A gothic, grimdark metroidvania where you play as a young priestess who is tasked with fighting back a ravenous blight after the downfall of her kingdom. Although it starts off a bit slow, the atmosphere is impeccable right off the bat. You awake from an altar in an underground storage area and are greeted by the spirit of a knight who will act as one of many of your surrogate fighters. The music is both melancholic and foreboding. It eases you into this fallen, corrupted kingdom very thematically. Being one of the strongest aspects of this game, the music is what I'd describe as something similar to a haunting lullaby, and it's one of the best I've come across in terms of video game soundtracks.
After picking up a few abilities, the gameplay and plot really start to pick up and thicken, and soon you're sucked in. Platforming challenges even introduce themselves later on. The bosses are well-designed, challenging, and extremely lore-heavy. Each of them has its own story, even the minibosses.
Artistically, it's gorgeous, but almost to a fault. The art itself is very beautifully done, but sometimes its hard to separate background elements from interactive elements.
Each area is very fully realized, and the late game areas get super creative and interesting.
Beautiful, very narrative, soaked in atmosphere, and boasting some creative gameplay mechanics, Ender Lilies is a game I'd suggest everyone at least tries. If you're a fan of that "beautifully haunting" gothic style, which is both parts magical and dark, and you like metroidvanias, you'll love this game.