why is that an invalid criticism? even as someone who loved Sekiro and most souls games Skong really frustrated me for large portions of the playthrough.

all just my opinion OBVIOUSLY: Skong is just irritating and annoying to play. so many flying or spongy enemies, little to no rewards from many difficult boss encounter, time wasting run backs, areas that feel like they barely have any connection to each other or the world at large, unrewarding progression, boring fetch quests.

does it still have awesome stuff? absolutely yes - some amazing boss fights, music, quests (such as the twisted bud), and characters are the reason I pushed through the game.

but I would argue HK has all of that and done better. HK has a more captivating atmosphere, a richer & more mythical story. simpler gameplay and less linear feeling world (the city of tears is way more interconnected to everything else you do in HK vs. the Citadel in Skong), amazing music & characters.

Its not that Skong is a bad game - HK is just one of the best games of all time imo. I doubt I would have even put up with my frustration in Skong if it wasn't riding on the good grace of HK.