From Skeptic to Fan: My Deep Dive into Ender Lilies - Game Review

[@amberfire1234567]

I played Ender Lilies and 100 percented it and NG + (NG+ Bosses are hard) Julius was my worst nightmare but beat him. My favorite game second or even equal to Hollow Knight. Nothing compares. The music is so beautiful.

[@RelyeaGaming]

That is awesome to hear! And I love the music.

[@MrTmm97]

Absolutely agree. It’s really hard to choose between it and Hollow Knight as favorite. They together are both my favorite Metroidvania’s with Grime and Afterimage as close seconds. The OST blew me away. I 100%ed it is hen I replayed it with my friend who was playing it first thing time. NG+ was actually really well implemented and made for a tough and satisfying experience.

[@Crypt0Band1t]

@@MrTmm97 Grime any good? Friend of mine told me to pick up Afterimage - pretty chill game (6hr in currently).

[@MrTmm97]

@@Crypt0Band1t absolutely. Grime is up there with the other 2 as a close second to them. The focus it has on parries, the OST and soundscape, lore, weapons to experiment with, and bosses are all amazing. Absolutely a must play for any Metroidvania/souls fan.

[@Crypt0Band1t]

@@MrTmm97 I'll have to swipe that up then, appreciate that.

[@KDEN-m1v]

Who else here cause of ps plus

[@strokedeeznuts]

Lol

[@devindrewery4772]

I saw it and was like I'll give it a go and damn am I glad I did cant wait for ender magnolia to launch

[@KDEN-m1v]

@@devindrewery4772 I’ll give it go

[@ObnoxiousGhast]

Recently replaced Series X with PS5 and got PS Plus, I decided to give it a go, and it is AMAZING!

[@georgekatkus5162]

Mili, the artist that does Ender Lilies soundtrack, always hits it out of the park.

[@RelyeaGaming]

Killed it!

[@YourAverageLoser763]

WAIT MILI WORKED ON THIS GAME? Nahhh i gotta play it now, mili is the best.

[@Kidgoo]

@@YourAverageLoser763 Mili is how i found both Project Moon's games and Ender Lilies, and all of them have become my favorite games ever. Mili just kills it every time.

[@a_gay_wolfluva8132]

because of ender magnolia being announced i got back into ender lilies again and decided to 100% it for the third time ender lilies is such a great game

[@divertedgamer1050]

Is 100% hard to do like in hollow knight? Seeing if i can put this on my wishlist.

[@a_gay_wolfluva8132]

@@divertedgamer1050 its way easyer to 100% there's many reasons but the 3 biggest are 1. at least to me its just not as hard as hollow knight but this one kind of depends on the person 2. the games just smaller and smaller map and 3. despite most people hating ender lilies map there is one thing it does well in that it tells you for every single room if you got every item in said room

[@Frostborne2778]

@@divertedgamer1050 It’s a little harder, but less tedious. By that, I mean the bosses and enemies do half your health every hit at some point. That’s what makes it difficult. However, it marks rooms blue on the map if you haven’t picked up every item and completed that room, marking it orange once you have. Makes it easier to 100% the items. Also marks red dots for rooms you have yet to transition to.

[@dragonclaw4159]

Review suggestion: anima gate of memories the arcane edition is a bundle of anima gate of memories and its sequel the nameless chronicles. The two games are metroidvania adjacent, lacking ability gated exploration, but having all the other fundamentals of the genre.

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yo! First off, thank you. And I will have to check out Anima gate of memories. Right now I have 6 games on my radar to play between now and the end of April. Tons of metroidvania games releasing soon

[@bart4549]

Glad to see this hidden gem getting some recognition

[@RelyeaGaming]

This one has like 30k reviews and Grime only has 3k. This one has had a decent amount of recognition compared to a lot of the other metroidvania games.

[@atk_ogre2185]

I like this game. Im a metroidvania enthusiast , i play everything i can get my hands on and this game,while note being particularly special mechanic wise,It Nails its atmosphere in an unique way. The rotten and decayed world,the mellow and sad music,its such a vibe. It feels very different even tho It doesnt do anything special.

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yeah, I can agree with this. It nails the basics. Could do better with making the world more more interconnected, the map and maybe some unique abilities.

[@arztje]

Nice review Relyea - spot on with the review and glad you gave this game another shot. It's a unique entry to the genre and has a lot to enjoy.

