Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Review – Transitory Platforming Bliss

Introduction:

Knowing how to lay down the groundwork effectively is an essential practice for a platformer, as that general collective facet alone is prophetic of the level of care prospective players can anticipate from the whole experience. Whether it simply be the physics or a uniquely applied mechanic that governs progression, platformers are one of the few genres where even the first few minutes can dramatically define your impressions.

The Squid Shock Studios and Humble Games 2D platformer Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a merged example boasting sublime movement and an excellent gimmick that bolsters its identity tenfold. Without exaggeration, this is one of the most enjoyable platformers I’ve ever experienced, even if its narrative and sense of comedy rarely clicked.

Story and Setting:

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus follows the titular fox tentaihana, celestial blossom, as they descend from the heavens to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Throughout your adventure, the seemingly outwardly peaceful world veils a grand conflict at work, with the tentaihana’s appearance not being a particularly favorable omen.

To be candid, the story of Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is one that, while not egregiously deficient in any specific way, just never managed to compel me. Besides a few potentially humorous exchanges, this title’s comedic writing style felt like it tried too hard to establish itself, making the majority of its gags not land. Admittedly, the tone can grow dire and somber, yet the ill-fitting, hollow humor needlessly stamps that out.

Regardless, the gameplay will keep you sticking around. The defining feature of Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is the protagonist’s staff, which grants you an additional jump when hitting an object or enemy in mid-air. This action can also be performed multiple times on the same object, enabling sensational verticality that never fails to shine to its utmost. The impressive level design ensures that this malleable mechanic never grows dull, with every area offering distinct avenues of challenge.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus boasts sublime movement and an excellent gimmick that bolsters its identity tenfold.

Plus, each area is instilled with environmental puzzles that complement Bo’s staff, like growing plant roots in forests that you can bounce on or floating lanterns that rise with each hit. There is no shortage of engrossing progression here, and I can list dozens of specific examples showcasing this strength. Simply put, regarding the sheer level of design and movement, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is the cream of the crop. The metroidvania aspects enhance exploration tenfold, too, with movement abilities like a context-sensitive grappling hook and a swift, seamless dash opening up paths across previously explored areas. The NPC quests encourage players to delve into the intricacies of each map as well.

Impressively, the staff gimmick is masterfully woven into the clever combat system since some enemies are puzzles themselves. For example, select foes are akin to fixed setpieces that require skilled usage of the staff-induced elevation to reach their weak points. On the other hand, aerial enemies work about as you would expect, with the added cherry on top that you can use their very existence as a trampoline of sorts to reach greater heights intuitively.

When considering the heat gauge, which improves Bo’s strength the more consecutive hits he lands in a set time, speed and precision are often the names of the game here. The bosses also embrace this meticulous design, making every encounter memorable and sometimes genuinely challenging. It is worth noting that Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus does not shy away from difficulty with its boss battles, bringing to light the few souls-like elements sprinkled here.

Healing and Difficulty:

To elaborate, the healing is comprised of Bo drinking tea on the field, which is then restored the more you hit enemies. This slight deviation from the typically incorporated souls conventions emphasizes the game design’s identity of swiftness because healing in the midst of battle is quite dangerous. Drinking tea makes Bo stationary, taking a good few seconds for the effects to kick in. Still, this choice feels purposeful since, especially in the case of boss fights, you need to know when the constantly altering environment will provide safety for that brief time window. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s worth remembering that shops exist with plenty of prizes to consider. Additionally, you can freely remap your controls to suit your tastes.

I truly can’t sing enough praises about this sidescroller’s exploration and combat design—everything about them just clicks—well, somewhat. The only combat feature that came across as unnecessary was the Daruma dolls. These items can be activated once your heat gauge has reached its boiling state, unleashing various boons that act as secondary combative helpers. The ideas surrounding these tools are conceptually captivating, yet you’re rarely encouraged to make use of them or experiment actively.

The metroidvania aspects enhance exploration, with movement abilities opening up paths across previously explored areas.

The basics of combat get the job done well enough, with the bosses feeling designed solely around your default toolkit. At least, that’s the impression I got. If the bosses and other enemies were approached differently to make you ponder the feasibility of the Daruma dolls, they would’ve stuck much more. In all honesty, I frequently forgot the Daruma dolls even existed until I obtained a new one.

A better-implemented idea is the Omamori, essentially equippable accessories that impart passive boons like increasing your attack speed. Each of these items is incredibly unique to the extent that some can even fundamentally alter your combat approach. One Omamori that comes to mind is the double-edged Confidence, which enhances your attack at the cost of receiving more damage. Another notable one is Resilience, which resets your jump and dash after taking damage, potentially providing substantially more leeway in aerial-focused bouts.

One last set of collective strengths worth emphasizing is the audio and visual design. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is an absolutely stunning, picturesque delight, with a mix of hand-drawn animation and 2.5D-ness that instills every single location with identities all their own. Then the audio, besides the fantastically ambient and tense soundtrack, can be unexpectedly soothing thanks to the lite sounds of nature and Bo’s tea cup being pleasing to the ear.

Conclusion:

While maybe due to a wrong move on my part, there was one segment in which I believe it was impossible to progress unless you bounced on an enemy who could be defeated. Assuming I didn’t simply misread the environment, which is entirely possible, this instance felt like a slight oversight. A saving shrine was nearby, thankfully, so it didn’t impede me. On that same token, some collectibles can only be obtained by using enemies or their projectiles as bouncing pads for elevation, so be sure to examine your surroundings first before deciding to eliminate something.

If you’re looking for yet another outstanding 2D platformer, then Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a must-play you mustn’t neglect. With excellent level design, phenomenal boss battles, and fulfilling exploration, all elevated by sublimely implemented vertical-induced movement, this adventure is undeniably one of 2024’s best, rivaling the heavy hitters, even if not all of its ideas land with grace. Plus, the moderate playtime ensures the adventure doesn’t overextend itself.