This game is such a masterpiece I find this game art style to be one of the most unique out there for a Metroidvania. For those who don't know, this game was actually inspired by a SINGLE piece of illustration made by miv4t back in 2017
The OST is absolutely beautiful! And the character too... Kawaii af! The affection, adoration, devotion, I feel for her draws me to want to see this game through to the end.
@@Rusty._ I am missing a fewwwww rooms here and there and I still gotta do the final-final boss. Great game though. Has some real stand-out moments. The kind that I am always *hoping* to experience in metroidvanias.
@@Rusty._ how do you feel like playing it again. if there's something i hate about such games, it's that they end. how some ppl still play them afterwards
The effect of the corruption on Lily is made all the more effective by how subtly it starts before becoming pervasive. I didn't even notice the changes until beating the third main boss, and was startled again near the end of game when I finally realized her hair wasn't just getting darker but was actually sprouting tentacles. If anything could make me want to replay the whole game again it would be to pay closer attention to al the transition details.
it still slightly saddens me how genuinely underrated this game is. this is literally one of the greatest gems I've ever found. lowkey one of my, if not my top favorite game. absolutely gorgeous everything.
Something I love about this game is how the story never really feels like its "about" Lily herself until the very end. The entire main plot of the game can be boiled down to "Lily retraces the White Priestess' steps in an attempt to find her", which gives just enough motivation to continue exploring without getting in the way of the stories surrounding the other characters, which are vibrant and somehow get us invested in characters whose stories are, for all intents and purposes, already over by the time the game starts. Having a slew of faceless, nameless bosses is all fine and good, but nothing quite hits like finding pieces of lore in a new area that slowly flesh out a character's life, goals, desires, successes, and failures, only to find the boss at the end of an area and see that familiar name one last time. I was always excited to find a new piece of lore and, to me, it always felt like an even better reward for exploration than almost any other upgrade or resource
The BGM of the areas are so strong that you actually feel the impact of it being cut out when you fast travel. Also there's a dog mini boss that just follows you around and sits in front of you.
i.... didnt even realized it wasnt fighting back, i just tought i killed it before it could attack me... i feel so horrible now, it just wanted to interact and i slaughtered it withou even thinking.... at least she's with me now so i'm gonna make sure to walk her around and use her as much as i can because i feel bad
Hey Rusty, I remember seeing this video when it first came out and because of your words, I got to experience Ender Lillies. It's such a beautiful, sad game and, even now two years after it was released and one and a half years since I played it last, I think a part of me still loves it. I love Lilly and her spirits, I love that gorgeous haunted world and I love the story that it tells. And it was all because of a video that someone put out on the internet. I know that things have moved on in the world, and you'll probably never read this comment because you get thousands of new ones every day. But, on the random chance that you do see it, I just wanted to say thanks.
Memorable metroidvania. Top notch art, music and atmosphere. Interesting and emotional lore. Gameplay is good and fun. You really feel stronger and stronger specially when you get new abilities. Combat feels clunky at first but the more you progress the better it gets. Intuitive/easier platforming is also very welcome after some frustrating experiences with other metroidvanias. Difficulty/balance for me was perfect, not too easy, not that hard, something in-between. Some bosses offer a fair challenge. It was a delightful journey. Easily a 9. By the way, NG+ will come more soon than later. Devs already took note about this popular petition on Steam forums. I'm also so optimistic and I expect a physical Switch release. Game is already popular and it's selling ok so more good things will come.
Bro I don’t know what game you were playing lol I’m in the catacombs and I’m getting ASS RAPED. Lol literally. I made it to the second respite there and I can’t seem to make it any further. So many annoying little enemies down here lol
@@rocketscientist14 it's actually not hard and this is just my 2nd metroidvania, 1st being hollowknight I finished game in 18 hrs total at 100% completion
@@duckielove2286 this more combat>platforming Ori is platforming>combat Idk both this and base game Hollow knight was easy to me, but that's just me I also find Dark souls easy
@hornet is spider That isn't really a spoiler. You have no context for who those people are, and almost every named character in the game is a boss at some point.
I love the comparison of how the atmosphere and music changing to become stranger and more chaotic the deeper you go, actually representing a slow descent into insanity that comes from the blight. That's some amazing atmospheric storytelling! The way it builds up to the abyss, where it just... crashes and drones, feels in an odd way way like Everywhere At the End of Time to me. The way it represents the mind reaching that final step of complete loss of control, both similar and completely different to losing yourself to dementia, is terrifying.
I picked this game up during the steam summer sale. The only reason I knew about it is because one of my friends stumbled across it and said it looked cool. As I visited the steam page I was blown away by the few frames of art I could see alone, and I immediately bought it. Upon completing all 3 endings in a short 3 days I can say this is one of those games that will stick with me. Few games are able to formulate such a potent atmosphere that tug at my heart and brain every so often, and I can confidently say that Elder Lilies is near the top of that list. Everything from the music to the art and to the dialogue compliment each other so beautifully. The twinge of sorrow in the music devolving into oppressive fear by the time you reach the Abyss is a process that hits hard. Collecting the memoirs of those fighting to protect Land's End, and ultimately witnessing the weight of their defeat when you fight them and purify them is such a rich way of building the world. Venturing to each new area and seeing the disarray all around, as the amount of blood and blight grows and the state of the world becomes more and more haunting. All three of these elements make Land's End the most engaging fallen dark fantasy kingdom I've explored. Not even Hallownest reaches the level that Land's End does for me. And I believe the reason for that is primarily due to the way we feel the struggles of the kingdom's people. Also a worthy note, the gameplay is just really great. I always go on these tangents about story, world, and music, and then forget that these great games are also just very fun lol. As mentioned, the game doesn't do anything outstanding when it comes to gameplay, but at the same time it reminds us that we don't need to reinvent the wheel. Give me Metroidvania fundamentals with an interesting way to fight (in this case the spirit system which I really loved) and cool enemies, and I'll have a good time. The bosses were also fun and felt very rewarding when you beat them. There was genuine excitement in seeing what new spirit and ability I would get. The number one thing I need to get off my chest however is how disappointed I am that it took me so long to find this game. It really is one of those gems that suddenly come out of the video game industry, and I really wish it was talked about more. Though, I'm glad someone like Rusty was able to come out and talk about it. I feel the same thing he expressed at the end of the video. I know this game wasn't massive, and I know it definitely isn't any bigger now over a year later when I'm playing it. But something in me demands that I talk about this game somewhere, and that is why I am leaving this comment now lol. There are still people like me who can find this game and enjoy it thoroughly even after so long, so don't stop talking about it. Let everyone know how special Ender Lilies is :)
Damn. I finished all the endings to ender lilies only a few hours before watching this, and having two massive hits to the feels was… something else. This is definitely the video ender lilies deserves.
