Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus review

In the year of 2024, I think most would agree that the Metroidvania genre has been rather well represented. To start out this year we were greeted by the unusually high profile and delightful Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and after that rare treat the indies came along to pick up the remaining slack. Minishoot’ Adventures brought bullet hell to the exploratory genre, Turbo Kid was a belated movie tie-in with rad bike tricks, and Ufouria The Saga 2 was a surprise sequel to a game most of us didn’t know existed. But despite being a year with more Metroidvanias than any others in recent memory, we’re all going to have to choose our favourites at some point, and I’m claiming Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus.

Our hero Bo is a tiny fox yokai, who has descended from the heavens with a destiny that will almost certainly make a huge impact on the residents of Sakura City and the Bamboo Forest. In a world inspired by Japanese mythology, the beautiful landscapes and animal inhabitants of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus are in danger of being wiped out by a terrifying threat wandering the land. Despite their tiny size it seems the only one who has a chance of preventing the land succumbing to this darkness is Bo, so they set off on a journey to prove the naysayers wrong with their tiny but mighty powers.

Bo’s powers are really what set this game apart from other Metroidvanias, because of how they mean you get around. With only the ability to jump and swing a bo staff at the start of the game you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d have a fairly standard set of Metroidvania moves to get around, but Bo has so much more than that. Any time you hit an enemy or object you gain an extra jump, which as you can imagine lends itself to some seriously exciting aerial acrobatics across the world. It cannot be overstated quite how good bouncing from enemy to enemy to get across a screen of danger feels, and this only improves as you gain more abilities.

Despite already having a wonderful way of getting around, there are still plenty of extra abilities to unlock in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus that add to your repertoire. The ability to hit projectiles with your bat can be used to open previously blocked paths, the ground pound breaks weak floors and deals lots of damage to enemies, and the air dash makes your aerial antics even more glorious. As you might imagine from the genre of Bo, these abilities are also used to access hidden power ups and collectibles in older areas you’ve previously explored to make you stronger than ever – which is so darn satisfying and will ensure you’re ready for the trials ahead.

Getting around in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is one thing, but you’ll also have to fight all sorts of mythical baddies on your quest too. Your main attacks from the bo staff are simple but effective against foes, but your most effective way of dealing with enemies is with your Daruma. There are loads of these funky little blobs to collect, each with a powerful attack they can unleash at the cost of a little of your tea. Shooting out a big ball of pain or breathing fire on enemies feels pretty great, and if you can land enough staff hits on enemies without hitting the floor your next Daruma attack will be even more powerful.

Mastering your movement abilities and the Daruma will mean you stand a chance against some of Bo’s fearsome and fantastic bosses, but you’ll likely still need to heal to succeed. Thanks to your magical teapot this is easy, as once you’ve gathered five drops of tea in there you can heal for a point of health if you can find enough time to drink it down. Each time you hit an enemy you’ll gain a drop of tea for the pot, meaning big boss fights can be serious battles of attrition.

One of the most important aspects of a Metroidvania for me is how worth gathering the collectibles are, because otherwise I’ll likely not be interested in exploring old areas for new bits and bobs. This isn’t a problem for Bo, with all sorts of equippable charms with a variety of passive buffs to collect, alongside currency, and little leaf friends who’ll help you rebuild the hub town with all sorts of helpful buildings.

No review of Bo would be complete without talking about the sensational visuals of the game. The art inspired by Japanese classics is truly breathtaking in both still and in motion, and makes the experience of playing Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus all the more magical. An early chase sequence involves a mermaid and the ocean water crashing towards you based on Hokusai’s famous Great Wave, and it’s a spectacle I won’t soon forget.

While there aren’t many issues I had while playing through the near perfect 6-8 hours of Bo’s campaign, it does have a couple of small hiccups. The story is a little on a middling side, and is fairly prominent throughout the game. The final boss is also a hell of a ramp up in difficulty, which although I did enjoy, will definitely be a problem for some. It doesn’t help that it takes around a minute to reach the boss after it inevitably beats the snot out of you, which on attempt number fifteen starts to grate somewhat.

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a sensational Metroidvania with fantastic locomotion and some of the best visuals of the year. The collectibles are worthwhile and well hidden, the combat has a lot of depth, and each power up just makes exploring the world even more of a joy. There hasn’t been a Metroidvania that demands playing as much as Bo for a long time, just don’t expect to beat that last boss in a hurry.