Boti: Byteland Overclocked Indie Video Game Review

Ever since I was a kid I have always been a big fan of platformers. In particular I was a big fan of 3D platformers in the era where every console tried to create their own mascot. The genre is not all that popular with large studios anymore. This means indie studios have had to take over. As a fan of the genre, I am always on the lookout for interesting new games. Recently I saw Boti: Byteland Overclocked and it intrigued me. The game’s developer said they were inspired by classic 3D platformers while creating the game. Combined with the interesting computer/technology theme and a co-op mode, I was intrigued to check it out. Boti: Byteland Overclocked is a fun 3D platformer that reminded me of classics from the genre, even if it might not be the most original experience.

In Boti: Byteland Overclocked you play as Boti. You are joined by Zero and One. Your computer system is currently dealing with various bugs, viruses and glitches. You need to journey through Byteland fixing all of the issues, while trying to find the root cause of the problem.

For the most part Boti: Byteland Overclocked is a lot like your typical 3D platformer. The world consists of a hub world that connects you to each of the game’s levels. The goal of each level is to reach the end.

Standing in your way is a number of obstacles. Most of these obstacles involve jumping over gaps and avoiding dangers. The game gives you the typical single and double jump. There is also a dash, hover and glide ability. You will use these tools to make it over gaps and past obstacles that stand in your way.

You will also encounter some enemy units. The combat in Boti: Byteland Overclocked is pretty simple. Like a lot of 3D platformers it basically involves mashing the attack button and avoiding enemy attacks. Deal enough blows to an enemy to defeat them. If you run out of health you will respawn at your last checkpoint.

Additionally the game features a few other gameplay mechanics. Pretty early in the game you get access to a magnetic power. This is used to move objects around the environment. You can also use it to swing across gaps and launch yourself between platforms. There are also a number of musical slide sections where you try to touch the notes as you slide down a path. Finally there are some sections where you have to drive hoverboard-like vehicles.

After completing Boti: Byteland Overclocked I have to say that the game was pretty much what I was expecting. The developer says they were inspired by classic 3D platformers, and you can definitely see the inspiration. If you have ever played a 3D platformer before, you should have a good idea of what to expect from the game. While it has a couple somewhat unique mechanics, it generally sticks pretty close to your typical game from the genre.

If you are looking for a highly original 3D platformer, you may be a little disappointed by Boti: Byteland Overclocked. It doesn’t revolutionize the genre in any significant way. I can’t recall anything in particular about the game that I haven’t seen something similar in other games from the genre. If you aren’t a big fan of 3D platformers or were looking for something truly original, Boti: Byteland Overclocked may not be for you.

Despite it not being the most original 3D platformer, it is still a pretty enjoyable game. The game does a good job focusing on what is most enjoyable about games in this genre. It is straight to the point without a bunch of unnecessary mechanics.

I think the main reason the game works is that the platforming is fun. While there are a few occasional hiccups, the gameplay is quite fun. It doesn’t significantly change the gameplay in any significant way, but it didn’t need to. It is fun because the underlying gameplay is satisfying and fun. The game is fun for the same reasons that I have enjoyed platformers since I was a kid. I enjoyed jumping between platforms to progress in the game, while also searching for hidden collectibles. If you are a fan of 3D platformers I think you will enjoy Boti: Byteland Overclocked.

I think the platforming in Boti: Byteland Overclocked works because the controls are good. The controls are really straightforward where you can jump right in. They are simple enough that even people who don’t play many 3D platformers shouldn’t have any troubles playing the game. There are occasional issues where the controls feel slightly off, but they never become a big issue. The game doesn’t require you to make perfect jumps either.

Playing Boti: Byteland Overclocked it did remind me a lot of classic 3D platformers that I used to play all the time when I was younger. I don’t know exactly what franchise I would compare it to, but it has that overall feel of platformers from the era of mascot platformers. It was a nice throwback to an era of video games that you don’t see all that often anymore outside of indie games.

I will say that I wasn’t a huge fan of the combat though. It is not bad, but it is nothing special either. In many ways it is similar to a lot of the 3D platformers that it took inspiration from. The combat basically comes down to mashing the attack button and occasionally dodging an enemy attack. The combat is fine, but it is not super compelling as there isn’t much skill involved. This is pretty typical of combat from this genre of games. I preferred the platforming considerably more than the combat.

