So I finished the game after a marathon session (chapter 7-end) yesterday. Time was around 14:15. Pretty satisfied with the length, especially with NG+ and additional difficulties to play.
Just some quick thoughts. I think the gameplay is generally amazing, with stellar mechanics and encounter design. The feedback from killing, or hell, even merely wounding enemies in some cases is some of the best I've ever seen. Many encounters are crafty in their construction, and even the more rudimentary fights are elevated by the pure joy of the mechanics.
Aesthetically, I'm very pleased with the game for the most part. Sound design is pretty much perfect given the scenarios in the game, and the art design rises above the technical shortcomings of the engine.
A few knocks against the game: The graphics become pretty bland during outdoor areas late in the game. There's occasional jank in the gameplay with certain prompts requiring a bit of effort to trigger, or Seb just not moving quite as accurately as I want, or crouch walking feeling just a tad too slow. I'm pretty alright with the black bars by this point, though the FOV still feels a bit too narrow in most cases. While I found the story to be very interesting in concept, the characters amount to nothing and there seem to be way too many holes for anything to really tie together logically.
I have to mention that dat Mikami pacing is in full effect here. As noted, I played from chapter 7 to the end of the game in one sitting (minus bathroom breaks) without ever getting bored. It's kind of difficult for me to describe why, but Mikami just fucking gets pacing. The game moves from stealth encounters, to balls-out action, to psychological moments, to exploratory situations, back to other stuff over and over without skipping a beat. Just masterful.
Overall, this is nearly a 15 hour ride that I'll definitely take again. Mikami nails the - and I don't use this word often - "visceral" nature of combat like no one else. Fucking dudes up in this game is a sadistic joy. Pacing is pitch-perfect and the scenarios are constantly inventive. The game is also quite a looker most of the time.
Rating this game is difficult. I'd like to say 8/10 but my heart says 9/10. I feel this is definitely a game that's more than the sum of its parts. I suppose its a bit like that Dan Hsu Gears of War review where he trashes several elements of the game before giving it top marks. For all the occasional jank in the gameplay, irrelevant characters, and technical issues (framerate/FOV/letterboxing), the game just hit me in the feels like no other in recent memory. I may be a bit biased because RE4 is my favorite game of all time, but goddamn if TEW not only scratched an itch I've had for nearly 10 years, but scratched it well. Welcome back, Mikami. We've missed you.