Mina the Hollower is a very special game. On one hand, it's a very good, even great experience, but on the other, it has so many frustrating moments that it prevents it from becoming truly fantastic. It's definitely enjoyable, yes, but it can be equally frustrating at times.
The presentation is easily one of the high points, featuring fantastic music and an absolutely beautiful art style. The graphics use parallax effects perfectly to add a ton of depth to the scenes, making it a really pretty-looking game. The level design is also something I really loved; except for some annoying platforming sections in a few places, it is brilliant, packed with lots of secrets and shortcuts to find everywhere.
The combat is another pleasant surprise because it's actually very varied. You get several types of weapons that make the gameplay feel entirely different, and when you add the multitude of different trinkets you can equip, you can easily make a build that fits your exact playstyle. Plus, the game starts with a steep difficulty curve that tones down once you get a handle on the controls. It's not especially punishing overall, mostly because you can just accumulate bones to level up as much as you want. Kudos to the devs for also including plenty of accessibility options so almost anyone can tailor the challenge to their liking!
For me personally, though, the real problem comes down to the burrowing mechanic. This is your main ability to avoid damage, but it comes with a huge lag that makes it incredibly frustrating to use. Mina jumps into the air before burrowing down, leaving her completely defenseless and open to getting hit. I really didn't like this mechanic, and it took a lot of the fun out of the movement for me.
Another small annoyance was the lack of a proper map. It can get a bit irritating to navigate, though if you talk to all the characters and read the in-game newspapers, you at least get hints pointing you to your next objective. It's not optimal by any means, but you do eventually get used to it.
Ultimately, I found Mina the Hollower to be a very good but flawed experience. After finishing the game, I didn't have any desire to hunt down the remaining collectibles or start a New Game+ run. Even with those flaws, though, it is still absolutely worth playing!