This game reminded me of hollow knight, the sadness of never getting to experience it for the first time again. Beautiful art style, solid gameplay (not as fast passed as hollow knight), and very interesting lore read all the collectables everything is important and the story will come together. On steam it has overwhelmingly positive reviews and for me it is a solid 9/10.
I just got this game and my favorite thing about it is that you can see the spirts when resting or when your idle idk why but that little feature brings me more joy than than anything
My personal headcanon is that the spirits that accompany Lily do so as a show of gratitude, and a way to pay her back for saving them by protecting her from the rest of the blighted. Some sort of a "oh crap, _this_ is the girl that has to save us from the apocalypse? Oh hell nah i'm not gonna let her go by herself into this hellhole." *grammar edit
I love this game. Spent 3.5 hours yesterday helping out with the wiki, and now I consider myself a lore expert on the game. Any questions anyone has feel free to ask them.
@Rusty. We the internet, both need and deserve lore videos from you on this absolute gem of a game. Also, a boss ranking video, and a video about the most annoying mobs. Go full HK on this. Your videos were once a big part in my HK experience. This deserves the same attention from the community.
I was always wondering what the general order of events is, and if this is correct (sorry for the wall of text) [Spoilers ahead] From the notes, it seems the human kingdom invaded the Ancients and won, even though those Ancients had some immortal beings, possibly through Blight. There was also a war with the blighted, coming from the snowy area, and that war was eventually won too, with the help of the knights who were made immortal through the use of the immortal potion and with the help of a white priestess, who was also an Ancient. But, the experiments to make this immortal potion were carried in the Verboten Domain, which was already overrun by blight too. Also, the priestess became overcame with blight and was sent to the abyss, and then some fake children were also created through experiments, who attempted to take on part of the main priestess's blight, and possibly failed. There was also the constant rain, which also turned all of the normal people into the Blighted. So, I guess my questions are: 1. Was the Blight created by the ancients and when they lost they unleashed it on the world, or is it just an even older force that not even they could contain (but still managed to craft semi-immortality potions through it)? 2. In which order did these happen: The war between the ancients, the war between humans and with the blighted, the infection of the verboten domain, the abyss with the blighted lord being the main source of the blight, the rain. 3. Where did all of the blighted come from? Mainly from the Verboten Domain, from outside, or were they just infected citizens? 4. Who or what is the Blighted Lord? 5. Was the priestess sent down in the abyss just to purify the Blight Lord and failed? Is any of the abyss infection coming from her, or just from the Blighted Lord, if so? 6. Did the assassination of the king actually matter? 7. Why did the rain happen if most of the infection came from the lowest levels? 8. Are the fleshy blobby monsters in the Verboten Domain a result of experiments trying to combine humans / create the smaller priestesses, or just the blight doing its thing? Thank you in advance for any answers!
On the "drive to move on" thing: If sadness and grief isn't a necessary prerequisite for a good Metroidvania for you, I have one word for you: Aquaria. This old gem is criminally underrated, IMHO.
Not just your opinion, IT IS criminally underrated, of all the times I've seen someone ask for metroidvania recommendations (on Steam at least) nobody ever mentions Aquaria... sad
Thank you very much, I'm getting really sick and tired of every single game in the genre needing to be melodramatic as hell. Ender Lilies in particular reached a darkness singularity since it lacked even a single moment of levity or non-bittersweet happiness for the entire thing.
This game was one of very few that really disturbed me to the core. The Verboten domain, the Abyss... Miriel, and especially her tragic end. It' one of the few games that left me with an empty feeling in my heart with such a bittersweet ending.
Mili are great musicians. I got to them through Limbus company which is a... well the closest I can think of without an essay is a sci-fi, dystopian horror drama shit with elements of eldritch horrors? You can imagine this kind of music in a game like this.
I really hope this game reaches as many people as possible. It’s everything I ever wanted in a 2D MetroidVania soulslike- from before hollowknight, back in salt and sanctuary, the dozens of games that have come out none ever reached Ender Lillies. The music, the atmosphere, the absolutely gorgeous and perfect art. Each boss and enemy becoming an ally and weapon against the seemingly impossible. Thanks for doing a video on this one Rusty.
One aspect you got wrong about the lore is that when you save the people infected with the blight, they do not live through that. What happens is that there souls are separated from their blighted body so that they can finally rest. The spirits that join up with you are not the person themselves. It's more like the shadow of the person that once lived in the body that has now been infected with the blight. That means that throughout the entire kingdom there are really only three people that are alive and are in control of themselve throughout the game. However if you complete the true ending this number goes down to one. The priestess of the fount dies and the umbrole knight has completed the vow of protecting the priestess so there soul is set free. That mean that the young priestess is the only person in the kingdom that is still alive. Jesus that is depressing.
I’m so grateful I found this video last summer. It is absolutely tied for my favorite metroidvania I’ve ever played with Hollow Knight. It’s criminally underrated. The sound track is absolutely incredible. If your even considering thinking about playing it…. Play it… I promise you won’t regret it. I was much more emotionally invested in this game than I was in Hollow Knight. Lilly is a amazing protagonist… and she never even utters a word. She doesn’t have too.
This was free on ps+ and now I'm here. This and hollow knight will now forever be my favorite games. The only gamez I've ever wanted to play all the wah through
i picked this game up about a month ago for switch. interestingly, the actual reason i picked it up was because i found out that Mili had made the soundtrack for it and i'm a fan of them. after finishing the game, i'm glad i did buy it since it was very enjoyable experience. who knows, i might pick it up later on steam and do second playthrough since the switch is serviceable, but for a game like this dripping with atmosphere, i feel it didn't do it justice.
Just finished playing this game on your recommendation, very much enjoyed it. Definitely on the bleaker side, and it's unclear whether the other countries are afflicted or why the rain occurs, though the latter could just be magic I guess. Definitely let us know if you find any more like this, the depressing stuff is right up my alley.
To be fair, the full release has a few answers: 1) Other countries are extremely unlikely to be affected, for reasons that also answer the second question. 2) The Blight is born out of hatred. This is something unique to Land's End, where hate can manifest into a plague. This is seen from the Memory of An Ancient. 3) The Ancients could manifest this hatred into power, as seen with Relics like Aura's Ring.
I'm so glad to see a UA-camr I know talk about Ender Lilies! I bought it day 1 and fell in love instantly. Beautiful world, music, gameplay, it's so good
I started playing ender lillies a few months ago and i love everything about this game the music the graphics and the concept that a litte girl gets protected by a cool ass knight in a Land with no normal humans anymore
Oh, thanks, Rusty. This was going to be the only month where my game spending was going to be reasonable. But now, You went and sold me on this game and I have once again spent more money on games this month than I should have. Thanks, you masterful salesman of macabre, atmospheric delights.
Awesome review, you summed up the game well! I got this game 3 days ago and 100% now lol, caught me off guard. The music, artstyle, talismans and spirits made the experience very enjoyable. The combos you can put together with the spirits and yourself are so good.
