Europa's demo channels Journey's gentle gliding and Fumito Ueda's classics
Unrelated to the UEFA League
A new demo invites you to glide through fluffy clouds and slide down rolling fields in indie adventure Europa. The game’s deceptively dour setup channels Journey and Fumito Ueda’s work, asking you to explore outsized ruins as the last child left alive, but just like those gems, everything in Europa is wrapped up in a gentle atmosphere.
From the initial piano keys, the demo’s “goal” isn’t exactly clear. You enter the pretty world and start climbing. You find an old man’s journal entries talking about how soothing this place once was. You use your fantasy jetpack to solve the lightest of puzzles and reach towering, half-crumbled ruins.
There’s something really tangible about our child’s movement, which is partly where my Ueda comparison came from. There’s a real physicality to how he pulls himself up ledges and jumps using his short legs. It’s not quite as committed to the bit as The Last Guardian - you won’t be tumbling to the floor after tripping on geometry, for instance - but it’s close! Thatgamecompany also surely influenced the game’s movement, as you can collect glowy blue mist while in midair to continue gliding and reaching greater heights. Europa’s not quite so linear, though, since you’re free to linger and search for crystals - slightly turning the game into a mini collecathon.
I really enjoyed the difference between the painterly environment’s epic feel from afar and the character’s cel-shaded style up close (closer to Ni No Kuni's 3D parts) . They combine to make something that feels sweeping and intimate at the same time. Just a very nice place to chase wildlife, skid on lakes and simply exist in.
The game comes from developer Helder Pinto, who was once an environment artist on Overwatch. Future Friends Games are on publishing duties here after their work bringing us Omno and Exo One (also very good games.) You can download Europa’s demo on Steam ahead of its 2024 release window.
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