Through the barren, frozen ground of January, Ender Magnolia blooms out of early access, a sure sign of rebirth and renewal for fans of the Metroidvania genre. Nature is healing. Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist serves as a sequel to 2021's Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, which was widely regarded as a modern classic. But with great success comes a high standard to live up to. Sure, the early access version seemed promising, but does 1.0 manage to flourish in the frost, or will it wither and die from the January chill? I promise I'll stop with the flower puns if you stick around to find out!
Set a few decades after the events of Ender Lilies, Ender Magnolia is a melancholy tale that takes place in the mystical, resource-rich yet deadly Land of Fumes. Here, Homunculi, artificial life-forms with human-like qualities, were created to aid the humans in harvesting these resources but soon were driven mad by the toxins in the air. Now, it is up to our pint-sized amnesiac protagonist, Lilac, to set things right in the world, perhaps even restoring her lost memories along the way. Lilac is an "Attuner," with the ability to cleanse the Homunculi of their madness. Now, Lilac must use her gift to save both humans and Homunculi alike.
Ender Magnolia begins with Lilac awakening in an underground laboratory, where you'll quickly learn (or re-learn, if you played in early access) the basics of gameplay. Much like the original title, Lilac herself is not an active participant in combat, rather enlisting the Homunculi she's purified to do her bidding.
If you've been turned off by the "Soulslike" tag thrown around for both "Ender" games (I know that word can produce one of two reactions, and they're at polar ends of the spectrum), fear not! There are several difficulty modes to choose from, though I found myself perfectly comfortable at the normal default. If you don't find a challenge option that fits your skill set or preferences, you can also create a custom difficulty in the options menu to maximize the quality of your experience. This is the first of many ways that Ender Magnolia is an incredibly customizable experience.
While it's easy to get hung up on the enticingly gorgeous music and visuals, Ender Magnolia's combat system is where the game really shines. You'll begin rather defenseless with only the ability to jump and dash through obstacles. But with each Homunculus Lilac encounters and attunes, she gains new abilities, which can either assist her in battle or with navigating the treacherous environments of this universe. The first of these Homunculi is Nola, who lends you their sword—a short-range attack. These Homunculi abilities range from a punishing sword attack to the option to wall cling or dive through the murky underground waters. And how does one obtain such abilities, you may be asking? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're going to have to beat a boss to acquire such power. In defeating a corrupted homunculus in battle, Lilac is able to use her attuning ability to return the being to its senses, then enlist them to join her on her journey.
Some of these Homunculus abilities can be leveled up to increase their power and range or provide new weapon options. It may sound complex on paper, but learning how to approach each enemy and boss with the correct types of attacks and aversions is part of the fun of the Ender Magnolia experience and is super satisfying to master. It's a surprisingly approachable experience, which is aided tremendously by the customizability of it all. Not comfortable with juggling a short-range attack and projectile at the same time? You can even equip a homunculus that will auto-fire for you so you can focus on your other attacks.
Inputting the right combination of short-range and long-range attacks, with guard sprinkled in for good measure, feels like you're putting everything you've learned together in a meaningful way that allows you to grow as a player, which, quite frankly, just isn't the case with a lot of similar titles. Not only that, but the fact that Lilac herself levels up along the way makes you feel like you're growing stronger with each successful (and even unsuccessful) enemy encounter. Are the bosses hard? Of course they are! What, did you think this was going to be a walk in the polluted park? The bosses are CONSIDERABLY tougher than your standard enemy, but there is almost always the option to walk away from an encounter, explore another section of the map, or even perhaps gain some additional levels before approaching them again. With some patience, time, and practice, all encounters are very doable, even for an average player such as myself.
Further adding to the customizability of Ender Magnolia are equippable relics, totems, and wearables. Throughout Lilac's travels, she'll acquire relics, which can provide stat enhancements, as well as other equippable items with various effects.
As you fill out the sizeable map, you'll encounter decently spaced checkpoints, which serve as not only a place of respite to save your progress and refresh your health, but also where you can change out and equip items you've found, chat with your companions, unlock extras, and more. Equipment, relics, and upgrades cannot be adjusted outside of these safe areas, so you will need to navigate to them frequently to make sure you are properly equipped to deal with the challenge at hand. On the bright side, checkpoints also become fast-travel locations upon discovery, and fast travel can be accessed at any time, which saves a ton of time and wandering as you progress through the game, especially as the map becomes larger and larger.
While you're navigating between checkpoints, enemies you've slain remain gone from the map; however, as soon as you've reached a save, they all return to the exact spot you just rid them from. This has its pros and cons as, obviously, it's annoying to take down more of the same enemies, but it also works in your favor as you gain additional experience. You'll also often find checkpoints before a boss encounter, so your relief from these areas may just be short-lived.
Visually, Ender Magnolia is a real smoke show. Literally and figuratively. Environments are dark and rich, with a visible haze from the fumes covering nearly everything. There is a glow to these locales, even through the darkness, that makes them pop, especially around our protagonist Lilac. The enemy and character designs are deeply original in appearance, each location featuring distinctive flora and mutated beings. The humans of the Land of Fumes have a pale complexion that makes them appear as ghostly apparitions against the destruction of their own creations, and the homunculi are just so fascinating to examine, I just had to unlock all of their art in the extras menu. There are also some grainy, anime-esque cutscenes that reveal memories, which absolutely cannot be overlooked. The interesting textures, color schemes, and character designs really shine in these animated clips.
If you played the original Ender title, you were probably expecting a gorgeous soundtrack from Mili, featuring piano, electronic beats, and haunting vocals, and you certainly won't be disappointed with Ender Magnolia's offerings. The tracks seamlessly flow between areas, with the intensity ebbing and flowing at just the right moments. If you're a fan of the musical stylings of the Nier franchise, this one will draw you in instantly. There's no voice acting, but it isn't missed. The music, visuals, and overall production quality offer up more than enough personality to fill in the blanks. In fact, the lack of intrusive sounds and voice acting makes for a surprisingly Zen experience for a genre that is typically associated with the polar opposite of relaxation. Is there frustration to be found here? Absolutely. Take on a boss that is a bit too advanced for your current level and skill set, and you will certainly feel your blood pressure rising. But as an overall experience, it is a delight for the senses.
If you fell in love with Ender Lilies for the smooth and precise gameplay, gorgeously dark visual style, haunting soundtrack, and original creature design, you are not going to want to miss out on Ender Magnolia. This sequel is every bit as mesmerizing as the last game, if not more so. It's exactly what you would hope a sequel would be—an improvement on its predecessor in nearly every way. The combat engine is rich and rewarding, the customization options for both equippables and difficulty make it a great option for players of all skill sets, and it's super satisfying to best a boss and cleanse them of their fume-fueled rage. Granted, bosses present their fair amount of challenge, which may frustrate some, but overall, it's an incredibly rewarding gaming experience that is going to leave you wanting more, even with an impressively large map to explore.
ESSENTIAL
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