SPOILER AHEAD One of my favorite moments in the entire game was finding the last upgrade to the Umbral Knight. Deep in the kingdom, you find a thick wall of toxin, and even though you have the mask, it still does a lot of damage. So you decide to come back later. Much later, after exploring basically everything, you come back to the wall, and try to make it past it. You probably die after making it a good distance down and still being in poison, so you try to think of a solution to get past. You remember all the healing upgrades and realize what the game wants. You put on every healing thing you can, and you go through again. It might take a couple tries, but you make it to the bottom, finding the final umbral knight upgrade and a bit of lore. That area of the game was my favorite because while it doesn’t give any direct hints as to how you make it past, it shows that with the intense amount of infection, and it not instantly killing you, that it is possible to make it past. That feeling of happiness I got when I figured it out and made it to the end was amazing.
What made me originally play this game was when Mili uploaded on their channel the ending song for Ender Lilies, it made me really curious as to what the game was so i went in completely blind and its probably one of the more memorable games ive played since
That small community ended up being me and my friends. Like gosh looking at these videos now just before the sequel comes out, something that I'm physically having trouble waiting for, is just amazing. This has, and probably always will be, my favorite game of all time; unless it's successor can do anything close to it's greatness. The only other game to have come close so far has been Celeste.
it's honestly the first time i watched one of ur video's. I like how you express to good points, even withing the game itself and comparis with other games. It's something you don't see everyday that a youtube is truly honest about what he thinks of a game. Most of the people do it for themself or for vieuws. Your honesty gives me the impression that you speak the truth for yourself but in the first place for the game Ender Lilies Quitus of the knights. Personnely i played the game just a week ago and i fell in love in it myself especilly the music. Thnk you rusty for the video i wanna say more but i am gonna leave it whit this
@@davidvila5053 Oh really? I haven't been to it in a week. Be nice addative. Few other games should have it to. Forgot the name. That one RpG game where your a guy with short white hair. A action RPG. Get other party members. Elemental dragons are part of the story. As I remember A or the villian is on the cover, A female.
Hey Rusty just wanted to say that it's actually thanks to you that I discovered, bought & played the game. I saw a post from you on the community tab with a screenshot of the game & I knew that was my next game. Thanks again for the video & spreading the news about this fantastic game 👍🤗
Ender Lilies is easily one of my - if not my most - favorite games of all time. Something about it just clicked for me. First game I ever followed from Early Access to now and not once regretted it.
If a game is getting comparisons to neir: automata and hollow knight then I'm going to play it. Now I'm really sad that the playstation version has been delayed because I'm going to have to wait for it
I first didn't pay attention when I saw it somewhere but I just saw the screenshot you posted, hooked me immediately and i got so scared that it wasn't in the ps store, thankfully it's in 6 days so W and thanks Rusty!
I just finished this game with 100% completion and loved almost every second of it. The beautifully bleak environment really hooked me! I’m glad I watched this video and your glowing recommendation of the game!
I bought this after seeing a comment from you praising it, loved it and completed it today. Highly recommend. The ulv boss fight was my favourite, I haven't had that much fun fighting a boss since sekiro, awesome game. I'm not an animu guy but I am also not opposed to the artstyle and it lends itself to a really atmospheric and sorrowful theme in this game which was really enjoyable
I just finished this game, and it was the first metroidvania title I ever played. Rarely have I ever come across something that kept me interested and made me want to complete the game, in fact I’m not generally a completionist and I don’t really care for collecting everything and beating everyone in a game, but this one time I really wanted to flesh everything out about the environments, the abilities, the possibilities. I didn’t particularly care for the plot, all I wanted was to have fun. And this game fully delivered. Now my problem is that I can’t find anything like it... but yeah, I’m in love too.
Got the game because you speak so highly of it and after 20 hours and 100% it I agree that this is beautiful and really is it's own game no matter how many inspirations it takes from other games.
I just watched the 1st 3 minutes of the video, got sold, went & got the game, finished it & now I finished this video; Thx for introducing this game, it was the 1 of best metroidvania games I've ever played after hollow knight; & the soundtrack, atmosphere, graphics & visuals of the game are really great.
Rusty, thank you so much for this video!!! I had no idea about this game and I just bought Bloodstained to scratch my Silksong itch and was SUPER disappointed
Ender Lilies is a jewel of a game. It is one of those short but sweet games that just obsess me for days after I´ve finished them. They are not the most mechanically challenging, and they don´t have 60+ hours of content in them, but you can just feel how much heart was put in making them. And "feel" is precisely the most important word there. Ender Lilies makes you "feel" its atmosphere and lore. The sadness and sorrow of a kingdom´s death and its vain struggle against destruction is a heavy subject, and Ender Lilies explores it thoroughly, warmly holding your hand while sinking a knife into your heart little by little. The more I played, guiding Lily and her spirits into the darkness, the more sadness I was fed. I explored places abandoned, blood-stained, full of corpses, or just dilapidated and soaked by a never-ending rain. I read letters of lovers separated, diary entries from people finding no solution to an apocalypse, the last notes from the lost and abandoned begging to see their loved ones one last time. I fought those that had once been honorable and warm-hearted, now transformed into sad, insane and bloodthirsty parodies of themselves. Sorrow and loss were everywhere just like the Rain that doomed the kingdom of Land´s End. I read the chronicles of the last days of a dead nation... yet I found myself struggling, fighting on, because I refused to give up. I refused that Lily´s story should end in nothingness. I clung on to what little hope I could find, and put in all my effort to give her, at least, a happy end. I drew strength from the stubbornness of the Blight´s victims to give Lily something more. From their defeats and losses I took little bits of hope and strength to carry on. Lily was the crystallization of their dying wish, their last chance to oppose a cruel world, and I feverishly took upon that responsibility much like the Umbral Knight that awoke her and protected her in her journey. So you can be sure that when I approached the end, I did so with much trepidation, hoping that Lily at least would make it when a whole kingdom never had any chance. I haven´t felt anywhere near this much emotion since I played J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories three years ago. So in short... if you are looking for something more than pressing buttons... if you want a game that will remind you that you have a human heart... Ender Lilies is what you are looking for.
You summed up my thoughts exactly with the game. I've been looking for more metroidvanias like SOTN or Bloodstained and tried playing so many that people said were like them. All have been disappointing until I picked up ender lilies. They either look like crap or have some combat mechanic that I really dislike. Some claim to be metroidvania and there is no exploration or back tracking or real upgrades. Some don't even have branching paths and they still list them as metroidvanias. I can't stress how amazing ender lilies really is. The music, ambiance, controls and play style was exactly what I was looking for.
