So, I'll do my best to explain the biggest reason why I think the game was a dud.
It made the mistake of being a detective game, and you played as a detective. An unlikable detective at that, who was a departure from the character you came to love in Treasure of Nadia. So there's that going in.
The problem with it being a detective game was that its a linear story with one single path, and it holds your hand through the duration of the game and your guardian angel does more detective work than you. This game gave me no sense of accomplishment because I didn't feel like I accomplished anything of note whatsoever, or figured anything out on my own whatsoever, and I dont think there was anything of note to figure out. The main character I played as was an idiot who oversaw a very narrative driven story where everything came about around him, with a lot of swerves, way less ingenuity, and he was just there.
It's a game you can't play without a guide. "Oh wow, how did I not think to walk over into this section of wall and then go down 3 steps to find an invisible key," or expecting me to be able to put together 3 magic ingredients and MacGuyver a chainsaw to cut into a pantry to find dust to make a bomb. So it was also a nuisance to have to refer to a guide at every step of the way.
It jumped the shark and went off the rails when it started getting into hell and portals. At that point there was nothing exciting left to see or do. I remember in Treasure of Nadia it was a very slow build, in particular with the character of Janet, that by the time you got to scenes 81 and 90 you were set to explode after months of anticipation. This game had no such buildup or tension. It teased it early on with your boss but that quickly went up in smoke. All the payoffs came early and there were better scenes earlier than later.
I felt Treasure of Nadia was superior in every way. A treasure hunter works for a game thats a fetch quest. That character just felt funnier and more likable. In a perfect world, I hope the next game in the series just breaks the fourth wall and reveals the main character all along was you playing through an avatar. But in terms of consistency, dedication and quality, NLT media still sits at the top when you consider the alternatives. This just felt like Mass Effect 3 compared to Mass Effect 2.
