I think the combat let the game down a bit. The fact that it is always just 1v1 or technically 2v1 in your favour removes a lot of the tension. It looked stylish and I loved how Elika weaves in and out of the Prince's attacks as they fight together but the enemy AI left a lot to be desired. There was no challenge only a few gimmicks of when to attack or positioning on the battle ground.
The lack of dying isn't an issue for me. It kind of reminds me of Dark Souls in how death is just a small set back, though obviously DS did it a bit better with all the mechanics working with it.
The parkouring, one of the reasons I like the series, is pretty much auto pilot until the later segments. I still enjoy it and it is fun to watch. Restoring the lands to life was a relaxing and satisfying feeling. As was collecting the remaining light seeds afterwards. One interesting idea they had is to allow you to rush to an enemy spawn and kill it before battle begins. This isn't done particularly well because it is sometimes difficult to see where enemy spawns are but I think this is how the game should be played. Emphasis on speedy parkouring to stop combat before it begins. The combat is there to slow you down and honestly there is too much of it. A way to eliminate it before it begins was a good idea that just needed a bit more polish in execution.
Prince and Elika's character development was great. A lot of games feature "side kick" characters that run around doing their own thing according to AI or scripts. Elika isn't quite like that. She moves around a little and follows closely but she feels almost part of the Prince mechanically because she automatically saves you from failed jumps, she acts as your double jump and you have control of her in combat with a button to make her attack. This means in combat Elika can be as aggressive as I want her to be and she is always throwing me to the next platform and not just there for switches like most other games. Another bonus is that there is very little in the game which forces you to split up from her. None of this "Wait here, I need to go do some video game chores to lower this platform" type stuff.
The banter and humour was pretty good too. It certainly grew on me. I expected it to be a bit over bearing given it was only ever between the Prince and Elika but that didn't happen.
In a word. The game was fun. I wonder if there is a good speed run of the game. Might be fun to watch.