The last area frightened me by its atmosphere... The music and the setting are really unsettling. I was relieved when I beat the final boss because I could finally get out of that nightmarish area The game is really great overall, it was my first Metroidvania and I can't wait to see what other mv have to offer
I posted a riview on steam when i finished the game and this was the most significant part of my experience. I've experience games about dying/death worlds before, where the players explores the ruins of a formerly thrieving world. But this games often have a more interesting lore than story and fail to emotionally grab me. That happens for two reason: the lore is so hidden and obscure that you end up confused and feeling detached from it. Dark Soul is a prime example of this, while a small and very passiote portiong of the fandom might enjoy playing as a historian, your average Joe is just gonna wait to the next Vaatividya video. If the way that players chose to engage with the story of your game its generally outside the game, then you failed somewhere. The second its that this games often forgets something about their dying world, a dying world is only as compelling as the life it lost. If you dont make players care about what it was lost then they wont care about the story on it and much less its fate. In my opinion there are three components to do a fully effective dying world: -The architecture/ruins/buildings the physical manifestation of lifes impact in this world -the undead corpeses of its inhabitants, the simplest way to remind that there were people here. Champions/heroes gone mad also enter in this category. But there is a third element that is often missed or not given proper care, the emotions. Life is not only about existing and doing, its about feeling. Feelings prove that this world not only had people that existed and created things, but that they also had hopes, dreams, joys, frustrations and regrets. They had a life that was snatched from them. Ender Lillies distinguishes itself by taking care of this aspect and in doing so it truly brings its death world to life. At the start you are in the dark like in any other game of this kind but Ender Lillies gives you two reliable ways to consistenly learn and connect with the world. The first one is notes, easily plain, simple but effective. Scattered around the world are notes that explain things about the world, but this are often are personal notes of characters in the game that will give a window into their thoughts. I want to stress the realiable aspect of the notes, because its important that the player knows that it will eventually learn something from this notes so it feels motivated to keep collecting them instead of thinking "the next object might be a lore defining revelation....or some useless trivia. Meh, why bother?". When you pick this notes as Lily the game archieves two things: it allows you to learn and connect with the world and, since Lily is also reading this note and learning as you do, it connects you to Lily. The second element is the purification process. When you purify a blighted (essentially a zombie) that has retained its indiduality you get a glimpse into their mind. In mini bosses its a singular line of dialogue but in the the case of bosses its a short cutscene. Sometimes this give you some information, but more often its about what they felt, wanted, regreted, lamented, hoped for, why they did what they did. Everytime that a boss its beaten you and Liliy will learn something about the life of someone in this world. Then you have your trivia in the form of item descriptions and spirit descriptions, but this are suplents to an already good foundation instead of being left alone to fill the holes. How effective all of this is will depend from player to player, but it cant be denied that there is an actual effort being made to emotionally connect you with the world and thats something that truly brings Ender Lillies world to life.
Dare I say this was my game of the year? Its the end of the year now and I still cant think of anything that hit me quite so hard this year. Maybe Blue Reflection Second Light as a close second? Hmm. Edit: I'm still singing the lyrics to 'Bulbel' the ending theme to this day. Milli did such a lovely job with that song.
I liken Ender Lillies to Skies of Arcadia Legends - neither game reinvents the wheel but it just does all of the classic elements SO WELL while establishing its own unique identity with quality presentation and charm that they just become classic games that will stand the test of time
Well it looks like I will be adding this to my wishlist.. and I don’t know how you did it but the way you talked about how the game deserves to find a community made me tear up😂😂
Well said Rusty! I agree, we need to get this game to all metroidvania lovers out there. I'm still in the early game and I can't put it down. This deserves to be played and recognized by all gamers!
Join the server and talk to us. We're cool, I promise.
discord.gg/tsf-rusty
Can confirm, everyone there is really cool
as someone who is in the server, this is incorrect.
I am not cool
Your shaking, melancholic delivery makes my heart vibes resonate as such. I love it and I hate it. Stop making me feel dammit.
Sorry, I'm not joining you, because you're boring. I do like the game though.
Great server. I enjoy the community.
This game is such a masterpiece
I find this game art style to be one of the most unique out there for a Metroidvania.
For those who don't know, this game was actually inspired by a SINGLE piece of illustration made by miv4t back in 2017
Any chance you could link it if you find it? I'm curious now
@@gabrieltomal1788 having 100% completed the game, I can definitely see where the inspiration came from!
The OST is absolutely beautiful! And the character too... Kawaii af! The affection, adoration, devotion, I feel for her draws me to want to see this game through to the end.
for me everything that has it's a masterpiece
Any chance you could link it if you find it? I'm curious now
This video comes just in time, since I finished the game literal minutes ago.
I 100%-ed it a couple days ago and I'm already feeling like playing it again lol
@@hydro0___ do you guys seriously have a discord? link me
@@Rusty._ I am missing a fewwwww rooms here and there and I still gotta do the final-final boss. Great game though. Has some real stand-out moments. The kind that I am always *hoping* to experience in metroidvanias.
@@Rusty._ discord.gg/VT6ACWMtJe
@@Rusty._ how do you feel like playing it again. if there's something i hate about such games, it's that they end. how some ppl still play them afterwards
The effect of the corruption on Lily is made all the more effective by how subtly it starts before becoming pervasive. I didn't even notice the changes until beating the third main boss, and was startled again near the end of game when I finally realized her hair wasn't just getting darker but was actually sprouting tentacles.
If anything could make me want to replay the whole game again it would be to pay closer attention to al the transition details.
it still slightly saddens me how genuinely underrated this game is. this is literally one of the greatest gems I've ever found. lowkey one of my, if not my top favorite game. absolutely gorgeous everything.
Amen same I played dozens of Metroidvania and this is up there with the best
Just got this game today from ps plus and my god is it good.
Something I love about this game is how the story never really feels like its "about" Lily herself until the very end. The entire main plot of the game can be boiled down to "Lily retraces the White Priestess' steps in an attempt to find her", which gives just enough motivation to continue exploring without getting in the way of the stories surrounding the other characters, which are vibrant and somehow get us invested in characters whose stories are, for all intents and purposes, already over by the time the game starts. Having a slew of faceless, nameless bosses is all fine and good, but nothing quite hits like finding pieces of lore in a new area that slowly flesh out a character's life, goals, desires, successes, and failures, only to find the boss at the end of an area and see that familiar name one last time. I was always excited to find a new piece of lore and, to me, it always felt like an even better reward for exploration than almost any other upgrade or resource
Just how a great story/ game should...
alright, you’ve sold me. this’ll be the next game i buy. great work all around!
Two questions is it out? And what platforms is it on
@@pugtornado7895 it's out for every platform except playstation but it will arrive in July 6 I believe
@@boxerheadninja4281 :)
I got sold too. Just repaired my drifted nintendo switch joycon, gonna buy this asap.
@@boxerheadninja4281 we have to wait even longer now and I’m pissed
For me?
*The main thing that makes this game stand out from the rest of its similar counterparts is the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.*
I knew how much you loved this game when you played the demo only. Such a gorgeous little game
what demo? i tried to google to find a demo for it
@@CrankyBonesGaming it was back before the game released, he'd played the demo of the game and wouldn't stop talking about it
@@SilverChaser its too bad there is no demo now
The BGM of the areas are so strong that you actually feel the impact of it being cut out when you fast travel.
