Summary
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mistis a sequel toEnder Lilies: Quietus of the Knights,but players don’t have to engage with the first game to enjoy the second. It opens with a young girl, Lilac, waking up in a destroyed city full of monsters. Later, she finds a Homunculus, Nola, and Attunes her to her body. Lilac is an Attuner, one who can calm Homunculi and use them like characters can usePersonas in thePersonaseries.
This means that players can assign Homunculi to buttons on their controller of choice and use them to attack instead of equipping weapons. As a Metroidvania,Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mistcan be a lot to take in. That’s whythese beginner tips should help out in the early goings.
6Balancing Difficulty Levels
Turn Difficulty Up For Grinding, Turn It Down For Bosses
Players won’t realize this at first, but once they make it to the first save point, called Respites, inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist,they can then adjust the difficulty level. Players can choose Easy, Normal, or Hard, or they can customize the meters down below. Players can change how much damage enemies deal or how much health they have, for example.
These meters will affect their Fragment Bonus, and Fragments can be used to buy new outfits for Lilac. So, of the many materials in the game, Fragments aren’t worth worrying about unless players are very attached to their fashion sense. If they are, players may want to crank up the difficulty level to max out their Fragment Bonus and grind for Fragments. The Normal difficulty level should be good for most players overall, but they may want to turn everything down for bosses, especially if they prove too challenging.
5Combat Tips
Shooting From A Distance And Breaks
Defeating enemies will reward players with EXP which will level Lilac up like in a traditional RPG, or a Metroidvania that favorsCastlevania: Symphony of the Night’smechanics. Leveling up will increase Lilac’s attack power and defense primarily, as HP has to be increased via found items called Charmed Fragments. If players want to grind levels, they should find a place full of monsters, fight them, and then usefast travel inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mistto warp back to a Respitebefore repeating the process.
Players can unlock fast travel once they find Hati the Wolf early on, which will happen automatically after defeating Yolva. Yolva is also a Homonculus, and equipping him with the R1 button (for PS5 controllers) will be a great way to attack enemies from a distance. Players should use Yolva to Break enemies, thus lowering their guard, and then go in for some slashes with Nola.
4The Craftory And Raising Materials
What To Buy First
Players will meet a blacksmith in the Old City and once they rescue Yolva, and he will unlock the Craftory. Players can use Materials to buy equipment like bangles, upgrade items for their Homunculi, or Magic Vials. Magic Vials will increase how many slots are available forRelics to be equipped inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist,and Relicswill bestow Lilac with certain special abilities.
Some early examples include increasing EXP drops and increasing aerial damage. Every area of the game will have a Grimoire waiting in a chest which will unlock new items in the Craftory. Relics are important for boosting Lilac’s capabilities, but players should save some Materials on hand because other good items will drop as well.
3Tethered Steeple Or Magicite Mine
Where To Go First?
The blacksmith will also give players a key that will unlock the way to the Tethered Steeple, located to the right of the Old City, or the Magicite Mine, which is located to the left. In the Tethered Steeple, players will fight the Shackled Beast, who is a Homunculi that will unlock a counter ability.
The Magicite Mine, on the other hand, will take players to fight Garm, who will give them a downward attack without having to equip him as an ability. Garm’s attack can pierce through ground-based Growths, unlocking more secrets and areas to traverse; such is theway in a Metroidvania. For this reason, the Magicite Mine should be tackled first, followed by the Tethered Steeple.
2Marking The Map And Manual Notes
Be A Diligent Metroidvania Fan
One of the trickiest parts of enjoying a Metroidvania is remembering the locations of previously blocked regions. Perhaps players will see a ledge they can’t get to and won’t remember where it was when they get something like a double jump.Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Misthas a great map that highlights doors and gives players markers to place on the map to help them remember to go back somewhere once they unlock a new ability.
However, it’s also not a bad idea to take screenshots and manual notes. This is always recommended when playing a Metroidvania to help with backtracking. Also, for players who lovephoto modes in games, they can hit the pause button inEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist,which will give them an option to turn off the UI momentarily to take a clean screenshot. This feature may be missed by most who play the game, but it is a welcome addition.
1Back Out And Copy Files
Prevent Loss And Save Boss Fights
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mistwill give players eight save slots to work with, which is more than most Metroidvanias. The weird thing is, players can only save in the slot they first choose when saving at Respites. However, players can back out to the title screen and then use the copy ability to place a duplicate save file next to the original save. It’s recommended that players do this occasionally, like when making it to a new area.
This will give players a reason to replay an area if it becomes a favorite or maybe when a particular boss fight stands out.For a Metroidvania,Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Misthas some incredible boss fights, which is reason enough for making duplicate saves besides being safe. Players never know when corrupt data may occur.
