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 gameplay reminiscent of classic Zelda titles, with a cute narrative and engaging exploration.
- Improved mechanics and visuals over the first game, with a variety of secrets and collectibles to discover.
- Fun and accessible for players of all ages, making it a great choice for those looking for a light-hearted adventure.
- Combat and puzzles can feel overly simplistic and not challenging enough for experienced players, leading to a lack of engagement.
- Frequent item swapping and a cluttered inventory system can disrupt gameplay flow and become tedious.
- The game doesn't introduce many new ideas or innovations compared to its predecessor, making it feel somewhat repetitive.
- story86 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % 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 plot centered around a sibling rivalry and a quest to save a character. While the narrative includes charming elements and nostalgic references to classic games, many players find it lacking depth and character development, with side quests often detracting from the main storyline. Overall, the story serves as a lighthearted backdrop to the gameplay, appealing to those who enjoy a casual adventure rather than a compelling narrative.
“The narrative of Blossom Tales 2 is a story told by grandpa to his grandchildren over a campfire.”
“Once again, grandpa is telling a bedtime story to his grandkids, Lily and Chrys, but this time both children feature: Lily once again as the hero, and Chrys as her sibling rival.”
“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.”
“The actual story being told is fairly weak and sparse, with too little focus given to the world or any of the characters besides 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.”
- music49 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in "Blossom Tales 2" has received generally positive feedback, with many players praising its catchy and atmospheric qualities that enhance the game's fairy tale theme. While some tracks are considered standout and memorable, others are described as average or forgettable, suggesting a mix of highs and lows in the overall soundtrack. Overall, the music complements the gameplay and visuals well, contributing to an enjoyable experience, though some players feel it could benefit from more impactful melodies throughout.
“The gameplay is just as nice, the visuals are well made, and the soundtrack is great.”
“Credit where credit is due, this game is a fairy tale and the instruments make the music sound straight out of a fairy tale.”
“+awesome soundtrack that is catchy and underlines what is happening in a great way”
“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.”
- gameplay47 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
Blossom Tales 2 features engaging, classic Zelda-like gameplay with a vibrant art style and a variety of mechanics, including exploration, item collection, and a unique brewing system. While the gameplay loop is generally satisfying, some players found certain elements, like fishing mini-games and puzzles, to be tedious. Overall, the game successfully expands on its predecessor with improved visuals, music, and a charming narrative that impacts gameplay.
“Blossom Tales 2 sports great gameplay, visuals, skill/item loadout, music, even silly story choices.”
“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).”
“Exploration is awesome, and I'm really loving the graphics, gameplay, etc. I 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.”
“Sequel to an indie darling that has a revamped look and overly familiar gameplay.”
“[– unoriginal game mechanics (may not be a bad thing), – a few clunky issues with gameplay, – unintuitive button mapping for interaction with objects/characters]”
- graphics30 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics in Blossom Tales 2 are characterized by a charming, retro 16-bit art style that complements the game's whimsical tone and gameplay. While not groundbreaking, the visuals are generally well-executed and cute, enhancing the overall experience, especially in atmospheric settings like dungeons and forests. Players appreciate the vibrant colors and stylized design, which evoke nostalgia while fitting seamlessly into the adventure's aesthetic.
“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.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly related to fishing and collecting items for trades and potions, to be tedious and frustrating at times. While the overall gameplay loop is enjoyable, the repetitive nature of certain tasks, especially the fishing mini-game, detracts from the experience.
“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.”
“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).”
“While some of the puzzles were fun to solve, otherwise felt rather tedious or just plain frustrating.”
- stability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its stability, being described as polished and bug-free, with excellent art design and animations. Players report smooth performance, contributing to an overall positive experience.
“The game is very polished and bug-free; the art design and animations are done really well.”
“And the game runs great!”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Tunic is highly praised for its immersive exploration and captivating 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 players found the puzzle design lacking, the overall ambiance significantly enhances the gameplay experience.
“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 items and puzzles).”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game remains intact, providing an enjoyable experience for players. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
“The humor is still there, and it was just a good time.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively combines the nostalgic charm of 16-bit Zelda aesthetics with a touch of humor reminiscent of Starbound, resulting in 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.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent battery performance and low hardware temperatures, indicating efficient optimization that enhances the overall user experience.
“Excellent battery performance and low hardware temperatures.”
“Excellent battery performance and low hardware temperatures.”
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%