Developer: Castle Pixel
Publisher: FDG Entertainment
Platforms: PC/Nintendo Switch
I know I’m not the only person out there desperate for a Zelda-esque experience, especially since Breath of the Wild departed so severely from the normal dungeon-centric play styles. So if you are like me and you love that top-down, puzzle dungeon experience then hopefully this will be the game that can hold you over for a time.
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is very much a Zelda clone, from it’s similar attacks to its adorable art style but that doesn’t mean it’s without its own type of charm. I’ll break this review down into three categories: Story, Visuals/Audio, and How it Plays.
Story
The main character is Lily, a spunky young woman who has it in her heart to become a knight of the kingdom and in following her dreams finds herself up against a powerful villain. The story itself is a rather simple one, you are an unlikely hero pitted against a powerful villain with magic and a ton of minions. The charm comes in with it’s light-hearted approach to the way the story is told. It kicks off with a grandfather telling his grandchildren a story, and this narration continues with each major point in the story. It even has moments where the kids fight over what a villian might be, and you see those decisions/fights happen on screen as your enemies change to reflect their/your choices. It’s a super fun way to make the game experience a little more unqiue. The story itself is pretty heartwarming as well, and Lily becomes a character that you really root for as she proves herself time and time again.
Visuals & Audio
This has a classic top-down Zelda like style, that works well for the new graphics of today. It looks super smooth and has a vibrant color palette that really fits the flower theme of the story.
The audio is another hit for me and has quite a nice little soundtrack with plenty of variety depending on which section of the map you are in.
How it Plays
Now for the most important part! I played this on the Nintendo Switch so, in terms of controls, it’s a very familiar experience for me. We have a sword and shield, with a spin attack and even a full health sword beam.; but they added a leaping smash attack that I really really loved. To the point where I need Link to up his game and start leaping at people. We have a lot of items to work with here as well some familiar (like Bombs) and some new (like a AOE fire medallion and a bee!) that really add a lot of variety and personality to each playthrough. The game is a beautiful mix of easy explorations and challenging dungeons, that had me playing for hours on end. I loved the adorable character designs for the NPCs and enemies, especially the Golems.
Final Thoughts
This a solid game in its own right, with a cute story and stunning visuals. The game stays fresh as it gives you new tools to work with and new areas to explore, honing in on that charm that made the Zelda games so much fun while setting itself apart with its humor and new additions. This is one of my favorite games on the Switch so far, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
