Endings are a bit... lackluster?

[Clead HeavenHell]

Not sure if is a personal opinion, but compared to lilies, in which even the final fight was memorable, I didn't get invested in Magnolia's last boss or the ending scenes. They were simply there.

Even the homunculi memories were more impactful than the ending. Or did I miss something in the Credits?

[loila]

I agree :( The story overall was way weaker imo than Lilies'

[benj]

I think the minimal storytelling is a little at odds with the bigger focus on dialogue. In Ender Lilies most of the characters don't speak and you just have to learn what you can from the desolate environment, so you don't really expect a big dance party for an ending. But this game left me wanting more closure for the characters I got to know, so that made it seem more underwhelming to me.

[watcherofanime935]

Honestly. I disagree. I feel they were handled pretty much evenly. Final boss in mag was a good fight though, compared to the lillies fights.

[toughnails]

I think the big part is you don't get to fight the real villain, Abelia, everything in regards to her mostly happens off screen. You just fight this guy instead, and he's not really opposed to what you're about to do, mostly just testing you. Also, Magnolia is the one who does anything in both endings, Lilac just tags along.

[Frito-Ley Line]

The story in general in this game is spread too thin compared to the first game, which felt laser focused in comparison. There's a bunch of stuff that ends up being completely extraneous (virtually everything to do with declan for example) that probably should have been cut or at least reworked to serve the main plot thread(s) a little better.

[Clead HeavenHell]

Originally posted by benj:

I think the minimal storytelling is a little at odds with the bigger focus on dialogue. In Ender Lilies most of the characters don't speak and you just have to learn what you can from the desolate environment, so you don't really expect a big dance party for an ending. But this game left me wanting more closure for the characters I got to know, so that made it seem more underwhelming to me.

I think that this is the major issue... All the homunculi in your party deserved some type of epilogue or at least a line at the end,

For example, even number 7's friends had more active screen time at the end. I would have enjoyed seeing lilac going back to the red forest to make a grave for the big wolf.

And maybe even returning to town and see your friends, like the little rascal and her new robot friend.

Originally posted by watcherofanime935:

Honestly. I disagree. I feel they were handled pretty much evenly. Final boss in mag was a good fight though, compared to the lillies fights.

The bosses were really fun and challenging in Magnolias, what I meant is that the last true end boss in lilies does something extremely unusual and memorable and adds impact to the ending. similar to reidbolg

In magnolia, the boss simply wants to stop you for acceptable reasons. But doesn't do anything outside of being a nice final battle .

Originally posted by toughnails:

I think the big part is you don't get to fight the real villain, Abelia, everything in regards to her mostly happens off screen. You just fight this guy instead, and he's not really opposed to what you're about to do, mostly just testing you. Also, Magnolia is the one who does anything in both endings, Lilac just tags along.

I didn't notice this... But you are right.

[Mordimer]

I think that this game went same rout as Ori will of the wisps, devs focused on better gameplay sacrificing the story.

[watcherofanime935]

Originally posted by Clead HeavenHell:

Originally posted by benj:

I think the minimal storytelling is a little at odds with the bigger focus on dialogue. In Ender Lilies most of the characters don't speak and you just have to learn what you can from the desolate environment, so you don't really expect a big dance party for an ending. But this game left me wanting more closure for the characters I got to know, so that made it seem more underwhelming to me.

I think that this is the major issue... All the homunculi in your party deserved some type of epilogue or at least a line at the end,

For example, even number 7's friends had more active screen time at the end. I would have enjoyed seeing lilac going back to the red forest to make a grave for the big wolf.

And maybe even returning to town and see your friends, like the little rascal and her new robot friend.

Originally posted by watcherofanime935:

Honestly. I disagree. I feel they were handled pretty much evenly. Final boss in mag was a good fight though, compared to the lillies fights.

The bosses were really fun and challenging in Magnolias, what I meant is that the last true end boss in lilies does something extremely unusual and memorable and adds impact to the ending. similar to reidbolg

In magnolia, the boss simply wants to stop you for acceptable reasons. But doesn't do anything outside of being a nice final battle .

Originally posted by toughnails:

I think the big part is you don't get to fight the real villain, Abelia, everything in regards to her mostly happens off screen. You just fight this guy instead, and he's not really opposed to what you're about to do, mostly just testing you. Also, Magnolia is the one who does anything in both endings, Lilac just tags along.

I didn't notice this... But you are right.

