Bo Path of the teal Lotus is the debut title of the newly formed studio called Squid Shock Studios. The game began development by a single person back in 2021 but it had soon found more members to work on the project. A year later in 2022, the game showed a small clip alongside the hero's design and it announced it's
Kickstarter campaign which was consider a success. The game was hidden from the world but it was steadily growing behind the kickstarter with constant updates. In 2023, the developers reveal a full length trailer alongside the announcement of their new publisher Humble Games. The game earn a decent fanbase and just like any
2D Metroidvania developed in Unity, it received the typical comment of Hollow knight rip-off
Personally i was a huge fan of the idea and i was looking forward to the game's release since early 2022 and was looking for any update on their official Twitter account. The more gameplay they showed the more excited i was. Yes upon a first glance the game did look heavily inspired by games like Hollow knight and Ori, but then again those games
have been a huge influence for the genre. The developers themselves said the typical thing that yes, this game was heavily inspired by the 2 mentioned titles but that doesnt make it a cheap knock off or a quick cash grab. They referenced how much passion they put into this game and for that they cant just fumble by having it seen as just that.
The question is, did they succeed?
As of July 2024 the game doesnt have a physical release but it is confirmed that it will receive one at some point.
Story of the Game
Bo Path of the Teal Lotus is one of those games that is heavily inspired by the likes of Hollow Knight an Ori. With that in mind, both the story and the gameplay are influenced by them. The game takes place in Japan where a lone wolf gets to see the awakening of our hero Bo, a teal Lotus yokai fox(tentaihana(celectial blossom)). Bo's design is similar to the knight's(Hollow knight) with a head
that looks more like a fox. The wolf was confused by what it saw and it decided to keep himself distant but the player engages with him ayways. The wolf warns Bo to stay away from him but after noticing his earrings he came to the realization that Kami(God) gifted them to him. Confused as to why Bo would have such a celestial relic, he hands Bo a tea which unlocks his power
and creates an Equinox Staff, the weapon the hero will be using. The player then is set on a journey to land of the unknown. Just like the previously mentioned titles, the game doesnt necessarily tell you where to go, so Bo is free to explore the land. Whilst searching for Bamboo, a giant skeleton creature(Gashadokuro) appears out of nowhere and seems to be leaving a path of death and destruction
whereever it goes. Throughout his journey, Bo is met with various NPCs, fights a variety of Yokai and gets more powerfull as he goes on, knowing that at some point our little hero will have his fight with that giant Skeleton.
The more the players proceed, the more land they discover which in turn reveals lore elements hidden in stone tablets, old scrolls and ofcourse from the words of the NPCs. Without spoilling much, there is a prophecy that speaks of a king blinded by his success who pretty much feels like he conquer everything except for the gods, and thus he wants to prove them that he is as important and as powerful as them.
The king along with his sidekick prove that their grief will not be satisfied until they reach the sky despite bringing darkness to the land they once ruled in harmony and peace. Thats when a teal lotus will come forth, a creature of pure light to heal the entire world and bring light back to the world. Without being aware of this prophecy, Bo finds himself stuck in the middle of something bigger that he could ve imagined.
The land of Japan is filled with Various Yokai and NPCs who need help. In doing so, Bo collects various of clues which will make him come face to face with destiny.
Thoughts on the story
I personally enjoyed the mystery behind Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus and i wanted to reach to the bottom of it. Some parts did fell into the obvious cliche plot points but i didn't mind it as the presentation was done nicely. The NPCs stories themeselves fall into two categories, the simple help this person currently infront od Bo, and the other that drags you into a bigger quest. The world building itself does a good job describing the
"Big" Yokai or NPC who Bo will have to meet but some parts are left unanswered. Not that it matters but it would ve been a good addition. I also wouldn't mind if the game had more animations to escort the story, whether it was hand drawn or even by using the ingame models, i would ve been happy either way.
