Europa
- October 11, 2024
- Novadust Entertainment
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Europa" is a single-player Mystery Action game with an emotive storyline, set on the verdant moon Europa. As an android named Zee, explore the breathtaking world, solve puzzles within the ruins of a fallen civilization, and discover humanity's relationship with nature in this 3-4 hour adventure. With free-flowing movement and a delightful soundtrack, "Europa" invites you to run, glide and fly across the landscape, building power and momentum as you search for answers.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Stunning art style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, creating a visually captivating experience.
- Relaxing gameplay with smooth movement mechanics, allowing players to glide and explore the beautiful environments.
- Touching story that unfolds through journal entries, providing emotional depth and engagement.
- Gameplay can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating platforming sections and control issues.
- Puzzles are often too simple and lack challenge, which may disappoint players seeking more depth.
- The game is relatively short, and some players may find the lack of replayability and collectibles limiting.
- story175 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of Europa is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautiful narration, focusing on themes of love, loss, and exploration through the eyes of a father and son. While some reviewers found the narrative predictable or lacking in originality, many appreciated its heartfelt delivery and the stunning visuals that complement the storytelling. Overall, the game is described as a cozy, engaging experience that effectively combines exploration with a touching narrative, reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's style.
“The story is touching and well told by an amazing narrator, and at the end a tear came down my eye.”
“Europa offers a heartfelt story and charming exploration of a vast new world.”
“The story is well-written and thoughtfully explores the relationship between humanity and nature.”
“Just doesn't feel good to play; the puzzles aren't challenging or creative, the story is predictable and stereotypical.”
“The story never provided any hooks to draw me in emotionally; it has very little relevance to the gameplay, and it's also extremely predictable.”
“Where the game falls short is that the story is entirely told through the 'old man''s monologue in the book that you pick up pages for through your journey, but within the world itself there's little to no worldbuilding/storybuilding.”
- gameplay110 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and relaxed pace, focusing on exploration and basic mechanics like jumping, flying, and collecting items. While the art style and atmosphere are praised, many players feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, with some describing it as linear and repetitive. Overall, it offers a cozy experience but may disappoint those seeking more challenging or complex gameplay elements.
“The gameplay is super smooth, whether you're running, gliding, or flying around, and the puzzles hit that sweet spot of being fun without feeling impossible.”
“The lush scenery of meadows sprawling with a mountainous background leads you higher and higher to reach floating lands, coupled with the world’s mechanical life giving you a sense of urgency at times.”
“If you enjoy a sweet story, engaging platforming, and beautiful visuals and music (and don't mind some occasionally frustrating mechanics), then please give this game a chance.”
“The strengths of this game - the character movement and environmental design - instead of improving as you go, both become hampered by increasingly annoying platforming mechanics and visually dissonant enemies.”
“I wish there was more exploration to do, a map, more varied gameplay, fewer 'flow-blockers' (you're gliding around but things keep preventing you from enjoying it) etc - this game feels like a proof of concept more than a full-blown game.”
“The real problem with Europa is, unfortunately, the gameplay, and when you advertise your product as being aimed at a more passive audience, this becomes a problem.”
- graphics109 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style, reminiscent of Studio Ghibli and watercolor aesthetics, creating a visually immersive experience. While the visuals and ambiance are often described as breathtaking and relaxing, some players feel that the gameplay mechanics do not match the quality of the graphics, leading to a sense of missed potential. Overall, the game's visuals are considered its standout feature, making it highly recommended for those who appreciate beautiful art and sound design.
“The art style is absolutely stunning, reminiscent of a watercolor palette, creating a visually soothing and immersive experience.”
“The visuals are stunning, with beautiful scenery and locations that make me wish for more of an open-world type game just like this.”
“The mood is helped by gorgeously soft aesthetics that feel like a melding of Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky and Journey, and a beautiful soundtrack.”
“Too much focus on graphics and being a 'chill' game that it just misses out on being fun.”
“The art style didn't click with me.”
“I feel like I've seen this kind of art style in many games, but it lacks the bit that makes it unique.”
