Its always kind of interesting how the time frame of a game's release impacts its success. Blossom Tales was struggling on Steam during its initial 2017 release and the studio was likely to close. But the Switch was still in its infancy and starved for games. Blossom Tales's switch sales saved the indie team from disbanding.

The issue with Zelda-likes is that its hard to say the genre has really evolved past what Zelda has already done. Maybe that's a tall order for the indie scene, but its hard not to think of how Hollow Knight and similar titles evolved the Metroidvania genre to new heights beyond its source inspiration. And Blossom Tales' default state is "cute." It doesn't quite hit the emotional highs of Lenna's Inception or Anodyne. No character particularly sticks out and the framing device weakens the story rather than elevates it.

Still, the incredible polish in this game is worth noticing. The gameplay gradually ratchets up the difficulty without being unfair. It never feels like the game's design is poorly programmed. While the game is a bit too linear at times, the art design and overall layout is really impressive. It makes me excited to see what the team's second outing could look like. I want to see them grow and develop more as they hone their craft. Even if it isn't a lifechanging game, its created by a team that knows their strengths and commits hard to those talents. Sometimes, that's enough when you're just trying to spend a few easy hours.