BIOMORPH

I forgot to review this one after I finished, but it was fantastic. Very unique in its mechanic to copy abilities from enemies. Honestly I consider it a must play if you love Hollow Knight and Nine Sols.

BIOMORPH is an ambitious 2D Metroidvania that builds its identity around a simple but compelling idea: the creatures standing in your way can eventually become part of your own arsenal. Developed and published by Lucid Dreams Studio, the game takes place in a dark, interconnected world filled with hostile creatures, unusual characters, hidden locations, puzzles, platforming challenges, and the remains of a fallen civilization. Rather than depending entirely on the standard formula of finding permanent traversal upgrades, BIOMORPH allows the protagonist to defeat certain enemies, assume their forms, and use their abilities. This transformation system gives the adventure a distinctive personality while complementing the exploration-heavy structure expected from the genre. Taking the shape of defeated creatures is much more than a novelty. Individual forms provide abilities that can be useful during combat, traversal, or environmental puzzles. An enemy that initially exists as a threat can consequently become a means of reaching previously inaccessible territory. This creates a satisfying incentive to experiment with different forms instead of treating enemies simply as obstacles to eliminate. It also fits naturally into the game's nonlinear design because locations that appear impossible to navigate during an initial visit can become accessible after obtaining the appropriate transformation. Backtracking therefore has a clearer purpose, with new creature abilities encouraging another examination of familiar areas. BIOMORPH adds an unusual complication to this concept through its enemy progression system. Creatures that have previously been mimicked can develop additional powers, making later encounters with familiar opponents potentially more dangerous. It is an intriguing approach to the traditional Metroidvania power curve. The protagonist becomes increasingly versatile, but the surrounding opposition is not necessarily condemned to remain exactly as it was at the beginning. Revisiting an older area can consequently involve more than effortlessly destroying enemies that were once difficult. This system helps reinforce the theme of adaptation that runs throughout the game. The protagonist is not restricted to fighting through transformations either. BIOMORPH provides both melee and ranged weapons, with individual weapons featuring their own upgrade trees. Skills can also be equipped, combined, and improved to produce different character builds. These options make combat more flexible because players can develop a preferred fighting style instead of depending exclusively on whatever creature form happens to be available. Transformations remain the signature feature, but conventional weapons provide a reliable combat foundation. The combination of weapons, skills, upgrades, chips, mementos, and creature powers gives progression considerable variety without abandoning the fundamentals of an action platformer. Exploration represents another major strength. The world is nonlinear and interconnected, containing different environments populated by enemies, secrets, upgrades, optional bosses, and eccentric NPCs. Players willing to investigate beyond the most obvious route are regularly given reasons to do so. Hidden upgrades make exploration mechanically worthwhile, while optional encounters provide additional challenges for players interested in testing their builds. The transformation mechanic further improves this structure because discovering a new creature form can immediately make the player reconsider obstacles encountered hours earlier. BIOMORPH understands that one of the pleasures of a Metroidvania is not simply finding a new ability, but realizing how many previously mysterious locations that ability might open. Blightmoor gives the adventure an additional layer of progression outside combat. Players can rebuild the city, interact with its inhabitants, learn about their everyday lives, and gradually discover more about the settlement's history. The city can even be visually customized. This feature prevents the central hub from feeling like nothing more than a collection of shops and functional NPCs. Watching Blightmoor develop alongside the protagonist gives the journey a tangible sense of improvement and provides a calmer counterpoint to the dangerous territories surrounding it. Relationships with its unusual inhabitants also contribute personality to a world that might otherwise have relied too heavily on darkness and ruined environments. The story revolves heavily around discovery. As the protagonist travels farther into the world, information emerges concerning the fallen civilization as well as troubling revelations about the hero's mysterious origins. This is particularly appropriate for a game centered on assuming the bodies and abilities of other creatures. Questions of identity are naturally supported by a protagonist capable of physically becoming defeated enemies. The narrative and primary gameplay mechanic therefore feel thematically connected rather than existing as completely separate elements. The mixture of dark fantasy, mystery, strange characters, and occasional dark humor also gives BIOMORPH an atmosphere that can shift between unsettling and eccentric without losing its overall identity. Its hand-drawn presentation strengthens that identity considerably. Characters and monsters possess distinctive designs, while the illustrated environments give different sections of the interconnected world their own visual character. This matters in an exploration game because recognizable environments help players mentally organize locations and remember where inaccessible routes were discovered. Animation and creature design also make transformations more satisfying because adopting another form produces a noticeable visual and mechanical change rather than simply granting another ability to the protagonist. There are still elements that will appeal more strongly to dedicated Metroidvania players than to newcomers. Backtracking is an inherent part of the experience, and anyone who dislikes revisiting earlier regions may become impatient with its interconnected structure. The quantity of weapons, transformations, upgrades, skills, chips, mementos, secrets, and optional content can also make progression feel somewhat crowded compared with more streamlined platformers. Players are rewarded for experimentation, so someone determined to use a single strategy throughout the entire adventure may not experience the transformation system at its best. BIOMORPH ultimately succeeds because it takes recognizable Metroidvania foundations and gives them a creative mechanical centerpiece. Its creature transformation system makes enemies useful beyond combat, while weapon upgrades and customizable skills ensure that traditional fighting remains important. Optional bosses, secrets, puzzles, platforming challenges, nonlinear exploration, city reconstruction, NPC relationships, and the mystery surrounding the protagonist provide additional substance around that central idea. Lucid Dreams Studio, serving as both developer and publisher, has produced a cohesive adventure that should particularly satisfy players who enjoy exploration, experimentation, character builds, and returning to previously inaccessible areas with entirely new capabilities. It is not a radical reinvention of the Metroidvania genre, but its transformation mechanics and interconnected progression give it enough individuality to stand confidently on its own. Rating: 9/10