Quietus of the Knights Review
A little girl in white, Lily, wakes up on a pedestal in a crumbling parish. Without remembering who she is or how she got there, the girl hears a disembodied voice that informs her that she is a Priestess in a kingdom that has been destroyed by the Blight, a cursed rain that has deformed the entire population. . creatures. Thus began Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, developed by Adglobe and Live Wire. First released on PC, Switch, and Xbox consoles before coming to PlayStation about a month later, the dark fantasy platform game fits right into the Metroidvania subgenre. It delivers everything one would expect from that classification and has been compared to many of the genre’s most acclaimed titles. The game offers a short and sweet experience, as it can be beaten in 10 to 20 hours, but it is possible to double or even triple the amount of play time to achieve 100% completion. Ender Lilies takes place in a ruined region, the Land’s End, where the people and the buildings have succumbed to the Blight. Villages are abandoned and crumbling. The landscape is infested with witches and worms, deadly plants and evil beasts. Some people, changed but still retaining some humanity, mourn their fate and wish for death. It’s a gloomy world in which players will find themselves, rendered mainly in muted colors that create an almost dreamlike atmosphere and complemented by an understated but moving soundtrack.
That soundtrack, composed by Japanese group Mili, enhances the moody and desolate setting established by the story and art style. At times, the low-key piano stops altogether, leaving players with ambient sounds and Lily’s footsteps. The score only increases slightly during Ender Lilies’ boss fight to punctuate the action. However, the limited selection of songs can be tiring for some players, although the music is soft enough that it mostly stays in the background and doesn’t become too intrusive. Ender Lilies brings to mind several games of different genres. Most obvious are the title’s shared roots with Metroidvania games like Hollow Knight and particularly 2019’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, with which it shares gameplay elements, environments, and even enemy style. In fact, the similarities to Bloodstained are so marked that some players may feel déjà vu. But Ender Lilies also creates images of NieR Replicant, thanks to the melodic and orchestral soundtrack of the games, and even Salt and Sanctuary or the platformer Celeste. The story of Ender Lilies is reminiscent of Dark Souls, with a curse falling on the land causing people to slowly lose their minds as they turn into immortal monsters. And the respawning of enemies after Lily rests seems like a direct callback to FromSoftware’s fire mechanic.
The title doesn’t offer gameplay elements that haven’t been seen before. Even the control scheme, while a bit sluggish at times, will come intuitively to anyone who has played a Metroidvania game before. Players familiar with the genre will know to smash through walls to discover hidden passages and return to previously visited locations as new abilities are unlocked. Despite the lack of innovation, the developers of this indie game have succeeded in creating a world that is a joy to explore. Also, the developers did a great job when designing Lily, if their intention was to evoke a feeling of attachment in the player. Many players will instinctively feel protective of this vulnerable woman who is truly defenseless herself. He has a charming quality, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s so cute. He never speaks and only expresses himself through movements as he jumps, climbs, swims, and avoids Land’s End. Since Lily was a helpless child who would quickly fall apart if left alone, another Priestess gave Lily a guardian spirit before presumably succumbing to the Blight herself. The spirit, the Umbral Knight, will attack when and where Lily commands. It forms the foundation of Ender Lilies’ combat, a unique twist on an established mechanic that motivates players to progress.
As Lily traverses the ruined land, she inevitably encounters mini-bosses and bosses. Many of these altered creatures have sad stories and wish to end their existence, which can only come from Lily’s ability to cleanse their spirits. When defeated, they leave their empty bodies behind and join Lily to command as needed. He can infuse up to six of these spirits at a time, gaining different defensive and offensive abilities. And of course some of these newly acquired skills will provide access to paths that were previously inaccessible. Boss fights often come at unexpected times and can be very difficult for those who come in less level or unprepared. While engaging, these boss battles are fairly standard, with various attacks arriving at predictable intervals and a phase change after a certain amount of damage is met. Overall, combat can prove to be challenging at times, with even run-of-the-mill enemies being able to slow down Lily’s journey if the player doesn’t learn the attack patterns and learn to dodge or avoid. While one or two may be easy to deal with, Lily can quickly become overwhelmed if too many enter the fray at once. Encounters are tough enough that upgrades are always welcome. These take the form of relics in Ender Lilies, which can be used to gain a range of stat boosts such as reduced damage taken, increased health, or an enemy stun. Items scattered throughout the land provide permanent health bonuses, can be used to enhance skills, or allow Lily to provide more relics.
Notes are also scattered around Land’s End, where the story takes place. There is no voice acting in Ender Lilies, and thus it is entirely possible to play through the game without understanding any of the lore. Still, it’s worth paying attention to, and many people may play later in the evening than expected, eager to discover more of the story and expand Lily’s skillset. While Ender Lilies may have taken inspiration from a range of titles, intentionally or otherwise, that in no way detracts from the game. The creation of the developers bears its own title and a title worthy of praise in its own right. Sure, it’s nice to have some dazzling new gameplay elements, but it’s not necessary if the ones used come together to form a pleasing and cohesive whole. And Ender Lilies does that; it has the graphics, the music, the charismatic protagonist, upgrades to earn, abilities to unlock, and different environments that keep the exploration compelling. While Ender Lilies doesn’t necessarily surpass the genre icons that came before it, the game’s developers took a tried and true formula and replicated it well. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Today Technology has been given a code for the PS4/PS5 version.