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yeah, I am glad I played through to the end. It was a fun playthrough and will give me just one more game to compare things to when talking about metroidvania games

[@whatthewhatthe9117]

Finally an elder lilies review! Surprised you haven’t covered this one yet tbh. Maybe cover afterimage next? It’s a pretty good metroidvania with a nice watercolor artstyle

[@RelyeaGaming]

Afterimage is one I need to play along with TEVI. BUT there are SO many games coming out in the next month or two. If I have time I will get to it. That and I'm working on putting out the new music!

[@MrTmm97]

3:34 I believe level adds to HP also 8:16 I think when you die your current level resets but I may be mistaken … It’s been awhile

[@RelyeaGaming]

At the start of the game, early enemies take three hits but at the end of the game basic enemies take one hit. Not sure how much extra HP they get relative to how much damage you do. Unless it’s just bosses that gain health.

[@visforvanessa9505]

Thank you for this review! Im always drawn to the game when i see it in store, but hesitate due to uncertainty. I appreciate the commentary on the map system, as that is something i enjoy utilizing. Good to know the short comings.

[@RelyeaGaming]

Glad you liked the review!

[@Subarashii_Time]

I wasn't even aware of this game, thanks for the review Relyea!

[@RelyeaGaming]

100% worth playing

[@thedespairsquid399]

I only recently played Elder Lillies after my brother recommended it, and it's a fantastic game. Probably up there as one of my favourite metroidvania games.

[@FyterianTV]

great review! 🌟 i played Ender Lillies a while back, but didn't know there was a sequel coming, thanks for the video! ❤ Lenovo, btw

[@Grog]

I have Ender Lilies and I've been sleeping on it too, I'll have to set aside some time to beat it for sure. Glad to hear you had more positive than negative thoughts :D

[@sergioferreirajunior5482]

I've just bought it. Looking forward to playing it. Nice job with the review. :)

[@toonzelda3353]

Just 100 percented Ender Lillies awhile back and loved it :). The game has fantastic music! The amount of relics you can carry is perfect enough and absolutely love the boss fights snd atmosphere of each area. Great game and I highly reccomend a playthrough of it if never played before!

[@MrTmm97]

You definitely missed out not playing it earlier. I actually learned of it through Rusty’s review. Ended Lilies actually took my place as favorite Metroidvania. I played it shortly after Hollow Knight for the first time. It grew on me so much. Polish is perfect and OST is unbeatable. I CAN NOT wait for the sequel to come to console. So bummed it’s only on PC now.

[@Joe_Cool13]

Yesssss! I’m so happy you played this game! Absolutely amazing!

[@J0hnnyonthespot]

All these awesome game reviews are making me wanna buy a new Lenovo computer! Love the content Relyea!

[@RelyeaGaming]

Heck yeah! that's what I like to hear. I'm sill waiting on the Legion Go. Can't wait to show that thing off.

[@dondaileyii]

I love Ender Lilly’s and always wondered why you never reviewed it. Now I know. I loved it so much I 100% the game on my Switch. Note if you are playing on Switch, dock when you can or you will not see the subtle details in the art of the characters that are just amazing. I played maybe more than half in handheld mode before I docked it and was blown away by the difference.

[@Darkrat0s]

Hey, it's great that this game is getting some attention! I always thought it was kind of a hidden gem and now I'm anxious for the sequel. Side note tho, you could also make a review for GRIME, since you mentioned you played through it too! And it will also get a sequel soon!

[@kingmusic5733]

Glad to see more people liking ender lilies because I feel like it’s a game that is heavily slept on and the great thing about it is that ender magnolia is better. I played the earlier access and let me tell you they definitely improved but I rather have other people experience it to see what I’m talking about. I will answer questions of people who are not able to get it because money problems or if you are worried that it will be a bad sequel to ender lilies. I can confidently say that ender Mongolia is a great successor to ender lilies.

[@BattleFolly]

Thanks for giving this gorgeous game a spotlight ♡ If you want to see some insane Ender Lilies combat skills, you want to watch Rinmiho's Ender Lilies Ch9 Boss Rush in 2m23s.... yes, that's all the bosses!! :-))

[@duceanchovy4918]

I like how her pristine white dress and hair are absolutely caked with blood, dirt, grime, and ******* by the end of the game.

[@YeetGod1414]

You guess right about the map systems in Magnolia

[@RelyeaGaming]

They made a LOT of improvements in Magnolia

[@YeetGod1414]

Early release review or a full game review in a year later?

