Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince Review

Game: Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince 
Genre: Action, Adventure
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam (Windows & Linux))
Developer|Publisher: Castle Pixel | Playtonic Games
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US Everyone
Price: US $14.99 | UK £11.39 | EU € 14,99
Release Date: August 16th, 2022

Review code provided with many thanks to Playtonic Games.

Indie Success Story

The first Blossom Tales had a lot of success on Nintendo Switch. Unlike when it was originally released on PC, where it struggled to gain much attention on the Steam store. On the Switch is where the title blossomed. Its cute pixel art and Zelda-like feel to its gameplay captured the hearts of many gamers. So it only makes sense that a sequel would be on the cards. Blossom Tales 2 is a delightful but familiar sequel that will no doubt please classic Zelda fans or those looking for an enchanting adventure. 

A Story in a Story

The plot is a story within a story. If you’re familiar with the first game you will know what to expect but if you are new here you don’t need to be overly familiar with the first game to understand the plot. Grandpa is reading and telling a fantasy story to younglings Lily and Chrys. You then control Lily as the brave protagonist in the story he is telling. The plot in the story is Lily’s brother, Chrys, has been taken by the Minotaur King and it’s up to you to explore the lands, finding pieces of a key to unlock his labyrinth and save the day.

Throughout the game, Grandpa and the kids will regularly interject to the in-game plot with witty commentary and even offer the player two choices to what appears in-game. For example, you may reach a room in a dungeon and Grandpa will offer you two puzzle types such as pushing blocks or a music puzzle. The more common choice is picking what enemies will appear in a room. This is a really clever way of allowing the player to customize their own adventure and easily the best part for me. Although it doesn’t feel as utilized as much as it could have. A game full of these choices would be very ambitious but it would certainly make it stand out from the Zelda series it takes massive inspiration from.

Familiar Formula

If you have played any top-down Zelda game you will know what to expect with the gameplay. You begin the game with a sword and shield. As you explore dungeons you will unlock a new tool which will enable you to reach new areas, your general path through the dungeons is quite linear.

You tackle them in a set order but you are given plenty of wiggle room to explore off the beaten path to find mini-dungeons and take on a few mini-quests. The more you engage in these activities, the more benefit to you with new sword moves as well as heart shards and crystals, which on collecting four of each will increase your health and stamina bar making the main game more manageable. 

Graphics are colourful and beautiful. The pixel art style shines on Nintendo Switch on TV or handheld. There is impressive attention to the pixelated detail in the environments you explore. Environments are nicely varied from desert regions to haunted forests. Even when the tone goes a bit dark everything has this innocence to it that makes this game suitable for all ages.

There are other nice touches such as varied enemies roaming the lands and random animals running into the trees and birds flying in the sky. It’s a pixel world that feels quite alive. Then to accompany this you have a captivating soundtrack which brilliantly suits the gameplay making you feel like you are taking on quite the epic quest. 

Newcomers Welcome

Blossom Tales 2 is very accessible to newbies to the series even if you have never played this type of game before. Controls are easy to pick up and play with button prompts clearly indicated at the top of the screen or items and when you can engage in dialogue with NPCs. The game will save automatically every time you enter a new screen and the world map will give you an indication of where your next objective is without totally holding your hand. Item use depletes your green stamina bar, which recovers after a few seconds so you don’t need to worry about running out of arrows and bombs. But it is tied to your shield block and dodge roll so you need to use it sparingly.

The difficulty feels well balanced, nicely building itself up through the experience without it becoming overwhelming or tedious. The game overall has a good pacing to it, I didn’t feel in any rush to jump on the next objective and quite enjoyed exploring off the beaten path to see what I would discover. There is a multitude of enemies to encounter with some requiring a little extra thought to defeat. For example, skeletons will just stun in a pile of bones when hit with a sword but using bombs or your yo-yo (the game’s version of a grappling hook) and they will die instantly. Then of course you have the loud and proud boss fights which are usually multi-layered requiring the occasional thought and experimentation to defeat. 

Conclusion – Vibrant Flower 

I really enjoyed Blossom Tales 2. But it does just feel more the same. It is a new story, a new map to explore, new NPCs and some new items. However, it doesn’t feel like much of a leap from the first game. It also heavily leans into Zelda inspiration with its overall feel from the cheerful noises made when opening a chest to collecting four heart pieces to gain a new health block. There’s no harm in being like Zelda but when Blossom Tales 2 has the chance to be different, like with the choices you make during the story it just doesn’t lean into it enough.

Despite all this Blossom Tales 2 is a sequel that plays it safe yet still succeeds thanks to its tight gameplay and exploration. I will admit I found it hard to put down, the game sucks you in and doesn’t let go. It may be familiar but it works. After all when I buy my Wife the same red gerberas, years after being together she’s still happy, so maybe consider buying this as a gift for a loved one. Blossom Tales 2 is still a vibrant colourful flower on the Nintendo Switch and well worth your time.

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot