and the aesthetic lack of medals here on Newgrounds that would most certainly increase interest. Best of luck!