Chris InglisEuropa is a serene adventure game developed by Novadust Entertainment and published by Future Friends Games. The game launched on October 12 on PC and Nintendo Switch and sees you exploring a lush, terraformed moon in the shadow of Jupiter. As the android Zee, you’ll embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of a fallen utopia and discover the fate of the last human alive. I was hooked from the announcement of this game by its visuals and music, and love when games like these come along that offer a simple premise yet leave a last impression.
Europa’s story delves into themes of growing up, loss, hope, and humanity’s relationship with nature. As you explore the moon, you’ll piece together the story of its tragic past and discover the fate of its inhabitants. The narrator’s voice actor has done an outstanding job at portraying the father figure and expands the story as you find new pages in the wilderness. Even after only a short time into the game, I felt it was going to be an emotional journey and by the end, I could not help but feel some tears welling up.
Europa’s vibrant landscapes and Ghibli-inspired art style create a truly breathtaking world. The game’s attention to detail is evident in every corner, from the lush forests to the towering skyscrapers of the abandoned city. I was reminded of playing one of Future Friends Games’ published titles Omno from 2021. Traversal in both games utilises similar sliding mechanics, but Europa also has a jetpack style system with orbs that can refill it, and you can also upgrade its capacity by collecting star-shaped objects.
The game encourages exploration through its beautiful environments and well-designed puzzles. The camera does some of the heavy lifting here, often pointing your eyes off into the distance. I also liked that it felt the area I was currently in was relatively small, however once I had climbed to a particular area, the zone opens into another wide-open space to explore. Later on, there are laser turrets that will shoot at you, and you’ll need to follow their power line to find where to deactivate them. There are also flocks of purple creatures that will sap your jetpack energy when close-by. It adds a bit of excitement and action to the otherwise zen-like gameplay.
Puzzles were all logical, with some requiring you to find orbs off in different directions that will then activate a button to progress further. Others required you to navigate jumping from block to block, with each jump making a block appear or disappear. There are some types of blocks that when you press left mouse button, will change the position of the next block over, allowing you to navigate across chasms and collecting floating wisps. Puzzles increased in complexity but none were too easy or too hard, just enough challenge to make you think and feel accomplishment.
Each explorable area looks and feels very open, and it is to a point, but there are limitations within each zone. Some dark cavern-like structures were off to the side in an early zone and I wanted to explore it, but as I approached, the screen started to fade and the camera turns and points Zee back into the playable area. This broke immersion a little the first time, but once I knew that I just stuck to exploring the main areas, signified with glowing objects. Aside from book pages and energy boosts, there are emeralds to collect that are sometimes in place sight, while others are hidden within structures or out of your initial eyesight.
Overall, Europa is an excellent puzzle game with a peaceful atmosphere, beautiful music, great puzzles and zen-like gameplay. The slower-paced exploration coupled with surreal scenery provided a much-needed escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. If you’re looking for a beautiful and contemplative adventure, Europa is definitely worth checking out and the emotional journey leaves a lasting impression.
This review utilised a Steam key provided by Future Friends Games and Europa is out now on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
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Johnny