The Lands Between open up to you, vast and hostile, and nobody will tell you where to begin.

On gut feeling, the community ranks it high, ahead of nearly eight games out of ten. And the detail confirms a monster of consistency. One single game on a desert island? It comes close to first. Its art style and soundtrack also clear 99% of titles, and the wish to rediscover it climbs almost as high. Controller feel, fun, and attachment follow, all well above average. No weak spot, just peaks and very strong scores. Its raw preference, a notch below those peaks, maybe tells of the game's demand: you admire it without reserve, even when it beats you down.

Next to other open world role playing games, it imposed its formula: total freedom, blunt difficulty, and a world you piece together in fragments.

So, who is it for? For you if you like to explore unguided, take hits, start over, and tear out every victory. Much less if dry difficulty or the lack of a guiding thread frustrates you.