Indie Hour - Europa

Hey it's Tarrmu and welcome to another episode of Indie Hour where we talk about the latest independent video games that may have passed you by, and in today's video we're going to be talking about Europa a Third Person adventure game with some light puzzle solving developed as a collaborative effort between Helder Pinto, Chozabu, and Novadust Entertainment.

Europa will see you playing as Zee, a mechanical boy, who has set out on a journey to explore Europa a once thriving and now abandoned and overgrown land. You'll be unearthing its mysteries and navigating this worlds nature and wonder, along with its various threats that it poses.

Europa can best be defined as an Atmospheric Adventure game, think of experience like Journey or Abzu. Another more colloquial term could be "chill game" or "vibe game". Europa is built around its sense of atmospheric immersion both in its lush Ghibli inspired environments, but also its magical and grand soundtrack. These elements are the bedrock for what is the feeling this type of game aims to invoke, and Europa absolutely, nails this. But all this will be working alongside the gameplay. You'll be exploring and leaping around with the thruster on your back that will allow you to glide, boost and levitate around different areas.

Many of these different areas lay host to a variety of different puzzles that do break up the flow of exploring these lush zones, puzzles that are fairly direct and simple in their design, and aren't meant to be overly complicated, but serve to be a moment of respite, where you'll pick up a note and listen to the unfolding backstory of this world unfold and with it, your role within this world. But this isn't just these puzzles, there is a decent amount of light-platforming that plays alongside the exploration of each level making level and environment feel interesting, with some levels having natural hazards too, like blizzards that can knock you back. I do wish there were a bit more of these types of hazards that would diversify the levels, but for how long this game runs for, it never does feel too worn out or repetitive.

There are also enemies that are introduced into the game, along with environmental hazards like mines, which make some levels feel like more of a threat than others. You aren't really punished for getting hit. There isn't really a game over state or anything like that, but Zee will be stunned and confused for a short duration, halting the action for a brief moment. Some of these enemies can be mitigated, like the turrets that usually have a button somewhere on the map that disables them. But at it's core what Europa is about is getting lost in this world that is vivid and animated in its beauty, and fortunately for Europa, there is a wealth of wonder nestled into this three hour experience. The system of flying through this world, gaining momentum, sliding, and flying across many different plains is absolute bliss.

Like I stated at the beginning of this video Europa is a vibe game, and one that has a throughline story that unfolds as you explore the remnants of its world, and if you fan of these types of games Europa is something that I can immediately recommend. If you're looking for a platformer or something a bit more mechanical, than Europa isn't that. But it hits the mark, for what it is trying to be, and if you're looking for a relaxing 3hrs will a chill adventure, then it is absolutely worth the time. There is something that is really wonderous and the evening I had sitting through this game, is one that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of this style of game.

Let me know your thoughts down below or if there are any games that you'd like to see me cover on the channel, as always I am Tarrmu and this has been Indie Hour, if you enjoyed the video consider giving us a like and if you really enjoyed the video consider subscribing. Thanks for watching.