I wanted to be on a backlog week, and I knew how this week would go. I was going to play this week’s game and kick myself for not playing when it released in 2024. I remember watching a speed run and saying to myself, “I have that game, I should play it.”

This week is Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus

Bo is a Metroidvania from Squid Shock Studios and Balor Games. The game was released on all of the modern platforms in July 2024 and retails for $20.

My favorite storyline in all of Magic: The Gathering is the three sets on Japanese mythology/folklore, and Bo nestles itself exactly where I wanted it to. Someone has stolen something from the spirit world, and that is something that they do not like, and so fast-forward to Bo emerging from a teal lotus to bring justice to whoever is meddling in affairs they cannot fully comprehend.

Bo is not as dark and brooding as I thought it would be; it lays into the bad guy for doing the thing “for the greater good.” The nuances of their plan are laid bare when talking to the exotic characters and reading scrolls scattered throughout the world. The people in this world understand that something awful is happening, but they do not seem all that interested in it, as they have their own issues. There is a large beast composed entirely of hatred running amok, destroying the world, and the Beetles in the Mountains to the West care a lot about the Sumo tournament, and the Kitsune in the forests to the East have a wedding to prep for.

Besides that, I love the character design. I love that the food vendor is a living, breathing narutomaki, the librarian is a dragon with glasses, and the two-headed bird that speaks in vague prophecies. The colorful personalities really jive with just how beautiful the game really is.

Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus is an absolute delight to look at. OHHHH BOY, everything looks like it is lifted right from a Japanese painting, has me looking at everything. Midori Forest is lush with hues of green, with the sun shining through the nonexistent branches. Sakura City is phenomenal because of the cherry blossom trees that line its streets. The beauty extends into the combat, which is hectic, precise, and rewarding.

Precision combat and movement are where Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus shine. A controller is necessary. Much like Hollow Knight, Bo focuses on bounce (pogo) based platforming and combat, which means that I was in the air pretty much 80+ percent of the time. It does take a little getting used to, but in no time at all, you will be a master of mid-air combat. Taking down bad guys is super fun and rewarding, especially the boss fights, which always incorporate aerial combat mechanics. Boss fights take advantage of the abilities gained in that section of the map, and it does a good job of readying the player for the pan-ultimate boss fight. Movement works when it wants to. I had a blast in the latter half, when the game really challenged my mid-air dash prowess.

Bo really likes to drink tea, so the kettle fills when beating up on bad guys, and when health is low, you’re able to refill missing HP by taking a moment and pouring a cup. The healing is for sure different, and it feels like it can take forever for it to go off, but it works.

Movement is a huge part of Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus, and there were occasions when I was pressing buttons and the input was not registering.

Enemies drop souls that can be used as currency to buy trinkets and Daruma dolls. Trinkets or Omamori, which amplify combat abilities. Things like attack speed, extra health, and dealing more damage but taking more in return are all present. Daruma dolls are introduced as utility weapons that deal massive damage when hitting enemies enough times in the air. What I like is that Bo doesn’t make the player NEED the Daruma to win. There were long stretches that I forgot that it existed, and it wasn’t detrimental to my style of play.

The items that Bo receives help with tackling obstacles later on and finding goodies in secret areas. The dash to cover larger distances, the mallet to break through the ground, the wings to glide over literal canyons, and all of the abilities play a vital role in every player’s playstyle, and it feels warranted; each ability is unique and satisfying to use throughout the game, even into the post-game.

Map structure is built like any other Metroidvania: Walk past a bunch of obstacles that cannot be done without an item. Later on, you get the item and travel back to collect the goodies you could not reach before. There are six areas with lots to explore and lots of goodies to collect. Save points are everywhere, so it doesn’t feel bad to die and have to run back.

Like I said, I am kicking myself for not playing Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus when it came out in 2024. A sweet 10-hour game that never felt like it overstayed its welcome. Movement is great, I really like the focus on aerial combat to beat up on baddies, and I REALLY like the boss fights, especially the final fight. Each of the six areas is absolutely gorgeous. The game never felt incredibly difficult; no fight took me more than 5 tries. Sometimes inputs didn’t feel like it registered but that could be my trash Xbox controller. Bo and the Path of the Teal Lotus is a super fun Metroidvania that, if you haven’t played it yet, I highly recommend it.

8/10