Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince
- August 15, 2022
- Castle Pixel, LLC.
Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince has been inspired by A Link to the Past in all the right ways, combining great visuals, a charming story, adventure, and puzzles. This game is a must-play for me!
In "Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince," players embark on a new action-adventure set hundreds of years after "The Sleeping King." Explore a vast open world, complete with charming towns, tricky puzzles, and powerful weapons. As you journey through haunted forests and pirate shores, Grandpa narrates Lily's story, introducing exciting moments and choices that influence the tale. This retro 2D game features a compelling main story, side-quests, and numerous mini-dungeons.
Reviews
- Charming and nostalgic, capturing the essence of classic Zelda games with cute graphics and engaging gameplay.
- Improved mechanics and exploration compared to the first game, with a variety of side quests and secrets to discover.
- Family-friendly and accessible, making it a great choice for younger players or those looking for a light-hearted adventure.
- Combat can feel overly simplistic and easy, lacking challenge for experienced players.
- Frequent item swapping can be tedious due to limited inventory slots, disrupting the flow of gameplay.
- Some puzzles are frustratingly obscure or unintuitive, leading to potential player frustration without clear guidance.
- story41 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of Blossom Tales 2 is framed as a whimsical bedtime tale told by a grandfather to his grandchildren, featuring a simple "save the sibling" plot that lacks depth and character development. While the narrative includes charming elements and nostalgic references to classic games, many players find it impersonal and sparse, with side quests that detract from the main storyline. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted experience, but those seeking a compelling or intricate narrative may be disappointed.
“The narrative of Blossom Tales 2 is a story told by grandpa to his grandchildren over a campfire.”
“The game features a cute frame story, with a grandfather telling the story of the minotaur prince as a sort of parable to his two grandchildren.”
“The story starts off with an immediately darker tone, and this is the first hint at the greater sophistication of this sequel.”
“The actual story being told is fairly weak and sparse, with too little focus given to the world or any of the characters beside the main two.”
“This also results in the plot feeling quite impersonal.”
“It's a basic save the sibling plot and most twists are so standard that they are hardly twists.”
- music24 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in "Blossom Tales 2" is generally well-received, with many players praising its catchy and atmospheric qualities that enhance the gameplay experience. While some tracks stand out as excellent, others are described as average or forgettable, suggesting a mixed overall impression of the soundtrack. The music effectively complements the game's fairy tale theme, though some players feel it could benefit from more memorable melodies and consistency in quality across all areas.
“The gameplay is just as nice, the visuals are well made, and the soundtrack is great.”
“Music is good and I looked forward to getting to the next one of each area.”
“Credit where credit is due, this game is a fairy tale and the instruments make the music sound straight out of a fairy tale.”
“As far as cons go... the story isn't there, the characters are okay, graphics are fine, music is forgettable, and the potions were overpowered.”
“It's a very relaxed soundtrack that has a few highs when against bosses, but needs a more clear melody to feel more impactful.”
“While the music mostly never grabbed me, the final area of the map has the best song in the game.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Blossom Tales 2 offers engaging gameplay that builds on its predecessor with new mechanics, items, and a focus on exploration, reminiscent of classic Zelda titles. While the core gameplay loop is satisfying, some players found certain aspects, like collecting and mini-games, to be tedious. Overall, the game successfully combines nostalgic elements with fresh features, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
“Blossom Tales 2 sports great gameplay, visuals, skill/item loadout, music, even silly story choices.”
“The gameplay is just as nice, the visuals are well made, and the soundtrack is great.”
“Exploration is awesome, and really loving the graphics, gameplay, etc. wouldn't change a thing!”
“At first, the gameplay is all trivially easy while all the NPCs you meet praise you for your overwhelming power... then, after beating the first boss, the game begins.”
“However, in these kinds of games, gameplay (in my opinion) tends to be more important.”
“If this is the type of gameplay style you want, it delivers while expanding on the novel idea of a grandfather telling his grandchildren a story.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics in Blossom Tales 2 are described as cute and well-executed, fitting the game's retro aesthetic and enhancing the overall experience. While not groundbreaking, they are an improvement over the first game, complementing the gameplay and atmosphere effectively. Players appreciate the stylized visuals, particularly in specific environments, though some note that the graphics are not exceptional but still enjoyable.
“The graphics and music are good, stylized and retro while fitting the tone and world of the game.”
“My favorite parts were the first dungeon with the water levels (always love when 2D games feel a bit 3D), the periwinkle woods (so mysterious with atmospheric graphics and music) and the haunted mansion (fun item and puzzles).”
“+great art style that makes the most of what you can do with 16-bit”
“As far as cons go... the story isn't there, the characters are okay, graphics are fine, music is forgettable, and the potions were overpowered.”
“The music is very pleasing and the graphics are good; not great, but definitely not mediocre.”
“Give it a shot if you don't mind the old school graphics and gameplay theme.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly with activities like fishing and collecting items for trades and potions. While the main gameplay loop is generally enjoyable, the repetitive nature of certain tasks can detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration.
“Rather than grinding for cash, I felt like I was grinding fish, trying to get enough of the right ones for trades and potion ingredients.”
“While I enjoyed the main game, it can get tedious.”
“The gameplay loop generally feels good, although on occasion the collecting and exploring felt a little tedious this time (I’m looking at you fishing mini-game).”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its stability, being described as polished and free of bugs, with excellent art design and animations that contribute to a smooth gameplay experience.
“The game is very polished and bug-free; the art design and animations are done really well.”
“The game runs great!”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Tunic is highly praised for its exploration and immersive environments, particularly in locations like the water-level dungeon, the mysterious Periwinkle Woods, and the haunted mansion, which feature atmospheric graphics and music. While some reviewers noted that the puzzle design could be improved, the overall ambiance contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“My favorite parts were the first dungeon with the water levels (I always love when 2D games feel a bit 3D), the Periwinkle Woods (so mysterious with atmospheric graphics and music), and the haunted mansion (fun items and puzzles).”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that would make the world feel alive.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the atmosphere fails to engage, leaving the player feeling disconnected from the environment.”
“The game tries to create a dark and moody atmosphere, but it ends up feeling forced and artificial.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game remains intact, contributing to an enjoyable experience for players.
“The humor is still there, and it was just a good time.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively combines the nostalgic charm of 16-bit Zelda titles with a touch of humor reminiscent of Starbound, all while delivering a heartwarming narrative that resonates emotionally with players.
“It unashamedly uses the style of our favorite 16-bit Zelda games and adds a pinch of Starbound humor, some nods to other genres, and of course, a heartwarming story.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent battery performance and low hardware temperatures, indicating effective optimization for both power efficiency and thermal management.
“Excellent battery performance and low hardware temperatures.”
“The game runs smoothly on lower-end devices without sacrificing quality.”
“Optimized controls make gameplay feel responsive and intuitive.”
Critic Reviews
Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
Another Blooming Adventure
83%Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
70%Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince Review
Blossom Tales 2 is the kind of game that’s absolutely good, but definitely not great. The cute narrative premise, solid dungeon design, and pacing of overall progression all make this one worthwhile, but it’s also the kind of game that feels like it’s hamstrung by its lack of daring to try something new. In this sense, it’s the epitome of a “buy it on sale” game; you’re not missing anything by waiting to snap it up at a later date, but if you're a fan of the traditional 2D Zelda template, it’s probably worth getting at some point when the mood takes you.
70%