Sequels always come with certain expectations. Will it be better than the first one? Can it improve on its predecessor, iron out its rough edges, or perhaps take the formula in a new and exciting direction? You know how it is. Granted, Ender Magnolia might not be called Ender Lilies 2, but it is a follow-up to a beloved metroidvania that I myself had a very high opinion of back in the day. As such, it’s understandable that I’d go into it with these aforementioned expectations. If you’ve read my Early Access musings on Magnolia’s initial version, you’ll already know I came away from that experience with a generally positive mindset, but not even I was ready for just how much the game would ultimately offer, and how satisfying and content-packed this cute little sequel would end up being.

A world worth exploring (again)
First off, what do we think about when the term “metroidvania” comes up? Exploration, backtracking, non-linear progression with varied, gradually unlocking abilities, puzzles, memorable boss fights, optional secrets? Probably all of the above. Back when I tried Magnolia in Early Access, I was slightly concerned about one specific aspect of an otherwise very pleasant experience – namely, I felt the level design was a bit too straightforward, without enough optional secrets and backtracking opportunities. Obviously, this was an Early Access build, so I should’ve adjusted my expectations, but I still feared the full game wouldn’t embrace its metroidvania DNA to the extent I was personally hoping for. Well, I’m happy to report that my fears were completely unfounded.


Q is for QoL
What also greatly improves the experience is a color-coded map system a la Resident Evil, which lets you know when you’ve already explored a particular room or collected everything there is to collect. If you’re done, the zone turns blue on the map; if there are still secrets to discover or items to find, it stays gray. Aside from allowing the player to leave custom markers, the game also marks every single door and important obstacle that requires a specific skill to open, going so far as to let you know which exact Homunculus ability is needed to proceed. What’s more, fast traveling between save points is instantaneous, costs nothing, and can be used anywhere, at any time, further speeding up the process of cleaning up previously unexplored maps. These small but nonetheless important quality-of-life features essentially minimize the amount of time the player spends aimlessly wandering around the map and help smooth out the overall backtracking experience, making exploration feel both swift and satisfying.

The who of the what now?
Narratively, the game takes place many years after the events of Lilies, and whisks you away to the so-called Land of Fumes: a realm filled with a toxic miasma that corrupts everything it touches. The plot centers around the story of Lilac, a young amnesiac girl – an “Attuner” who possesses the ability to heal those affected by the gases, including the maddened Homunculi who run rampant in the Land of Fumes. The story itself is told using a variety of narrative tools, from scattered journal entries to anime-style flashbacks and brief conversations between the many characters you meet during your adventures. For some reason, though, the plot never quite grabbed me, and despite the developers’ best efforts to make you care about your Homunculus friends and the plight of their kingdom, I found it difficult to follow what was even going on, let alone grow attached to the major players of the story. The game keeps name-dropping characters you’ve never met, mentioning past events that mean little to you at the time, and referencing things without proper exposition; while I realize this may have all been intentional, the fact of the matter is that the narrative felt somewhat disjointed, confusing, and ultimately lacking in emotional impact as a result. That said, the accompanying soundtrack itself was absolutely fantastic, and generally one of the highlights of the experience.
Visually, the game mostly breaks away from the gothic, dark fantasy vibes of Ender Lilies, and instead chooses to adopt a post-apocalyptic, dystopian style with a more steampunky, industrial feel – the kind that will likely remind people of games like Nier: Automata. Obviously, this all comes down to individual taste, but personally, I preferred the general look and feel of the original. While Magnolia does still manage to squeeze in more than a handful of genuinely stunning locations, at the end of the day, I did kind of end up missing the more Castlevania-inspired aesthetic of Lilies.

Yesterday’s spirits are today’s Homunculi
I’ve already touched upon the combat system in my Early Access review, so I’ll try not to go over it again, but essentially, it works almost exactly like in Lilies. You’re allowed to assign four Homunculus abilities to four different buttons, and from there, it’s up to you to figure out which combination you gel with the most. Personally, I fell in love with the Homunculus whose ability worked a lot like a perfect counter in a fighting game – by timing your button presses just right, you’d parry the enemy’s attack without taking damage, then immediately launch a counterattack of your own. There are, of course, many other abilities to pick from – some more situational than others –, but I never really felt like there was an objectively “best” loadout. There are bosses and situations that might make you whip out this or that Homunculus for better results, but for the most part, I could stick with the combination that worked best for me during the majority of the campaign.


In conclusion
Despite my grievances with its narrative, I am immensely satisfied with Ender Magnolia, and consider it a more than worthy successor to the already excellent Lilies. It checks almost every box that a successful metroidvania needs, with varied and mechanically satisfying enemies, engaging level design that makes use of your ever-growing repertoire of abilities, great QoL features and plenty of optional secrets to uncover for completionists and backtracking enthusiasts alike. If you enjoyed Lilies and were left hungering for a juicy second outing, Magnolia will most certainly give you just that. Highly recommended.