Seven Secrets to Survive and Thrive in ENDER LILIES

Partner Content by Ender Lilies

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights is a 2D dark, anime-style action RPG packed with all the ingredients that make a good game legendary, including solid gameplay and gorgeous graphics. While many games are known for one or the other, few have combined to conjure such a beautiful nightmare.

Our protagonist is a lily-white girl priestess who shines brightly as a beacon of purity against the dark palette of a foreboding environment. She must journey through a wasteland known as Land’s End, a world polluted by something called the Rain of Death that never stops falling, and transforms all living things it touches into bloodthirsty corpses.

Though Lily might seem to be overmatched for the waterlogged hellscape she finds herself in, she has a guardian knight watching over her, who provides combat and defensive support when enemies appear. The girl and her guardians represent the duality of light overcoming darkness—and understanding the dynamics between the two is instrumental in conquering this game.

Along the way, they must overcome enemies small and large, preferably in that order, find and rally the remaining Spirits in the land—and incorporate the skills of Spirit allies into their own ever-expanding repertoire of offense and defensive moves.

Here are seven secrets to survive and thrive in ENDER LILIES:

Know Your Enemies

Enemies’ attacks and defenses vary, and grow progressively more challenging as you go through the game. This in itself is important to keep in mind, as you will undoubtedly have trouble with some of your adversaries the first time you meet them. Don’t get discouraged when you lose, because you are constantly getting more powerful as you level-up. When you’re ready for another go at a boss, study their tendencies, time your counterattacks, and eventually you’ll emerge victorious.

Mo’ Muscle Memory

There’s no substitute for muscle memory, and pretty much every video game requires some. Don’t be discouraged the first time you feel like you’ve hit a dead end, or an enemy takes you out—you won’t lose your progress. Be patient and build strength and experience by beating up on weaker enemies. Sooner or later, even if you have to grind for a bit to increase your powers, you will be able to overcome what first seemed to be insurmountable obstacles.

Master the Map

Land’s End is a sprawling and perversely beautiful world, and while you can have fun wandering around aimlessly, there are always clues to where you should go next to advance through the game. Look for the spots marked by green diamonds where you can rest, enhance your gear, and equip different Spirits. Red dots indicate pathways you haven’t explored yet, but will need to eventually.

Circling Back

Scouring every nook and cranny on screen at all times has two benefits—it enables Lily to slowly level-up and gather strength, while allowing you to familiarize yourself with your immediate surroundings. This is key as ENDER LILIES is part scavenger hunt, and you have to circle back to many spots in Land’s End after your character reaches a certain level, or has acquired particular Spirits and abilities.

Don’t be Strange with the Range

While close combat is the swiftest way to deal with enemies, range attacks are a crucial part of the battle interface in ENDER LILIES, so make the most of them. While bosses might not be the best target for such offense, it can come in super handy when you’re focused on a task and want to deal with lower-level enemies in short order.

Bust Out Your Builds

Though your attacks are weapon-like, your offense actually comes in the form of Spirits, which you earn by exploring new environments and killing enemies. Whether it’s a mighty hammer attack or a crow companion that provides cover from above, learning how to use and deploy the wide variety of builds most effectively is a cornerstone component of this game.

Supercharge Your Spirits

Since Spirits are the essential ingredient in your combat system, decide if you’re more of an offensive or defensive player and equip yourself accordingly. Don’t load-up on defensive Spirits if you’re a more aggressive player, rather pour those enhancements into increasing your striking capability. Being able to play through the game in your own personal style makes it that much more enjoyable.

By mastering some of the secrets outlined above, you should be able to help Lily shine a light in the darkness of Land’s End.

The game drops today on Switch and Steam. For more info visit https://ift.tt/3wLYXbf

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