ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom within the Mist is a comply with as much as the highly-beloved cult basic ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights. Whereas the sport takes a variety of inspiration from its predecessor, it does function a number of enhancements and modifications, a lot of that are constructive, a few of which want some enhancements.
ENDER MAGNOLIA is ready many years after ENDER LILIES within the Land of Fumes, a big magical kingdom teeming with assets and all method of Homunculi. Homunculi are magically artificially created creatures who’ve misplaced their minds to the mysterious poisonous fumes. The sport follows Lilac who’s an “Attuner”, a person who possesses the facility to purify and management Homunculi. The sport begins with Lilac in an underground laboratory full of maddening homunculi waking as much as discover that she remembers nothing. Together with her energy as an attuner, she’s in a position to recruit her first Homunculi, Nola, and collectively they set out on a quest to get well her misplaced recollections, defeating enemies and recruiting extra Homunculi alongside the best way.
The Story and Gameplay
The story of ENDER MAGNOLIA is just not not like that of ENDER LILIES as each comply with younger ladies who use the assistance of others to assist a ruined kingdom and defeat foes. Nevertheless, ENDER MAGNOLIA begins off a lot in another way than its predecessor. Because it follows an amnesiac, the story is instructed backwards. Whereas it doesn’t change the truth that the premise is fascinating, it nonetheless makes the story more durable to understand and comply with, at the very least from the start, as all of the crucial info, like who Liliac is, what an Attuner is, and what makes her an Attuner are all sparsely outlined from the beginning. This makes it onerous to know what’s going on from the onset. What’s worse, is that because the construct I performed on has no voice appearing, I discovered it onerous to be hooked up to any of the characters regardless of their tales being offered via quick, lovely cutscenes. Nevertheless, as you progress the sport, decide up lore notes, and meet characters, you begin to perceive the narrative, and the way the remaining mysteries function good motivators to see the story via.
Gameplay-wise, the sport additionally performs very equally to ENDER LILIES, as gamers acquire and struggle with a number of Homunculi, a lot of whom they first encounter as bosses they’ll first must defeat earlier than recruiting. These homunculi supply selection to gameplay as some, like Nola, execute quick and heavy assaults, some use projectiles, and others are used for alternate assaults that add standing results like Ice and burning however have a cooldown. Many of those homunculi may swap to alternate assault sorts as soon as the mandatory half has been discovered throughout exploration. For instance, gamers can swap Nola’s quick slash assaults to heavy assaults when a hammer half is discovered. Whereas these variations add depth to the sport, small tidbits like how one can’t swap from quick to heavy assaults on the fly or how one can’t constantly shoot projectiles whereas hitting targets concurrently really feel like pointless oversights. Except for Homunculi, gamers may purchase Relics, which function equippable equipment that change up your stats in numerous methods, nullify elemental injury, and extra.
The Good and Dangerous Gameplay Options
Regardless of its oversights, I nonetheless loved the general gameplay expertise as ENDER MAGNOLIA options many quality-of-life additions that many Metroidvanias lack. A very good readable map, an expandable minimap, and the power to quick journey from any level within the sport, to call a couple of, make the gameplay expertise extremely participating and pain-free. That is particularly whereas going through the sport’s many difficult bosses and minibosses.
Talking of bosses, whereas the Early Entry construct solely options about three bosses and 4 minibosses, every is excellently designed and provides a substantial amount of problem that’s robust however truthful. Confronted with every boss’ huge arsenal of strikes and expertise, gamers should study to counter every transfer, making every boss battle extra thrilling than the final. Whereas the minibosses don’t retain this, as every noticeably has a restricted variety of strikes, they just do as properly with countering gamers’ positioning and assaults.
Last Ideas
By way of visuals, ENDER MAGNOLIA is by far one of many best-looking Metroidvania video games I’ve ever performed shortly. The sport provides a incredible artwork route by way of its picturesque illustrations, nice character designs, and superb backgrounds. It additionally options detailed fashions and easy animations. Lastly, the soundtrack is downright awe-inspiring. It options a number of nice tracks, together with its calm melodic tracks heard whereas traversing ranges and epic tracks heard throughout boss fights. Every track sounds glorious, and I can’t wait until the total album is launched individually.
General, ENDER MAGNOLIA is shaping as much as be a incredible Metroidvania title and an incredible sequel to ENDER LILIES. Whereas the early entry construct solely contains about three hours of content material, which is kind of quick, the content material included is very entertaining and fascinating, and I can’t wait to see what the total sport has to supply.