Lets move onto the game’s difficulty. I will preface this by saying that I play a lot of 3D platformers since it is one of my favorite genres. Having said that, I wouldn’t consider Boti: Byteland Overclocked to be a particularly difficult game. It kind of feels like it was designed more for a family audience than for those that play a lot of games from the genre. This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it if you play a lot of 3D platformers. I still had quite a bit of fun with the game.

I wasn’t particularly challenged while playing the game though. The few times I died was due to trying to find hidden collectibles. The combat and platforming aren’t particularly challenging. Even when you do die, the cost of dying is minimal. You just return to the last checkpoint which is fairly close as there are a lot of checkpoints in the game. I kind of wish the game was a little more challenging, but I still enjoyed it. If you are looking for a really challenging game though, Boti: Byteland Overclocked may not be the game for you.

One thing that I haven’t brought up that initially intrigued me about Boti: Byteland Overclocked was the fact that the game can be played co-op. You don’t see a lot of co-op 3D platformers. While I appreciate the addition and I think some people will really enjoy it, I don’t see the game being something that you need to play with another player. On the positive side, the game is completely co-op. This isn’t “little brother” co-op where one player has little to do in the game. You each control your own character and have full access to all of the abilities in the game. If you have another player to play with, you can play the entire game with them. I really appreciate this as I am a big fan of adding co-op to games.

Unfortunately outside of just playing the game with another player, the co-op doesn’t add a lot to the experience. In many ways the co-op just feels like two players playing the game at the same time. There are times that you can help out your teammate but it is limited. The co-op mechanics aren’t weaved into the gameplay and level design where you are forced to work well with your teammate. This is the main reason why I don’t feel you necessarily have to play the game with another player. I can definitely see having fun playing the game with another player. I just wish there were more parts of the game where it took advantage of two players working together.

Next I want to talk about Boti: Byteland Overclocked’s overall theme. For an indie game I generally liked what the game did with its theme. The game’s theme is built around computers and technology. Basically the game takes place inside the computer. Each level is based around a different component of the computer. It doesn’t get particularly technical, but I liked the game’s implementation of the various parts of computers into the story and overall theme of the game.

I found Boti: Byteland Overclocked’s visuals to be pretty good as well. The game is an indie game so it may not compete with a AAA game, but I like the overall style of the game. Each level has a unique look to it, and I like the design of the characters. The story is solid, even if it is a little predictable. The voice acting is pretty good for the most part. I can’t say I was a big fan of the repeated phrases from Zero and One though. Like a lot of 3D platformers, the same phrases are repeated over and over again in the game. After a while these got a little annoying.

As for the game’s length it is somewhat going to depend on what you want to get out of the game. The game has eight main levels as well as a hub world. The levels are fairly long. The length of each level is going to depend on whether you care about finding collectibles. For each level I tried to find most of the collectibles. This involves going down side paths and looking for hidden locations. I found most of the collectibles in each level. This took me around 45 minutes or so per level.

If you just stick to the main path and only did what was needed to beat each level, I would guess it would take half as long to beat each level. In the hub world there are quite a few things you can purchase. In order to acquire everything you likely will have to replay some of the levels. Should you just do the bare minimum, the game may be a little on the short side. If you like searching for collectibles though, I think you will get your money’s worth out of Boti: Byteland Overclocked.

At the end of the day Boti: Byteland Overclocked is a fun 3D platformer reminiscent of some of the classic games from the genre. The developers did a good job focusing on what is most enjoyable about this genre. The platforming is quite fun and the controls work well for the most part. Fans of this genre will have fun jumping over gaps and avoiding obstacles. I wouldn’t say that the game is particularly original, as it does share a lot in common with a lot of games from the genre. It is still fun though. The easier gameplay and the addition of a co-op mode makes Boti: Byteland Overclocked a fun family platformer. The game’s theme and atmosphere are quite good as well.

My recommendation for Boti: Byteland Overclocked comes down to your feelings towards 3D platformers in general. If you aren’t a big fan of 3D platformers, I don’t see the game being for you. Fans of 3D platformers though should enjoy Boti: Byteland Overclocked and should consider picking it up.