Also there's a dog mini boss that just follows you around and sits in front of you.
That miniboss was such a gut punch
I slaughtered that poor dog so fast after the boss name popped up I was wondering why it didn't fight back
i.... didnt even realized it wasnt fighting back, i just tought i killed it before it could attack me... i feel so horrible now, it just wanted to interact and i slaughtered it withou even thinking.... at least she's with me now so i'm gonna make sure to walk her around and use her as much as i can because i feel bad
Hey Rusty, I remember seeing this video when it first came out and because of your words, I got to experience Ender Lillies. It's such a beautiful, sad game and, even now two years after it was released and one and a half years since I played it last, I think a part of me still loves it. I love Lilly and her spirits, I love that gorgeous haunted world and I love the story that it tells. And it was all because of a video that someone put out on the internet.
I know that things have moved on in the world, and you'll probably never read this comment because you get thousands of new ones every day. But, on the random chance that you do see it, I just wanted to say thanks.
I feel like rusty might be really good at narrating horror/ tragedy stories.
Memorable metroidvania. Top notch art, music and atmosphere. Interesting and emotional lore. Gameplay is good and fun. You really feel stronger and stronger specially when you get new abilities. Combat feels clunky at first but the more you progress the better it gets. Intuitive/easier platforming is also very welcome after some frustrating experiences with other metroidvanias. Difficulty/balance for me was perfect, not too easy, not that hard, something in-between. Some bosses offer a fair challenge. It was a delightful journey. Easily a 9.
By the way, NG+ will come more soon than later. Devs already took note about this popular petition on Steam forums. I'm also so optimistic and I expect a physical Switch release. Game is already popular and it's selling ok so more good things will come.
Bro I don’t know what game you were playing lol I’m in the catacombs and I’m getting ASS RAPED. Lol literally. I made it to the second respite there and I can’t seem to make it any further. So many annoying little enemies down here lol
@@rocketscientist14 it's actually not hard and this is just my 2nd metroidvania, 1st being hollowknight
I finished game in 18 hrs total at 100% completion
@@rocketscientist14 oh boy, you'll have real fun the castle... if you survive the twin spires that is 😬
@@looots1320 would u say it’s easier than hollow knight? If so I can’t play this? Is it more like ori with it being easier?
@@duckielove2286 this more combat>platforming
Ori is platforming>combat
Idk both this and base game Hollow knight was easy to me, but that's just me I also find Dark souls easy
This game is just wow! The boss fights Ulv and Julius are incredible, so satisfying!
@hornet is spider That isn't really a spoiler. You have no context for who those people are, and almost every named character in the game is a boss at some point.
I love the comparison of how the atmosphere and music changing to become stranger and more chaotic the deeper you go, actually representing a slow descent into insanity that comes from the blight. That's some amazing atmospheric storytelling! The way it builds up to the abyss, where it just... crashes and drones, feels in an odd way way like Everywhere At the End of Time to me. The way it represents the mind reaching that final step of complete loss of control, both similar and completely different to losing yourself to dementia, is terrifying.
I can safely say that this game is a creative masterpiece. So happy I played it
time to hope that it gets a bunch of DLCs and updates to increase its longevity.
I picked this game up during the steam summer sale. The only reason I knew about it is because one of my friends stumbled across it and said it looked cool. As I visited the steam page I was blown away by the few frames of art I could see alone, and I immediately bought it. Upon completing all 3 endings in a short 3 days I can say this is one of those games that will stick with me. Few games are able to formulate such a potent atmosphere that tug at my heart and brain every so often, and I can confidently say that Elder Lilies is near the top of that list. Everything from the music to the art and to the dialogue compliment each other so beautifully. The twinge of sorrow in the music devolving into oppressive fear by the time you reach the Abyss is a process that hits hard. Collecting the memoirs of those fighting to protect Land's End, and ultimately witnessing the weight of their defeat when you fight them and purify them is such a rich way of building the world. Venturing to each new area and seeing the disarray all around, as the amount of blood and blight grows and the state of the world becomes more and more haunting. All three of these elements make Land's End the most engaging fallen dark fantasy kingdom I've explored. Not even Hallownest reaches the level that Land's End does for me. And I believe the reason for that is primarily due to the way we feel the struggles of the kingdom's people.
Also a worthy note, the gameplay is just really great. I always go on these tangents about story, world, and music, and then forget that these great games are also just very fun lol. As mentioned, the game doesn't do anything outstanding when it comes to gameplay, but at the same time it reminds us that we don't need to reinvent the wheel. Give me Metroidvania fundamentals with an interesting way to fight (in this case the spirit system which I really loved) and cool enemies, and I'll have a good time. The bosses were also fun and felt very rewarding when you beat them. There was genuine excitement in seeing what new spirit and ability I would get.
The number one thing I need to get off my chest however is how disappointed I am that it took me so long to find this game. It really is one of those gems that suddenly come out of the video game industry, and I really wish it was talked about more. Though, I'm glad someone like Rusty was able to come out and talk about it. I feel the same thing he expressed at the end of the video. I know this game wasn't massive, and I know it definitely isn't any bigger now over a year later when I'm playing it. But something in me demands that I talk about this game somewhere, and that is why I am leaving this comment now lol. There are still people like me who can find this game and enjoy it thoroughly even after so long, so don't stop talking about it. Let everyone know how special Ender Lilies is :)
Damn. I finished all the endings to ender lilies only a few hours before watching this, and having two massive hits to the feels was… something else. This is definitely the video ender lilies deserves.
This game reminded me of hollow knight, the sadness of never getting to experience it for the first time again. Beautiful art style, solid gameplay (not as fast passed as hollow knight), and very interesting lore read all the collectables everything is important and the story will come together. On steam it has overwhelmingly positive reviews and for me it is a solid 9/10.
I say the best description of the game is Hollow Knight's atmosphere and music, with Salt and Sanctuary's gameplay
Out of interest, Is it as lengthy as HK?
@@convergeman7825 no. The true ending is about 20 hours or so casual 100%.
@@convergeman7825 maybe 10 hours to beat casually, 15 for true ending, and 20 for 100%
People don’t talk enough about chasing the Hollow Knight high, its a problem 😔
I just got this game and my favorite thing about it is that you can see the spirts when resting or when your idle idk why but that little feature brings me more joy than than anything
My personal headcanon is that the spirits that accompany Lily do so as a show of gratitude, and a way to pay her back for saving them by protecting her from the rest of the blighted. Some sort of a "oh crap, _this_ is the girl that has to save us from the apocalypse? Oh hell nah i'm not gonna let her go by herself into this hellhole."
*grammar edit
That video was beautiful, coming in here in 2024 to say I hope you're excited for Ender Magnolia
I love this game.
Spent 3.5 hours yesterday helping out with the wiki, and now I consider myself a lore expert on the game. Any questions anyone has feel free to ask them.
