ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist Review — Blooming in the Dark

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is a dark fantasy anime-aesthetic Metroidvania. A sequel to Ender Lilies, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist directly improves upon its predecessor in numerous, easy-to-see ways, creating a clear upgrade for fans of the first game to enjoy. Filled with beautiful art, hauntingly beautiful music, and an engaging story, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is an easy buy for fans of Ender Lilies and Metroidvanias alike.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I am not a big fan of Metroidvania titles. I typically find myself bored quickly by how the games play, though I frequently compliment their ability to present unique narratives and beautiful art. Not only does ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist continue the trend of beautiful art pieces in the Metroidvania style, but it also hooked me pretty quickly in a way that many other games in the genre fail to. This is thanks in no small part to the game’s story.

ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is set in the Land of Fumes, a prosperous kingdom built upon an abundance of magical resources hidden beneath the earth. This once-thriving realm has descended into chaos. In their quest for progress, the kingdom created artificial lifeforms called Homunculi. However, the toxic fumes rising from deep underground drove these beings into madness, transforming them into uncontrollable, feral monsters.

You play as Lilac, an “Attuner” with the unique ability to restore the Homunculi to their former selves. When you awaken, you find yourself in a subterranean laboratory—the heart of the kingdom’s downfall. There, you’ll encounter the Homunculi, whose fate is intertwined with the collapse of the realm. Embark on a journey with them to recover lost memories, reunite with old friends, and explore a world ravaged by the aftermath of the Rain of Death.

If you aren’t already sold on the setting from that brief explanation, let me tell you firsthand that it can be pretty enthralling. The combination of a dark fantasy world with advanced magically powered machinery is one that I personally found highly intriguing, reminding me of settings such as Nier: Automata. The game’s art style certainly helps sell the setting, with everything designed in a grim, broken anime aesthetic that often depicts stunning visuals and twisted enemies.

Oh, and before I move on from the art, I just have to say that the game features some incredible cutscenes. The first one especially resonated with me, and I had to feature images from it twice in this review.

It wasn’t just the setting of ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist that got me hooked, but also the gameplay.

As far as the genre goes, the mechanics of ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist are not that different from other Metroidvania games. You have several attacks, some of which have combos, and you engage in basic platforming. However, the speed at which you can maneuver and attack gives the game a little more oomph than some others, and enemies go down pretty quickly. This makes combat feel fast and satisfying rather than a slog.

If you’ve played Ender Lilies, you’ll be happy to know that ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is a straight improvement over its predecessor in many ways, and combat is no exception. In Ender Lilies, the character could often feel heavy and clunky. Now, movement feels smooth, and your character has a lot more agility, making for much better game feel.

Something I found especially interesting about ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist was the way the game handled collecting new attacks and abilities. As an Attuner, you have a special connection to the Homunculi, or “artificial humans,” you find during your quest. Because of this, you are less of a fighter and more of a summoner. Each of your attacks is portrayed not as you attacking, but as one of the Homunculi you’ve met and befriended on your journey coming out to attack on your behalf.

This is a feature I found really fun from both a mechanical and narrative point of view. Narratively, you’ll see all of your collected Homunculi friends with you during cutscenes and when you rest, making you truly feel like they’re your friends and not just a collected army of combat tools. Mechanically, it also means that since each character’s ability is in its own slot and has its own timer, you can send them out all at once or one at a time, creating devastating horde attacks or clever combos. It gives combat a feeling of strategic depth, the narrative a sense of togetherness, and a certain excitement wondering what attack and friend you’ll collect next.

My biggest issue, if I absolutely had to name one, would be how the game handles saves. Like a lot of these games, you save at checkpoints, with enemies respawning when you save at them. This wouldn’t be a problem if not for how far apart the game places these checkpoints at times. On one occasion, I had explored nearly the entire map in a zone, only to die and be brought all the way back to the previous zone, realizing I hadn’t passed a save point the entire time.

On top of that, and this is more of a minor nitpick, the platforming can sometimes feel buggy. The game relies heavily on catching onto the ledges of platforms as you navigate them. I often found myself in situations where my character simply wouldn’t lock onto a ledge, no matter how many times I jumped, only for the jump to eventually work without any apparent reason.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation.