A Dark Metroidvania with a Shapeshifting Twist
Another Metroidvania platformer? We won’t have any sighing at the back. You see, this one has a difference: It is billed as a “dark” Metroidvania.
Coming from Lucid Dream Studio, the game goes by the name of BIOMORPH, and it came to me with a particularly bold claim – the promise of mixing Hollow Knight with Kirby.
Amnesia and Alien Worlds
So, what makes BIOMORPH a dark Metroidvania then, I hear you ask? The story is pretty grim, to be fair, and features the usual tropes for these types of games: a destroyed world, a hero with no memory of who or what he is, and a wide range of locations and secrets to find.
We play as the titular Biomorph, a creature with a mysterious past who awakens on a derelict spaceship. Breaking out of the prison we find ourselves in, can we rebuild a town, get strong enough to break back into the prison, and save the day? Well, only you and your lightning fast fingers have the answer to that question!
Ruined Realms and Sentient Weapons
Presentation of the game is pretty standard; and that’s me being a little bit on the mean side. It runs with a side scrolling platformer base, complemented with a nice line in ruined world aesthetics. The levels that we need to explore are large and complicated, and in keeping with the rule book of Metroidvanias, there are areas you’ll only be able to access later on after you have found new abilities. But, of course, you knew that was going to be the case.
The main character is a well designed little fellow, with more than a hint of the Ori about it (from Ori and the Blind Forest); a little white chap with two weapons that are seemingly sentient, and this gives him – and them – a welcome personality boost. The enemies we fight are again a cleverly created bunch, and I’ll talk more about these later when we cover the unique hook that BIOMORPH comes with. All in all, with the imaginative bosses thrown in, there’s nothing to complain about visually.
The sound is also pretty good, with a nice line in fighting sounds and music. There are no voice overs, with the story being presented in a series of static cutscenes, as is every conversation that we have with NPC’s. Again, nothing much to complain about here.
Absorbing and Adapting
But there is a unique gameplay mechanic, and it is this that I think covers the Kirby reference from the opening paragraph.
You see, once we’ve defeated certain enemies, we can stand on their mangled remains and transform into them, complete with all their abilities. As a perfect example of this, in the Badlands, there is a section of spikes that we cannot cross. Until, that is, we notice a creature wandering over the spikes towards us! Sure enough, take it out and transform into it and we too can walk on spikes without damage.
As you can imagine, finding, killing and taking the form of the correct creature can make things a bit easier. Not easy by any means, but at least easier.
Familiar Exploration, Evolving Power
Other than this, the rest of BIOMORPH is pretty much by the numbers. We wander about, exploring and finding upgrades, and then using said new upgrades and abilities to go back to earlier areas and explore further. If you have played a Metroidvania before, you’ll know what I am on about.
In addition to the expected upgrades, there is also a strong RPG feel, as fighting and winning enables you to level up your little Biomorph, and there are skill trees not only for the little creature himself, but also for the weapons that we find. There are not only melee weapons, but also ranged weapons, which can give the edge on certain foes. As is usual, learning what your opponent does, and how they attack, is key to surviving.
The Soulslike Influence
Combat is a great deal of fun, and feels surprisingly hefty. Some games feel a bit numb in this department, but BIOMORPH is certainly not one of them: hits you give and receive seem to have real weight. The controls are tight and responsive too, and using the heals and dodges at the right time will certainly help with your durability.
However, dying is a bit of a brutal affair, as when we die we respawn back at the last save point accessed, and that can – at times – be a long way away. And we need to get back to where we were to recover our belongings too, with them disappearing if death occurs again. I think we can add a bit of a Dark Souls vibe to the list of influences.
A Solid Metroidvania with a Shapeshifting Edge
BIOMORPH is a pretty good game; one that makes a decent fist of the Metroidvania tropes. The ability to change into various creatures is an interesting feature, and there is certainly a lot of content to go at.
There are better Metroidvania games out there, but there are also many that are worse, so if BIOMORPH feels like your bag, please give it a try.
Important Links
Transform and Conquer in BIOMORPH on Xbox, a Metroidvania with a Twist – https://www.thexboxhub.com/transform-and-conquer-in-biomorph-on-xbox-a-metroidvania-with-a-twist/
Biomorph is a super stylish Soulslike Metroidvania; coming to PC and console – https://www.thexboxhub.com/biomorph-is-a-super-stylish-soulslike-metroidvania-coming-to-pc-and-console/
Buy BIOMORPH on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/biomorph/9P6Z7CR81SH4
