BOH Review [PC]

Posted December 15, 2009 by Nick Kakolowski.

If you can imagine yourself traversing a monster filled hedge maze surrounded by the darkness of night, you have a pretty good idea of what BOH is offering. Simone Bevilacqua’s nostalgic romp through trap filled dungeons is claustrophobic and atmospheric. And it does it without fancy, system hogging performance features.

BOH is also an ambitious game. The title comes from an Italian expression meaning, “I don’t know.” Bevilacqua’s open development plan lead to the choice. When the game began its formation, Simone was not sure where it was going. By the time he finished, the product was so varied and adaptable that the term still fit.

This diversity comes out once BOH starts. From the opening menu, you can choose from one of many themes. Each of these settings creates a completely distinct audio and visual style. Indeed, the game changes so much from one theme to another that many items are almost unrecognizable. Each them offers a compelling visual and sound package that will help immerse you into the world. You can also create your own missions if all of these options aren’t enough. In the end though, the game will find its successes and limitations within a few common focal points.

This top down, two dimensional game likes to play with light. You can only see what your flashlight illuminates, and levels unfold based on the few things in your view. You eventually gain bigger flashlights, auto-mapping tools and a 360-degree visor that allows you to see in all directions. This comes in handy big time, as the enemies are invisible when shrouded in darkness. There are only six different foes, but each one has a unique AI that keeps the action varied. They will swarm you at every opening. Your reflexes are tested well, and if you are one of those people who don’t do well with twitch movements, you will be overwhelmed fast.

When progressing through these cavernous worlds, you will soon find that monsters aren’t your greatest foe. The level design is diabolical. Each level offers a wide variety of traps that force you to take the most treacherous paths. The various passages are complex and filled with timed doorways, hidden keys, switches and even teleportation pads. With well nuanced combinations of these varied level components and waves of monsters, BOH keeps you on your toes.

The main problem with BOH comes in the fact that the nefarious level design is outright punishing. Not simply, but unforgiving. If you go down the wrong passage once, you will often be trapped and forced to restart the level. It seems a bit ridiculous to have such frequent points of no return. Getting stuck at points of no return is really inexcusable in a contemporary game. Difficulty should be created by more than trial and error, and sometimes, that’s all that BOH offers.

In the end, BOH is something of a mixed bag.  The minimalistic sound and graphics engine can leave a bad taste in your mouth at times, but the developer uses the high quality of gameplay to create a constant sense of tension. The silence and simplicity of the presentation does, on occasion serve to add to that tension. The trouble comes when the game’s limitations are exposed. The purposeful simplicity makes it easy to get frustrated, and navigating 2D corridors can only stay fresh for so long. BOH is a game that can push you away if you are not into the development choices that were made along the way.

If you feel a sense of nostalgia when you think about a 2D, top down shooter with complex puzzle dynamics, then this is the right game for you. It will bring your childhood back in an updated way, and before long, you will find yourself sucked into the game world.

But if your idea of a good shooter is getting the chance to jump into a room filled with foes and blow things up, BOH is not for you. It will feel a bit outdated and disappointing. For anybody who is willing to look past its limitations, BOH will be something of a diamond in the rough. That said, this is one of the most polarizing games that I have every played. In all likelihood, you will either fall in love with the simplicity of the visuals and the underlying complexity to the gameplay, or be pushed away by the old school package and not be able to get into the game at all.

Tagged as BOH, Editel, Indie Games, Simone Bevilacqua