Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King (PC) Second Opinion Review

By Thom Compton 05.05.2017

Review for Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King on PC

Many indie games today are rogue-lites with Metroidvania influences, perma-death, and procedurally generated environments, all while capturing that special something from gaming years long since passed, and more jargon than you can shake a Deku stick at. Truth is, those older games had something that made them special, that transcends colour palettes, a lack of tutorials and chiptune music. It's something a lot of retro-inspired games simply don't grasp. Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King grasps it with such ease that it's almost insulting to those that don't.

Grandpa loves telling stories, and tonight, he's telling one to Lily and Chrys about an epic journey. From the beginning, everything about Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is 2D Zelda heavy. From the blocky pixels, which manage to still have a voice of their own, to the menacing overworld, this adventure screams A Link to the Past, only better.

Blasphemy! Okay, so "better" is a bit of an exaggeration, but compared to many downright obvious Zelda clones, Blossom Tales manages to set itself apart. It could be the incredibly fluid combat, or even the never-ending supply of bombs, but it seems like this adventure was designed to be a "Wouldn't it be cool if Link could..." sort of title.

Screenshot for Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King on PC

Dungeons are important, and Blossom Tales does some moderately interesting things with them. Sometimes, they feel like they may be a bit too easy. Then, a slew of monsters shows up to remind you it is not. Boss fights, in general, feel a bit weaker than they could, and for those looking for a sprawling 50-hour adventure, it may not be found here.

Moving around and fighting is absolutely superb. This could have come off as clunky, but it feels extremely smooth. There are additional collectibles to look for as well, and a decent cast to meet up with. Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King captures the magic of older Zelda games while making just enough adjustments for everything to feel fresh.

Screenshot for Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King on PC

Cubed3 Rating

8/10

Great - Silver Award

While it doesn't do anything to innovate, Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King captures an era that many are simply capitalizing on. It's not going to scratch an itch if you want a wholly new experience, and for what it is, it just feels like a polished version of the same kind of thing gamers have come to expect. However, for the size of the package, this is a fantastic take on classic Zelda gameplay, and it does just enough to make gamers remember, Lily is not Link!