Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus
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Critic Reviews for Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus
Though it features some of the best parts of modern metroidvania games, too often Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is waylaid by its lack of direction and poor platforming.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is an extremely charming metroidvania thanks to its rich use of Japanese folklore in its world and character design. Not only is the world nice to look at, but a delight to explore. There are some rough edges when it comes to the platforming, but there is immense fun to be had if you can work past them.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is simply a must play Metroidvania, with fantastic locomotion, gorgeous visuals and boss fights I won't forget in a hurry.
Squid Shock Studios lets loose an astonishing debut in the form of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, a silky-smooth metroidvania platformer.
As long as you don't expect anything genre-defining, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a breathtaking Metroidvania experience. The art style is gorgeous, the action-platforming is fast and satisfying, and the sweet modesty of its tale is though-provoking and gentle. Path of the Teal Lotus is a little heavy with the tutorials at the beginning, boss battles later on get frustrating, and it doesn't do anything remarkably new, but fans of Hollow Knight will find this a gratifying curio that's well worth diving into, even if the pool here is a little bit shallow.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a remarkable achievement. Not only is the overall presentation truly stunning with its authentic, watercolor design, but the platform-focused gameplay and thoughtful combat system establish the game as an essential title in the Metroidvania genre. With its responsive controls and challenging boss battles, the game offers an immersive and rewarding experience that will keep players engaged from start to finish.
But while the game at times demands a level of execution that its design doesn’t always facilitate, its frustrations are fleeting. They resemble the towering skeleton that stomps through its world—revealing themselves in bursts but largely sticking to the darkness, denting but not fully cracking the beauty, coziness, and wondrous sense of atmosphere that surround them.
While Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus plays it too safe with its gameplay, its engrossing setting and large cast of charming characters help it stand apart in the ever-crowded Metroidvania genre.
