Baldo: The Guardian Owls

 Switch
User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 75
  3. Negative: 32 out of 75
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  1. D-Ric-Mo
    Sep 4, 2021
    6
    Man, this is a tough one. How can there be so much to love about a game AND so much to hate at the same time?? On the one hand, gorgeous artstyle, a huge world to explore, plenty of challenging puzzles, quirky characters and side quests... On the other hand... Boy can this game be frustrating - in a bad way. I know that Zelda and many other games in the action/adventure RPG vein have aMan, this is a tough one. How can there be so much to love about a game AND so much to hate at the same time?? On the one hand, gorgeous artstyle, a huge world to explore, plenty of challenging puzzles, quirky characters and side quests... On the other hand... Boy can this game be frustrating - in a bad way. I know that Zelda and many other games in the action/adventure RPG vein have a tendency to over explain and handhold... Which is very annoying to seasoned gamers. But this game goes the complete opposite direction and gives you little to no help AT ALL... To the point where it feels needlessly opaque... Like they are purposefully trying to confuse you as to what to do next. I feel like there is a healthy balance to be found here, but this game misses it entirely IMO. Also, the "rules" of the world are not clearly defined... Sometimes you can jump off a small ledge onto the ground below and be just fine... Other small ledges? Instant game over... Which isn't a huge deal, since you start right back where you were. Not a huge amount of progress lost. But the frequent "game over" screens because of silly things got very irritating VERY fast. At this point, I've played just about every Zelda game, plus loads of imitators in this genre... And I can't think of another game that has gotten on my nerves this quickly. So why am I giving it a 6 and not a 2 or a 3? That's the weird thing... The parts that it does well, it does SO well that I can't stop playing … Expand
  2. 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
  3. AndyCoaster
    Sep 15, 2021
    9
    Great graphics, music and gets easier when you get more experienced. the only thing I think could have been better is the storyline. but overall a great game with amazing puzzles.
  4. hnichol2
    Sep 21, 2021
    10
    Now that the bugs have been fixed, this game is shaping up to be one of my favorites of all time. It looks gorgeous and it's hard but that makes it all the more rewarding when you figure out a puzzle. I haven't felt this strongly about a game in years.
  5. ProducerSK
    Aug 31, 2021
    6
    I have this game and pay for it and i like it, but here are lot of bugs and confused places...like in Prison Room with three skeletons i am not able finish this and sometimes i am not able go inside the cages, I think the problem is with the camera too and some other mechanics in game, next the main and sidequest are confused i read all but still confused where to go on map? The map isI have this game and pay for it and i like it, but here are lot of bugs and confused places...like in Prison Room with three skeletons i am not able finish this and sometimes i am not able go inside the cages, I think the problem is with the camera too and some other mechanics in game, next the main and sidequest are confused i read all but still confused where to go on map? The map is very bad the orientation there...The combat style is not good, i am not sure if this difficulty in this game is normal or is too much for players i read many comments from players about this issues, many enemies just hit you 2 times and you died, i spend in game i think 12 hours and i am stuck in that Savoca Prison...i have Nintendo Switch hope you guys release patch for us soon ...… Expand
  6. DIGPLAY
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    This game has a beautiful art design, graphics and a enjoyable soundtrack, but unfortunately its the only things with a huge quality in this game.
    User interface is poor, complicated and weird.
    The quests is confused. You cant count with the map because we dont have it inside of dungeons and in the city, the map dont help very well and you cant choose the quest that you want to see in    This game has a beautiful art design, graphics and a enjoyable soundtrack, but unfortunately its the only things with a huge quality in this game.
    User interface is poor, complicated and weird.
    The quests is confused.
    You cant count with the map because we dont have it inside of dungeons and in the city, the map dont help very well and you cant choose the quest that you want to see in the minimap.
    The gameplay is too much punitive unnecessarily. You will be anger with the quantity of 'GAME OVER' screen that you will receive, A LOT OF TIMES because the platforms dont have a 'invisible wall' to avoid the player to fall in a hole, water or wathever.
    Lack of tutorial to learn the basic mecanics is a problem too.
    Anyway, Baldo is a beautiful game that need a HUGE polish in the UI and gameplay. I hope the NAPS team fix this problems.    … Expand
  7. SendyX
    Aug 29, 2021
    10
    Very nice game. Played on the switch I had no problem. The game isn't simple and does not help the player in any way. But that's part of its game design. On an artistic level it is truly astounding. I Love it.
  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. Garathiel
    Aug 29, 2021
    0
    Controls are laggy, gameplay is so repetitive and seems to be not playtested... Asked for a Refound after 4 hours. THIS is Not what it seems from the trailer, watch a stream on Twitch before buy.