Oh don't get me wrong i think i can see your perspective. I personally love the whole mother vs daughter aspect of the first game. That 2nd phase transition and ost in lillie's final boss still gives me chills to this day. The final true boss in magnolia hit me personally and emotionally. It basically was just an older brother literally using 100% of his power to stop his lil sister from what he thought was basically suicide.

[Rotjenn]

Yeah compared to Lillies, i was left a little whelmed here...

[SuperBearCat]

same and the final area/boss is super lame and WEAK

[Mapo]

Yeah i agree, the gameplay and boss mechanics saw the most improvements but the story feels kinda unsatisfying, it feels lacking. While i did enjoy the dialogue between Lilac's group i was a lot more invested in Lily's story. And while the blighted lord wasn't as mechanically satisfying of a final fight as magnolias, i had more emotional investment in it than in magnolia. When older Lily shows up in the game i got more interested in hearing how she's been doing instead of continuing magnolia's story.

[Im so hungry, it drivEs Me crAZy]

Originally posted by Mapo:

Yeah i agree, the gameplay and boss mechanics saw the most improvements but the story feels kinda unsatisfying, it feels lacking. While i did enjoy the dialogue between Lilac's group i was a lot more invested in Lily's story. And while the blighted lord wasn't as mechanically satisfying of a final fight as magnolias, i had more emotional investment in it than in magnolia. When older Lily shows up in the game i got more interested in hearing how she's been doing instead of continuing magnolia's story.

I had quite the same problem. When I met Lily, I was like "Oh my god, is it her, isitherisither?!" but she fell pretty short and weak for the main protagonist of the first game.

I loved the introduction of dialogues with the cast, but at the end I really wanted MORE interaction with their personalities, goals and conclusions, but maybe it is just me being greedy.

But the ending was way to short, I cannot tell anything else here.

Great game nonetheless, a 9 out of 10, I would say.

[DarkFenix]

Originally posted by Im so hungry, it drivEs Me crAZy:

Originally posted by Mapo:

Yeah i agree, the gameplay and boss mechanics saw the most improvements but the story feels kinda unsatisfying, it feels lacking. While i did enjoy the dialogue between Lilac's group i was a lot more invested in Lily's story. And while the blighted lord wasn't as mechanically satisfying of a final fight as magnolias, i had more emotional investment in it than in magnolia. When older Lily shows up in the game i got more interested in hearing how she's been doing instead of continuing magnolia's story.

I had quite the same problem. When I met Lily, I was like "Oh my god, is it her, isitherisither?!" but she fell pretty short and weak for the main protagonist of the first game.

I loved the introduction of dialogues with the cast, but at the end I really wanted MORE interaction with their personalities, goals and conclusions, but maybe it is just me being greedy.

But the ending was way to short, I cannot tell anything else here.

Great game nonetheless, a 9 out of 10, I would say.

You meet an unnamed Travelling Priestess and a character called Lilia. There is nothing to suggest that either of these is Lily (ie. game 1's protagonist).

[Titan]

Originally posted by DarkFenix:

Originally posted by Im so hungry, it drivEs Me crAZy:

I had quite the same problem. When I met Lily, I was like "Oh my god, is it her, isitherisither?!" but she fell pretty short and weak for the main protagonist of the first game.

I loved the introduction of dialogues with the cast, but at the end I really wanted MORE interaction with their personalities, goals and conclusions, but maybe it is just me being greedy.

But the ending was way to short, I cannot tell anything else here.

Great game nonetheless, a 9 out of 10, I would say.

You meet an unnamed Travelling Priestess and a character called Lilia. There is nothing to suggest that either of these is Lily (ie. game 1's protagonist).

The Traveling Priestess is wearing the Umbral Knight's cloak, says that she comes from the exact place the first game is set and gives you an item from the original game claiming to have used it before. There is no room for interpretation that IS Lily.

[DarkFenix]

Originally posted by Titan:

Originally posted by DarkFenix:

You meet an unnamed Travelling Priestess and a character called Lilia. There is nothing to suggest that either of these is Lily (ie. game 1's protagonist).

The Traveling Priestess is wearing the Umbral Knight's cloak, says that she comes from the exact place the first game is set and gives you an item from the original game claiming to have used it before. There is no room for interpretation that IS Lily.

It is undoubtedly a reference to the first game. Saying it's the same character is speculation though. As far as I'm concerned until the game or one of the devs explicitly says it's Lily, it isn't. Could just as easily be a descendant, clone, successor, or something else entirely.