While we await news about Silksong, the sequel to Hollow Knight, a separate indie studio went ahead and made a spiritual successor of sorts. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus has no connection to Hollow Knight, but from the moment you take control of the fox spirit named Bō, it is impossible not to compare the two 2D platformers. That said, wearing your inspiration on your sleeve isn’t necessarily a bad thing when said inspiration is a masterpiece.
Bō is tasked with saving the world from a series of massive, looming threats drawn straight out of Japanese folklore. Bō is virtually powerless on his own, but with the transforming bō staff, Bō can navigate the world with ease and take down monsters along the way.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is combat-heavy but focuses just as much on platforming as it does on fighting. With your bō staff, you can strike certain objects in the world to reset your jump and dash. Chaining all your actions together is necessary to advance, and as you progress through the story, you’ll gain new abilities that add to the complexity of traversal. Eventually, you’ll dash, jump, glide, and slingshot across the map at breakneck speeds.
This is where the game excelled for me. I’m a sucker for a great puzzle platformer, and although none of the ideas present in Bō are unique, they mesh well together. I was repeatedly reminded of some of my favorite moments in Rayman Origins, Celeste, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps as I charted death-defying paths through the world, avoiding spike traps, walls of fire, spinning laser wheels, and leagues of enemies that refused to leave me alone.
I was less enthused by the combat, which is always relatively manageable up until a boss fight. There are well over a dozen enemy types in the game. Some just slowly amble in your general direction. Others fly around shooting ice shards, roll at you while blowing fire, or dart across the screen at light speed. Taking on one or two at a time is always feasible, but there are contained combat arenas and boss fights that turn the game into a bullet hell shooter. The only problem is that you can’t really shoot back.
You do have a set of Daruma dolls that each have different abilities — one dashes forward to hit enemies, one blows fire, and another throws bombs — but these consume tea. Once you’ve run out of tea, your only option is to get up close and personal to smack the bad guys with your staff. Too often, I felt like I was dying not because I had failed to pay attention to the attack patterns or use my abilities correctly, but because there was too much clutter on the screen to avoid every stray monster, projectile, and environmental hazard in the room.
Tea works just like SOUL in Hollow Knight. If you hold down left trigger, you will slowly consume tea, which will restore your health. I didn’t really love this system in Hollow Knight, and it’s just as frustrating here. You have to remain completely still while drinking tea, and it takes a few beats to actually work. That’s not especially useful when the aforementioned projectiles and enemies are always half an instant from running into Bō, which interrupts the consumption.
This frustration is assuaged somewhat by omaromi — amulets you collect during the adventure that improve Bō’s skills. One I received several hours into the game allowed me to sip tea while moving slowly, which was a lifesaver in certain fights.
Where Bō really sets itself apart is its art style and fantastical setting. Every character you meet and every creature you battle is inspired by Japanese folklore, from bird-like demons (tengu) to cute tree spirits (kodama) to a giant skeleton (Gashadokuro) trampling cities off in the distance. Paired with the hand-drawn art, the game is truly enchanting.
While it’s a bit rough around the edges and occasionally had me on the verge of rage-quitting, I was fairly impressed by Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. It’s a challenging, gorgeous, and fast-paced Metroidvania that doesn’t break much new ground. Personally, I don’t need every 2D platformer to reinvent the wheel, so that suits me just fine.
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus launches for Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 18.
\