B.i.O.T.A. Review
Release date: April 12th, 2022
Developer: small bros
Platforms: Steam
Price: $10
B.i.O.T.A is an interesting action platformer with some metroidvania elements. The fun color palette swapping options should take gamers back to a time when games were simpler. The game can be tough but there is enough to keep gamers interested.
Plenty of metroidvania games to choose from these days, many of them combine roguelike features or have an interesting character and weapon options. B.i.O.T.A.’s appeal is that it's done in an 8-bit style and set on a mining colony that's been infected. It is up to gamers to kill everything. The graphics and backgrounds have a nice 8-bit pixelated, NES-like aesthetic to them. There is also the palette swap, which gamers can use at any time to make the colors and themes change
There are 24 themes and players can unlock 54 more. Another fun feature is there are 8 different playable characters that can be unlocked. There are 4 available in the beginning, and the other 4 come from progressing in the game. They have different starting weapons and different playstyles, from long range, to close combat, there is something for every playstyle. I tried a few and found that Zeed with a shotgun and a shield was the best for my playstyle.
Combat and platforming are good, players can save anywhere as long as the room is clear. Enemies do respawn when players re-enter rooms, this was part of a challenge for me. I made it to the bottom of a few levels only to find I was missing something and I had one bar of health left.
Players can jump off walls, and use fun secondary weapons. Players will be backtracking and exploring some but there are elevators and teleporters to make this easier. The boss fights can be challenging. There are also some fun cheats players can use. There is a lot to offer in this game for those who play it a lot. I would say if you can get it at $10 and are a fan of these games then do it. Thanks to the publisher for letting us review it.
Final Score
Pros:
Palette Swap
Different characters for playstyles
Cons:
Can be challenging
Jumping is floaty