Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Jan 5, 2022

  [b]Playing status:[/b] 100% achievement, finished the game [b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No (those who rush the game might need to grind a bit). [b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (16 achievements). [b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No. [h1]Intro[/h1] [b]Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King[/b] is an action-adventure game about a young knight that is trying to save a kingdom from an evil sorcerer. It tries to mimic the old top-down, 2D [b]Zelda[/b] mechanics with the sword, unique items that can help you to progress new areas, explorable overworld, dungeons, and other changes that are unique to the game. [b]Pros:[/b] - 5 dungeons - Secrets that can only be reached with certain items - Puzzles in some dungeons - A lot of unique items that you can switch around [b]Cons:[/b] - The lack of tile-based movement makes it hard to progress without taking damage - Bosses can be cheesed [b]Specs[/b] Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]If you are itching for a new [b]Zelda[/b]-like game, buy this game.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]Visuals[/h3] The game uses 2D, pixelated visuals. Characters are deformed to show more of the environment, with detailed backgrounds to compensate for it. Areas are divided into several regions that are unique to each other, along with unique enemies that only show in that particular biome. The swamp area doesn't make sense though. I was hoping for a watery dungeon in it, but I ended up having to experience a flame-themed dungeon instead. That being aside, everything looks nice. Objects that give hints for secret areas are noticeable enough for the keen ones, which can be easily remembered since they'll be reused a lot. [h3]Story[/h3] The story is being told by someone else in the game, so expect a lot of narrative from the storyteller. Parts of the story are also being influenced by two young girls who are listening to the said story, changing the story at some points. However, the change isn't vital to the main plot, and there isn't much detail in the story to begin with. The story is mostly straightforward, which becomes unique from the way the narrative is being told. [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] The game is focused on exploration. If you have played [b]The Legend of Zelda[/b] games before, especially the top-down 2D ones, the game is played exactly like that. It's an action-adventure game where you explore a region with a sword in your hand, defeat enemies as you wish, and explore the dungeon to beat the boss(es) and retrieve a key item. There are 5 dungeons in total with 1-2 bosses each inside it. Since the game has no level-up system, you are free to ignore the enemies in the overworld, although some enemies in the dungeon must be defeated before you can progress. Progression is linear. You'll have to retrieve key items as you play to unlock more places, which can be used to access inaccessible places in the previous areas. You might need to backtrack a lot and remember the areas that you passed previously just to make sure that you get everything. It's still possible to rush the game and ignore these areas, but finding these secret areas is also one of the joys in the game. Most of them will reward you with either heart pieces or stamina bars, which will make it easier for you to progress the game. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=894322887 [b]Combat[/b] Enemies are varied. They mostly can be defeated in the same way although you might need to check their attack pattern first to avoid taking damage. However, the game has no tile-based movement, so it can be hard to dodge their attack, especially if they are coming from a lot of directions. Moreover, you can only swing your sword in four directions, making the weapon to be useless most of the time. You won't be using your sword as a primary weapon though. Well, you can't remove it from your hotkey, but you have two extra slots that you can fill with other items. Other key items will require stamina to use, but they have better damage and reach compared to your normal sword swing. It's easier to defeat enemies that way, especially bosses since it's safer to attack them from a distance. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2114301701 Bosses can be cheesed. As I said before, you can attack bosses from a distance, and the game offers a lot of hearts if you collect most heart pieces. Moreover, it can be hard to defeat bosses without taking damage due to the lack of tile-based movement. Some bosses might need a certain strategy and key items to beat, but I found that they are easy to beat as long as you try to dodge them a bit. [b]Puzzles[/b] The game also incorporates some puzzles in it. Some are easy, some can be challenging to solve. However, it's easy to reset most puzzles by accident since you just need to walk to the edge to do that, which happens often due to... yes, the lack of tile-based movement. I still had fun solving the puzzles though, especially the harder ones. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1255882737 [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game in 11.1h after collecting all items and finishing all quests. Some side quests might appear to be grindy at first, but you won't have a problem collecting the items if you kill most enemies. However, the game seems to mimic a lot of the vagueness in the old [b]Zelda[/b] games. I found myself stuck when I had to use a certain key item to progress the game, which didn't occur in my mind. It's one of the charms of these games though, so it didn't bother me that much. As I said before, the game is easy to beat. Bosses can be cheesed, with and without potions, and the game is easy enough to beat even if you are not collecting the collectibles. Achievement hunters also do not need to worry about the achievements since they are all easily obtainable. [b]Problem[/b] There is no log for side quests. It's hard to find where the quest givers are if you traveled to a lot of places. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] I won't be lying if I was looking for a [b]Zelda[/b]-like game when I bought [b]Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King[/b]. The game does a good job to satisfy my [b]Zelda[/b] itch with its similar mechanic, and although some aspects might be different, it is subtle enough for you to notice. The most problematic issue that I found is the lack of tile-based movement, but the difficulty has also been toned down to compensate for it. This makes the game to be more geared for casual players though. Hardcore players won't enjoy it because of the difficulty, and trying to do a challenge like no damage run might be impossible since some enemies can ambush you without giving you a chance to avoid it. That being said, if you are looking for an easy [b]Zelda[/b]-like game, this is your game. [quote]Visit SaveOrQuit.com for detailed game reviews, posted daily![/quote]
• gamedeal user

