Baldo: The Guardian Owls

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 28
  3. Negative: 12 out of 28
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  1. infogabbiano
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    This game is an absolute gem, it reminds us what a videogame should be, nothing driven, nothing linear, just simple exploration and everything you accomplish is actually YOUR accomplishment.
    Graphics and Music are absolutely gorgeous, it was more than a decade i didn't forget i had to go to sleep, of course there are many things that could have been done better, but since main bugs and    This game is an absolute gem, it reminds us what a videogame should be, nothing driven, nothing linear, just simple exploration and everything you accomplish is actually YOUR accomplishment.
    Graphics and Music are absolutely gorgeous, it was more than a decade i didn't forget i had to go to sleep, of course there are many things that could have been done better, but since main bugs and problems are already gone, make yourself a gift and play this game cause it deserves.    … Expand
  2. Kanon_
    Aug 30, 2021
    8
    the game artistically and musically is very beautiful. Puzzles and Dungeons are cute and difficult. Too bad the gameplay is very punishing and there are some bugs. But overall the game is very nice.
  3. Lord_Fall
    Sep 15, 2021
    10
    Baldo is a sensational game... One those games we are note used anymore in a world made of easy push forward experiences that leave nothing in your memory and emotions at the end of a gaming session. It has character and a lot of depth, you might adapt to multiple gaming styles and enjoy a journey among a large variety of creatures and side stories.

    Probably it's not be a game for    Baldo is a sensational game... One those games we are note used anymore in a world made of easy push forward experiences that leave nothing in your memory and emotions at the end of a gaming session. It has character and a lot of depth, you might adapt to multiple gaming styles and enjoy a journey among a large variety of creatures and side stories.

    Probably it's not be a game for everyone. You need 3 main things to enjoy Baldo: brains, curiosity, skills. If you are weak in any of these, you might find the game difficult or frustrating.

    Surely Baldo is a memorable and very personal experience you should make on your own, avoiding infliuence from others and extreme positions either for good or bad.

    Well done! We need more Baldo and less battle-arena-royale-clickbait-cashbait-upsell-bla-bla-bla multimillion franchises. Enjoying every bit of it!    … Expand
  4. CornishUP
    Sep 28, 2021
    9
    Excellent title. 9 for commitment and confidence for the (maybe) next chapter.
    There are several similarities with Zelda but it has a soul all its own and also it was made in a fairly maniacal way despite a few people in the development.
    It is not an overly challenging game just apply yourself a little bit.
  5. tbmcan
    Oct 2, 2021
    9
    Definitely old school Zelda-like, from the days before online walk throughs, tutorials, etc. where you can spend hours exploring and trying random puzzle solutions. My 8 year old is loving it.
  6. SWERY_51
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    Puzzles, dungeons and exploration are really nice, but the gameplay in combat is so stiff it will remind you games from the 90's...
  7. Landsalkerer
    Sep 2, 2021
    3
    Honestly, LOVE the game but it has ISSUES!

    Love this game and it could really be my favourite Action/Adventure RPG of all time but it's in need of some serious reworking/re-balancing.. here's a few things I feel that needs to happen to make the game better/enjoyable for everyone.. 1. Change the game's title to.. 'Baldo and The Guardian Owls' would be better. There's just something about    Honestly, LOVE the game but it has ISSUES!

    Love this game and it could really be my favourite Action/Adventure RPG of all time but it's in need of some serious reworking/re-balancing.. here's a few things I feel that needs to happen to make the game better/enjoyable for everyone..

    1. Change the game's title to.. 'Baldo and The Guardian Owls' would be better. There's just something about the title used atm that's bugging me and I don't know what it is.

    2. The game is just ridiculously hard, all that dying just to progress anywhere in the game, it NEEDS re-balancing for every monster. It's a guessing game if your going to survive each and every room/area because all the monsters can 1 shot you, game over > restart! even with more hearts. The devs need to incorporate a system that's similar to Legend of Zelda instead with how the monsters work atm cos it's just ridiculous entering areas.. especially caves.. 100% thinking all the time if you're gonna get r.@.p.e.d by orcs is NOT a great game. I get you probably dont want your game to be easy but atm its just too damn hard.

    3. Getting knocked down, when you are getting up it takes too long which in turn allows monsters to hit and kill you instantly, game over > restart over and over yet again, especially if you die at a cave entrance that has a few orcs there waiting.

