Overview – developed by Adglobe and Live Wire, with publishing handled by Binary Haze Interactive, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is a search action adventure set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world. As Lilac, an attuner who is able to harness the power of Homunculi, artificial beings created by magic, go on a quest to recover her memories and the mysteries they contain. This title is available for all platforms, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Stride PR for providing the copy of ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be covering the core mechanics of this experience, as this is the best way to prevent spoiling the important parts of the game. I will also be referring to this game with the shortened name ENDER MAGNOLIA, for the sake of brevity.
Story – in the Land of Fumes, there was a prosperous magical super power, where the magic was used to create Homunculi, artificial life forms that served humanity. However, toxic fumes caused the Homunculi to turn into horrific mutants. Lilac, a young girl with the power of an Attuner, awakens in an underground lab, with no memories of her past. She encounters the Homunculus Nola, who agrees to help her recover her memories and the mysteries of her past.
Gameplay – ENDER MAGNOLIA is a side scrolling action RPG, featuring elements of search action, platforming and light puzzle solving. The player controls Lilac, the Attuner who has the power to harness Homunculi that she encounters, wielding their abilities during her quest. At the start of the game, Lilac is defenceless, only able to run, jump and dodge enemies. But when Nola is discovered, the player is able to defend themselves against enemies.
As Lilac lacks any combat capabilities, she is reliant on Nola to protect her and defeat the mutants of the Land of Fumes. The moment to moment combat is smooth, with the player summoning Nola to strike down enemies. Enemies that are encountered need to be struck multiple times to defeat, dropping magical fragments when they are eliminated. Players will also collect experience for defeating enemies, increasing Lilac’s level at set milestones.
The mutated creatures that are encountered will attack Lilac on sight, using a variety of attacks that will severely harm the player. There are melee, ranged and area attack creatures that will appear during the course of the game. In the early parts of the game, the monsters are simple, using chainsaws and cross bows. However, as the player gets deeper into the adventure, the creatures become increasingly more dangerous to Lilac.
Enemies can be resilient, taking a lot of hits to be able to defeat. This can make combat deadly, but the frenzied homunculi have a weakness, called guard crush which will stun the enemy if enough damage is done. When this occurs, the enemy will be stunned and if they are in the air, or on a wall, they will fall and take damage when they land. Stunned enemies can take increased damage for a time, which can get the player out of a bind.
Nola is not the only Homunculus that joins Lilac during her adventure. At set points during the adventure, the player will encounter other Homunculi, who have been become frenzied by the fumes. These beings must be saved from the madness that consumes them, engaging in multi-phase boss battles against them. The encounters can be tough, as the opponents in these battles can be extremely powerful, posing a deadly risk to Lilac.
When the player defeats the boss, they will be able to “Tune” with them, getting to see parts of their memories as they are purified. The main boss Homunculi that Lilac purifies will join her, providing their abilities to her and aiding her in the mission. These abilities include both combat and exploration skills, which will aid progression in the story. Up to four Homunculus combat skills can be assigned at once, giving the combat depth.
There will also be additional skills that Lilac can obtain, either through battle or by interacting with NPC characters. These can help the player in various ways, with the most important being the ability to fast travel. With this skill, Lilac will be able to quickly move around the different zones, moving between safe points across the game world. These points are called Respite zones, which provide safe harbour for Lilac and her companions (explained further below).
Then there are lesser boss battles, which can be found during exploration of different zones. These battles are often option, but will help the player during progression, as these enemies will provide upgrade resources for the summonable allies. The boss fights are not the only form of progression, as there are gates and barriers that need to be opened up. This can be done by finding keys, using switches and employing special abilities from allies to open them up.
As Lilac makes her way through the hazards of the fumes, and those who dwell within it, she may be injured. When this occurs, she can use a special power to heal damage that has been taken. This power has limited uses, leaving Lilac defenceless when all uses are depleted. But they can be refilled by using the Respite safe zones, special safe points that Lilac can rest at on her adventure. These points have a blue marker on the map.
While resting at the Respite, all damage sustained will be healed, the heal uses will be restored and a checkpoint will be set for Lilac. The Respite is also used to manage the skills, abilities and give combat skills upgrades, using parts that have been collected from lesser bosses. Players can also equip relics, which provide a range of benefits for Lilac. These items use slot points, which are limited to start but items to increase slots can be obtained.
There is also a store where special unlocks can be purchased, using fragments that are obtained from defeating enemies. These include new costumes, gallery items and more, with the options increasing the further the player gets into the game. Here the player can also have conversations with the Homunculi that join her, giving more depth to the mysteries surrounding them. The respite is also where players save the game, making it important to use them often.
The last thing to discuss is the item system. While exploring the different parts of the world, Lilac will collect materials and items by defeating enemies, breaking boxes and opening chests. Many items show up on screen as purple markers for easy identification. Materials collected are used at the Craftory, a shop where new equipment and special upgrades can be purchased. These provide a range of benefits for Lilac and her party.
The most common equipment are bracelets, which can be attached on the left and right, then there are Totems and Carapaces, with only one slot each for these. Players can also obtain special gems, which increase the maximum health for Lilac permanently, as well as Grimoire pages, that increase the shop offerings. Equipment that has been obtained can only be equipped at Respite points, but others can be activated immediately.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – ENDER MAGNOLIA features an easy to use control system for platforming, combat and general exploration. There are a lot of inputs to learn and use during play, but there are handy pop-ups that appear during play, as well as on the HUD. This allows players to quickly see what needs to be pressed. The only ones that need to be remembered are jumping and dodging. But in general, the control feel for this game is comfortable in action.
Difficulty – there is a very flexible difficulty system with this release, offering players the ability to modify the settings to fit their style. This can make the experience more approachable for players, but it comes at a cost. If the game is made easier, there will be reduced fragment rewards, with greater benefits if the challenge is increased. Regardless of the difficulty chosen, there are still many difficult sections in game, especially the challenging boss battles.
Presentation – from a visual perspective, ENDER MAGNOLIA is visually stunning, with an art style and cutscenes that look gorgeous in motion. The animations of combat, platforming and general exploration flow smoothly, with the only slowdown that occurs being intentional. This means there are no general issues with performance that affects the gameplay experience, as any of the instances of slowdown are upon player death, or defeating a boss.
While there is a lack of voiced dialogue in this game, it doesn’t hurt the overall gameplay experience. The general sound design further elevates the presentation, with impactful sound effects, environmental sounds and general audio. Then there is the soundtrack, composed by Mili, the artist behind the opening to anime Goblin slayer. The music expertly builds the atmosphere, with tracks that further bring the world of ENDER MAGNOLIA to life.
Final Thoughts – while I sadly missed out on the previous title ENDER LILIES, when I got the opportunity to check this out, I was happy to take it on. The world of ENDER MAGNOLIA is beautifully crafted, with characters, environments and music that create a desolate yet beautiful experience. The narrative really pulled me in and without realising, I had spent 7 hours playing during my first session, with time passing by as I was fully invested.
The balance of action, exploration, puzzle solving and the narrative itself is balanced perfectly. The combat is satisfying and the boss battles are tough, but they don’t feel unfair, as every death meant learning something new. When obtaining new abilities, there was a little bit of a learning curve, but it falls in place and becomes natural quickly. As an exploration action RPG, this is a perfect start point for new players, and an excellent choice for long-time fans.
In the end, I give ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist a final score of 5/5. This is a expertly crafted exploration adventure, with a grim yet lively world to explore, satisfying action gameplay and a soundtrack that evokes emotion during play. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
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