[@julieta12]

Skeptic?! This game is amazing… glad you have it a chance.

[@richardgranger9587]

Ender Lillies is one of my favorite games of all time. Can't wait to get my hands on Ender Magnolia

[@abubakarejaz5539]

Hope you're doing good man. Great video as always. Keep up the good work. Glad you played it.

[@RelyeaGaming]

I am doing great. Still currently on a military deployment. Gives me some extra time to play games and make the reviews. I don't normally like scripting content but I am learning and enjoying so far. Just practicing different things.

[@aaronatkinson177]

One new metroidvania game i recently got a kick out of is nine sols

[@littlejacnub5249]

I love this game so much, the ost is amazing and the boss fights are so fun. The game kinda lacks some replayability but I did beat the game hitless while locked at level 1 (I hated myself the whole time lmao)

[@toonzelda3353]

Oh btw Relyea its sequel Ender Magnolia is getting an early release access version of the game within a few days. You should definitely check it out when it comes out :). I believe March 26th or somewhere along those lines!

[@RelyeaGaming]

I played Ender Magnolia immediately after this! IT was really good

[@Nello_angelo]

Such an underrated gem , my favourite metroidvania ever

[@affinityforanime]

I loved Ender Lilies so much I purchased the premium physical version from Limited Run. Mili is one of my favorite music composers.

[@RelyeaGaming]

The music was sooo good. I do plan to make some lofi music from ender lilies and I can’t wait to hear the music from ender magnolia

[@affinityforanime]

@@RelyeaGaming Probably the most famous music by Mili is the opening theme for the Goblin Slayer anime.

[@alexnolla3449]

Great game! I had no expectations and now is one of my favorites

[@Eintracht-uy3cz]

Amazing design, amazing soundtrack, interesting concept. Ender Lilies is great.

[@The_FantasyForge]

For me it's a great game. If I could change anything it would be the map as you mentioned.

[@2ndBreakfassst]

I didn't enjoy the marionette movement at first, but I got used to it eventually. Beautiful game, despite some of my small gripes. Glad you were pleasantly surprised like I was!

[@duckielove2286]

Hey relyea did u hear about tails of iron 2? I’m also so glad u tried ender lilies. This holds a special place in my heart as being my second metroidvania I finished. I can’t wait for ender magnolia

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yooo tails of iron 2?! I was following their twitter and expecting an announcement but missed it. That is exciting. I really enjoyed the first one.

[@duckielove2286]

@@RelyeaGaming it was on the future games show. Also another interesting Metroidvania a game called voidwrought

[@Will_b83]

It a mix of Metroid and Ori. I’m really enjoying it.

[@Nathanaelelliott]

Haven't started yet but either way the game looks beautiful. I walked in and said that game looks beautiful.

[@CharlieTheCAM-Idiomas]

I stopped playing this game at some point, don't remember how, I think I'll give it another try after seeing your video, thank you very much for this video, great as always. Have a nice day

[@MRDUALITY]

Interesting 🤔 I'll look into it!

[@micheladax]

The map in Magnolia is far better, probably the best i have ever seen in a metroidvania, all the info is there.

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yeah, I played it and will get a video out soon. They made major improvements to just about everything

[@TheBikeOnTheMoon]

I had played a lots of Hollow Knight before I even heard of Ender Lilies and I gave it try with high expectation because Hollow Knight set a high par. What I got from Lilies, surprisingly, is not another attempt to copy Hollow but an actual good game of its own that separated itself from Hollow knight. The story, music and the graphic are beautiful, the combat is good but needs a bit of changes as it feels clunky, the enemies can attack very fast while I's stuck in the attack animation leaving no time to dodge. Overall, it's a good experience for me, I can't wait for the sequel to come out of beta.

[@captiankale6741]

i enjoyed this game, it felt very clunky though especially with the platforming, just over all the game lacked a smooth feel. However its atmosphere and unique combat system was really fun to experience

[@aynxieth]

Ender lilies is an amazing game, and compared to other metroidvanias, once you get every ability 100% the game is easy.

[@kerrytyk111]

Got magnolia instantly. Excellent game and fixed most of the issues

[@RelyeaGaming]

Totally agree

[@bastiartgames]

Have you played Afterimage? I recently played through that game and really enjoyed it, I can recommend it :). The story is stupid and the game some cringe sometimes, but overall a really fun game!