  10. Murderous021
    Aug 29, 2021
    0
    This game was such a let down honestly I was so excited but it’s a lie! It’s not just hard it’s unforgiving you have hearts and things to heal yourself but you get one shot by pretty much everything so what’s the point. I asked for a refund from Nintendo cause it’s almost unplayable you fall from any height you die there is hidden holes in the floor you die and the first dungeon you don’tThis game was such a let down honestly I was so excited but it’s a lie! It’s not just hard it’s unforgiving you have hearts and things to heal yourself but you get one shot by pretty much everything so what’s the point. I asked for a refund from Nintendo cause it’s almost unplayable you fall from any height you die there is hidden holes in the floor you die and the first dungeon you don’t get anything to defend your self so you will die 100 times at least! It’s clunky to say the least as well and fetch questy also with no direction on story just a bad game don’t waste your time or money there is so many other games that are way better!… Expand
  11. bennett1
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    The game runs terribly, the damage system makes zero sense, a lot of input lag, sound effects are very delayed as well, and everything blends together visually in dungeons. The only redeeming quality is the art style at points, but the models are very low poly, and the good soundtrack. Definitely not worth 25$, maybe get it on sale if they do a lot of patching.
  12. Landsalkerer
    Sep 2, 2021
    2
    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
  13. videoludico88
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    Art design stellare, hardcore ineccepibile, longevità abnorme, musiche da produzione squaresoft,old school design, Baldo sono alcuni dei migliori 25 euro spesi nella mia carriera da videogiocatore.
  14. Deasonik
    Sep 1, 2021
    9
    Lovely and entertaining game! Very good art style!
    Something need to be fixed, but i'm optimistic, for sure the developers are going to fix all.
  15. Dranea
    Aug 30, 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
  16. Pelas6
    Aug 30, 2021
    0
    Terrible game, saved only by its graphic style. I really think that devs should have done MUCH more.
  17. ascensoPT
    Sep 2, 2021
    0
    So much bugs that makes impossible to play it. Some events don't trigger automatically as supposed which make you to start the game all from the beginning. The Save&Load doesn't work, if you do it, all your items (non key items) get reset. The only solution is to never turn off. But that doesn't work also since sooner or latter you will get the first problem i've mentioned

    Also, worth    So much bugs that makes impossible to play it. Some events don't trigger automatically as supposed which make you to start the game all from the beginning. The Save&Load doesn't work, if you do it, all your items (non key items) get reset. The only solution is to never turn off. But that doesn't work also since sooner or latter you will get the first problem i've mentioned

    Also, worth to be added, the controls are weak, there is no tutorial, maps don't make sense, etc etc    … Expand
  18. hogamer33
    Sep 1, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all I would like to express my good feeling for the Baldo The Guardian Owls. Love the game's puzzles, character's design and sound track. Unfortunately there were quite many bugs and errors in this game and spoiled the mood of the gamers. It's quite frustrating and disappointing in the middle of gaming. And worst you may not complete the games due to major bugs. Here are the bugs issues in my Nintendo switch for Baldo The Guardian Owls:
    Major Bug Issues: Owl Bomb Quest NOT able to complete : Major bug that lever was not correct. I have received the lever for the sewers and fixed it by the blacksmith. But it kept prompting me that I did not have the right lever. (Major bug)
    Major / Minor Bug Issues:
    Save games: Sometimes Coins and Energy Orbs will become zero: I will have to restart again to get back my original coins and energy orbs.
    Kidoge Village Side Quest : Not able to locate the 2nd Chicken at Laddina's Farm
    Savoca Prison Puzzle: There are invisible walls to lure the skeleton enter the 3 cages (Need to hold item to bypass the bugs and able to get into the cages)
    Savoca Prison Treasure: There is an invisible wall to get the treasure. (Need to hold some items to bypass the bugs and be able to get into the cages)
    Moiro's Carnival: Not able to get the treasure chest after completing the tasks.
    Bobo Temple: Invisible hole near the entrance, once Boldo falls down I have to use Song of the Wind to escape or restart the game.These were my own findings but I believe I have some more issues from the gamer's community. My personal view for Baldo The Guardian Owls is quite high potential to be the top game with awards. Sadly if not with the major and many minor bugs issues, unfriendly map viewing, and items control used experiences. Would like to suggest hiring a game tester to play the games before launching the game since it already took so long to produce, why not make it complete without major/minor bug issues. Looking forward for the new patch update for the solution. I hope it will not spoil the save games and I have to replay the whole game again : (    … Expand
  19. Jbrum03
    Sep 10, 2021
    1
    A waste of time and money. Monotonous quests. Lack of direction. Ridiculous bugs that make it hard to persevere. The charming graphics can only cover up so many blemishes. Bless the developers for taking on such an ambitious task, but I can’t sugar coat how disappointing this all was. I feel guilty for hyping it up so much to friends. No one in my circle is too stoked on what theyA waste of time and money. Monotonous quests. Lack of direction. Ridiculous bugs that make it hard to persevere. The charming graphics can only cover up so many blemishes. Bless the developers for taking on such an ambitious task, but I can’t sugar coat how disappointing this all was. I feel guilty for hyping it up so much to friends. No one in my circle is too stoked on what they purchased. We all love Ghibli and we all love Zelda, but I have no love for this game… Expand
  20. MarioBaldo
    Sep 12, 2021
    0
    Completely broken game! The worst thing is the developers who downplay bugs and blame gamers.