I'd be down for a lore vid or two honestly
@@Rusty._ I'd love to be able to help! Any particular questions?
Also here's the discord link: discord.gg/ynEpRe9sUJ
@@Rusty._ pls do
@Rusty. We the internet, both need and deserve lore videos from you on this absolute gem of a game. Also, a boss ranking video, and a video about the most annoying mobs. Go full HK on this. Your videos were once a big part in my HK experience. This deserves the same attention from the community.
I was always wondering what the general order of events is, and if this is correct (sorry for the wall of text)
[Spoilers ahead]
From the notes, it seems the human kingdom invaded the Ancients and won, even though those Ancients had some immortal beings, possibly through Blight. There was also a war with the blighted, coming from the snowy area, and that war was eventually won too, with the help of the knights who were made immortal through the use of the immortal potion and with the help of a white priestess, who was also an Ancient. But, the experiments to make this immortal potion were carried in the Verboten Domain, which was already overrun by blight too. Also, the priestess became overcame with blight and was sent to the abyss, and then some fake children were also created through experiments, who attempted to take on part of the main priestess's blight, and possibly failed. There was also the constant rain, which also turned all of the normal people into the Blighted.
So, I guess my questions are:
1. Was the Blight created by the ancients and when they lost they unleashed it on the world, or is it just an even older force that not even they could contain (but still managed to craft semi-immortality potions through it)?
2. In which order did these happen: The war between the ancients, the war between humans and with the blighted, the infection of the verboten domain, the abyss with the blighted lord being the main source of the blight, the rain.
3. Where did all of the blighted come from? Mainly from the Verboten Domain, from outside, or were they just infected citizens?
4. Who or what is the Blighted Lord?
5. Was the priestess sent down in the abyss just to purify the Blight Lord and failed? Is any of the abyss infection coming from her, or just from the Blighted Lord, if so?
6. Did the assassination of the king actually matter?
7. Why did the rain happen if most of the infection came from the lowest levels?
8. Are the fleshy blobby monsters in the Verboten Domain a result of experiments trying to combine humans / create the smaller priestesses, or just the blight doing its thing?
Thank you in advance for any answers!
Im 26 hrs into my playthrough and loved it. I just finished leveling to 100 then got all 3 endings. Fantastic game. Loved every minute :)
On the "drive to move on" thing: If sadness and grief isn't a necessary prerequisite for a good Metroidvania for you, I have one word for you: Aquaria.
This old gem is criminally underrated, IMHO.
Sadness and grief is a necessary for me in most things honestly. I don't want it to make me feel bad, just sufficiently depressed.
Not just your opinion, IT IS criminally underrated, of all the times I've seen someone ask for metroidvania recommendations (on Steam at least) nobody ever mentions Aquaria... sad
Thank you very much, I'm getting really sick and tired of every single game in the genre needing to be melodramatic as hell. Ender Lilies in particular reached a darkness singularity since it lacked even a single moment of levity or non-bittersweet happiness for the entire thing.
This game was one of very few that really disturbed me to the core. The Verboten domain, the Abyss... Miriel, and especially her tragic end.
It' one of the few games that left me with an empty feeling in my heart with such a bittersweet ending.
Mili are great musicians. I got to them through Limbus company which is a... well the closest I can think of without an essay is a sci-fi, dystopian horror drama shit with elements of eldritch horrors? You can imagine this kind of music in a game like this.
Ooo I really like the mechanics of you getting spirits and abilities from bosses. It seems like a very creative game!
I really hope this game reaches as many people as possible. It’s everything I ever wanted in a 2D MetroidVania soulslike- from before hollowknight, back in salt and sanctuary, the dozens of games that have come out none ever reached Ender Lillies.
The music, the atmosphere, the absolutely gorgeous and perfect art. Each boss and enemy becoming an ally and weapon against the seemingly impossible.
Thanks for doing a video on this one Rusty.
One aspect you got wrong about the lore is that when you save the people infected with the blight, they do not live through that. What happens is that there souls are separated from their blighted body so that they can finally rest. The spirits that join up with you are not the person themselves. It's more like the shadow of the person that once lived in the body that has now been infected with the blight. That means that throughout the entire kingdom there are really only three people that are alive and are in control of themselve throughout the game. However if you complete the true ending this number goes down to one. The priestess of the fount dies and the umbrole knight has completed the vow of protecting the priestess so there soul is set free. That mean that the young priestess is the only person in the kingdom that is still alive. Jesus that is depressing.
I'm looking forward to saving up some money to purchase this game.
I, too, fell in love with the game. The whole element of Protecting Lily is what drives me to love it.
I’m so grateful I found this video last summer. It is absolutely tied for my favorite metroidvania I’ve ever played with Hollow Knight. It’s criminally underrated. The sound track is absolutely incredible. If your even considering thinking about playing it…. Play it… I promise you won’t regret it.
I was much more emotionally invested in this game than I was in Hollow Knight. Lilly is a amazing protagonist… and she never even utters a word. She doesn’t have too.
This was definitely the saddest game ive ever played, and i absolutely love it for that
its more like she cant tho, but still really expresive
Im so glad you gave this game some attention. It deserves it. It was wonderful.
I just finished ending c, holy god this game is fucking amazing
Yeah I have two more tablets to go, hoping the final boss gets a bit harder though
@@jamesgaskill4948 it slightly does
Thank you for covering this beautiful game Rusty.
Dude you sounded like you were about to burst into tears at any second.
I have always wanted to speedrun a metroidvania. This might be my chance!
Why not doing hollow knight?
@@hodorable6789 to optimized to be fun. I enjoy routing and creating my own strats
Go go go! Time's a-wasting!
This was free on ps+ and now I'm here. This and hollow knight will now forever be my favorite games. The only gamez I've ever wanted to play all the wah through
i picked this game up about a month ago for switch. interestingly, the actual reason i picked it up was because i found out that Mili had made the soundtrack for it and i'm a fan of them. after finishing the game, i'm glad i did buy it since it was very enjoyable experience. who knows, i might pick it up later on steam and do second playthrough since the switch is serviceable, but for a game like this dripping with atmosphere, i feel it didn't do it justice.
Just finished playing this game on your recommendation, very much enjoyed it.
Definitely on the bleaker side, and it's unclear whether the other countries are afflicted or why the rain occurs, though the latter could just be magic I guess.
Definitely let us know if you find any more like this, the depressing stuff is right up my alley.
To be fair, the full release has a few answers:
1) Other countries are extremely unlikely to be affected, for reasons that also answer the second question.
2) The Blight is born out of hatred. This is something unique to Land's End, where hate can manifest into a plague. This is seen from the Memory of An Ancient.
3) The Ancients could manifest this hatred into power, as seen with Relics like Aura's Ring.
well I decided to follow your advice and give it a try , 3 week later I have 3 100 % complete save slot ,no I'm not addicted just obsessed
I've been eyeing this game for a while. You've sold me. Lol.
