Growbot is a point-and-click adventure that thrives on its visuals and (often) puzzle power. Now, if you’re looking for an immersive story paired with a strong soundtrack, you might want to look at some of the other titles developed or published by ASH Games instead. And if a constant stream of unique puzzles is your thing, read on.
The game takes place on a space station and controls a robot, or glowbot. The bots all appear to have cloche domes on their heads and vegetation for their brains. I’m sure the green thumb gets an extra kick out of this. But while the characters are cute and unique for the most part, the story is intriguingly paced. Characters have to carry that extra weight through funny, sometimes hippie interactions.
Again, the strength of this game is its beautiful visuals. The game has a very attractive and stylish look. The dark background makes the various plants and machines pop with real vibrancy. Animations, camera movements and lighting bring the space station to life.
Music cannot be held in such high esteem. Can ambient music be too soft or too subtle? Music isn’t a distraction, but it’s also not really soothing unless you see it as soothing for those odd moments where you struggle to stay awake. I found myself reaching for the clicker to turn up the volume. I’m sure part of my disappointment stems from the developer’s comparison of this game to LucasArts’ classic his Loom. That game had the music of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which raised the bar high, but Growbot didn’t even bother to approach the bar.
In fact, it’s the gameplay that makes Growbot “inspired by classic adventure games like Loom.” Much, if not most, of that puzzle is sound-driven. Acquire flower sounds throughout your adventure and use them in different sequences to progress deeper into the space station. It’s not easy to describe in the review’s limited word count, but it speaks to its relative uniqueness: the Joy-Cons click when you hold them in your hand.
Volume issues (seriously, where are the audio options?) and weird mazes aside, the puzzles are adequately challenging without being frustrating. If you get stuck, you may need someone with a musical ear as the hints can be sporadic. It can be the difference between being able to finish the game or being able to finish the game in 5 or 6 hours.
Going back to my earlier comment about pacing, the game seems to end at various points but keeps progressing. So the actual ending may come as a sudden surprise. Growbot is not a very long game. Not bad per se, but the game is $19.99.
While we’d love to see a longer sequel come all-out to the soundtrack, Growbot’s fun characters and unique puzzles make it a good choice, albeit a future sale.
