Bobo Bay
Preview
A Blast from the Past
EA SCOUT the last line of defense for buying on Steam's Early Access
by Camrin Santchi
previewed on PC
Caring for Little Guys
Whether it's the focus of the game or just a side activity, gamers can be quite fond of a fairly simple activity- the 'pet simulator', which typically involves caring for an animal or creature by feeding them or having them participate in contests. Some deal with real animals like Nintendo's Nintendogs series, while others take a more esoteric approach and use either fictional creatures or some kind of oddly esoteric being that vaguely resembles an existing animal, like Wobbledogs, which this reviewer covered back in 2022 here if you're at all intrigued.
NewFutureKids, the developer of Bobo Bay, has a very specific pet simulator that they're using as inspiration for their game. Namely, the Chao Garden from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, more specifically Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. Sonic fans don't typically agree on directions the series should take and often have divided opinions on the games, but something that Sega has heard fairly consistently for about two decades now is that the Chao Garden should make a comeback, as it was a much beloved feature of the Adventure games.
Wearing Inspiration on the Sleeve
The inspiration is very clear throughout, but NewFutureKids is making an active effort to flesh out mechanics and stand out with Bobo Bay since in the Sonic games the pet simulation was always supplemental while the platforming gameplay the franchise is known for was the main focus. In one of their DevLogs, they actually break down the aspects of Chao Garden that appealed to players of the Sonic Adventure series, and how they intend to expand upon these aspects with Bobo Bay. Cute creature design, customization, competitions, and more are all mentioned.
As Bobo Bay is still in Alpha there is limited access to things that will be developed later on - for example, currently the only competition is racing, but more will be added in due time. Players find Bobo in the woods near their small grotto and take them in to be cared for - fruit that raise their stats can occasionally be found within the grotto, but competing in races nets you money that is used in a market to purchase a cycling set of items. Some are accessories to customize your Bobo as you see fit, while others are fruits that provide beneficial stat boosts so that your Bobo can do better in the next race they enter, earning the player more money so the cycle can continue.
Some Growing Pains
Bobo Bay has a very small dev team, and as such the game has some issues they are working out that will no doubt be resolved as the game moves closer to a full release. Most of these issues within Bobo Bay are currently small, like currently limited music or sound design, or the game not fully explaining things. For example, a Bobo is tired the day after they compete in a race, and won't be near as effective if you try to have them compete two days in a row. The only real indication is a change in a mood indicator on the Bobo's character sheet when you pick them up and take a look at their stats. This isn't a massive problem by any means and just takes a bit of figuring out. Another issue is that some of the menus feel a little bit clunky here and there, but the only real time it comes up currently is in the race menu- otherwise the game runs fairly well for being so recently added to Early Access.
In all, Bobo Bay is a very charming game with a clear goal in mind, and it is one to keep an eye on if you're a fan of pet simulators, or if you're one of many people that miss the Chao Garden from Sonic Adventure. As Early Access progresses, the game is sure to develop quite nicely!
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The game has potential, but we're not ready to jump in with both feet. If the game interests you, look, but don't touch - yet.
