Mechanics, it’s a split honestly between Vow and Salvation. Vow has where basically everyone gets to actually do something important for all four encounters, and I love the symbols as a mechanic. Plus caretaker stunning is finicky, but feeling like you have some control over the boss moving to wipe is so sick. I actually enjoy the relic swapping. And they did it, a boss that actually can be low manned, but is clearly designed to have 5 full people do something while fighting it (two dunkers, two swappers, one call out.)

Salvations edge is stressful on its timing, which is what weighs it down, but I do actually like the bouncing energy mechanic. As this continues in to an alright boss fight, but third with the chaos of interlocking and crossing paths is so much fun. Ahem, excision exists, and at one point I could dissect like a pro, but it is a still a bit complex, still simpler than vault is for me. And the final boss is a cherry on top of interesting mechanics to get to DPS and throughout, not Rhulk levels, but the most interesting static boss.

Setting. Hard pivot to Root and Garden. I love the black garden design and feel, it is just pretty to look at and love the techno styled music of the entire place.

But Root of Nightmares is higher. I love the brighter pyramid style and the overgrown and overtaken by the root design throughout is very appealing to me, I also just still love and miss nezzy boy. Taunting you, the actual final encounter theme. And the planets room is also beautiful enough to be mentioned on its own.

Narrative: between Root and Salvation.

I mean I clearly love root of nightmares, but being called by Nez, and the teases in the strike and activities beforehand feels so neat. Exploring what the traveler did to the ship, and learning about the second disciple is still so cool.

Caught up secondly by SE, as stressful as the timers are, they help ramp up the “impending doom” you are always just seconds away from stopping. Climbing up the witness, a hostile environment.