Gameplay
Bo Path of the Teal Lotus is a game heavily inspired by the 2 greatest metroidvanias of the last decade, Ori and Hollow Knight. Being a metroidvania means that although some areas can be accessed relatively early, the hero will not be able to proceed after a certain point duo to
the fact that they will need an ability which can be found somewhere else. E.g The player reaches a new area where they have to go left or right. By going left the player will reach a dead end which requires wall climb in order to proceed and wall climb can only be acquired by heading right. At the start of the Game Bo begins his adventure with little to none abilities. After a quick talk with Asashi, he is given a staff with
which he can fight off all the opponents.
The game likes having Bo stay afloat by allowing him to continue jumping on the air as long as he hits somehting with his stuff. This "somehting" can be an opponent, a hazard or even an item in the background such as a bush. Very similar to Hollow knight it refreshses the jump, but unlike hollow knight the player cannot bounce off spikey areas. Free roamming opens up everytime the player proceeds as he gains new abilities such as wall climb, dash,
invisible dash, wings and ground smash which further increase the areas where the players can explore. Around the area, there are hazards that can kill the player(one shot) which will send him back to the beginning of the area(last place the player was safe) unless it was Bo's last life.
When it comes down to combat the player can rely on their moving abilities and their staff in order to deal damage. Each time the player hits his opponents he gets fired up which can allow him to use his ultimate. The ultimate attacks are based on the Daruma dolls found around the world or in stores. These dolls usually cast overpowered attacks. The player can equip any doll by simply holding down the button and swapping to the desired one.
Next to the player there's a boiling kettle that allows him to use his abilities. Each time the kettle is boiling the ability can be used. Another thing that Bo can use in his fight is the omamori earrings. These earrings are all passive abilities which can help Bo in multiple ways such as giving him extra damage, extra speed and others. These abilities allow the players to explore and experiment. Think of them as the charm system from Hollow knight. In order to
equip these abilities the player will require earrings. Bo is capable of transforming his stuff to his liking in order to hit his opponent. One of the forms is a giant hammer which he can use to ground smash the floor causing massive AoE. Another transformation is a bat which he can use to throw a projectile towards a direction(similar to Ori). Pretty much if something is glowing teal blue, Bo can redirect it elsewhere.
Even in combat all the movement abilities can be used in combat as well. For example, hitting and resetting the jump can be used to keep Bo airborn. Dashing is the main form of defense as the player can dash away from any upcomming damage. Once the player collects the invisible ability dodging will grant frames of invicibility which will allow him to dodge even easier. Wall jump and wall climb can also be used to launch Bo into higher heights. Last but not least
his wings can allow him to never touch the ground in certain battles.
On the top left theres a kettle with a number. That number is increased each time the player hits an opponent. Every time the player has 5+ he can heal himself similar to how Hollow knight was able to heal using his soul, and just like that game, the player can equip a charm that will grant him small movement whilst healing. Next to the kettle there are teal tea leaves representing the heart points of Bo.
Each hit is one damage. When the last leaf gets lost, the player receives the game over treatment and teleports Bo to the last check point/ save point. The player has a fixed number of tea leaves but he can upgrade his amount of lives by visiting Naruto in the Sakura city an eating his food. Losing a leaf in the environment will reset Bo to the area where they are currently.
The map of the game is ultimately hidden from the player as Bo will have to venture there in order to unlock it. Each level has a shrine in which Bo can sit down and enjoy some tea. Each time he rests he gets to heal himself and refresh reseting his spawn place in case of game over. During his dining, the player can change their earrings/passives. They cannot change them away from a shrine. After a certian point of the game the player will get to unlock the Fast travel NPC who will
help him manuver around the land much faster. Fast travel is free and the location only becomes available after locating the NPC and mark your map. Last but not least, with the help of a charm, the player can see if theres a collectible located in the map.
The last thing worth mentnioning is the Boss fights. The boss fights in Bo Path of the teal Lotus are very good and hype. They feel very rewarding and satisfying when you defeat them. Some would argue that they re leanning towards the easier side with a few exceptions but the overall package is pure satisfaction. To start with, all NPCs have unique looks and based on their appearance they use certain types of attacks. Each Boss has different attack patterns based on their live.
