Computers are fascinating! PC-building games exist, but exploring the various components of a computer while trying to find a solution to an overclocking puzzle is something completely new. Enter Boti Byteland Overclocked, a 3D platformer by Purple Ray Studio, a studio from Warsaw, Poland. In my Boti Byteland Overclocked review, I’ll take a deep dive into a game that itself takes a deep dive into a fictional computer.
Gameplay and Controls
3D platformers are not new, by any means, with games like Super Mario 64 already showing us some of the possibilities of such a genre. However, we are no longer in 1996 and game engines are more powerful, as evidenced by the relatively fast-paced gameplay of Boti.
You control a bot that gathers data most of the time. Moving freely in 3 dimensions is a basic mechanic and is refreshing. You can run, jump, climb, double jump, hook, push, and dash. The dash is important because it doubles as a hit (towards enemies or objects). You can also glide to reach places from heights.
The layout is a typical WASD plus SPACE and SHIFT for dashing and jumping. You use the mouse to turn, punch, and slam. The controls work pretty well, most of the time. The auto climb function enables Boti to climb ledges automatically when they are in range.
This feature doesn’t always work and sometimes ends up killing you, but that doesn’t happen often. Sometimes Boti would dash in a direction other than what you intended, though that is also a rare glitch.
All in all, the movement system is fine, though, with some polishing, it could be exceptional for a game of this caliber.
Game Difficulty
This is a very simple game to beat. As someone who played tons of platformers, 2D and 3D, this one doesn’t present a challenge. There are various puzzles in the game, though they feel more like obstacles than puzzles. The solutions are very straightforward and often almost highlighted.
The game has enemies and bosses, none of which really present a hindrance to an experienced platformer. If you played any platformer game, 3D or 2D, the solutions to casual and boss fights should be very obvious.
This is why I feel like the game should’ve had a higher-difficulty option. Whether by enemies doing more damage or having more hazards and challenges, anything would be welcome. Notably, the revive function is broken.
Once you die in the game, you are respawned at the nearest checkpoint with full health and no repercussions. This could have been a respawn with less health or you could lose a life like in most platformers.
The enemies also get a bit repetitive and you never feel threatened by them, even the bosses. I would love for the enemies to be more diverse and dangerous.
Leveling Skills
Boti is not a simple courier. He can level his skills. This is a basic function you get at the start of the game, and there are four skills to level up, each of which is beneficial but not necessary to finish the game.
If you level your health, for example, you can pass the game without much of a hassle. The other upgrades are more quality of life, simplifying your main function, and data gathering. Speaking of which, the data is your main currency when purchasing upgrades.
Your other currency is Botcoin, which is an imaginary cryptocurrency in the game and an obvious reference to both the game’s love for all things bot-related and Bitcoin. You will find enough Botcoins in the game to upgrade everything, and then some.
It would be interesting to only be able to choose a couple of upgrades and have limited resources. Though with the game’s low difficulty, even that shouldn’t stop gamers from beating it with ease.
Level Design
As you progress through the game, the levels get more dangerous. What this means, typically, are more hazards and things that can hurt you. There are more out-of-bounds areas, where if you fall, you immediately die and have to respawn.
Boti excels at providing you with a simple path to follow toward your objective, but also hiding enough loot and collectibles for completionists to have what to look forward to.
Of the eight levels, I have yet to find all the collectibles in a single one, which is a testament to the game’s platformer roots. Older platformers were notorious for hiding collectibles in locations where you need a third eye and a crystal ball to find them.
A notable addition to the levels is a sliding mechanic, where you have to slide down and collect loot. Miss one bit of the loot and you will not get a perfect score. This is one of the most difficult parts of the game, and very motivating.
It reminds me of Audiosurf and Chaos Emerald levels from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Boti is similar to both in this regard, very punishing if you mess up. Slides are also available as a bonus game mode in the hub, for those who really want to get everything perfect.
There is also a driving-like mechanic in the game, which was extremely difficult to control at first, but I managed to figure out how to steer the thing (in the last possible event in the game). It is much easier once you get the hang of it, and another welcome change to the gameplay.
Game Visuals and Art Direction
Ah, Boti is very lovely on the eyes and anyone sufficiently young or in need of cute art will enjoy this game. With all the violent imagery in a majority of games, and focus on realism, Boti was a very nice change of scenery. The colors are vibrant but not too saturated.
There is more than enough variety in color and art direction as the levels progress, corresponding to what’s going on in the game. This is a nice and subtle change that I’ve come to appreciate once the story unfolded a bit.
The Story
Boti Byteland Overclocked should give you an idea of what the game is about. At the very start, you overclock the central processing unit, per the instructions of a superior, namely Kernel. The overclock doesn’t go as planned and the entire computer starts destabilizing.
This is not only a good lesson not to overclock components if you lack the proper understanding of what you are doing, but also a solid entrance to an overall interesting plot. The story unfolds as a mystery with you being the Bot-tective looking for the right answers and culprits.
There are not that many surprises in the game, though the story has some twists and turns that made me think. From my perspective, the story wasn’t what captivated me, but it was good enough to keep the gears turning.
Verdict
All in all, Boti Byteland Overclocked is a solid 3D platformer. With a vibrant color palette and progressively difficult levels, the gameplay does challenge you more as you progress. However, it could do with more difficult parts or even a difficulty setting for those who want to be truly challenged.
With all the collectibles, hidden objects, and the dreaded but fun slide, there are more than enough things to do in the game. What I would love to see is more polishing, and eventually, difficulty settings that push players out of their comfort zone.
What did you think of our Boti Byteland Overclocked Review? Share what you think about it in the comments below.
This review is based on the PC version of Boti Byteland Overclocked. The key was provided by Pirate PR.
