ThatAnimeGuy

Starting off strong, the current state of this mod pack is impressive, laying a solid foundation for future growth. Not only is it a reverse playthrough experience, but it very much resonates with a single word: Escape. Once you play for a while you very quickly realize that this isn't a finished mod pack yet, which is completely acceptable considering what it currently offers and what it could bring to the table. It successfully builds a sense of challenge and danger with every step, encouraging risky maneuvers for faster progress at the cost of potentially losing everything.

The overall difficulty and balance I would say is a mixed bag. While there are enjoyable mechanics and adaptable play styles, some of the enemies currently feel skewed when it comes to gameplay. For example, the basic Flayed enemies are well-designed as swarm-type mobs, but their damage output makes them disproportionately threatening, even when encountered alone. On the other hand, newer mobs like the Revenants strike a good balance. They aren't overly fast but can blink to the player, staying close. Their low damage output combined with a moderate HP pool makes them deceptively dangerous if you allow them to swarm.

The look and feel of the Nether and other biomes provide a massive level of immersion. However, there are a few areas that could be refined, such as the Erebus. Transitioning from the brightly lit Nether into pitch darkness feels abrupt, especially when considering the presence of the Deep Dark. For a location that has a ton of plants and wildlife, it'd be nice to see even a bit of base lighting, even if only dim light. 

I will say that I was unable to experience the full potential of the mod pack due to the heavy shader pack provided, which can be demanding on system resources, particularly for AMD users (Nvidia users may have a smoother experience.) It might be worth seeing if the pack can't support a few different types of shader packs, ranging from the default one it uses now to a much lightweight variant of it. This would allow for a good amount of players to still get the feel and effects the shaders provide, which I feel is a major key to the level of immersion this mod pack can provide.

In terms of replayability, this mod pack seems best suited for speedrunners rather than casual players. However, I do feel that it's a good pack for everyone to at least try once or twice. Even for a casual Minecraft player, this could be viewed as a "Dark Souls" level speedrun pack, which can provide a different experience than you'd be used to. That being said, in no way does this factor detract the quality the mod pack provides. The mod pack's mechanics, such as death systems and the one-hour time limit, are perfectly tailored for speedrunning, achieving their intended purpose seamlessly.

The only other point of information I'd like to see touched up on is the documentation. While the existing guide book covers basic information, I feel that it misses some crucial information for progression, especially since newer updates introduce new mechanics, mobs, and routes. I do agree that some of the information can be discovered simply by playing the game long enough, I also feel that your standard player isn't going to want that trial and error experience, especially in a speedrun setting. 

Overall, this is a strong mod pack deserving an 8.5/10 in its current state. I can easily see it reaching a 9 to 9.5/10 with continued development. Though there are areas that need fine-tuning, the progress it's had so far suggests these can be fixed and/or improved upon in the future. Definitely worth taking a look at!