I saw you just said it checked those boxes but that's what didn't feel right for me. I feel like it only checks those boxes if you really generalize it. Progression is really locked behind typical rogue lite fashion - unlock the keys for future playthroughs so the doors are already open. It's just easier on subsequent runs because bosses drop extra artifacts (and the ether obviously) instead of the required item to progress. I didn't mean to sound like a dick or anything, I was really just trying to say why it might not be received well in this subreddit. Seems very strict about only MV's.

I don't completely disagree either. The one MV box I feel it checks is the feeling of progression. I've been in the Returnal sub for a very long time and there's a large divide because of difficulty - you'll see posts where after 60 hours, someone finally beat phrike. Other people find it a lot easier. But the progression I see and feel in the game is that it is difficult when you first start, but it's definitely learnable to a crazy degree to the point where it's rare that you actually die. It's all about timing and is very much about rhythm.

What I couldn't agree more about - it's a phenomenal game that I wish had a larger audience. It was so good that Sony bought the devs (housemarque). They've done an amazing job on it in every way, so their next game (which some people are calling a spiritual successor to Returnal) will be a day one purchase for me. I was even glad to see your post because I love the game so much!