Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a Metroidvania side-scrolling action-adventure game based on Japanese folklore. Developed by Squid Shock Studios and published by Humble Games it centers around ancient Japanese folklore as the player takes control of a Fox spirit named Bō. Released on all platforms this Metroidvania 2D adventure is filled with many artistic pleasures that respect the style of the culture it’s based on. Journey through Japanese Folklore as we discover what looming threat troubles this land and how Bō can stop the threat before it destroys us all.
The story of Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus centers around Bō, a newly born animal flower hybrid spirit known as a Tentaihana. Once Bō arrives on the land he quickly learns how to use his mystical earring that can transform into a staff as one of his main attacks that also acts as his double jump, but before Bō or the player can get their bearings a massive shadow titan appears in the background and proceeds to make its way to an unknown location. With this looming threat in the background, Bō must gain the skills and knowledge needed to combat the titan while also fighting all sorts of evil spirits and meeting many noble beings who require Bō’s aid.
The gameplay of Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is very fluid and responsive. This being a Metroidvania the game center’s around a lot of platform combat. The game is very floaty, but not so floaty that your character will never have to touch the ground. A lot of the platforming and combat requires a lot of timing, patience, and focus so the player can’t simply just go in and hit everything if the character so much as touches an enemy without attacking then they receive damage it takes a lot of planning and patience for the right time to attack and traverse. There is no traditional double jump. Instead, the player needs to attack these lantern spirits known as (chōchin-obake) once attacked as Bō jumps to them Bō starts glowing which signifies that Bō can jump again to reach where they need to go. There are also these spirit Shiitake mushrooms that will launch Bō high into the air once they are attacked that were unique traversal objects that were available in the forest region Bō starts in. Bō will unlock other abilities as they progress through the region; some abilities are acquired after defeating certain bosses while others are achieved from helping other spirits and people on their travel such as the dash and grappling hook that are unlocked very early into the game after the first boss fights.
Each boss has a very unique encounter that leans heavily into platforming. Some enemies are big enough to span the entire screen, making each very distinct. The boss fights in particular are the most challenging part of the game so don’t be surprised if it takes multiple tries to beat them they aren’t impossible, but they are challenging. The controls weren’t very difficult to understand; the difficulty primarily centers around timing jumps and attacks to get where Bō needed to go. At the same time since this game is a Metroidvania-style game, there is a lot of backtracking once items and abilities are acquired that can access those areas. One item that is unlocked early on is a tea kettle that acts as an item that heals Bō, however, the animation of Bō drinking the tea is slow meaning that the player needs time whenever they need to prioritize healing over attacking bosses. Every hit refills the kettle and it takes a total of eight points to refill the kettle at least at the start of the game.
The Japanese art style and level designs of the game are the best part of the game as all of the colors and designs reflect the folklore very well giving life to all of the creatures and locations. The bosses especially are some of the best designs of the whole game, each having very distinctive looks that also reflect their personality and the arenas they fight in.
Overall Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a very fun indie game with a wonderful art style. The gameplay is one of the biggest highlights, especially with its platforming and boss encounters that require players to stay on their feet, not in the same way as a Souls game, but still challenging enough to be exciting.
Score: 8 out of 10
Reviewed On: PC