Like any good metroidvania, combat is an important part of Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus. If you want the game to progress at a decent rate, then you need to get good at the combat. Luck can certainly play its hand, but the various bosses won’t place nice if you don’t know how to fight.
you’re able to avoid the lesser enemies all you’d like, but you can’t avoid the bosses, and it will come back to bite you if you don’t try to improve your combat skills. That said, going in blind and just swinging your staff around isn’t going to help, and you might need some guidance.
8Remember To Pogo
If You’re Above Them, They Can’t Hit You
The combat and platforming in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is really reliant on utilizing your staff to bounce and gain an extra jump (also known as Pogo-ing). As such, it’s really important that you not only remember how to do this but also perfect this skill.
If you can perfect this skill, you’re going to have a lot easier of a time not only fighting the various bosses but getting through the different levels. The first two bosses you come across, as well as many of the enemies, require that you have strong pogo abilities.
If you can master this mechanic, which is, admittedly, pretty easy, you should havean easy time with the game, even as a beginner.
7Utilize Your Environment
It’s Hostile For Your Enemies, Too
Whether you’re in a boss fight or you’re going up against your standard enemy, remember to utilize your environment to your advantage. If you break a statue, you gain an extra jump. If you’re able to send your enemy careening down a ledge, you can give yourself extra time to heal and then get back to attacking.
If you’re really lucky, you might be able to send your enemy careening into spikes, though that last part is a bit doubtful. The point is, that even though the environment is out to make your life difficult, it can be just as easily turned against your enemies.
6Patience Is Key
Don’t Rage Quit, Please
Charging into every fight is a surefire way to get you killed.The combat in the best metroidvaniasis all about being patient and knowing what the perfect moment to strike is. If you’re just spamming the attack button, you’re going to inevitably fail in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus’s combat.
Take the time to devise strategies against your enemies, and understand that even if you die, it’s not the end of the world. Boss fights, especially, can be incredibly frustrating experiences, but each death is a new opportunity to learn.
5Learn Boss Patterns
Can’t Bull Rush Everything
The chances of you defeating a boss the first time you enter an encounter are low, but not impossible. If you keep in mind that you need to be patient and watch the boss’s pattern closely, you will be well on your way to victory.
Bosses in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus don’t just attack randomly or without warning.They have lead-in cues and animationsthat signal not only that they’re going to attack soon but what attack they’re going to make. Take the time to learn their patterns, and don’t get ahead of yourself when you’re in combat.
4Experiment With Omamori
Customize Your Gameplay
Similar to the charms in Hollow Knight, the Omamori enhances different aspects of your combat and gameplay. Don’t just equip whichever ones you were given first. Take the time to collect and piece everything together so that you can have the best possible build.
Not only that, but your Omamori should be targeted toward your specific style of gameplay - not everyone plays the exact same, which means not every Omamori build will be brilliant and innovative for you. Experiment with different Omamori and, when you can, try out different combinations.
3Time Your Jumps
Jumping Isn’t Just For Platforming
If you time your jumps right, you can not only avoid enemy attacks but get the drop on them with some of your own. Enemies do not need to outright hit you for you to take damage in Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus. All they need to do is brush against you, and you can suffer repeated damage if you’re not fast enough to move away.
As such, being able to time your jumps right - so you don’t land too early or too late, is an important part of the combat system. Not only do you need to jump to perform proper pogo maneuvers, but you also need to jump to dodge, weave, and get a few good hits in, especially with bosses like Aramakillo.
2Don’t Break Ranged Attacks
Send them Right Back
As tempting as it might be, you really shouldn’t break all of the ranged attacks that come your way. After you defeat Kiri Kiri Bozu and gain access to the baseball bat, you gain a new type of attack against your enemies.
Instead of dodging or breaking their ranged attacks, you can send it right back at them and give them a taste of their own medicine. These returned attacks generally deal more damage than your standard staff attack, so if you’re trying to progress quickly and take minimal damage, you should really keep this combat maneuver in mind.
1Utilize Your Daruma
It Will Make Combat Less Stressful
Yes, you’re able to technically get by alright without using your Daruma in combat, but you’re not going to have an easy or fun time trying. Keeping yourself poised to use your Daruma while you’re in the heat of combat can save you from some ill-gotten damage and help you to take down your bosses and enemies quicker.
Don’t be afraid to use your Daruma outside of combat either - it’s not a finite skill that you need to carefully collect and cultivate. A well-timed Daruma attack can give you a good breather to heal and collect your bearings so you’re able to stay on the offensive.
