LEARSON - Chapter Three

First, I'd advise you to read my reviews on this series.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Again, I'll start with things that I don't like compared to previous entries and then talk about things I actually do like. This is so that my review ends with a positive note.

First, the things I don't like.
The way it starts is awkward. Sure, you get a nice little bit of gameplay at the beginning jumping over some water, but it really does start more in the middle of the story than the two previous chapters. Events continue to happen in a way that someone would not understand if they haven't play the earlier two games. This can be gathered through dialogue later, but for the first and somewhat long portion of the game, the new player would need to devote a significant amount of time to it to be able to figure it out. So, it is best to play these games in chronological order. Being stand-alone may increase accessibility on one hand, on the other hand it makes making a narrative more difficult. I don't know how it could be changed to make the start more awkward, except perhaps providing a journal in the menu that contains information for the curious player. I think the plot at this point slightly breaks the scope of what's suitable for an episodic adventure such as this.
I'm still wondering about the motivations of some of the characters and this far in, I'd expect a few nuggets of information on that. Additionally, it seems some plot holes are forming that I hope will be solved soon enough. I don't think you'll see this if you haven't played the two previous chapters.

Secondly, the things I liked.
Some of my general criticisms carry on over, but the minimal parkour system is a lot better in this chapter. I think the developer has gotten a lot closer to mastering it and it is a very worthwhile addition to this game.
In my previous two reviews I said that I wanted to see more gameplay wedged between cutscenes and this chapter deliver quite a bit more, I think.
The puzzles also seem to be better and more rational.
The music remains good. The mapping is pretty good.
The story isn't quite as good as chapter 2, but it's better than chapter 1. I think this is due to a certain character being tortured. I'm trying to say this in a way that avoids spoilers. You'll know what I'm talking about when you play. It just seems a bit bizarre.

Overall, this is turning out to be a fairly exceptional series and I think it reach's it's peak here. The plot remains tense and it shines through by really providing a better playing experience.