Baldo is the perfect blend of Studio Ghibli visuals and Zelda gameplay

Following on the Ni No Kuni-frickin-cute trend.

Italian studio Naps Team have released a gameplay trailer for Baldo, a game thats got that instantly noticeable Miyazaki aesthetic. We’ve seen titles do really well with this art style just recently, with Ni No Kuni capturing the imagination of players for its vibrant fantasy world above and beyond the actual gameplay. Is Baldo going to be more of the same? From the trailer, its a little hard to tell.

We’ve got very little information so far on this title, but according to the description under the PS4 trailer the story goes a bit like this: You are the “chosen child” navigating the fantastical world of Rodia, a place of green forests and strange creatures. Apparently, “the no heart creature sealed in the underworld by the wise owls is about to rise again”, I don’t really know what that means, but it sounds pretty mystical.

Also below this PS4 trailer, the description indicated that Baldo will be an open-world narrative adventure, with a main narrative and plenty of side-quests to keep you busy. This is where things start to feel a little Zelda, as the gameplay also consist of these quests as well as hidden temples to explore for new items and weapons.

The trailer gives us a great glimpse into a number of vibrant and colourful locations, as well us showing us some of the creatures we might meet along the way. Our hero fits into a similar Ni No Kuni template, looking naive and cute, but ready and willing for adventure. There is definitely a strong Legends of Zelda feel from the snippets of gameplay, but cut scenes with characters often reminded me of the Studio Ghibli film Howl’s Moving Castle, packed with character and mischief. I’m excited to find out more about this intriguing title and if you are too, keep an eye on Naps Team website.