Some of them even take advantage of the attack/item the player has unlocked at that point. For example, the spider boss(Jorogumo) will require(not force) the player to use the stomp in order to go through a portal and pass an AoE which would otherwise hit the player. Another boss fight relies on the ability of reflection whilst other will rely on the fact that the player unlocked Bo's wings.
Post Game Content
During or after the players succesfully play the main campaign of the game, they can spent their time exploring the land. First of all, the game has various NPCs scattered around the land. These NPCs are there and require Bo's help. Some Side quests are one and done whilst others built into something bigger. Once the side missions are done, the player can go on a mission to collect all the Crafting items that will help him and his city.
Whilst exploring the land, Bo will come across the Kodama. Kodama are represented as leaves on the ground that the player will have to pull out of the land. Once pulled, it will be revealed whether or not it was a Kodama(spirit) or a cat. If it's a cat, Bo has to hit it multiple times in order to gain kitsunebi(game's currency). If it was a Kodama, the spirit will return to Sakura city where it's mom is. When interacting with the mom,
she will use her Kodama to build different constructions around the city. The players will have to build them if they wish to get extra challenges and complete the game to 100%. Each building has its own unique role to play, whether its a new store, a cosmetic in the city or a challenge room(Sumo). Another thing the player can collect is the Daruma dolls. The Daruma dolls act as Bo's ultimate attacks that he can cast any time his tea kettle is full.
All the Daruma dolls can be powered up by simply receiving an upgrade from the doll painter. Each doll can be upgraded up to three times by spending ink and kitsunebi. The last think the player can collect is the Omamori earrings. These earrings re Passive abilities that the player can equip at any tea house. The player can collect these earrings by simply doing side missions and by visiting the stores.
Sound and Graphics
The game similar to other games of the same type, also has a hand drawn art style. Everything in the game was hand drawn with attention to detail. From the hero's & NPC's movements all the way to the backround. The game has alot of beautiful looking sceneries, whether it is the bamboo valley, the fox forest, the Sakura city or even the ice mountain, the game has alot of areas with unique personalities. Each area is also inhabited with both good
and bad characters. All of them have unique silhouettes but the quantity is not there which is unfortunate. In comparison to games, this one barely has the one third of the others. Atleast Bo has a lot of good animations, whether is to jump, attack or even heal the game has a good looking polish animations.
On the other hand despite the beautiful hand-drawned world, the audio department seems to be lacking a bit BUT not much. The game's OST is calm and very inspired by the Japanese culture. It does contain some more intense battle themes during boss fights but none of them sticks out much. It is worth mentioning that the game has unique sound effects when certain actions are taken such us diving and healing. Those distinct sound effects adds to the game's charm
as they re distinct and unique.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a fantastic 2D metroidvania game that fuses Ori and Hollow knight into a single experience. The story of the game is filled with mystery with a kind of predictable ending but despite that the game's presentation does a fantastic job. The gameplay on the other hand focusses mainly on platforming and then on combat. The movement is amazing and gives the player alot of space to explore whilst moving into an area. Each time a player unlocks a new
ability he can explore other parts of the maps due to the level design. The level design was made to meet the requirements of the given area given your current skill set, but as mentioned they expand when new abilities are gained. The combat on the other hand is simple as the player can mellee the opponents to power up in order to use his ultimate attack each time his kettle is boiling. With the use of the Omamori earrings the player gains passive abilities which will boost his abilities.
Combining different sets expand the gameplay and add to its replayability. The art style of the game is one of it's strengths as it combines beautiful hand drawn sceneries and characters based on Japanese folklore. On the other hand, the music of the game is more towards the mid quality and the enemy variety could use a little bit more. Last but not least, the biggest sin of the game is that it doesnt have much cutscenes which would ve definetely make the game more appealing. Given how other
games like Hollow knight and Ori also used their limited cutscenes effectively in order to build the hype over an incident and to showcase their world effectively. For a first attempt on a bigger scale project, Squid Shock studio did a fantastic job and showed the developers passion which makes it stand out as more than just a clone or a qiuick cash grab.
Gameplay of the Game
This is a video showcasing some of my time with the the Game
