The Botanist

Review

The Botanist is a brand-new 3D Platformer with a bit of an exploration element built into it. Mixed with its simplistic gameplay, the game also comes with a decent story.

Initial thoughts after checking out the store page is that the game looks like it would be enjoyable.  Having played it, I can say that the game ran just fine although the art style is not my favorite.

Plot: Story about a young Botanist boy called Bob. From his small village on a peaceful planet, Bob dreams that while he was collecting samples for his next project, his basket was stolen by the roots controlled by the evil Green Queen of the Dark Forest, and the samples were scattered all over the Broken Isles, turning his dream into his worst nightmare.

Dragged by the Green Queen into the parallel dimension, Bob faces his biggest fears! Now he must overcome them.

Gameplay: A super-simplified gameplay that comes with a bit of weird gameplay and mechanical choices. The base gameplay is super simple with W for moving forward and S for backward, but in a weird choice of key mapping the game went for A for left turn and D for right, which threw me off-guard for a minute there.  Choosing A&D for turning is okay, nothing really wrong there, but it felt super weird when combined with the game’s sluggish movement.

Since this is a platformer, jumping plays an important role. For the most part, the jump feature works and plays out just fine.  There is a double jump feature, which also helps in terms of moving through insanely long gaps. There is a short suspended time in the air as well, but it seems like an animation issue rather than a feature.

Apart from the platformer elements, there are also a few more things to look out for, such as various bugs and creatures that will put you down upon touch, traps everywhere (and some are even hidden), and then there are obstacles, such as spinning blades which are also a thing to look out for! 

World design: Simple and colorful, but the lighting is dull. Since this is a work in progress, I would like to see how they improve the visuals. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be put into it.

Music and Sound effects: Well-selected background music that fits the game nicely. As do the sound effects; nothing really special but they work just fine.

Considering all aspects of the Botanist, the game’s a fun one with a lot of potential.

Review written by BiteMexD for Zeepond.com!

The Botanist Steam Store Page