Take Link to the Past, remove most of the charm and creativity. Replace all of that with too many tedious, sometimes frustrating puzzles, uninspired enemies and bosses, and dungeons that are about 30% too long for their own good and you have Blossom Tales. I can only hope the sequel is better, but it is a faint, likely false hope.

Its a Zelda like that's fun for a bit but then the super pixelated design gets in its way. The "verticality" becomes an issue of what firing forward should be able to do, no indication whats intractable and what isn't, especially since somethings only interact with specific items from a limited range, platforming on a super narrow crumbling platform while being shot at, etc. That on top of I'm not sure how much if any play-testing was done. the physics feel a bit weird and and they like to spam lots of enemies that often wont die in less than 3 hits each with the sowrd so youre forced to use the limeted stamine to use items to do any damage at all.

*2nd dungeon Rant* platforming that feels weird do being kinda fast for how small platforms are. Swarms of enemies, sword is basically useless, bosses have floor that is breakable to reveal damage tile but you cant see whats bat and isnt since they're basically the same color and you cant think of where you are past the bullet hell and tracking attacks all of which the shield is useless to since its super directional even when you think you have it up you get hurt, olnt having maybe 3 frames you can get close to attack in, and then the 2nd boss adds spawning lots of additional enemies that will if you dont take them down quickly while dodging the bullet hell and attacks where your standing, screen flashing, and zero pause in the barrage of attacks to let you even think of doing anything, and unskipable dialogue

The game is Mid. Not good nor bad. It's a fine enough Zelda-like with charming pixel-art and it does scratch that itch somewhat well.

But let's get to the bad:
- The game's puzzles are seriously tedious, uninspired.
The over reliance on the same bad puzzles isn't fun and more of a crutch.

- The controls are lacking in responsiveness and make it difficult to enjoy the game to it's fullest. Maybe it's the partial controller support but playing this with keyboard feels even worse.

- Screen flashes.

- It relies too much on the Zelda aesthetic and feels more like a like a rip-off Instead of it's own thing.

It's barely fine but not worth recommending.
4.4 out of 10

You ever read those reviews with people who say 'man, I wish Steam would allow me to give a neutral review instead of saying I recommend for or against' without realizing that this thought is just a long way of recommending against? That's this. This game is the very essence of that sentiment - there's nothing particularly interesting, novel or superb about Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, but it's also inoffensive to the point that it's difficult to pinpoint anything wrong with it.

The most unique thing about the game is how the story is told, as a children's bedtime story. It's a fun idea and one that lends itself well to the simplistic story being told. The children are written to be endearing and they succeed - you like the kids and enjoy their rapport with their storytelling grandfather. Unfortunately, the very simplicity that this explains and helps cultivate means that the story necessarily is likewise elementary.

All in all, I don't believe the game to be worth the time spent going through it. This is unfortunate, and maybe even unfair - there's nothing the game does wrong or bad (besides take too long, I feel), it just doesn't ever do anything to stand out. You're better off spending your 10 hours elsewhere.

This is the most uninspired game I've played in a while. It literally is just a Zelda clone. There is nothing particularly innovative or different about it. Also the puzzles are so freaking boring. There is like 3 types of puzzles that get repeated over the whole game: Move boxes on buttons, Walk over tiles in a specific order and remember a code that you need to enter somewhere else.
Combat is also incredibly bland, everything costs stamina: throwing bombs/boomarang, shooting with a bow... so you throw a couple of bombs against the boss, wait 3 minutes for stamina to recharge and repeat. Very repetitive, very unenjoyable.

Maybe it was my fault, but I somehow beat this game without completing any side quests or collecting any upgrades. I see other reviews compare this with Zelda, but I feel like Zelda's design brought me all over the map and exposed all the various characters and side quests in their own pace. It somehow made me care to explore the game. With Blossom Tales, I just went wherever the map said to go, found the dungeons, and killed the bosses. Four times over and the game ended. There was never a need or an interest to go beyond what was prescribed. Maybe it was the boring, cliche story, or the overly straightforward objectives. Well, I just feel this was altogether forgettable.

I believe that everyone plays this game expecting Zelda. It certainly tries, but is cursed with tedious game play and awkward controls. I simply got bored.

I grew up with indie games on Steam, and I have rarely encountered something so simple, and boring. I assume if it's indie and on Steam, and looks like it has passion and heart behind it, that it's going to be enchanting, beautiful, creative. But, no, I definitely regret purchasing Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King. A Link to the Past this very much is not.

Zelda wannabe with trash graphics.

The game has a lot to explore and some of it can be fun, but many puzzles are really out there and some design choices like things that happen in real world time only at certain hours are really bad choices.

The nail on the coffin for me is this dumb melody memorization mini game that really overstays it's welcome

Normally I don't complain about difficulty, but this game holds both of your hands, so the sense of achievement is very little.

I love a lot about this game but the stamina system to use items is so egregious, it takes the fun out of the game.

Waiting for your stamina to recharge so you can use bow/bombs/boomerang really takes you out of the gameplay and there's no balance to to how much stamina each item uses, so the boomerang costs as much as the bomb/bow making the boomerang a useless offensive item.

I remembered liking this on Switch but I must have had rose-colored glasses on, pick up for cheap in a sale if you are dying for a zelda-like