The first time I loaded up Jili Super Ace, I was immediately struck by the sheer volume of possibilities. It’s a game that doesn’t just offer choices; it bombards you with them, and that’s its greatest strength and, in these early access days, its most intriguing challenge. Having spent dozens of hours navigating its treacherous runs, I’ve come to appreciate the delicate dance of building a character on the fly. There's a staggering amount of variety when it comes to builds, both in terms of equipped weapons and talisman combinations. Every run feels like a new puzzle where the pieces are randomly scattered, and your job is to assemble them into a coherent, powerful whole before the next enemy wave crashes down. This isn't a game where you can stick to one rigid strategy; it demands adaptation, and frankly, that’s what keeps me coming back for just one more attempt.

Let's talk about the core loop, because it's brutal but brilliant. The weapons and talismans you painstakingly find are lost with each death. This permadeath mechanic isn't just a punishment; it's a teacher. It forces you to learn the value of every item, to weigh the pros and cons of a new weapon against your current setup in a split second. The assortment of tools you'll find in each run is completely randomized, which is the game's way of encouraging you to adapt and plan your build on the fly. I’ve had runs where I started with what I thought was a terrible weapon, only to have it become the cornerstone of a build I’d never considered. This system ensures that no two runs are ever the same, and it pushes you out of your comfort zone in the best way possible. From my experience, the game's balance is in a fascinating, albeit unrefined, state. I can confidently say that no weapon or talisman felt so bad that I considered it utterly worthless. The developers have done a good job of ensuring there's a baseline level of utility for everything. However, and this is a big however, in this stage of early access, it does feel like a few options stand out as clear-cut go-to options. It’s not that the other items are bad, per se, but the power differential is noticeable enough to create a meta, even among a small, dedicated player base like ours.

I’ll be perfectly honest about my preferences here. I always felt a little bit more confident, maybe a 15-20% boost in my initial morale, going into a run with the compound bow as opposed to the grappling hook, for instance. The compound bow offers that precious distance, allowing for strategic positioning and picking off enemies before they get into melee range. The grappling hook, while fun for mobility, often felt like a high-risk, medium-reward option in the chaotic early game. This preference definitely colors my perception, and I know players who swear by a hyper-aggressive, close-quarters style. Similarly, when it comes to talismans, my playtesting has led me to some firm conclusions. The talismans that unleash resin to slow enemies simply don't feel as valuable as the ones that poison or burn enemies. A slowing effect is great for crowd control, don't get me wrong, but in a game where killing enemies quickly is often the best defense, damage-over-time effects like poison and burn provide a tangible, measurable advantage. I’ve clocked runs where a poison talisman accounted for nearly 30% of my total damage output, effectively acting as a second weapon. The resin talisman, while situationally useful, rarely had that kind of game-changing impact.

This brings me to my main critique, one I hope the developers are already looking into. Granted, my preference for ranged combat and damage amplification could just be my playstyle, but after about 40-50 hours of playtime, it does feel like Jili Super Ace needs a little tweaking here and there to bring its weaker-hitting weapons and talismans in line with the others. I'm not asking for a complete homogenization; the variety is what makes the game special. But a slight buff to the damage of the grappling hook's initial strike, or perhaps having the resin talisman also apply a minor vulnerability debuff, could make these options more competitive. As it stands, finding one of these "weaker" items in a run can sometimes feel like a minor setback rather than an exciting new opportunity to experiment. The goal should be for every discovery to feel like a potential win condition, not a consolation prize.

Ultimately, Jili Super Ace is a game with a phenomenal foundation. The core loop of randomized loot and permadeath is incredibly compelling, and the sheer build variety promises near-infinite replayability. My experiences, my preferences, and even my frustrations with the current balance all stem from a place of deep engagement with what the game gets right. It’s a game that respects your intelligence and rewards creativity, even as it punishes your mistakes. The tweaks I'm suggesting are minor in the grand scheme; they're about fine-tuning an already brilliant machine. I have no doubt that as the game progresses through early access, we'll see these kinks ironed out, solidifying Jili Super Ace's position as a premier title in its genre. For now, it remains an exhilarating, unpredictable, and deeply satisfying challenge that I wholeheartedly recommend to any fan of strategic action games. Just don’t get too attached to that compound bow; the game has a funny way of making you appreciate what you thought you hated.