Love this game, strongly reminding me of castlevania sotn, would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a similar experience
Im so glad u reviewed this game. I noticed it a while back and was waiting for a small push to get it
I'm so glad to see a UA-camr I know talk about Ender Lilies! I bought it day 1 and fell in love instantly. Beautiful world, music, gameplay, it's so good
I started playing ender lillies a few months ago and i love everything about this game the music the graphics and the concept that a litte girl gets protected by a cool ass knight in a Land with no normal humans anymore
Thanks for convincing me to give this a try. Very persuasive video!
This game was on my radar and your community post sold me on it. I'm glad you made a video, it deserves a spotlight.
Oh, thanks, Rusty. This was going to be the only month where my game spending was going to be reasonable. But now, You went and sold me on this game and I have once again spent more money on games this month than I should have. Thanks, you masterful salesman of macabre, atmospheric delights.
Awesome review, you summed up the game well! I got this game 3 days ago and 100% now lol, caught me off guard. The music, artstyle, talismans and spirits made the experience very enjoyable. The combos you can put together with the spirits and yourself are so good.
SPOILER AHEAD
One of my favorite moments in the entire game was finding the last upgrade to the Umbral Knight. Deep in the kingdom, you find a thick wall of toxin, and even though you have the mask, it still does a lot of damage. So you decide to come back later. Much later, after exploring basically everything, you come back to the wall, and try to make it past it. You probably die after making it a good distance down and still being in poison, so you try to think of a solution to get past. You remember all the healing upgrades and realize what the game wants. You put on every healing thing you can, and you go through again. It might take a couple tries, but you make it to the bottom, finding the final umbral knight upgrade and a bit of lore. That area of the game was my favorite because while it doesn’t give any direct hints as to how you make it past, it shows that with the intense amount of infection, and it not instantly killing you, that it is possible to make it past. That feeling of happiness I got when I figured it out and made it to the end was amazing.
What made me originally play this game was when Mili uploaded on their channel the ending song for Ender Lilies, it made me really curious as to what the game was so i went in completely blind and its probably one of the more memorable games ive played since
This game is so good , buyed it because of you, really enjoyed it so much and looking forward to finish it :)
That small community ended up being me and my friends. Like gosh looking at these videos now just before the sequel comes out, something that I'm physically having trouble waiting for, is just amazing. This has, and probably always will be, my favorite game of all time; unless it's successor can do anything close to it's greatness. The only other game to have come close so far has been Celeste.
it's honestly the first time i watched one of ur video's. I like how you express to good points, even withing the game itself and comparis with other games. It's something you don't see everyday that a youtube is truly honest about what he thinks of a game. Most of the people do it for themself or for vieuws. Your honesty gives me the impression that you speak the truth for yourself but in the first place for the game Ender Lilies Quitus of the knights. Personnely i played the game just a week ago and i fell in love in it myself especilly the music. Thnk you rusty for the video i wanna say more but i am gonna leave it whit this
Biggest problem of this game - there is no NG+ after true ending
They will add it more soon than later. Devs already took note of this popular petition on Steam forums.
@@davidvila5053 Oh really? I haven't been to it in a week. Be nice addative. Few other games should have it to. Forgot the name. That one RpG game where your a guy with short white hair. A action RPG. Get other party members. Elemental dragons are part of the story. As I remember A or the villian is on the cover, A female.
@@AllenTax "that one RPG game where you a guy with short white hair"
Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down?
@@AllenTax persona 4?
@@Obsrange5176 No.
So basically Bloodborne anime + Hollow Knight. That’s something I will definitely play someday.
Hey Rusty just wanted to say that it's actually thanks to you that I discovered, bought & played the game. I saw a post from you on the community tab with a screenshot of the game & I knew that was my next game. Thanks again for the video & spreading the news about this fantastic game 👍🤗
Awesome! I actually can’t wait to try this out
I'm so glad you covered this game. A true gem. Deserves all the praise you gave. This is one I'll be keeping close to my heart in the years that come.
Pretty sure a sequal is in the works called ender magolia i think
You are correct. It is being released this year
Alright conna buy it right now
Just looks so epic
I still want to 100% it again. It was so much fun and had a great story.
Ender Lilies is easily one of my - if not my most - favorite games of all time. Something about it just clicked for me. First game I ever followed from Early Access to now and not once regretted it.
Got this game after seeing your rec post! So good!
Just beat this game. I was surprised how great it was. Graphics, gameplay, ost and world was amazing. Hope they continue with this series
If a game is getting comparisons to neir: automata and hollow knight then I'm going to play it. Now I'm really sad that the playstation version has been delayed because I'm going to have to wait for it
i want to experience nier atomata again for the first time
I first didn't pay attention when I saw it somewhere but I just saw the screenshot you posted, hooked me immediately and i got so scared that it wasn't in the ps store, thankfully it's in 6 days so W and thanks Rusty!
I love how your voice trembles whenever the emotion in your words is to powerful and beautiful
Knowing you for your ER videos and then seeing you appear when I’m looking for obscure game reviews is always fucking jarring
Beat it today and it is now my favorite Metroidvania, absolutely loved it from start to finish
Ok I'll try it. Thanks for the review. I appreciate these videos. You never disappoint Rusty.
I just finished this game with 100% completion and loved almost every second of it. The beautifully bleak environment really hooked me! I’m glad I watched this video and your glowing recommendation of the game!
this game has been on my radar ever since it came out and i finally got to play it now, i love it so much. The atmosphere is beautiful
Oh dang the algorithm knows I got all the achievements in this last night. God this game’s good
I bought this after seeing a comment from you praising it, loved it and completed it today. Highly recommend.
The ulv boss fight was my favourite, I haven't had that much fun fighting a boss since sekiro, awesome game.
I'm not an animu guy but I am also not opposed to the artstyle and it lends itself to a really atmospheric and sorrowful theme in this game which was really enjoyable
Such a good game, I just finished it recently
I just finished this game, and it was the first metroidvania title I ever played. Rarely have I ever come across something that kept me interested and made me want to complete the game, in fact I’m not generally a completionist and I don’t really care for collecting everything and beating everyone in a game, but this one time I really wanted to flesh everything out about the environments, the abilities, the possibilities. I didn’t particularly care for the plot, all I wanted was to have fun. And this game fully delivered.
Now my problem is that I can’t find anything like it... but yeah, I’m in love too.
Got the game because you speak so highly of it and after 20 hours and 100% it I agree that this is beautiful and really is it's own game no matter how many inspirations it takes from other games.
I just watched the 1st 3 minutes of the video, got sold, went & got the game, finished it & now I finished this video;
Thx for introducing this game, it was the 1 of best metroidvania games I've ever played after hollow knight; & the soundtrack, atmosphere, graphics & visuals of the game are really great.