    4. Clearly you see I have issue with how tough the orcs are, if i'm experiencing this then also every other player on the planet is also. These orcs need their strength lowered and their Health too. I have a feeling you've just copy/pasted the same monster with same stats all over your game.. you need to have weaker versions of the same monster that gradually get harder as you get further into the game.. THIS is called balancing.. it like you've put end game monsters at the beginning.

    5. The 1st dungeon needs to be made easier with the monsters, EVERY monster in there can kill you instantly, the tentacles, the rats, EVERYTHING! This is meant to be your introductory into how dungeons are expected to work later in the game and well, all it did for me was pi.s.s. me off dying over and over just to progress further. I have the patience of a rock so stuck with it but I get the feeling by about the 20th death people would turn your game off, refund it, never play it again.

    6. Scrap suggestion point 1, you could just name it 'Baldo: The Gameover Caper'.. LOL!    … Expand
  8. BelthazarBR
    Aug 28, 2021
    10
    If I had to use one word to describe Baldo it would be CHARM.

    This game is an absolute joy to play and you can clearly feel the passion the developers put in each and every corner of the world they created. It has some quirks and definitely doesn't hold your hand (some of the puzzles are TOUGH), but it's never unfair and the solution comes to you if you think and experiment enough.    If I had to use one word to describe Baldo it would be CHARM.

    This game is an absolute joy to play and you can clearly feel the passion the developers put in each and every corner of the world they created. It has some quirks and definitely doesn't hold your hand (some of the puzzles are TOUGH), but it's never unfair and the solution comes to you if you think and experiment enough.

    It has plenty of content, with a main quest that can last up to 50 hours and a lot of side content in the form of mini dungeons with puzzle challenges and side quests. But the real star of this game are the main dungeons, which are all huge and very clever, with puzzles that interact with each other and really make you think in order to progress. I definitely recommend this to any player that likes old school Zelda or puzzle/adventure games in general.

    And again, I can't stress enough how good this game looks in motion, it's ridiculous. It has a style that's inspired by studio Ghibli and it shows, all the environments are really detailed (the house interiors are incredible, with little details that add a bit of environmental storytelling and help flesh out the NPCs) and the characters are quirky and unique. And the music... God, the music! It's all around fantastic with tunes that will stick in your head while you're not playing and don't be surprised if you start humming some of the songs.

    And the best part: it's also pretty cheap, $24,99 for more than 50 hours of playtime is a STEAL.

    Go buy it now, you definitely won't regret it.    … Expand
  9. catohelleren
    Aug 29, 2021
    2
    I really had been looking forward to this game since last year when it was delayed.
    It is charming and cozy but there is no challenge, when you die you start right where you left off. It does not matter if you have 3 hearts or 20 hearts if you just start in the same room you die in?

    Im so disappointed!
  10. Dranea
    Sep 2, 2021
    3
    Sadly, this is a really bad game, with a lot of problem in particular in the game mechanics and maps.
    The game suffered a crippling input lag, the difficulty is really bad balance, the visual itself is bad and increase the gameplay difficulty because you can’t clear see the game map.
    A good artistic style isn’t sufficient alone. This is a game, not a art print Mi dispiace dire che questo è    Sadly, this is a really bad game, with a lot of problem in particular in the game mechanics and maps.
    The game suffered a crippling input lag, the difficulty is really bad balance, the visual itself is bad and increase the gameplay difficulty because you can’t clear see the game map.
    A good artistic style isn’t sufficient alone. This is a game, not a art print Mi dispiace dire che questo è un pessimo gioco. Purtroppo rotto nelle sue meccaniche fondamentali. L’imput lag tremendo rende il personaggio ingestibile, la difficoltà è mal calibrata con nemici capaci di ucciderti all’istante, la mappa stessa e un dedalo di cadute mortali (spesso non comprensibili, puoi morire saltando un gradino) e il posizionamento degli oggetti e della telecamera impediscono spesso di veder correttamente l’area di gioco, rendendo il titolo INCREDIBILMENTE frustrante e livellando qualunque cosa di buono abbia    … Expand
  11. DominicBarbon
    Sep 5, 2021
    1
    Alright, where to start. This game feels like a passion project, and there are things about it that I really like. I would say I managed to enjoy it up to a certain point but it really feels like a game made by artists who lacked a programmer and decent combat designer.

