009: Bö: Path of the Teal Lotus
A refined brew
Episode:
Listen to episode 009 of Dialogue Tree here:
All other platforms can be found at dialoguetree.cc.
Introduction:
A classic videogame little guyBö: Path of the Teal Lotus was my favourite game that I played in 2024, that released in 2024. I had to ask Edge to kindly hold their headline piece covering this grand statement. Were I a more dutiful, time rich gamer, I like to think I would have played some of the other big hitters of last year, so that I could whirl this statement around my head like I’m competing in the proverbial hot take hammer toss, ready to obliterate 1000xResist, Metaphor Refantazio, the 5 Like A Dragon games that came out and the edge lords who stan for Thank Goodness You’re Here. Alas, I am not, so here we are.
It was probably always going to be this way. The target audience for this game, Japanophile westerners jonesing for the childhood thrills of Okami and the adult oriented rock of anything Silksong shaped, is made up of attributes I wish I wasn’t so wholly in possession of. I was in the queue for the midnight release of this game; that is, furiously refreshing the Switch eShop as the hours ticked by. There have been plenty of other games I’ve anticipated as much, that I’ve downloaded within moments of them hitting the points of sale, that I’ve ultimately bounced off after 10 minutes or 10 hours. Bö is not that.
Bö is so appealing from top to bottom that I dropped everything else to struggle my way through it. The game is hard, but generous in its checkpoints. The game is predictable in structure, but refined to a degree uncommon in such a young studio. Cute, but deadly, esoteric, but affecting. Bö was exactly what I wanted it to be. Messing fools up with the celestial baseball bat is fun too.
In my ideal world, everyone who listens to this rushes out and buys this game, and enjoys it even 50% as much as I did. Squid Shock earn enough revenue to allow to make whatever they want to make next. The game receives is blessed with an unexpected second life, putting it back in the wider conversation. Budding developers are inspired, and a few years down the line we are spoilt for games with expertly drawn worlds and expertly drawn platforming mechanics. And finally, Bö gets his due. He doesn’t take a seat at the table of 2024. Rather, he invites everyone, Balatro, Animal Well, Rebirth, Shadow of the Erdtree and everyone else, around for tea.
Squid Shock Studios:
"We lost access to the pipeline of critical systems without warning" - post launch interview via PC Gamer
Yokai:
Tanuki Kabuki DLC:
"Bō: Path Of The Teal Lotus Upcoming DLC Adds Boss Rush, New Quests & More" - Nintendo Life
OST:
Moi Camargo - website
OST - via BandCamp
Interview with Moi Camargo via Kitty On Fire Records
Gashadokuro Boss Theme by Minami Kiyota
Further reading and interviews:
"The folklore and dreams behind Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus" - Humble Games
“I wanted the player to feel completely in control at all times” - interview with Christopher Stair via God Is A Geek
Outro:
That plush sure is cute right?
Talk to you next time.