Alright God damn, you definitely have me sold! Your ability to display a game in the perfect way astounds me
3:30 *spots small orange flying things*
*Hollow Knight PTSD intensifies*
Rusty, thank you so much for this video!!! I had no idea about this game and I just bought Bloodstained to scratch my Silksong itch and was SUPER disappointed
im so glad that i found this video, i love this type of game and i definitely gonna buy this one, i just hope it wont be to underrated
Ender Lilies is a jewel of a game.
It is one of those short but sweet games that just obsess me for days after I´ve finished them. They are not the most mechanically challenging, and they don´t have 60+ hours of content in them, but you can just feel how much heart was put in making them. And "feel" is precisely the most important word there. Ender Lilies makes you "feel" its atmosphere and lore. The sadness and sorrow of a kingdom´s death and its vain struggle against destruction is a heavy subject, and Ender Lilies explores it thoroughly, warmly holding your hand while sinking a knife into your heart little by little.
The more I played, guiding Lily and her spirits into the darkness, the more sadness I was fed. I explored places abandoned, blood-stained, full of corpses, or just dilapidated and soaked by a never-ending rain. I read letters of lovers separated, diary entries from people finding no solution to an apocalypse, the last notes from the lost and abandoned begging to see their loved ones one last time. I fought those that had once been honorable and warm-hearted, now transformed into sad, insane and bloodthirsty parodies of themselves. Sorrow and loss were everywhere just like the Rain that doomed the kingdom of Land´s End.
I read the chronicles of the last days of a dead nation... yet I found myself struggling, fighting on, because I refused to give up. I refused that Lily´s story should end in nothingness. I clung on to what little hope I could find, and put in all my effort to give her, at least, a happy end. I drew strength from the stubbornness of the Blight´s victims to give Lily something more. From their defeats and losses I took little bits of hope and strength to carry on. Lily was the crystallization of their dying wish, their last chance to oppose a cruel world, and I feverishly took upon that responsibility much like the Umbral Knight that awoke her and protected her in her journey. So you can be sure that when I approached the end, I did so with much trepidation, hoping that Lily at least would make it when a whole kingdom never had any chance.
I haven´t felt anywhere near this much emotion since I played J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories three years ago.
So in short... if you are looking for something more than pressing buttons... if you want a game that will remind you that you have a human heart... Ender Lilies is what you are looking for.
Wow, that was one powerful comment… And one I agree with wholeheartedly.
i was looking forward to this game since the first trailer dropped and oh boy was it worth it, the game is even better than i dared to hope
You summed up my thoughts exactly with the game. I've been looking for more metroidvanias like SOTN or Bloodstained and tried playing so many that people said were like them. All have been disappointing until I picked up ender lilies. They either look like crap or have some combat mechanic that I really dislike. Some claim to be metroidvania and there is no exploration or back tracking or real upgrades. Some don't even have branching paths and they still list them as metroidvanias. I can't stress how amazing ender lilies really is. The music, ambiance, controls and play style was exactly what I was looking for.
The last area frightened me by its atmosphere... The music and the setting are really unsettling. I was relieved when I beat the final boss because I could finally get out of that nightmarish area
The game is really great overall, it was my first Metroidvania and I can't wait to see what other mv have to offer
Beautiful review. The has an special atmosphere and this video captured all those feelings
I posted a riview on steam when i finished the game and this was the most significant part of my experience.
I've experience games about dying/death worlds before, where the players explores the ruins of a formerly thrieving world. But this games often have a more interesting lore than story and fail to emotionally grab me.
That happens for two reason: the lore is so hidden and obscure that you end up confused and feeling detached from it. Dark Soul is a prime example of this, while a small and very passiote portiong of the fandom might enjoy playing as a historian, your average Joe is just gonna wait to the next Vaatividya video. If the way that players chose to engage with the story of your game its generally outside the game, then you failed somewhere.
The second its that this games often forgets something about their dying world, a dying world is only as compelling as the life it lost.
If you dont make players care about what it was lost then they wont care about the story on it and much less its fate.
In my opinion there are three components to do a fully effective dying world:
-The architecture/ruins/buildings the physical manifestation of lifes impact in this world
-the undead corpeses of its inhabitants, the simplest way to remind that there were people here. Champions/heroes gone mad also enter in this category.
But there is a third element that is often missed or not given proper care, the emotions. Life is not only about existing and doing, its about feeling. Feelings prove that this world not only had people that existed and created things, but that they also had hopes, dreams, joys, frustrations and regrets. They had a life that was snatched from them.
Ender Lillies distinguishes itself by taking care of this aspect and in doing so it truly brings its death world to life.
At the start you are in the dark like in any other game of this kind but Ender Lillies gives you two reliable ways to consistenly learn and connect with the world. The first one is notes, easily plain, simple but effective. Scattered around the world are notes that explain things about the world, but this are often are personal notes of characters in the game that will give a window into their thoughts. I want to stress the realiable aspect of the notes, because its important that the player knows that it will eventually learn something from this notes so it feels motivated to keep collecting them instead of thinking "the next object might be a lore defining revelation....or some useless trivia. Meh, why bother?".
When you pick this notes as Lily the game archieves two things: it allows you to learn and connect with the world and, since Lily is also reading this note and learning as you do, it connects you to Lily.
The second element is the purification process. When you purify a blighted (essentially a zombie) that has retained its indiduality you get a glimpse into their mind. In mini bosses its a singular line of dialogue but in the the case of bosses its a short cutscene. Sometimes this give you some information, but more often its about what they felt, wanted, regreted, lamented, hoped for, why they did what they did.
Everytime that a boss its beaten you and Liliy will learn something about the life of someone in this world.
Then you have your trivia in the form of item descriptions and spirit descriptions, but this are suplents to an already good foundation instead of being left alone to fill the holes.
How effective all of this is will depend from player to player, but it cant be denied that there is an actual effort being made to emotionally connect you with the world and thats something that truly brings Ender Lillies world to life.
Glad I watch your channel; would not have known about this game otherwise.
Dare I say this was my game of the year?
Its the end of the year now and I still cant think of anything that hit me quite so hard this year. Maybe Blue Reflection Second Light as a close second? Hmm.
Edit: I'm still singing the lyrics to 'Bulbel' the ending theme to this day. Milli did such a lovely job with that song.
I liken Ender Lillies to Skies of Arcadia Legends - neither game reinvents the wheel but it just does all of the classic elements SO WELL while establishing its own unique identity with quality presentation and charm that they just become classic games that will stand the test of time
I am in absolute love with this game. It's fantastic
Well it looks like I will be adding this to my wishlist.. and I don’t know how you did it but the way you talked about how the game deserves to find a community made me tear up😂😂
I am still playing it, got it when you Alan announced it in your community post and im happy I did. Amazing game.
Well said Rusty! I agree, we need to get this game to all metroidvania lovers out there. I'm still in the early game and I can't put it down. This deserves to be played and recognized by all gamers!
Legit saw this game in my recommended a few months back and played it for a couple hours. It’s pretty good