izigame.me

A Great Sequel To A Beloved Metroidvania

One of my favorite types of sequel: improving the shortcomings of the first game, while adding more stuff to the established formula. Ender Magnolia is such a sequel. I always appreciate developers taking players' feedback to heart and delivering an amazing experience. Although personally I still have some issues regarding certain aspects of the game, there is nothing stopping this game from being one of the most fantastic metroidvania of all time.

Things I Like About Ender Magnolia:

1. Abilities Improvement
Hands down the best change, and more.

The ability charges are gone, and in exchange we have a cool-down system. This is a much-needed improvement. Players are no longer handicapped by the number of usage during exploration.
Ender Magnolia also introduce ability types based on how they perform: Primary(normal attack), Pressure(continuous attack), Cool-down(more impactful attack), and Autonomous(set-and-forget).
All homunculus has three ability variations to unlock. They all have different attack patterns and damage value. Also, each homunculus also has an ultimate attack, offering lots of combos and build variety.
Pressure abilities are really powerful and my favorite. Using two of them can trivialize any things, and that satisfying hit sound is just wonderful.

2. Build Variety
Way, way more options than the first game.

Other than choosing four homunculus, the game introduces more ways to improve the character as well: Relics, Carapaces, Bracelets, and Totems.
Relics return with significant stat boosts. Now players can upgrade them using a special currency.
Carapaces grant players parry and trigger additional effect with successful parry. I find the SP recharging one the most useful.
Bracelets are simple stat boosts. Players can equip up to two at once.
Totems provide various benefits, from passive regeneration, emergency heal, to attack boost while healing. My favorite so far is the one that fully restore your health and SP bar when near death.
Interestingly, should players not want to interact with those systems, both Carapace and Totem have items that do nothing but stat boosts.

3. Early Traversal Abilities
Here are your mandatory double jump and air dash, now can we finally get to the fun part? (says the game, maybe...

As much as I like to see how far a metroidvania can go without giving you the mandatory traversal upgrades, it is equally satisfying to see them offered right away.
Having both double jump and air dash early is wonderful for exploration. This opens up a lot of places to go and secrets to discover. It's refreshing.
Plus, the game still has attack momentum(every time you attack mid-air Lilac will move forward a little). Using attack momentum along with double jump resetting air dash, you can cover a significant amount of ground early on.

4. Other Compliments

Map now clearly outlines where you are and how the level looks like.
The character animation seems more fluid than the first game.
Dialogue between homunculus when resting is a nice addition.
Checkpoints are still wonderful wallpaper materials.


Things I Dislike About Ender Magnolia:

1. Less Desirable Difficulty
Both the enemies and the platforming feel underwhelming.

Maybe it's true or maybe it's my memory playing tricks on me, I feel like Ender Magnolia is significantly easier than its predecessor.
Lack of contact damage(I can't believe I am saying this) or anything to keep players from safely going through. The issue here is that most of the enemies have to first turn around, and then attack. Since players can freely move pass them, it naturally creates a lot of attack windows and looping shenanigans.
Most bosses are less challenging. Their move sets don't reflect players' progression, second phases don't add something more threatening, and of course the issue I mentioned above.
To be fair, platforming challenges wasn't the strongest suit in the first game, so I was hoping the sequel could have some. I am pretty disappointed at how the game handles them: more poisonous water, sprinkle problematic enemies around the platforms, one-way-portals, and more empty space.

2. Other Traversal Abilities
The first game had no problem about them, so why changing them in the sequel?

I wish Garm, Hati, Motley, and Lars have their own sets of like the rest of the homunculus instead of just being a metroidvania gating-abilities. Garm could be a second defensive cool-down ability like Shackled Beasts; Hati could be like No.7 with tons of movements; Motley could be an autonomous ability that focus on debuff and defensive buff; Lars would be hard to design, but I wish he could be more than just wall-climbing and super dash.
Motley's grapple hook is really lacking. Snapping from points to points is just not interesting. It needs to have some swinging mechanic.

3. Other Complaints

The overall art style and soundtracks are less impressive. The color saturation feels watered down. Less hazy, and less atmospheric.
Maybe it's because I am a really pessimistic guy, but this game feels way too hopeful for my taste.
Areas are way too open-ended. Wish they were more interconnected.
Again, what the hell were all those one-way portals and the whole Crimson Forest??
Loadout slots would be nice.

中文小簡評
→最愛的類銀河系惡魔城之一出續作啦，性質與仁王2、瀆神2類似，在一代基礎下進行強化與修改，同時加進許多新設計！
→手感如一代一樣好上手，角色動畫也有明顯的進步。最大的亮點就是捨棄技能使用次數改為冷卻系統，這下玩家不再有擔心技能用完的窘境，可以盡情的探索。
→同時，人造人也有針對性質進行分類(普攻、冷卻、持續攻擊、自動攻擊)，各個皆有三個技能型態和專屬的大招可用，玩法搭配更加豐富。
→主角本身也有相當多樣的配備升級：架招有專屬的裝備可選，可以任意配備兩件手鐲增強數值和一個提供各式被動的輔助器。
→開場不到一個小時就把二段跳跟空中衝刺給你，配合空中攻擊會向前移動的特性，大幅增加初期探索的可能性。
→地圖清楚標示人物位置以及關卡模樣真是太棒了。
→中繼點依舊很美，而且在特定地方休息時，人造人間有對話可看，是項不錯的設計。
→難度似乎有大幅度的調降，我指的不是單純數值改變，而是敵人攻擊模組、對玩家出招的應對、 跳台複雜度及關卡變化性有呈現簡單化的趨勢。
→缺乏接觸傷害(幹，我竟然會有點懷念這個鬼東西)或其他有效手段防止玩家安全走到敵人背後，敵人需要先轉身後攻擊的天性導致玩家有很多輸出空間，Boss也沒有針對玩家關鍵技能解鎖階段而有因應的攻擊設計。跳台與關卡的設計相當單調，由於關鍵技能需要久按的關係，僅有少部分地區需要多種同時運用。
→四位特殊人造人應該要有自己的三種技能型態可用，一代沒這問題，為何二代改掉了呢...
→勾索技能有待加強，只有吸到點到點而角色沒有拉或盪的動作感覺少了很多樂趣。
→整體美術及配樂個人覺得比一代略遜一籌。
→或許因為我是個極度悲觀的人，不太喜歡二代這種充滿希望的明亮感。
→各個區域過於開放而沒有相互連接，一些區域設計也令人匪夷所思(單點傳送還有整個森林關卡...)
→如果有多個配置欄位就好了，我探索和打王是用兩套完全不同的裝備與技能，要一直切換很麻煩。