Baldo: The Guardian Owls Is A Studio Ghibli-Infused Zelda Hybrid

Look, you and I both know that Zelda clones are a dime a dozen. However, there’s something particularly special about Baldo: The Guardian Owls, a Zelda-like RPG that has been infused with a Studio Ghibli aesthetic [via PureXbox].

Baldo: The Guardian Owls
Credit: NAPS Team

Baldo: The Guardian Owls was originally set to release last year. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the project experienced some unfortunate delays.

Thankfully, it looks like the small team behind Baldo is charging towards a release date, which is demonstrated in the game’s most recent IGN gameplay trailer.

YouTube video

Here’s a short synopsis of the game, which should help you get up to speed with Baldo’s premise: 

“Baldo is an action adventure RPG, full of puzzles and intricate dungeons to solve. Travelling around the world, Baldo will interact with many weird and funny characters scattered everywhere, to complete the main story quest and many other sidequests. You’ll travel into an open world map discovering new towns and people, fighting enemies , locating hidden temples and collecting objects to get new weapons or items to use.”

Baldo: The Guardian Owls
Credit: NAPS Team

If, as a Zelda fan, you were put off by Breath of the Wild’s complexity, then Baldo is going to suit you to a tee. The game embraces the tropes of earlier 3D Zelda games, while using the series’ classic array of mechanics. Better still, Baldo’s gorgeous anime aethstetic is more than enough to make it more than just a mere Zelda clone. 

Baldo: The Guardian Owls
Credit: NAPS Team

Considering that the game’s creators, NAPS Team are relatively small in size, Baldo is looking pretty neat. Sure, the game does look a little rough around the edges, but it still looks like it’ll be a high quality budget title. If you’re a fan of the likes of Ni No Kuni, or you just love classic RPG adventures, then you’ll probably want to check this one out.

Baldo: The Guardian Owls doesn’t have a release date just yet, but it should be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC sometime soon. 

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