Hoa – Review

An emotional platformer that will take you on a Studio Ghibli-style adventure

Created by Vietnamese developer Skrollcat Studio and published by PM Studios, Hoa is an atmospheric platformer that will make you think of a creation that seems to be ripped straight from Studio Ghibli films. It goes without saying, but expect to go through a rollercoaster of emotions. No matter how hardened your heart, this game will make you feel... things and shed a few tears.

“Hoa” means “flower”

The game's story begins with our tiny protagonist being carried by a leaf-shaped boat to a mysterious island. Waking up from what seems to be a long dream and confused about what's happening, we have only one option: to venture deeper into the island and see what we discover. We'll meet various bugs, flowers that have come to life, and mechanical beings who seem to know exactly who we are, even if we're confused – all are happy to see us and guide us on our journey of self-discovery. One element that impressed me from the start in Hoa is the narrative direction – the characters encountered deliver short but emotional and mysterious lines. This way of telling the story provides enough emotional impact and, at the same time, makes you curious to find out what happened and what the characters are talking about. Why are they so happy to see you? What happened before you arrived on the island? What is your connection to them?

What's even more curious? Nature itself seems happy to see you. A nice detail refers to the leaf or flower-shaped platforms, which open and come to life when the main character approaches them. It's one of the many ways Hoa uses the environment to tell its story and captivate you. Moreover, some creatures that will help us with the platforming sections seem to be asleep, and yet, the presence of our little protagonist seems to awaken them.

A world that reacts with care and warmth to your every gesture

Hoa probably has the friendliest gameplay and environment I've encountered so far – it feels like all the characters and things are there to help you. The world and mechanics feel like the careful touch of a parent teaching their child to ride a bike, holding them firmly and warmly. You can feel this as soon as you enter the tutorial area, when you can't press certain buttons for a series of actions until you reach the area where they are explained. For example, even if you know the keys or buttons for jumping, you can only do it when you reach the designated area – you're like a restless child, and the game tells you, “Not yet, little one. Don't rush. All in good time.”

I think it's cool that the game displays controls for both keyboard and controller when you learn new actions or mechanics. Even if there's no real reason to choose one mode or another to play, it feels good to be informed, in case your controller battery dies and you have to switch to keys.

The developers tried to create platforming sections that are as safe and fun as possible, providing ways to quickly recover when your jumps don't work out the first time. For example, you'll have access to beetles that follow you on the ground as you advance on platforms. And if you fall, you can jump on their backs to return to the section where you fell. Many safe points are also included during longer puzzles, so you don't have to go all the way back to the beginning if you mess up.

Speaking of platforming, I appreciate how the game uses different creatures in the environment to help you traverse it. The funniest and my favourite way I found is to jump on the backs of some squabbling roots, and depending on which one you stand on, it will push its opponent, giving you access to higher platforms in that direction.

The unfolding leaves and flowers are not just a way to use the environment to tell the story. They are also very practical for orientation – once you've discovered them in an area, they remain open, and if you encounter new ones that are just opening, they mark an area you haven't passed through yet.

The map is very easy to use. Once you enter a new area, you are notified to check it, and it will show you where all the important objectives, collectable objectives, and creatures you need to visit to progress are. This aspect is especially useful for the progression system chosen in the game: you have to find certain symbols to awaken the creatures that govern the area, and then you have to find five butterflies for them to teach you a new ability that allows you access to the next area. The game relieves a lot of stress as a player, including many shortcuts or automatic fast-travel points that bring you back to the beginning of an extremely long puzzle, so you don't waste a lot of time on the way back – I think it's a very inspired environmental design choice. I particularly like that after you've found the reward at the end of a puzzle, a series of butterflies appear that transport you to the beginning of the puzzle. Since progression is largely linear, I consider it a wise decision that respects our time as players.

The instructions provided by the game are clear and concise throughout, even when trying to guide you to certain secrets. The developers made sure you can play very relaxed and peacefully.

And without giving you spoilers, the last section of the game is a brilliant lesson on how to reuse resources and mechanics in a way that feels creative and fresh, even if you've already been through them.

If Studio Ghibli had created a game, this is exactly how it would look and sound

I know I keep banging on about Studio Ghibli, but it's for a good reason. If you analyse the artistic direction and listen to the distinct soundtrack of each area, you'll understand why. The art, music, and sound design make you feel part of a welcoming and warm world that is happy to meet you and help you on your journey. Even if each biome is unique, they are linked by the underlying emotional message they convey.

Johannes Johansson, the composer and pianist behind the game's music, made sure to convey the same message with his playful, emotional, or sad rhythms.

Speaking of sound, I like how the game uses auditory cues to guide you to objectives – very nice of them to make sure you're heading in the right direction, especially when puzzles tend to be longer.

A small audio bonus is that the game includes ropes in the form of bell-flowers that you can attach to and swing from. And every time you swing, you can hear bell sounds.

The bugs poked their noses where they didn't belong

Despite all the previous praise, Hoa still leaves room for optimisation and improvements.

Although the beetles I mentioned earlier are helpful for platforming, they weren't always able to follow the main character. Sometimes it worked, no matter how far I was from them. Other times I had to get closer to them for them to know which way to go.

The ropes I mentioned earlier are sometimes difficult to use. The game doesn't mention whether you should release buttons or keys to attach to them – to be honest, either both worked, or neither did, which left me a bit confused. It also doesn't explain how to swing to gain momentum, so I had to figure out on my own that for more momentum I should swing in one direction, release the keys/buttons, and then swing in the other direction.

The game also includes underwater platforming where you have to jump from one fish to another to advance. But no matter how well you position yourself on the fish moving from left to right, the moment they change direction you will fall – so keep your eyes peeled and jump when they do.

Another fiddly platforming section occurs when you have to jump after some ladybugs carry you to certain points, and then drop you – most of the time the game doesn't register the jump command, so I had to restart the section multiple times.

Last but not least, the cinematic scenes are implemented with the image constantly shaking, diminishing the game's cuteness factor.

Final Verdict

Cute graphics, soothing music and sound design, simple and easy-to-understand mechanics, and a story that takes you through many emotional states in three hours of gameplay – that's Hoa. I highly recommend it, despite the gameplay adjustments I mentioned. I give it 9/10 – it's worth every penny you spend on it. It's also an excellent game to play with family and little ones.

Played on: PC
Release date: 24 August 2021
Developer: Skrollcat Studio
Publisher: PM Studios

Review by Constantin Dumitru