Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is an action Metroidvania and Binary Haze Interactive’s follow-up to Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of the demo, and more.
Everything We Know About Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Plot
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a Metroidvania set years after the events of the highly-acclaimed Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. Vicious homunculi, tainted by the effects of the magic-saturated mist, roam the world in a destructive march. But Lilac, an “Attuner” who can restore the sanity of the homunculi around her, sets off to save their race. She is closely followed and assisted by those she saves and gradually creates a powerful group that can perhaps reshape the world.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Gameplay
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a Metroidvania with minor platforming and action elements. Vicious foes called homunculi litter the mystery-filled map but Lilac is equipped with various means to fight back. Defeated foes come back as companions who can assist Lilac further in her journey by unlocking new ways to move and attack.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Release Date
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is set to have a full release on January 23, 2025. Its Early Access version has been accessible through Steam since March 25, 2024.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Review (Early Access)
A Blooming Sequel
As a big fan of Ender Lilies, I could already tell I would be biased when approaching this review. That’s because the moment I saw the trailer, I already knew it was going to be a great game. Fortunately, I didn’t experience much of that partiality as I played the early access version.
Because even without it, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist proves itself worthy of Metroidvania fans’ attention — even without the glorious reputation of its predecessor influencing impressions.
The love and care behind the game’s design can be seen right at the very beginning, before controls are handed towards you, the player, where an extremely short, perhaps even unassuming, cutscene eases you into the role of Lilac, the main protagonist. The cutscene is graced by a gentle tune, which, along with the homely design of the characters and the ethereal lighting, invokes a sense of serenity for its viewers.
But then, you finally enter the game proper, surrounded by dark red scrap and mangled structures—an ingenious reversal. From that short 30-second sequence with barely any dialogue, the game has not only laid out the goal but also wordlessly delivered a major story setting.
Its visuals and music closely align with the developers’ prudence in the game’s design. Not only are they beautiful by themselves, but they also work to serve their narrative purposes.
However, it’s not at all filled with sunshine and rainbows (figuratively speaking). The one major complaint I do have about the game is regarding the gameplay itself. While it is perhaps one of the most customizable Metroidvanias I’ve seen in its early stages, the lack of challenge it presents is a noteworthy issue.
Many things can be attributed to it. For example, it may be due to the lack of collision damage. It could also be due to having very small maps, or it could also be because of the normal enemies’ very predictable attacks. Regardless, for someone who is only average at best with Metroidvanias to have only died once throughout the game and only due to impatience is pretty telling of the game’s difficulty.
It may also be because the early access version only allows players to run the game on the lowest difficulty level.
Other than that, Ender Magnolia is a delightful game that should be followed by any fan of the genre.
Captivating Music
Games with music so good that you want to hear it even outside of playing the game rarely come along. While soundtracks are released to let players do just that, obtaining those is often simply the result of learning about their availability. Ender Magnolia’s music, on the other hand, can make you look for it on your own initiative.
The musical pieces by Mili truly give the series' theme and story justice. It’s haunting, powerful, and stirs the heart. And unfortunately, I can’t find the full song yet.
Way Too Easy
One notable threat that’s absent from this game is collision damage. The lack of collision damage is a glaring factor in the all-important boss fights. There, you can easily get away with scuffed dodges and even bait certain attacks from bosses by sticking to them between moves.
Outside of boss fights, the stretches between Respites, the game’s equivalent of Bonfires from Soulslike games, or just save spots for others, don’t offer much challenge. This can be attributed to a few factors, such as regular enemies’ attacks being extremely predictable or the relatively short distance between resting areas. While these can be fixed going forward, they are something you inevitably notice as you dive into the game early.
Thoughtful Environmental Storytelling
With how little story-related content there is in Ender Magnolia, it’s much easier to appreciate the finer details that have made their way into the game’s stages. Each stage follows the story closely, subtly changing its bleak depictions of life within the Land of Fumes to deliver the narrative better. In turn, this amplifies the immersion immensely, making you feel much closer to the plot’s development as you keep playing.
Examples of this can be found right at the beginning of the game. As you progress through the ruins of the first stage, you find yourself surrounded by corpses and debris. However, as you come closer to a settlement, you start to encounter structures that are as intact as they are crude. Bodies are also much less frequent, given its proximity to the colony.
Instead, you can find yourself in areas where the residents waste their lives away, indicating the bitter hopelessness of their everyday lives.
The game seeks to put you in the Land of Fumes with Lilac and her companions. Its attention to detail makes that easy and the narrative much more compelling.
Tons of Customization
Whether or not you enjoy matching equipment, customizing your moveset, collecting passive bonuses, or just engaging in combat and exploration, Ender Magnolia has something for you. In fact, the game foreshadows an extremely customizable gameplay experience, with your homunculi companions having multiple weapons to choose from, dozens of relic slots to use, four equipment slots to populate, and enhanceable abilities to invest in.
There are even outfits you can collect, which may or may not include additional abilities later.
Predictably Lacks Content
As of this review’s writing, Ender Magnolia has around two to three hours’ worth of content. Three major bosses, a handful of minibosses, and one NPC settlement can be accessed, along with a few hidden areas and a dozen or so collectible lore.
That’s not a lot of content, especially considering its price point.
Tumors, which are abominable growths that sprout from the walls and floor, block your access to the deeper parts of certain areas. These can either just be story-appropriate roadblocks that would be removed once the areas beyond them are complete or unlockable paths that would require an ability acquired later on.
Regardless, you’re limited to a very small area of the game, so don’t expect several hours’ gameplay just yet.
Despite the lack of content, Ender Magnolia is already shaping up to be an amazing Metroidvania. As more areas and difficulty options are unlocked, the entire gameplay experience could only improve. As for whether it’s worth it or not, if you base it on the scale and quality of its predecessor, Ender Lilies, it definitely is. But if you’re the type of person who decides based on what is already there, then you’re free to wait until later.
Game8 Reviews
You may also like...
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Product Information
 |
|
| Title | ENDER MAGNOLIA: BLOOM IN THE MIST |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 2024 |
| Developer | Live Wire, Adglobe |
| Publisher | Binary Haze Interactive |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, Metroidvania |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | N/A |
| Official Website | Ender Magnolia Official Website |
