If you thought January was a bit dry for superb new video games and that each one the great things would start to roll out in February, assume once more. After a stint in early entry, Metroidvania sequel Ender Magnolia has just hit 1.0 and it’s drowning in reward. This darkish fantasy journey already boasts an eye-watering 98% ranking on Steam, glowing evaluations from the critics, and is having fun with a giant inflow of gamers.
With its predecessor, Ender Lillies: Quietus of the Knights, already some of the revered Metroidvania games round, there was a fairly excessive bar for Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist to hit – properly, think about that bar comfortably cleared. Ender Magnolia is a 2D sidescroller that mixes the darkish fantasy backdrops and themes of video games like Blasphemous with an anime artwork model for its characters. Unlike Ender Lillies, it includes a talking protagonist, Lilac who has the facility to repair rampaging beasts often known as Homunculi that terrorize her world.
This world, often known as the Land of Fumes, as soon as turned to magical forces to advance its civilization, and in the method the Homunculi have been created as a legion of artificially clever mechanical life types. A catastrophe fell upon the Land of Fumes, which allowed the Homunculi to go rogue and go away the world damaged and desolate.
Now, Lilac should traverse this Metroidvania world, meet and save human survivors, and tackle the Homunculi in epic boss battles. To improve Lilac in fight, you’ll steadily decide up new expertise from the companions you purchase, discover new objects, and improve your tools.
Even in its incomplete kind all through early entry, followers have been going loopy for Ender Magnolia, however now that it’s hit 1.0, it’s experiencing a recent wave of gamers and reward. On its opening day as a full launch, it peaked at round 6,800 concurrent gamers, which is spectacular for any new single-player game of its stature.
Its total Steam assessment rating additionally sits at a mighty, ‘overwhelmingly positive’ 98%, which places it on a par with all-time greats like Stardew Valley and Portal 2. However, in the event you have a look at latest evaluations solely, it’s obtained an excellent mightier 99% ranking. Wild stuff.
While not extensively reviewed by the press, its Metacritic common is an especially spectacular 89 out of 100, comfortably making it the best-reviewed recreation of 2025 to this point (sure, I do know we’re solely three weeks in). Sure, earlier than the yr’s out, it might have a run-in with the most-anticipated Metroidvania of all of them, Hollow Knight Silksong – if that recreation ever exhibits up… Regardless, Ender Magnolia has already cemented itself as one of many best PC games of the yr.
If it wasn’t adequate already, builders Adglobe and Live Wire plan so as to add three key options in future updates: a boss rematch setting, a boss rush mode that sees you combat the entire recreation’s massive bads back-to-back, and a New Game+ expertise.
Ender Magnolia Bloom of the Mist is out proper now in 1.0 on Steam. You can decide the sport up for your self or be taught extra about it here.
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