  Mar 14, 2022

  I almost wrote a positive review, but the incessant screen flash effects ruined my experience. Anyone prone to seizures shouldn't touch this game. Boss fights, explosions, and other effects have rapid screen flashes and can cause headaches. There is no option to disable this feature. Blossom Tales can superficially scratch the nostalgia itch for 2D Zelda fans, but it is very unpolished, with issues in its collision detection and awkward menus. Challenges are easy, with simple and repetitive puzzles, and a copious supply of healing and revival items. Most weapons share a stamina meter, and eventually combat devolves to using 1 or 2 spells to deal with tougher enemies, or button mashing with the sword to deal with crowds of weaker enemies. The world map is large, but there isn't much to see outside of the main path. The story content and achievements can be completed in around 8-10 hours total.
• Yuokinee

  Aug 7, 2023

  fun.
• gamedeal user

  Mar 29, 2017

  The game has a lot of love and care. I really like the art style - it's cheerful which adds a sense of joy to the experience. There's cool music and the skillfull humor included in the game world (writing and design/etc). There's a variety of weapons/tools for the player to use - and the game keeps unlocking/giving me more as it progresses. So there's a sense of choice/tactics of how to defeat enemies. For the most part the game is a fairly relaxing romp through various challenges/puzzles/encounters/bosses. The game balance "feels" just right to me - there's certain rooms that are pretty easy and some that are very frantic dodging around. There's a variety of puzzles that range from fairly simple and more than one that I had to scratch my head a bit on (a few that took more than some head scratching - that are optional - with tons of gold as a reward). Overall its a relaxing game play experience - and I'm greatly enjoying making my way through the game. Wouldn't mind a "Blossom Tales 2 - Revenge of the Pots!" :)
• gamedeal user

  Mar 29, 2017

  Blossom Tales is a really good take on the adventure genre. As a long time Zelda fan I must say I am convinced by the game. The gameplay is so far (first main dungeon) a lot more challenging than I expected it to be and sometimes pretty fast paced. The humour and story telling is great. Can't say much about the whole plot (and wouldn't want to spoil anyone's fun anyway), but I really like the way it is presented to the player. Biggest perk: You get to play a little girl slaying bad guys, rob peoples' homes and smash their furniture. Would buy again, 7/5 ;)
• gamedeal user

  Oct 27, 2017

  It's Zelda. That's it, basically.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 28, 2017

  To say Blossom Tales wears it's Zelda inspiration on its sleeve would be an understatement. If you've ever played Link to the Past or Links Awakening this game will feel right at home for you. Everything from the environments, gameplay, weapons, and music is so similar that it's almost uncomfortable. Saying it outright, this is a good game—but it has no unique style of its own. Apart from the fairy-tale like structure the plot follows; everything is from previous Zeldas. While not automatically a bad thing, gameplay suffers due to its implementation. Puzzles aren't as clever, and you will see similar ideas constantly. Besides the art style, dungeons all feel the same. Even challenges in the open world lack variety between one another. If you liked the block puzzles in Minish Cap don't worry; they are everywhere. For such a short game there are a tone of collectables to find. Exploring is one of the main selling points of the genre but there’s a distinct lack of new ideas. Personally, having even half the number of collectables but each with new gameplay would make exploring feel rewarding. A few of the later items are interesting but just not worth the hassle to search and complete the same tasks I’d already done several times. It may sound like I’m being too harsh. But it's impossible not to compare the two. Unfortunately Blossom Tales doesn't quite understand what makes Zelda so beloved and only manages to walk in its shadow. It's a good game, but I don't think it's a memorable one. You will have a decent time while it lasts but you won’t remember it for long.
• gamedeal user

