We’ve had a lot of Metroidvanias that have dropped in 2024. Some have come and gone like a flash in a pan and others have hit and raised the bar on the genre. The latest game seeking to be a must-play in the genre is Biomorph. I was excited to do a Biomorph review because this game is a fusion of Kirby, Metroid, and Mega Man. Do all of these elements mix well enough to make this an easy recommendation?
Let’s talk about it.
The Narrative:
In Biomorph, you take on the role of Harlo, an extraterrestrial suffering from severe memory loss about recent events, accompanied by two sentient hands. The world of Biomorph faces a grim reality where vital resources have vanished after an event known as The Fall, leading to the emergence of perilous creatures. Awakening in the sanctuary of Blightmoor, Harlo learns about enigmatic ruins believed to possess the key to restoring order. Armed with this scant information, our protagonist embarks on a perilous journey, marking the beginning of our adventure.
At its best, Biomorph is a fun mashup of Mega Man and Kirby, with Harlo able to equip three different technological attacks and morph into a customizable set of three (of an unlockable 21) creatures.
The Gameplay:
Is Biomorph fun? The game felt like playing Hallow Knight and 2D Kirby so if those are your jams then yes this game is a good time. You explore biomes by running, jumping, defeating enemies, and avoiding the many hazards along the way. The hook of Biomorph’s gameplay lies not in its weapon attacks, but in the ability to morph into various enemies upon defeating them, utilizing their unique abilities for traversal. Initially, you’ll encounter basic transformations such as a charging bull capable of breaking barricades or a floating gas creature impervious to spiked surfaces. However, the complexity grows as you transform into larger creatures like moles for digging or fish for swimming up waterfalls.
At first, morphing requires defeating enemies, and the transformation reverts when transitioning to a new area. Yet, with repeated transformations into the same enemy, you unlock the ability to shapeshift at will. This mechanic enhances exploration by uncovering secrets and side objectives, although it’s not always essential for the main quest progression.
Following the Metroidvania tradition, Biomorph is packed with numerous hidden treasures throughout its world. These range from equippable mementos granting abilities like faster healing or increased boss damage, to significant stat boosts enhancing strength and survivability against the deadly inhabitants of its environment. What sets these collectibles apart is the satisfaction of uncovering them all in a room, indicated by a gold border on the map, particularly useful when tracking missed items after acquiring new powers.
Additional Pros:
A major pro in its favor is BIOMORPH’s art style. It is very stylish hand drawn art that feels very Saturday morning cartoons with a dark and futuristic vibe. Everything from the Main character, Harlo, to the environments, the cutscenes, and the enemies are all extremely detailed. The cutscenes in particular stand out as amongst the best that I’ve seen this year.
I want to give a shout out to Biomorph’s boss battles. Each boss was visually unique and presented a different moveset that I had to learn in order to take them down. While I will say that once I figured out the boss’s moves it did mostly turn into waiting for my turn to do damage. Despite that aspect feeling a bit one note, I did find the boss fights fun and engaging.
Cons/Flaws:
One aspect that made me attracted to the game is the ability to change into your opponents and use their moveset to traverse the areas and combat your foes. It is a shame that as you progress and get more powerful it feels like transforming into your enemies becomes redundant. I reached a point where I had options to change, but Harlo had become so strong that the notion really felt like a step backwards.
Another facet of the game that felt a bit lackluster was the game’s story. The narrative starts off strong presenting a interesting world combined with a unique gameplay premise. The underline writing about the planet Ilios using up all of its resources is well done and ties into the other aspects of the game well. All this is hampered a bit when it comes to the other aspects of story delivery like the dialogue and the games objectives.
Overall/Should you Play Biomorph:
Lucid Dreams Studio’s Biomorph presents a solid Metroidvania experience that is sure to satisfy fans yearning for more from the genre, with an added Kirby twist to spice things up. Its robust platforming and well-crafted level design elevate Biomorph’s somewhat conventional approach to the genre, although there’s a lingering feeling that the game could push its concepts further. While there are some areas where Biomorph falls short, they don’t detract significantly from the overall enjoyment. Therefore, I’m somewhat torn, but I ultimately recommend Biomorph, especially for those seeking a new addition to their library in this already rich genre.
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Reviewed on PC
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