Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Review

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Review

If you like two-dimensional platformers, Souls-like, and Metroidvania-style games such as Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, and Cuphead, and are tired of waiting for the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, which offers a similar experience, is designed for you. You need to start the game by learning basic mechanics such as wall-running, jumping up by attacking enemies, and stick attacks. The first part of the game, which you play until you move to the Uzumaki Cave location, is designed to teach the entire gameplay mechanics, and introduce the game. In addition, since our main character is blessed by the moon kami (moon god), they have stronger abilities than other foxes.

Gameplay Mechanics

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus allows you to use attack, dash, jump and arrow keys, just like in Hollow Knight. You can also unlock different mechanics as you progress through the game and take your character to its maximum potential. The tea leaves you see at the top left of the screen in the game represent your character's hit points. If you run out of all your hit points, your character dies and you must start from the last save point. The teapot on the left side of the leaves represents tea you can drink to replenish your character's hit points. Under normal circumstances, you can restore a hit point by consuming 5 tea points. The symbol under the teapot represents your active Daruma ability. The blue fruit symbol below your hit points represents the souls you have collected. Using these spirits and the red bamboos you collect, you can strengthen your Daruma abilities, buy items or unlock new Darumas.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus

€13,59

from

One of the fun gameplay mechanics of the game is to grab peaceful creatures called blue armapillos and throw them onto breakable surfaces. Thanks to this feature, you can unlock areas you cannot reach, advance on the map, or find hidden rewards. You will also encounter puzzles that work similar to this mechanic in certain parts of the game.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Graphic and Art Design

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus offers sweet and peaceful graphics, enemy designs, and location designs, unlike a classic Metroidvania game. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a game created by making use of Eastern cultures and mythologies, especially Japanese culture. For this reason, it is possible to see reflections of Eastern culture in the game, from item designs to NPC designs. For example, the main character, Bo, is a white fox that is considered sacred and a symbol of luck in Japan. In addition, the characters in the game were developed based on legendary characters and creatures from Japanese culture. For example, Kodamas, known as tree spirits in Japan, are used for the development of the character and the city in the Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. Moreover, even the game's location names and bosses are based on mythologies of Japanese culture.

What is Daruma in Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus?

Fillable abilities, a classic gameplay element of a Metroidvania game, are called Daruma in Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. It is possible to buy Darumas after boss battles or from the seller as you progress the story of the game. Each Daruma comes with a unique ability and usage pattern and is strong against different types of creatures. Additionally, you can only access some Daruma abilities by unlocking secret locations. Additionally, to increase the power of your Daruma abilities, you can give the soul and "Awakening Ink" items to the NPC named Danno and choose the Daruma you want to strengthen.

What is Omamori in Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus?

Passive power-ups called "charm" in the Hollow Knight and "Talisman" in the Elden Ring, are called Omamori in the Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. Omamori are talismans that provide your character with additional abilities and advantages. For example, the "Prosperity" Omamori you will receive at the beginning of the game allows the spirits around your character to float towards your character. You can equip a total of 6 Omamori in the game and gain 6 different gameplay effects. To collect Omamori, you can progress the main story of the game, explore the map to find hidden Omamori or buy them.

What is Kodama in Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus?

Kodama represents the spirits living in trees in Japanese culture and is considered sacred. As you will notice in Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, all Kodama have branches and leaves on their heads and have tree-like appearances. Kodamas are NPCs you need to find to unlock new power-ups and features in Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. By finding a certain number of Kodama, you can unlock new buildings in the Sakura City location and access items or power-ups that will strengthen your character (Bo). The cost of reinforcements and buildings you can unlock are as follows:

• 5 Kodama: City Shrine (Allows you to save the game)
• 10 Kodama: Fast Travel Pad (Allows you to fast travel to certain areas)
• 12 Kodama: City Archives Second Floor (unlocks Lore scrolls and new Daruma upgrades)
• 20 Kodama: Sumo Pagoda (Unlocks a mini-game that increases your hit points as a reward)
• 25 Kodama: Upgraded Forge (you can upgrade Bo's weapons to the maximum level)
• 30 Kodama: Fox Couple House (Unlocks new Omamori store)
• 34 Kodama: Statue of the Hero (Builds Bo's statue in the Sakura City location, has no special effect)

Is Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Worth Giving a Try?

We can say that the best Metroidvania game released after Hades 2 is Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus this year. If you like the Metroidvania genre, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a game you should try with its sweet graphics, references to Japanese mythology, and fluid gameplay. If you like Hollow Knight and are looking for a similar gaming experience, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a game you should keep on your radar. If you are simply interested in Japanese culture and want to explore games that include Japanese culture, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a game that will offer you what you are loo