ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights

 Switch
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. RPGamer
    Aug 31, 2021
    70
    Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a solid game all around, with a fun and always evolving combat system, a well-crafted world with tons of secrets to find, and a sober soundtrack accompanying its traversal acting as the title’s highlights. A word of caution should be given regarding the difficulty, since both regular enemies and bosses can prove to be quite hard to beat, especially during the final act. The story doesn’t shine for its originality but still manages to be well worth uncovering thanks to its characters and setting, making this bleak but ultimately endearing Metroidvania a strong recommendation for anyone that is up for the challenge.
  2. Cubed3
    Aug 16, 2021
    60
    ENDER LILLIES: Quietus of the Knights is the definition of sky-high potential gone to waste. At first it will seem like this is a flawless diamond. It is beautiful, it controls like a charm, and the story behind it all is mysterious and dark. The more you play, however, the more you realise that, under the wallpaper-worthy vistas lies something that leans more towards generic than awesome, with combat in particular slowly turning into a repetitive slog. Sadly, this is nothing more an 'okay' metroidvania.
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  1. Eurogamer
    Jul 5, 2021
    If you're looking for something that improves or builds upon the astonishing work of Moon Studios or Team Cherry, you're unlikely to find it here. That said? Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a surprising and compelling adventure that's been crafted with care and oodles of charm. Yes, it requires patience. Yes, it requires a natural curiosity, and a willingness to overlook its occasionally clumsy control scheme. But I spent many a night wandering around Land's End, staying up way later than I'd anticipated, keen to unravel more of the story and expand Lily's impressive skillset. If you enjoy Metroidvanias and have been looking for a new challenge that's not too punishing, I suspect you might, too.

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best Switch Game of 2021
38
#38 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 69 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 69
  3. Negative: 8 out of 69
  1. Depado
    Jun 28, 2021
    10
    This game isn't a revolution in its gameplay style but it masters the metroidvania style perfectly, and mastering such a genre isn't an easyThis game isn't a revolution in its gameplay style but it masters the metroidvania style perfectly, and mastering such a genre isn't an easy task. The combat system itself is fluid and flexible, and let's not speak about the art and music, both are gorgeous and incredibly addictive. I wasn't expecting a game of this size when I started playing, and feared it would be short. Well I was wrong. This is exactly the kind of game I adore, the story is deeper than it seems at first and gets quite emotional, the secrets are well hidden, the difficulty is well balanced and the quality of life is amazing.
    This game reminds me a lot of Salt And Sanctuary which is, to me, one of the references of the genre.    … Full Review »
  2. OuroborosWings
    Jul 9, 2021
    5
    I really want to like this game- it's slick and stylish and feels great to play -but after beating the game and seeing the true ending, I findI really want to like this game- it's slick and stylish and feels great to play -but after beating the game and seeing the true ending, I find I'm just left feeling angry and unsatisfied. It was such a frustrating, cheesy experience from start to finish. The difficulty borders on abusive at times, not because it's impossible- it's obviously not, I did everything eventually -but because it's just so stupidly implemented.

    I mean, there's a boss that literally does nothing but run away from you and summon endless minions. Beating that boss didn't make me feel like I was clever or skilled, it made me feel like I had cheesed my way past a game-breaking design error. I felt stupider for having overcome it.

    That was the worst offender, but after the first couple of major fights, they're all like that to varying degrees. The final boss is the most deeply lackluster of them all- it literally does nothing at all unless you move near its claws, except cough up an endless stream of very tanky flying minions that can two-shot you. The fight is literally just a matter of trying to kill the minions faster than they can spawn while dealing incidental damage to the boss when possible. I felt no relief or triumph upon beating it- just this kind of disbelief that that's really how the game ends.

    This game wants to be Dark Souls- aesthetically and philosophically -and totally gets it wrong. If it respected my time and got out of its own way, I think I would really have enjoyed it. The exploration elements are so good! The music is great! The art is lovely (even if it is way too Dark Souls adjacent)! But the miserable, miserable slog that the game forces you to deal with to experience all this outweighs all the good. I can't recommend this game.    … Full Review »
  3. H1rund0
    Jul 22, 2021
    3
    There are certainly strong moments in this game, but the core mechanics are poorly implemented.

    Music is beautiful, but loops after 30    There are certainly strong moments in this game, but the core mechanics are poorly implemented.

    Music is beautiful, but loops after 30 seconds (or quicker) to become boring.
    Fighting mechanics are unpolished, 3/4 of the 'spirit' abilities are useless, leveling is inbalanced.
    Difficulty is artificially bloated (enemy damage + RNG) and poorly scaled throughout the game.
    World design is very linear with few secrets, boring backtracking and a terrible fasttravel system.

    Several hours in, you can't help but wonder if the frustration and boredom are worth the slog to the finishline.    … Full Review »
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