Sequel to an indie darling that has a revamped look and overly acquainted gameplay.
After ending Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King on the finish of 2017, it turned my go-to suggestion for family and friends who would go on to choose up a Swap of their very own. I held it among the many likes of Celeste and Shovel Knight by way of simply how effectively it managed to stability the nostalgia factor whereas additionally feeling recent. 5 years later comes Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince, and it will appear initially that not an excessive amount of has modified. After finishing its 5 to 7-hour story, my impressions are slightly extra combined than I had hoped. The Zelda-inspired action-adventure stays true to its roots, however the sluggish motion and overlong remaining dungeon hinder the general enjoyment.
As within the first recreation, the arrange includes younger Lily and her brother Chyrs sitting by a campfire as their grandpa tells them a story of heroism and journey. It simply so occurs that the story is once more a few younger knight named Lily, whose brother is kidnapped by the Minotaur King after she makes a want to by no means see him once more. And so the younger heroine units out to gather three key items and finally breach the bovine villain’s fortress. The siblings who’re listening to the story typically chime in with their ideas and even get to make some minor selections, reminiscent of which magical instrument you earn: a guitar or an accordion. The latter appeared, to an outdated soul like me, the apt alternative.
Out of your grandma’s home within the village, you begin out with only a sword and defend however shortly develop your arsenal to incorporate bombs, a hookshot-like yo-yo, and even a teleporter that means that you can create a hard and fast level to warp again to. Each main dungeon comprises a miniboss half means via that awards a brand new merchandise to be used within the second half of the dungeon, as you make your means in direction of its foremost boss. Whereas the sport isn’t significantly troublesome by way of its fight, at the very least for 2D top-down motion video games like this, what’s very a lot welcome is that shedding all your hearts by no means units you again solely to the start of the room or space the place you fell. The shortage of an actual punishment for dying could appear to void among the problem, however there’s little doubt it’s in step with the light-hearted tone of the sport.
The place Blossom Tales 2 is usually a little tough is in its puzzles. These embrace style staples like sliding blocks and activating switches, however the sequel mixes it up with a neat spin on the walking-a-path kind puzzle and throws in one other enjoyable one involving pillars and lasers. The tile-based world map all the time highlights the precise tile the place your subsequent goal is, so it’s pretty simple to determine the place to go and what to do subsequent. Off the crushed path you’ll discover NPCs requesting that you just accumulate fish, flowers, and different objects for his or her collections; you’ll normally earn an honest variety of cash on your efforts. Caves unlocked via effectively positioned bombs can maintain items of coronary heart to assist construct up your well being meter, and outlets in cities and different locations promote power crystals to spice up your power (stamina) meter and empty bottles you’ll be able to fill with potions. Shopkeepers drive a tough cut price, demanding tons of of cash for his or her wares, however there’s no scarcity of cash to be discovered on the earth. On condition that mainly each merchandise makes use of power as an alternative of ammo, most treasure chests you come throughout yield naught however cash.
Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince, on the floor, may be distinguished from The Sleeping King in two key methods. First, the visible type has been modified barely, with the sequel having extra of a clean look in comparison with the unique, which is a little more blocky or pixel-ly. Extra importantly, although, Lily strikes a lot quicker within the first recreation; the usual strolling motion within the second is sluggish, frustratingly so. You’ll be able to press X to roll, and that is considerably quicker, but it surely quickly drains your power meter. Humorous sufficient, you’ll be able to really craft a potion to quickly improve your strolling pace; nonetheless, that’s a careless resolution to an issue that shouldn’t exist. It actually places a damper on exploration and backtracking when getting from Level A to Level B seems like a slog.
It may be troublesome to observe up one thing nice with one thing better as a result of inevitably what comes after lives within the shadow of what got here earlier than. Blossom Tales 2 is definitely a enjoyable and satisfying 2D Zelda-like, but it surely doesn’t impress in the identical ways in which the unique did. The ultimate dungeon is about 30 p.c too lengthy, and the minute-to-minute traversal of the map doesn’t have the tempo to generate that “leave-no-stone-unturned” momentum. Happily, the dungeons are largely effectively designed, and the world and its inhabitants have their appeal. Should you love an excellent top-down Zelda recreation or loved the primary Blossom Tales, you’re prone to be pleased with The Minotaur Prince. Simply don’t go in anticipating the reinvented wheel.
