| Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Review Overview
What is Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist?
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 reshape the world.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist features:
⚫︎ A dark fantasy story and setting
⚫︎ Customizable loadouts
⚫︎ Many boss fights with backstories behind each
⚫︎ Hidden areas with loot and optional bosses
⚫︎ Fast travel from anywhere in the map
⚫︎ Metroidvania-type backtracking and progression
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist's gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 PlayStation |
 Switch |
 Xbox |
||||
| $19.99 | $24.99 | Coming soon | |||||
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Improved Combat from Its Prequel Beautiful and Thoughtful Audiovisuals Lots of Hidden Areas, Loot, and Bosses World Built With Heart |
It’s Rather Easy Takes a While to Get Going |
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Overall Score - 92/100
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist proudly carries its predecessor’s legacy into a new era of metroidvania, with enhanced gameplay, improved audiovisuals, and refined storytelling. It’s a near-perfect action platformer that captivates with its immersive world and engrossing tale.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Story - 9/10
The game’s simple plot supports a wide variety of grievously depressing backstories revealed through worldbuilding. From books scattered on the ground to haunting sceneries and the memories of saved homunculi, every detail paints a world in desperate need of change. Each story is heartfelt, and every homunculus carries emotional baggage. This interplay with their pasts and the protagonist’s journey weaves an epic, engrossing tale—though it takes time to pick up momentum.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Gameplay - 9/10
Ender Magnolia builds upon its predecessor’s solid foundation with quality-of-life improvements, simplified mechanics, and greater build variety. Intuitive combat, hidden passages, and rewarding boss fights create a great experience, though the game might lack a challenge for seasoned Metroidvania players.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Visuals - 9/10
The game’s dark themes are matched by its bleak visuals, from ruined streets to ragged civilians. Combat effects are pleasing, and the stages excel in environmental storytelling. Improvements like a more user-friendly map elevate the experience, though the visuals could use a touch more flair.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Audio - 9/10
The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack steals the show, justifying keeping the game open to enjoy the music. The sound effects, though solid, lack punch, and voice acting for cutscenes could greatly enhance the narrative experience.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Value for Money - 10/10
With hours of content, Ender Magnolia is worth every penny. Fans of its prequel, Ender Lilies, will feel right at home, but newcomers can also fully enjoy the game without prior knowledge of the series. It's a complete, balanced, incredibly polished title for a mere cent short of $25; any lower, and I'd feel like I ripped the developers off.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Review: The Lily has Bloomed
As someone who holds Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights in the highest regard as one of the greatest platformers I’ve ever played (and I’ve played my fair share), the anticipation for its sequel, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, was through the roof. The Early Access release provided a small taste, sure, but nothing beats the satisfaction of diving into a fully realized game.
And here we are at last. Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist has arrived, granting us the full experience of guiding Lilac through the Land of Fumes, saving homunculi from corruption, and uncovering mysteries that feel both intimate and vast. The wait is over, and let me just say—it was worth it.
The game opens with a flashback, a classic narrative device often signaling either a strong connection to the past or the struggle of losing it. For Ender Magnolia, it’s the latter. Our protagonist Lilac awakens in the aftermath of chaos, her memory wiped, her surroundings riddled with corpses and monstrous beings. But what she hasn’t lost is her compassion. Her journey begins not with self-preservation, but with saving a dying homunculus—setting the tone for the selfless mission ahead.
Before you can save anybody, though, you must first learn how to kick their figurative behinds. This is an action platformer, after all. Unfortunately, because Lilac only has the physical capabilities of an ordinary child, asking her to fight toe-to-toe with a half-living monster with weapons larger than Lilac’s entire body is unreasonable, to say the least.
The only way you can subjugate these homonculi affected by the fumes is by relying on those you’ve already saved. Thus, enter the Ender series’ uniquely-designed combat system; one that relies entirely on your companions.
The Combat of Lilies, But Better
Taking the combat mechanics that made its prequel, Ender Lilies, a standout among its metroidvania peers, Ender Magnolia introduces a fresh twist: Lilac, the protagonist, cannot fight at all. Instead, she serves as a beacon, summoning her homunculi companions to manifest and battle on her behalf. Your role as Lilac isn’t to attack but to keep yourself safe so your allies can continue the fight.
