3,5?! Did they even put the game into NDS? I don't know, maybe I was playing different game, eh?
It's quite funny, because it's hard to agree with any point marked by pro review.
Very poor, uncomfortable controls - well... it feelth strange for 5-15 minutes. And after that time it's in the blood. You can't go wrong with them! So no, controls are comfortable and well done for this production.
Shallow, occasionally buggy combat - yep, few buggs spoted. Shallow? I don't know - it's a mirror of Your gamplay. If You are mind challenged berserker running toward every enemy... let's consider it's as shallow as You let it be. And yes- that is laughing at guy, who wrote the review.
Aggravating, artificial difficulty - hmm... I'll try not to be insulting this time. Just- it's an RPG. Depends on how You put Your points every lvl, games could be really hard or easy. For me was really easy. So... what did You do to make it hard? Put the points random?
Forgoes adventure-novel aspects - what? didn't even understand that...
Boring plot and quests - could be better. It's not boring, it's just to classic. Nothing new and everything was in other games. 100 times before.
Some parts of the review made me laugh- really. For example:
"Many of the rooms share the same basic design and name"- name? yes. Same design? Only the temple where You can save. Show me two identical places in the game - I dare You!
Most of the review is like this. Just author failed in gaming and shared with us his frustration. For example- he was trying to wave spells while he was playing warrior archetype. Say, what? It's nothing strange that game was hard. Cant reach spells while playing warrior? well- You shouldn't, that's the point.
I've beat the game twice (and started two more times) - as a mage and warrior. The mage had harsh few first levels and then it was all too easy. Warrior was completely different - easy at the beginning and later more challenging. It's an RPG, all depends on plan that You have. I had, it wasn't too bad. And it made game worthy of my time. And the pro review wasn't.