If Steam had a 5 star rating system, I would probably give this a 4 (with anything 3 and up being worth playing at least once). I'm in it mostly for the gameplay, but if I cared more about the plot then I would probably give it a 3.5. I would definitely recommend it to fans of 2D action platformer games.

I enjoyed the gameplay enough to play it through a second time, immediately after the first, so I could write a guide for orb locations (since I couldn't find good info about them online).

The first level is rough. You will feel how clunky the controls can be, but give it a chance. Once you complete the first level you will get a movement ability that will make all the combat and level traversal much more enjoyable. The combat just gets better from there as you get more abilities.

If you don't like platforming (including using your weapon to pogo and swinging from grapple points) then stay away. Most of the game is pretty tame with platforming (at least tame if you are used to this type of game) until the last level. There is a section in the last level that ramps up the difficulty and can require the ability to pogo. I had to do that section somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 times on my first playthrough, but I think I made it through on the first try on the second playthrough.

My only real point of contention with the plot is that when you find out more information about what is going on towards the end of the game, it feels very contrived. It really seems barely plausible to me, at least the way it is presented and explained. The plot could have been left mostly the same and if they came up with some better reasons for things later on then I would have given it solid marks. I am going to speak more about what I mean in the spoiler tag below.

I call BS on how the other guardians and the witch treated Teddy throughout the whole game. I guess it boils down to, "Oh, we didn't think you would listen to reason so we decided to piss you off to try to bring back your memories." That is just crap writing. They could have just copied the twist from the end of BioShock 1 and that would have been significantly better. Or they could have actually had the witch/guardians try to reason with Teddy and then had Lighty frame it as them trying to confuse/corrupt him. Then we, as the player, could have been left guessing as to what was really going on.

So in my opinion, the plot was entirely ruined by the reveal at the end.

Of the similar games I really enjoy, and often replay, I would order the list from best to worst (well really more like great to good) like below. Keep in mind, gameplay is the most important criteria to me, followed by art/graphics, then plot being last.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
ASTLIBRA Revision
Vigil: The Longest Night
Hollow Knight
Afterimage
Dust: An Elysian Tail
The Vagrant
8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure
Minoria
ENDER LILIES
The Darkest Tales