Ender Lilies: Quietus Of The

Knights

This side-scrolling action game nails the dark aesthetic we’ve grown to expect from this kind of 2D soulslike while offering a simplified and approachable combat system. Truth be told, it’s refreshing.

While many 2D action games, such as Hollow Knight and Salt And Sanctuary, are absolutely worth trying, their difficulty often scares potential players away. Ender Lilies takes a similar action combat formula, but makes things more streamlined. One of its standout features is the way enemy moves are clearly telegraphed, allowing you to dodge easily out of the way.1 Before an enemy strikes, it flashes red, letting you know it’s time to dodge. You can sit back and study the enemy’s patterns effectively, giving yourself an advantage before you even strike. But beyond that, the overall RPG mechanics and combat are straightforward, which could make this more appealing than something like Dark Souls. Stat sheets to upgrade begone. Instead, you gradually become more powerful as you level up.

When you die, you’re sent back to the last rest point without penalty. The game still offers some customisation in its combat, but its approach is simplified. The lack of a deep combat system might be a turn-off to those looking for a challenge, but we applaud the devs for allowing more players to get through it – which is more than can be said of some of its inspirations. Tying everything together is an art style that, once again, makes Ender Lilies easy to get into. It certainly features grotesque creatures, but its balance of beauty and horror is a highlight and one of the game’s best aspects.2