This is mechanically not different from “normal” metroidvanias like Nine Sols, Hollow Knight, or TEVI. However, Lilac’s reliance on her companions unlocks unique possibilities that traditional combat systems can’t offer. Because Lilac doesn’t directly attack but summons her allies, you can coordinate your companions to execute simultaneous or sequential strikes. This allows for creative, multi-layered combat strategies. It’s reminiscent of how Yuzuha fights in Utawarerumono Battle—if you’re old and cultured enough to remember that gem.
This approach opens up the battlefield in both a literal and mechanical sense. For instance, Nola—your basic melee companion—slashes at enemies from a distance. This means you can maintain pressure on enemies even as Lilac keeps her distance, staying out of harm’s way. By relying on your homunculi for offense, you also gain more space to maneuver. This creates opportunities to evade enemy attacks effectively, making combat feel fluid and dynamic.
Combat depth grows as you expand your arsenal of homunculi. You can “equip” up to four of them at a time, each with unique uses and weapons. As you progress, new weapon types unlock for your allies, allowing for further customization. Nola, for example, can switch from a fast-attacking sword to a combo-oriented scythe, or even a powerful axe for a more brute-force playstyle. This versatility is bolstered by the game’s equipment and relic systems. Relics and gear, obtained through merchants or enemy drops, provide passive bonuses to your stats. These might include increases to health, armor, or damage, or special effects like healing after each kill or immunity to certain status effects.
Altogether, Ender Magnolia delivers a combat system that encourages creativity and strategic thinking. The interplay between companions, equipment, and the battlefield ensures that every fight feels engaging, rewarding experimentation, and making each victory uniquely satisfying.
The Audiovisuals Sell the Experience
A strong combat system is one thing, but a game truly shines when paired with a compelling audiovisual experience—and Ender Magnolia absolutely delivers. From the very first moments, the care poured into its art and sound design is evident. A soft, melancholic melody introduces Lilac as we see her in a fleeting moment of peace.
However, as the game begins, the mood shifts dramatically—you find yourself amidst dark red scrap and twisted ruins, a brilliant contrast. In just 30 seconds, with minimal dialogue, the game not only establishes its objective but also subtly conveys a key aspect of the story’s setting; an attention to detail and finesse that the game easily carries out through its many, many hours of main story content.
Each stage feels alive, or rather, appropriately dead. The level design captures the desolation of a world consumed by fumes, balancing beauty and despair in equal measure. The character animations are fluid, combat effects are understated yet effective, and even on older hardware (shoutout to my GTX 1070, still kicking after almost a decade), the game runs smoothly without compromise.
Of course, let’s not forget the audio, particularly its soundtrack. It’s a set of tunes that more than justify keeping the game open even while you’re busy with something like reading a good fantasy novel, just to set a somber mood. This is especially true for the main menu music, which sort of reminds me of tracks played in dark cafes that promote reminiscence.
It Starts Off Pretty Slow, Though
Honestly speaking, I didn’t find anything terrible about the game’s story, even after playing the game for several hours. While I have noticed that there is an obvious bias for certain homonculi in your party in terms of getting involved in the lore, it’s kind of expected since some of them aren’t actually part of the bigger picture—the main storyline.
I must say, though; Ender Magnolia’s main story doesn’t actually get going until after a good deal of progression has been made. That is, for anybody who appreciates immediate gratification, they might not get it from this game’s story.
Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t strictly a criticism for its narrative pace. Some people like a slower burn, while others prefer getting into the thick of it right at the start. Ender Magnolia’s story simply caters more to the former kind of people.
Explore, Fight, and Loot for a Cause
Like most metroidvania titles, Ender Magnolia strongly encourages players to backtrack through previously explored areas to access new ones or uncover secrets hidden just out of reach (both figuratively and literally). Progressing through the game unlocks abilities or tools that act as literal or figurative keys to areas that were previously inaccessible. This classic formula keeps exploration fresh and rewarding, constantly dangling new possibilities just beyond your grasp.