  Mar 24, 2018

  I realize I'm going to get crap for saying this - but I can't recommend this game. It's great, it has amazing art, amazing setting, amazing style and the premise is amazing. Then why can't I recommend it? It's tedious. The game does a mind-blowingly good job of teaching you through gameplay. A floor tile will fall away in a manner where, unless you stop on it - and you won't because it flashes red, the universal GTF off me color - you won't get hurt from it. Now you know, that type of tile falls away. Then you gradually see more of them in bigger clumps and BAM! You're dodging them/running around on them like a pro. All forms of enviromental danger are presented this way - easy to learn, and gradually ramped up. The tediousness comes from it just going TOO FAR with it. Like, shoot arrow through fire, ignite vines, and light other fire pits with it. Cool. Okay, now do it with some enemies. Cool. Okay now do it across a giant long room with enemies. Cool. Okay, now do it across a giant room with enemies and enviromental hazards. Cool. Okay NOW do it with - nope. It feels like artificial lengthening to me. I've done it, game, I've done your puzzles. I don't need to do it a hundred more times "but this time". I'm sure a lot of people will love this, it's Zelda to the core - but drawn out to the point of absurdity. For that, I can't say yes to it.
• gamedeal user

  Apr 8, 2018

  The puzzles are repetitive, and I stopped playing when it asked me to solve a hamiltonian path puzzle that is larger than the visible screen. This isn't difficult to solve, it's just boring and extremely irritating. At times there are hordes of trivially killed enemies which do nothing but waste time, and while there are a lot of different enemy types it doesn't seem like there was much thought put into making them interesting to fight. The bosses are easy to beat but damage sponges, so it's just boring to fight them. I never felt like anything was particularly challenging, more like the game keeps wasting my time and dragging things out. The story is also pretty lackluster, and honestly I would prefer no story at all in this case. The kids who keep offering inane commentary are annoying.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 20, 2020

  I bought this game because it was on a 'Games You Might Not Have Tried' episode of Extra Credits. The premise of the game- that it's a story told by a grandfather to his grandchildren- was kind of the highlight, but it's a mechanic that's not really executed in an interesting way. 'Do you want to fight pirates or bandits?' and 'Do you want to fight Golems or Archers?'. That sort of thing. I expected more things like that to happen- give more replay value and depth to the game... but the game doesn't really deliver. The interaction of the children primarily works as a framing device for the story, and- more infuriatingly- to troll the player. "That tedious puzzle was too easy! She ALSO had to do a MEMORY puzzle! Tee hee! No, THAT was too easy! NOW she has to do a block-moving puzzle!" It loses its novelty VERY quickly. Speaking of puzzles, surrounding basically every puzzle with puzzle-resetting tiles caused way more frustration than it should. The slippery controls and hitboxes caused puzzles that should have taken thirty seconds to take five minutes or more. Speaking of slippery controls and hitboxes, these elements made traversing the (at times overly convoluted) map AND combat a trial- a trial that might have been easier if the game was built to be played with a controller instead of a keyboard. It REALLY took away from the Zelda-esque charm it could have had. There were too many fetch quests. "Get 20 honeycombs." "Get 20 spirit essesnces." "Get 20 feathers." "Get 20 brains." "Get 20 mushrooms." "Get 500 gold, a gear and some ingots." Why does the boomerang deal 3x more damage than a sword? To multiple enemies? And retrieve items? I guess that last one is more an aesthetic point than a genuine complaint. Maybe consider making it some other weapon? I'm not yet finished with the game, but I've reached a point where I've stopped caring about the story and started following a walkthrough because the frustration of getting lost and running in circles cancels out the thrill of exploration and discovery, and I think I'm good to turn in my review. I'm going to finish it so I can see if my review bears revision in the future, but for now, I'd say: "Good effort, cute looking game, I wanted to like it, but it doesn't quite make it."