This was really frustrating, not because the game is bad, quite the opposite. It clearly has learned lessons from mistakes that other Metroidvanias and even some action games, make repeatedly. It goes out of its way to make its exploitation engaging, has very simple rpg mechanics that don’t bog the game down at all, with every item being useful (or at the very least feel worthwhile to get). Enemy indications don’t feel frustrating to understand, a lot of games recently indicate with circles and colors which makes the combat feel flat (and sometimes immensely frustrating when there’s attacks that don’t share that indication when the combat is chock full of them like the late god of wars). And the game puts checkpoints near bosses, which should be in every one of these games need to have, cardio isn’t part of the boss Jesus man.
The moment to moment gameplay is excellent, which is all the more unfortunate that Ender lilies is making mistakes that it really shouldn’t. Every enemy is designed very well, but larger enemies, and especially bosses, have way to much health and those fights get old very quickly, especially when you feel like you already mastered the fight, but just have to slog through it. Combat is a little to simplistic for its own good, I wish there was only a handful of spirts to use instead of around 20 with not enough depth. The last area feels like a slog, enemies deal way too much damage and it made me run past everything. Ending A shouldn’t exists at all, you can get to it not even through half the game, why does it exist?
I did enjoy my time with Ender lilies, but it breaks my heart because this game could’ve been amazing, a staple of the Metroidvania genre. But as it stands it’s just good