This is a “main game” for a while, not something you casually poke at once a month. The core story alone runs around 25–30 hours, and a satisfying run that includes a healthy mix of side quests, exploration, and a bit of co-op will land closer to 40–60 hours. For a busy adult, that translates to a few evenings a week over a month or two. Sessions themselves fit nicely into 60–90 minute blocks: long enough to clear a chapter mission or dungeon and do some wandering, short enough to wrap before bed. Server-side saving and menu pauses make it easy to stop when life intervenes, though unpausable dialogue and the always-online requirement can occasionally be annoying. If you leave for a couple of weeks, expect a short “what was I doing?” phase as you relearn your build and goals. Social features are fully optional; treating it as a solo story with light online extras works fine.

This is not a background game. When you’re out in the world, you’re reading enemy tells, lining up dodges and parries, tracking cooldowns, and deciding which skills to weave into each combo. Between fights you’re choosing where to go next, which quest to follow, and whether that glowing event on the horizon is worth the detour. On top of that, the game layers multiple currencies, gear systems, and skill trees, so visiting town often turns into a quick planning session about upgrades and builds. The good news is that menus and photo mode effectively pause solo play, letting you catch your breath or step away. Towns and safe hubs also offer genuine low-pressure moments. But if you like to half-watch TV or scroll your phone while playing, you’ll either miss important cues or end up pausing constantly. It asks for solid, sustained attention, and in return delivers a satisfying feeling of being fully absorbed in its world.

Learning this game is more about breadth than raw execution. You’ll grasp basic attacks, dodges, and glides quickly, but then the systems open up: multiple weapon types, internal cultivation styles, mystic techniques, professions, and more. Expect a few nights before all the menus, icons, and terms stop feeling overwhelming. For the main story on recommended settings, you don’t need to master everything; solid basics and a sensible build will carry you through. Where mastery really shines is in how the game feels once you get comfortable. Perfectly timed deflects, air juggles, and clever skill chains turn fights into stylish martial-arts set pieces. Thoughtful build choices can dramatically change how your character plays, and they matter a lot if you ever dabble in harder modes, co-op dungeons, or PvP. The game rewards practice and experimentation, but doesn’t demand perfection just to see the credits.

Emotionally, this sits in the middle of the spectrum. Regular exploration and routine fights feel energetic but relaxed—you’re engaged, not sweating. Big set-piece bosses and high-level areas can absolutely spike your heart rate for a few minutes, especially while you’re still learning patterns, but failure usually just means a quick reload rather than losing hours of progress. The story deals with war, betrayal, and supernatural threats, yet presents them in a stylized, martial-arts-fantasy way rather than bleak realism. That keeps the mood adventurous rather than oppressive. There’s another kind of pressure, though: the live-service structure and gacha cosmetics can create fear of missing out, especially if you’re prone to chasing limited-time items. Overall, it’s a good fit if you’re okay with some challenge and excitement after work but don’t want something as relentlessly stressful as a hardcore Soulslike or a horror game.