I had said in a previous post that I stole this game off a torrent and if I liked it after one more hour of gameplay that I was going to buy it. Well I really really like it and yes, I have now paid for it. The added benefit is that I am now playing it on my 60 inch TV instead of my 23 inch PC monitor.
For fans of metroidvania and especially those that appreciated Hollow Knight, which I consider to be one of the best games ever made in any genre, this game is going to appeal to you. While I haven't gotten far enough into the game to really be 100% sure about the amount of hidden or optional bosses and what not, this game does seem to have a lot in common with HK, but it is quite a bit darker and bloody.
I will also say this: This game is NOT easy.
Take the 2nd and 3rd bosses for example: I had to go up against them at least 20 times before I made it through and with the Dark Witch featured above I actually had to go online to look for some tips on how to handle combat with her. It is tough and you need to have patience and select the correct skills in order to have a chance. There are a lot of people that are out there saying that she is the hardest boss in the game and I am hoping that is true, but somehow I doubt it.
I see that the person in the above photo is taking her on at level 11 and I don't even know how he got to her at that level, let alone won the battle. I was level 26 when I got to her and got my ass handed to me many times. I'm gonna go ahead and presume that he / she was already and expert of sorts as far as the game is concerned.
One thing I really appreciate about the interface is that once you have discovered everything that a particular map area has to offer, the map area appears yellow on the map. That saves you a lot of time trying to search every nook and cranny hoping to find that one breakable wall that was kind of a pain in the ass as far as other metroidvania games are concerned.
So, this game is hard and that will scare a lot of people away but the good news is that there is a leveling system so if you find yourself at a boss that you just can't beat you can go back to the old rooms and do some more searching, kill everything, hone your skills, then come back stronger and the fight will be easier.
This happened to me in the fight against the Elder Warrior boss: I just went back and ran around finding stuff, powering up my attacks and spirits, then later returned and dispatched him on the first try. Some might consider this "grinding" but I didn't really mind it. I didn't actually ever grind, I just explored more thoroughly.
So after 5 hours of playing this game I am undecided on whether or not I would consider it a "masterpiece" but it is certainly one of the better games I have played in a while. I really look forward to playing it and I can't really say that about most of the other games I have played in the past 6 months or so.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is currently around $20 on most platforms and if you ask me, it is worth every cent.