Zelda collides with Studio Ghibli in Europa’s “peaceful and zen vibes”, and after more than 6 years in development it’s coming to Nintendo Switch with a demo out today

Europa is set to launch this summer

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Europa began with “peaceful and zen vibes,” and after more than six years of development, it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch.

Today, April 17, a brand new Nintendo Indie Direct presentation announced that Europa would be coming to the Nintendo Switch when it launches later this year. What’s more, a demo is available on the Nintendo eShop right now, after it originally debuted on PC as part of theSteam Next Festlast year in October.

“Six years or so ago, I started working on the game in my spare time, and since then, it’s blossomed with the help of an amazing collective of friends all bringing their piece of magic,” said Helder Pinto, creator of Europa, during the Nintendo showcase. “It all started with the idea of using watercolor art style to evoke peaceful and zen vibes,” Pinto continued.

“I wanted it to be a meditative experience and to tell a beautiful story, through gameplay that’s able to put the player in a state of flow. I really hope you enjoy the world that we are creating here, and I cannot wait to show it to you,” Pinto concluded, as a brief gameplay trailer showed off more of Europa’s “peaceful and zen vibes.”

What we saw looks absolutely lush and relaxing, a perfect blend of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s open-world puzzles and Ghibli-esque art style. No wonder we first gushed about the new game back in August 2023, writing thatEuropa is like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom if Link were all alone, forever abandoned to solve puzzles and explore a world all on his own.

Europa was originally meant to launch this month in April, but it’s since been delayedto a loose summer 2024 release windowacross all platforms. At least you can play the demo right now on PC or Nintendo Switch, and it’ll launch across PlayStation and Xbox platforms additionally later this year.

Check out ourupcoming indie gamesguide for a look at all the other small-time gems we’ve got to look forward.

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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

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