Ghost of a Tale (not Tail)

If I'd been asked to consider or describe a game as "Soulsborne sans combat" a week or two ago, I would have simply been befuddled. Combat is a pretty integral part of that third-person romp through atmospheric lands. Now, however, that sticks in my mind as an accurate, boiled-down description of the gameplay in Ghost of a Tale.
I've seen some reviews that focus on the stealth aspect, which is not entirely invalid, but that matters less after the first third (or so) of the game, when a disguise allows free movement through previously-guarded areas. There are some puzzles here and there, as well as things to find. That leaves the main thread of gameplay being the heavy emphasis on exploration of areas that interlock and curve back on themselves in ways that are fun to uncover.
The atmosphere is definitely there, it not as bleak and lonely as a Souls game. A nice feature lets you get a pop-up with further details on lore terms as they come up in conversation (rather than needing to dig through menus) and there is a weight of that history hovering over the present, both in setting and characters. I found the handful of major NPCs all game across as very genuine. The player gets insights into the protagonist's history as collectibles are found, but he starts to see some of that through new eyes as well. As Tilo is a mouse minstrel, we also get his book of songs - one that is revised and added to over the course of the story and makes a very nice touch.
Early on, I felt the distinct lack of voice and immediately thought, "Man, this could have been that much better." Looking back after completing the game, however, I'm less sure. That might have been a design/budget decision, but for as much as I wanted voice to start with, I wasn't bothered by the absence by the end. Some of those lines would have been difficult to deliver with the proper emotion and I find myself wondering if filling in the gaps mentally (as one must with a book compared to a movie) might have actually added to the experience.
Technically, I had a few problems along the way. Three or four times, I got Tilo and the camera stuck in a spot for several seconds. There were some occasions of being able to see sky instead of terrain until I moved close enough. I also hit a progress-blocking bug with a quest - thanks to a note on Steam, I was able to email my save file and get a fixed version back in within an hour (on a Sunday). There have been update patches coming out frequently these first few days after release fixing most of the major issues. Given the game was largely developed by one person, I credit the response time more than I blame for the bugs in the first place.
I don't consider it a spoiler (though some might) to say the ending does not wrap everything up. To me, it felt satisfying in the way that a short first novel of a series might. There are revelations and developments. There's a climax. The main threads of the story, however, are still there and the door is wide open for continuation.
And I find myself sincerely hoping it comes.