[@RelyeaGaming]

That is one that I still need to play. I think I have it downloaded.

[@Ser-Smiley]

This game is amaaaaazing

[@marcosdheleno]

i said this before, Ender lillies is NOT a metroidvania. it actually is a IGAVANIA. that means, its not based on nes era castlevania, with maps filled with spikes and bottomless pits, and traps, making the game be almost entirely about jump puzzles. its much closer to symphony of the night, aria of sorrow, portrait of ruin, and above all, Order of Ecclesia. which is the closest game from the franchise to it. ironically, it took me years to realize that i hated metroidvanias, what i actually loved were igavanias. and ender lillies is hands down the best igavania not linked to Iga himself.

[@Titelitury1]

I loved the game but it felt a little bit empty... no npcs, no shops. Just you and your faithful knight

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yeah, I remembered there were no NPCs when I was making the review. I hope there are some people n ender magnolia

[@duckielove2286]

@@RelyeaGamingur gonna love it then if you want npc and wait til u see what happens when u sit at benches sometimes❤

[@BasedDad]

Dude, you need to try Grime. Best metroidvania since Hollow Knight.

[@RelyeaGaming]

I just beat grime. I really enjoyed it. The m not the biggest fan of parry mechanics BUT there was a way to extend the time of parrys which helped me a ton

[@The_sargent23]

Great to watch your Vids if not for you i would not be so invested in hollow knight as i am now

[@RelyeaGaming]

I’m glad those videos helped!

[@Lady_Duzell]

OMG ENDER LILLIES IS GETTING ANOTHER GAME?!?!

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yes and really soon!

[@Lady_Duzell]

@RelyeaGaming oh man. How exciting!!! Ender lillies was such a fun game I can't wait for the sequel!!

[@duckielove2286]

@@Lady_Duzellearly access is now available steam

[@dawndeezy2264]

Good game. Ending B, in 9 hrs 22 minutes. Trying to do better.

[@rlstrength]

Couldn't get into it. I did not like the tone and the movement felt super clunky to me. Great art tho and the movement was probably a skill issue on my end

[@hide1986]

Avoid salt and sanctuary

[@RelyeaGaming]

Why is that???

[@KingQuatto]

Did u see that new game being made that looks very much like Hollow Knight

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yeah, I reached out to the devs and have some stuff to share soon ish

[@KingQuatto]

@@RelyeaGaming nice whats it called again lol forgot where i saw it

[@calex9398]

🙌

[@sammyboi8938]

Yeah, even Rusty liked the game

[@darronrich1281]

I thought the game was fine but just couldn’t get into it. It’s just depressing is about the best I can describe it. I had to make myself platinum it because the atmosphere idk is just is blah!

[@RelyeaGaming]

yeah. It is very dark and depressing the whole way through.

[@ryukirito2616]

YOU JUST PLAYED IT!! I hate you! How dare you sleep on this Diamond!!

[@RelyeaGaming]

Yeah, I took too long to play this one but it was fun

[@ryukirito2616]

@@RelyeaGaming I bet! I know some others you may want to play that are similar and as much fun if you have the time!

[@nolandawson8649]

2 views in 20 seconds, bro fell off

[@RelyeaGaming]

I'm not worried about it. Still getting about 1 mil views per month.

[@jessigames8593]

First ❤

[@RelyeaGaming]

nicely done

[@jessigames8593]

@@RelyeaGaming I've never been the first before 🤣💕 thank you

[@commondog3956]

I avoided it mostly because it looked like it wanted to be Hollow Knight in too many ways and seemed to lack its own identity as a game, at least from art style and theme. It seems to have way too much influence; just overt and direct inspiration which can saturate the experience of something intended to be new. I may pick it up on a sale sometime but this is still very much an iffy game for me despite some of its differences.

[@RelyeaGaming]

I feel you on that. I think that it does stand out enough based on the combat and gameplay.

[@commondog3956]

@@RelyeaGaming albeit barely, maybe and unfortunately.

[@littlejacnub5249]

I love this game so much, the ost is amazing and the boss fights are so fun. The game kinda lacks some replayability but I did beat the game hitless while locked at level 1 (I hated myself the whole time lmao)

[@RelyeaGaming]

Hotless at lv 1 sounds insane! Some of the later bosses needed some real damage to get down! I plan to make some lofi covers from ender lilies for sure!