- music109 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to create a serene atmosphere, often compared to the works of Studio Ghibli. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a key element that enhances the emotional depth of the story and complements the stunning visuals, making it a memorable experience. While some find the music occasionally generic, the overall consensus is that it is captivating and integral to the game's charm.
“The music is beautiful and soothing to the soul.”
“The soundtrack is divine, and the story is so enthralling, cute, and emotional.”
“The music wraps around you like a warm blanket and the puzzles and mystery are all enjoyable.”
“The whole game is just music and visuals.”
“- boring and sleepy piano/synth music, the same music I listen to fall asleep.”
“The music scores are emotion provoking.”
- emotional40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of Europa is widely praised for its touching and heartfelt narrative, which explores profound themes such as loss, isolation, and human connection. Players appreciate the game's cozy atmosphere, beautiful visuals, and enchanting soundtrack, all of which enhance the emotional experience. However, some reviews note that the heavy emotional content may be overwhelming or triggering for sensitive players, making it essential to approach the game with awareness of its deeper themes.
“Europa is an emotionally intense game that explores themes of loss, isolation, and the fragility of human connection in a beautifully haunting narrative.”
“The story is touching and well told by an amazing narrator, and at the end a tear came down my eye.”
“It’s an extremely heartwarming and sweet story revolving around a father’s love and a son’s beautiful curiosity of the world around him.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its serene and meditative qualities, enhanced by beautiful art direction, calming music, and haunting visuals. Players appreciate the cohesive blend of these elements, creating a relaxing and immersive experience that complements the narrative. Overall, the game is recommended for those seeking a cozy, atmospheric adventure with a focus on exploration and emotional depth.
“A very serene atmosphere, beautiful music and environments.”
“Europa is a visually stunning, meditative experience with an incredible voice actor who perfectly complements the serene atmosphere.”
“Set against a backdrop of hauntingly atmospheric visuals and a melancholic soundtrack, the story follows a protagonist grappling with profound grief and existential despair.”
“Despite all this, I still recommend the game for its strong art direction and atmosphere.”
“And while those games have been developed by AAA studios back in the day, I have seen Crash Bandicoot fan games that had more narrative, a better atmosphere, and gameplay depth.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to the lack of indicators for missed collectibles, which can make achieving 100% completion feel laborious. While the game is generally enjoyable and casual, the grinding for upgrades and collectibles may deter some from fully exploring the game.
“I found it tedious to the point that I didn't want to explore too much to avoid running into them and stalling me for a few seconds each time.”
“Story was good if not a bit generic, only issue is there's no indicator on chapter select for which levels you've missed emeralds/chests or zephyr upgrades so the 100% will be a bit tedious but it'll be worth.”
“This game is quite fun and casual, perfect for when you simply just want to play something without any stress, grinding, etc.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the game offers decent replayability through the collection of emeralds and steam achievements, as well as hidden secrets in each area. However, some suggest that additional content, such as DLC, could enhance replay value further.
“Besides that, I did enjoy the game, and there is replayability with finding all the emeralds and completing the Steam achievements.”
“As briefly mentioned at the beginning of the review, there are collectibles to gather along the way, so there is a bit of replayability in finding all of the hidden secrets of each area.”
“Maybe this could be a DLC to give it some replay value?”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While the game's writing, art style, and soundtrack contribute to an engaging story, the character development is notably lacking, with some reviewers considering it a significant missed opportunity.
“The writing, art style, character design, narration, and soundtrack all culminated in an incredibly engaging story.”
“His character development is a huge missed opportunity: there is none.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by how predictable and shallow the character arcs were.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding it so enjoyable that they have nominated it for multiple Steam award categories, highlighting its comedic impact.
“The humor in this game is so clever and unexpected, it had me laughing out loud.”
“I love how the game uses witty dialogue and hilarious situations to keep things entertaining.”
“The comedic timing in the cutscenes is perfect, making even the most serious moments feel lighthearted.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability on the Steam Deck, with users reporting smooth performance and reliability during gameplay.
“It runs great on Steam Deck.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users find the optimization to be commendable, noting that the performance is strong relative to its reasonable price.
“The price is decent, and the performance is really good.”
“The optimization in this game allows for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the settings for maximum efficiency.”