While other games in the genre might grant you traversal abilities like double-jumping, air dashes, or wall climbing to revisit places in new ways, Ender Magnolia handles things a little differently. You’ll mostly acquire keys
that unlock access to new places or remove obstacles. Sure, it might sound less exciting on paper than soaring through the air, but trust me, the game ensures every new discovery feels meaningful.
The rewards for exploring these areas? Always worth it. Whether it’s money to spend, relics to equip, or even a hidden optional boss waiting to knock you down a peg, there’s always something to make your detours worthwhile. And let’s be honest, stumbling upon unexpected treasures or challenges is half the fun in games like this.
Of course, the problem with backtracking in most games, particularly in metroidvanias, is the time sink. Nobody wants to walk the entire length of the map every time they find out they missed something (unless they do). That’s where fast travel usually comes in—except in Ender Magnolia, fast travel doesn’t work like you might expect.
Instead of teleporting between static checkpoints, the game introduces a brilliant solution: Hati, your large, loyal, dog-like homunculus companion. He’s not just a mount or a cute sidekick; he’s a fast travel system you can summon anywhere, anytime. Yep, that’s right—you don’t need to reach a save point to zip across the map. Just call Hati, and boom, you’re on your way to wherever you need to go—at least, toward another checkpoint.
This system feels both immersive and fun, especially when you consider how seamless it is. Mid-battle? No problem. On the brink of death in a gauntlet of enemies? Just summon Hati and escape to safety. It’s wickedly convenient—and just as wickedly abusable.
Easy, With or Without Grinding
Unfortunately, Ender Magnolia does suffer from one glaring flaw in its gameplay—one that its predecessor didn’t have until Ender Magnolia came in with all of its gameplay enhancements. That is, the game is rather easy, even to casual metroidvania enthusiasts.
A good reason for its lack of challenge is how fast travel works. As previously mentioned, you can farm short stretches of a map extremely quickly due to your ability to travel back to a checkpoint without reaching a different one. This allows you to farm money to purchase equipment and gain experience with impunity.
The game also doesn’t have collision damage, either, meaning that you can stick to bosses as long as their attacks don’t cover your location, and even get away with scuffed dodges towards their location. This especially makes fights against bosses that rely on ranged attacks very easy, considering that their projectiles come out at specific points on their bodies. All you need to do is learn how they attack, and you can beat them without taking a single hit. In fact, even after several hours into the game, I could count the number of times I died with two hands at Hard difficulty.
Normally, I would have been dying more.
Now, to be fair, I don’t think the game’s highest difficulty is going to be an enjoyable ride for most players. I also haven't tested out the custom difficulty settings; a feature of this game I particularly like, as it allows us to personalize our experience to our liking. However, the reason why I believe Ender Magnolia’s difficulty is pretty low is because the alternative—me becoming better in metroidvania games—is remote at best.
Or impossible, rather.
Is Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Worth It?
Easily a Worthwhile Purchase
January isn’t even over, and we’re already treated to one of the most exceptional sequels in recent memory. Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a must-play for fans of action platformers, especially those who adored Ender Lilies. With its captivating storytelling, engaging combat, and breathtaking audiovisuals, it sets a high bar for the year ahead. Simply put, this is a game that shouldn’t just be recommended—it should be mandatory.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
PlayStation |
Switch |
Xbox |
||||
| $19.99 | $24.99 | Coming soon | |||||
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist FAQ
Is Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist the sequel to Ender Lilies?
The game’s setting heavily implies that it is a sequel due to the heavy influence of industrialization in its design. The official website’s description also mentions that Ender Magnolia is set decades after the events of Ender Lilies.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Similar Games
 |
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Platformer, Action |
 |
TEVI Platformer, Action, Bullet Hell |
 |
Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE Platformer, Action |
 |
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder Platformer, Action |
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Product Information
 |
|
| Title | ENDER MAGNOLIA: BLOOM IN THE MIST |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 21, 2025 |
| Developer | Live Wire, Binary Haze Interactive |
| 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 |
