Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a 2024 Metroidvania video game developed by Adglobe and Live Wire and published by Binary Haze Interactive. It was released in early access for Microsoft Windows on March 25, 2024. Ender Magnolia is a sequel to the developers' previous game Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, set in the same world. In Ender Magnolia the protagonist Lilac goes on a quest to purify the corrupted Homunculi that have overrun the kingdom.

Plot
Ender Magnolia takes place decades after its predecessor Ender Lilies in the same world. The game is set in the land of fumes, where "machine-like artificial life forms" called Homunculi are built to serve the kingdom. These Homunculi have become corrupted from an underground toxic gas, causing them to become violent and insane. The protagonist Lilac is an “Attuner” with the ability to purify corrupted Homunculi. Lilac teams up with a Homunculi named Nola and sets out to rescue the kingdom.

Gameplay
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania. The player controls Lilac, who traverses the game world doing a mixture of platforming, exploration, and combat. As the player progresses through the game, they collect upgrades and new abilities which enables them to access new parts of the game world. Similar to Lily in the game's predecessor Ender Lilies, Lilac does not engage in combat directly, and instead summons Homunculi companions to fight in battle. When Lilac defeats corrupted Homunculi in battle, they can be purified and turned into summonable allies.

Development
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist was announced for Nintendo Switch with a trailer on February 21, 2024 during a Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase. It was later also confirmed for release on Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

Release
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist was released in early access on Steam on March 25, 2024.

Reception
Reviewing the early access version on PC, Ryan Radcliff from RPGamer commented, "Ender Magnolia feels like it will be a strong follow-up, and fans that want to enjoy challenging battles with tons of variety, along with fun rewards for exploration, should definitely mark this game on their wishlists." Chris Shive of Hardcore Gamer also had favorable impressions of the early access version, citing quality of life improvements over the previous game. Game Informer's Marcus Stewart praised the game's art direction and combat, while commenting that the lore was "interesting."