    Visuals are great. The environment art and Ghibli feel of the game are spot on. The character art feels like student    Alright, where to start. This game feels like a passion project, and there are things about it that I really like. I would say I managed to enjoy it up to a certain point but it really feels like a game made by artists who lacked a programmer and decent combat designer.

    Visuals are great. The environment art and Ghibli feel of the game are spot on. The character art feels like student work, but its not so bad that it brings the game down. A lot of the characters are at least visually interesting. The music is good, but constant.

    UI is bad. The coders clearly didn't know how to get an on button down or on button up event, so navigating the UI is a mess. Also, the game just seems to be missing an exit app button? Thats like two minutes of work, so not sure what thats about. Did they just forget lol?

    The puzzles are okay, but need some work. There are a lot of arbitrary rules for how the game works that really don't make a lot of sense and aren't communicated well. Sub par UX. The level design itself is pretty good. The first level is small but interesting. The boss fight at the end just doesn't make any sense. I had to watch a video to understand why my hits weren't landing when they clearly should have. You have to hit him at a specific time, which really isn't communicated at all.

    Combat is just abysmal. They should just remove it if they are unable to fix it. There are no real stagger animations or wind ups. No viable strategies for defeating enemies. Combat actions are waaaay to slow and clunky to the point of being really frustrating. The combat really gets in the way of an otherwise decent (if unpolished) game.

    I want to like this game, but it really seems like this is their first attempt at something and they don't know what they are doing. I kinda want to help them fix their issues. I wonder if they would accept free help from dev who likes the idea, but is pretty disappointed with the execution lol. Can't recommend in its current state.    … Expand
  12. Melkiades
    Jul 30, 2023
    3
    A lousy game in all respects except the graphics. Avoid him like the plague.
  13. rahifsoliva
    Jul 1, 2022
    10
    I call it Zeldark Souls. It's not really 10/10 game, you must never expect that from a newcomer.
    It's a Zelda like game made with genious out of the box mentality, sometimes really frustrating in rewarding the player, but really acomplishing when it comes to solve more and more stuffs.
    But lets talk about the 1st Baldo game's aspects: 1 - The game plays with the patience of the    I call it Zeldark Souls. It's not really 10/10 game, you must never expect that from a newcomer.
    It's a Zelda like game made with genious out of the box mentality, sometimes really frustrating in rewarding the player, but really acomplishing when it comes to solve more and more stuffs.

    But lets talk about the 1st Baldo game's aspects:

    1 - The game plays with the patience of the player REALLY OFTEN and, you know, people don't like this that much. You've to put effort in thinking, coming and going, it burns your brains sometimes.

    2 - Sidequests don't pay well often too so, like i was, people gets frustrated about that as well.

    3 - There's some glitches in the game mechanics, like the hit box, and the game sometimes crashes.

    4 - The OST and SFX are quite repetitive.

    The good side:

    1 - The save system works well to avoid other problems, and most of the puzzles are challenging and REQUIRES out of the box thinking.

    2 - The maps and the cities, the level design are extremely well made and pleasant.

    3 - The mobs and boss battles are chalenging BUT you feel like you can overcome them anytime.

    4 - There's enough resources for healing, exploring and evolving but limited, as well, to keep the game challenging and interesting from the start to the end of it.

    This game deserves a lot of more attention than it have by now!    … Expand
  14. bergcamp1001
    Oct 15, 2022
    9
    Great game and great 60 hours experience! I'm thinking that I play it when most bugs have been fixed apart from some minors, but overall it was a huge and complex adventure with a lot of very smart puzzles and nice and cute story.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. PlayStation Universe
    Jan 12, 2022
    60
    Baldo: The Guardian Owls tries really hard to mimic the best games in the genre but fails to conquer its glaring flaws. Combat is unfairly difficult and the camera is absolutely atrocious. The game's quests and puzzles are also frustrating due to the lack of any real direction to follow and no types of hints for puzzle solving. Thankfully, Baldo's art style is fantastic and for the most part, exploration is a joy.
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  2. Video Chums
    Sep 10, 2021
    68
    Baldo The guardian owls is the sort of game that you'd dig out of a bargain bin but that's not necessarily a bad thing because some of my fondest gaming memories came from such bins. In other words, it may be clunky but you'll still appreciate what it has to offer.
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  3. GamingBolt
    Sep 9, 2021
    40
    Baldo: The Guardian Owls looks great, but major issues with everything from combat to puzzles to exploration and more ensure that it's consistently a chore to play.
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