Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (2024)

Finished Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus:

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a lovingly drawn platformer, but is not as lively in terms of gameplay as its visuals might suggest.

It is plain and simple, straightforward but expertly-crafted metroidvania game. The cast of colorful characters ends up leading to quests that feature impressive gameplay that encourages exploration as you eventually discover more of the world, the action is mediocre, sometimes challenging with a lot of fun movement, and it all looks dazzling as you take in all of the sights of Japanese mythology, depicted here in such a charming style.

It is a visual marvel filled with interesting but, sadly, underdeveloped characters. Still, a good buy if you're a fan of the genre, or even a good place to start.

RATING

AESTHETICS : -Visuals -9
-Sound -8
-Theme -8

NARRATIVE : -Plot -6
-Characters -6 -Execution -7

GAMEPLAY : -Core -8 -Difficulty -7 -Consistency -8

VALUE : -Cost -8 -Content -7 -Longevity -7

OVERALL RATING: 7.41

Check out my entire playthrough of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmJgHiDDNnRIUNuuCaxZgcMr5reJDuvlf&si=M7taGHb5mmsyeKBl

I'm dripping this after the second boss. I love the look of this game and the gameplay is good I prínciple, but I just don't think the constant A+X mashing is that enjoyable.

On top of that, the difficulty curve is all over the place; not every single jump needs to be a test of skill, game. And the tricky platforming does not combine well with the limited checkpoint system.

Bō is pretty much the only Metroidvania this year that met my high expectations. It is beautiful, feels great to control, and nails basically every aspect of the genre. Definitely in my top 5 of the year.

The art style is literally jaw-dropping gorgeous. There are so many moments that took me by surprise and just made me feel… delighted. The paper Mario style storybook look combined with wonderful lighting and shadows and just great visual ideas really made the game a treat to look at.

But even more impressive is the acrobatic gameplay. If you enjoyed the Ori type of movement, i.e. being in the air 90% of the time and feeling like an Olympic monkey - this game nails it. Along with the great physics, you get the satisfaction of slowly getting upgrades that very naturally expand you skill set and keep making the gameplay more varied and satisfying.

Exploration? Very good. Quality of life map features? Nailed it. The only criticism I can muster is wishing it was longer. It truly meets the standards of Hollow Knight and Ori, while also having its unique visual and tactile feel to it, and I can’t recommend it enough.