Hoa Review – Relaxing Ghibli Journey Through Nature

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Max Stoll
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When the stress of everyday life takes hold, there is often no time to play our favorite games extensively. In addition, there are the ever-expanding open-world titles, which, with their mostly rather monotonous game mechanics, take up hours and hours of our lives, so that in the end they may not even be played to the end. If you find yourself in my introduction, you might want to keep an eye on Hoa . With simple tricks, the indie game manages to provide a comfortable escape from everyday life and not overwhelm you.

A sidecrolling platformer, Hoa offers a serene journey through a variety of natural landscapes, with hand-drawn graphics in the pure Ghibli style, and a spectacularly good soundtrack that always fits the mood of the game. This little break was accomplished by the Vietnamese indie studio Skrollcat , who created a simple Jump’n’Run with the mixture of the elements mentioned, which will be remembered despite the brevity.

In search

But what makes the game so special? In Hoa, I take on the role of a little fairy who washes up in an unknown land and embarks on an adventure to find out what happened to her family. The game is broken down into a handful of different areas, all of which look great.

Right at the beginning of each stage, similar to Hollow Knight, I get a map that shows me where the butterflies are that I need to collect to progress the story. However, Hoa deliberately avoids extensive branching, there is simply nothing to discover or any secrets to reveal apart from the main story.

I’m usually asked to collect five butterflies, all of which are placed in different places on the map. I bring this back to the client and receive a new ability in return. After a short time, I unlock a double jump that allows me to reach higher areas.

My friend the beetle

In the event that the newly learned double jump is not enough, the numerous forest dwellers will always help me to explore new areas. Sometimes I jump on the back of a beetle to reach the higher tree trunk or hop on the back of another forest dweller and use it as a trampoline to see the last corner of the level.

These jumps are never really dangerous or frustrating because the little fairy never dies and frustration can never arise. The worst case that can actually happen is that an enemy robot gently pushes me aside with his arm and I have to try the jump again. Sound boring? Well, the game still manages to create a great feeling and brings me a little closer to the community and the interaction of the animals in the forest and ensures absolute relaxation due to the low demands.

Although the exploration of the areas is not completely linear, you never have to ask yourself where to go next. This is ensured by the self-contained zones, which form a homogeneous overall picture and ensure a credible world of adventure. There are always smaller puzzles hidden in the individual sections, but they never reach the claim of The Last Campfire.

Little innovation

Aside from its beauty and breathtaking atmosphere, Hoa still leaves me with mixed feelings. The story, which is around two hours long, can be played through in one afternoon and thus ensures a good feeling. However, I would have wished for more. I would have liked to have explored the ladybug’s dens more closely or, similar to Donkey Kong, revealed one or the other hidden cave.

Overall, the game remains a bit lacking in innovation, since you can only run, jump and swing and the forest dwellers are the only thing that gives the game its soul. Unfortunately, only the final stretch of the game manages to do something new and different, so it serves as a nice ending, but certainly shows how much more could have been gotten out of Hoa.

Nevertheless, one could say on the one hand that Hoa is particularly suitable for people who are less keen on games or children. On the other hand, the notchy controls also throw a spanner in the works here. Jumps are often not registered directly and are therefore only triggered with a certain delay. Quite frustrating for certain sections that depend on the right timing. What’s particularly annoying is the way I’m treated as a player.

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