Biomorph – PS5 Review

Another day, another search action game to check out. This time it’s Biomorph from Lucid Dreams Studio. I bet it’s hard to elevate one game within a packed genre. Thankfully, they’ve mostly been up to the task, providing some interesting twists on abilities with some smart choices around map design. The Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic is an acquired taste, but the movement and variety on offer helps flesh out a solid experience.

Biomorph‘s story is one wrapped in mystery. Harlo has awakened from their crashed ship and has a convenient bout of amnesia. Her memories return slowly in flashbacks but she does encounter familiar faces and a world that is certainly a little gloomy. She’s not a stranger to these lands but the cognitive impairment gives her a foreign perspective. She’s also not alone with her fists also having mouths of their own. It can lead to lengthy conversations that fill in the blanks.

The story is perhaps less about danger than uncovering the past. There are perils but the concerns don’t seem that immediate. That lack of urgency results in a leisurely pacing. The script is wordy but, unfortunately, it’s not really grabbed me. It’s nice to see a world that’s lived in and occupied. So many of these games have a degree of disaster going on in the foreground. These lands aren’t desolate and it makes the game feel lively.

How Biomorph handles the roll-out of abilities is interesting. Each area has a unique set of enemies and beating these enemies gives you the opportunity to morph into them. This is very useful for traversal and puzzle solving. To begin with, the game’s very good at having those critters close by, allowing for no necessary backtracking. Once you move to the next screen, you morph back to your usual self. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve landed at a dead end. Once you’ve beaten a set amount of these enemies, you can equip them as something you can transform into at will.

It is a really good hook. As the game progresses, you’ll use quite a few of them to uncover the map and reach new areas. One small complaint is how equipping them is done at a save point. This means returning to one to change your loadout. Luckily, you can force a return to a save point at any time, at the cost of your money. Save points can be augmented to allow for fast travel. I do wish that unlocked as soon as you find them. Having to manually select them, like you’re adding them to a network, feels like an unnecessary step.

Even outside of these abilities, Harlo gains plenty of ways to move around. She has a single jump but it’s complimented by a dash. This can be used to avoid damage but also allows for small openings to be entered. Movement is nice and fluid and the creatures allow for more than one way to traverse the scenery. Some can dash further, some can deliver more height and it can be great using these to your advantage.

Whilst there’s a lot to work with, it never felt too complicated. There is usually a clear bit of visual signposting to imply what beast should be used. The requirement to eliminate a set number of them to add them to your bestiary can feel a little restrictive. I’ve definitely had moments where I want to use one for a puzzle elsewhere but haven’t found enough of them to bring them with me on my journey.

The map is really smart. More detailed than the graph paper maps typical of the genre, each screen is represented accurately, revealing the paths to certain exits and any potential shortcuts. It does fall short when concerning blockades. As the game opened up, I would frequently look for uncharted territory, only to realise it’s an area I simply can’t enter yet. It’s a shame because the map does offer a shorthand for when a room’s secrets are fully discovered.

It can be daunting when the main objective springs into view. There’s several sprawled across the world and there’s not much in the way of explicit direction. Yes, the map is good at marking them up but it can be tricky to plot a way from here to there. Whilst I have found myself lost a few times, the joy of discovery hasn’t wavered. There’s a lot to find and plenty of side missions to complete. These feel rewarding and often help build home base into a bustling hub of activity.

Aesthetically, each area has its own palette and the self-contained enemies give it a solid sense of place. Harlo is well-animated, even if the cut-scenes can feel a little basic in execution. The soundtrack is kept light and breezy with some locales featuring birdsong and the sounds of the sea for company. Despite how bleak the story can get, most of my time felt relatively relaxed. The cartoon look can occasionally feel basic but little touches like Harlo teleporting to a save point are wonderfully done.

Biomorph‘s hooks works out really well. Even with the compliments of a varied cast of animals, the abilities on hand don’t feel overwhelming. It helps provide options with movement and the environment is tuned successfully to accommodate this. It results in something that feels good to traverse and explore. I’m not fully sold on the cartoon presentation or the story but I’ve enjoyed digging around this complex world.