  21. MattMarySenn92
    Sep 12, 2021
    0
    I am disgusted with this game. Too many bugs, it's unplayable. Even Nintendo is granting refunds for too many complaints.
  22. mepphy
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    Baldo Is the perfect of how wrong the new generations of players Is Game Is fine, a Legend of Zelda 2D inspired game with some changes to make It "modern"
    Puzzle are well balanced, graphic Is fine.
    Battle system Is ok, but people Just love to complain when games actually try to test them ... A real shame, 7/10 but i give It more because 0/10 Is stupid
  23. Falejo99
    Aug 29, 2021
    10
    wonderful adventure, in which since you enter you will not be able to leave, one of the best games that have come out this year on the switch
  24. Rooee
    Aug 29, 2021
    10
    Great game. Very challenging yes.. but if you love zelda style games and are up for puzzles and adventure then this game is for you. Really hard not to fall in love with the NPCs too, so many quirky characters. Great soundtrack. Runs perfectly fine for me on the Switch!
  25. kingofgames
    Aug 30, 2021
    10
    The game plays like a zelda and looks gorgeous, a good mix of Ghibli inspired scenery with ni no kuni inspired cell shaded characters. Puzzles are not obvious and will challenge you at times, music is by far some of the best I've heard in this genre. For the price it's a no brainer if you like those kind of games.
  26. Betakarotin2
    Aug 29, 2021
    1
    This game is nothing was I thought it would be. I hoped for a zelda/ninokuni hybrid. What I got is an annoying anime dark souls.
  27. Cbogdan
    Aug 30, 2021
    1
    This game is clunky, slow-moving, full of bugs, and all around not fun to play. It plays like a beta testing game - I can’t believe they released it in this state. Literally unplayable. The only redeeming quality is the graphics.
  28. Tarrahubert
    Sep 1, 2021
    4
    This game has such potential but is a complete disaster. Starting with losing your earned heart containers & orbs upon saving and reentering the game. Things to collect are landing where you cannot reach, more specifically because there’s no jump option. Fighting is a joke when you die in one hit. Creatures should become harder throughout the game, not be nearly impossible from the start.This game has such potential but is a complete disaster. Starting with losing your earned heart containers & orbs upon saving and reentering the game. Things to collect are landing where you cannot reach, more specifically because there’s no jump option. Fighting is a joke when you die in one hit. Creatures should become harder throughout the game, not be nearly impossible from the start. I haven’t seen a way to replenish hearts. No obvious direction in this game making it difficult to navigate. What a disappointment.… Expand
  29. Moates86
    Aug 29, 2021
    10
    Look, two people made this game. Is there some quirks? Absolutely! Is it a bad game? Absolutely NOT. I’m enjoying it. The combat is tough, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t bad. Combat is no worse than an OG Zelda game. People expecting AAA stuff here, just needs to not rate it. The developers have been at this game for over 10 years and I’m digging. It feels old school andLook, two people made this game. Is there some quirks? Absolutely! Is it a bad game? Absolutely NOT. I’m enjoying it. The combat is tough, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t bad. Combat is no worse than an OG Zelda game. People expecting AAA stuff here, just needs to not rate it. The developers have been at this game for over 10 years and I’m digging. It feels old school and unforgiving. Honestly, I like that about a game.… Expand
  30. MJ3000
    Aug 31, 2021
    2
    Graphics and soundtrack are awesome, the game itself is a clunky mess. The difficulty is exaggerated, enemies are unfair and unforgiving, the game design is pretty bad. Controlling Baldo feels clunky and imprecise and there are many cheap deaths. You'll die hundreds of times that it becomes annoying. There are also game breaking bugs that you can't proceed and you have to start from theGraphics and soundtrack are awesome, the game itself is a clunky mess. The difficulty is exaggerated, enemies are unfair and unforgiving, the game design is pretty bad. Controlling Baldo feels clunky and imprecise and there are many cheap deaths. You'll die hundreds of times that it becomes annoying. There are also game breaking bugs that you can't proceed and you have to start from the beginning. In the current state, the game is not worth the money!… Expand
  31. avisekai
    Sep 3, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. they didnt QA this crap, i found a massive problem with the game and antil they fix it you should not buy it spoilers a had but its also a warning if you have the game:

    so im in the bobo pit (one of the last places in the game), and there are 3 keys and 4 locks, one of those locks have 2 more keys behind it , so if you waste your 3 keys on the 3 wrong locks like i did your game is wasted and you can't finish it, i found out about it after looking all day for the 4 missing key and when i gave up and looked on youtube i found out i choose the wrong locks to open and now i cant go back,its also an easy fix, some of the chest have a 10 dindi or 5 orbs in them (which is usless at that point) just switch its content with one of the keys blocked by the lock that have 2 keys behind it , are the developers monkeys? (link omitted per site rules)    … Expand
  32. 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
  33. Ebly1
    Aug 29, 2021
    10
    Hermoso juego es cierto que el combate hay que pulirlo un poco pero es muy disfrutable tanto por su precio y su gran duracion
  34. Mickey777
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    If you love old school zelda games and don’t mind a bit of a challenge, get this game! It’s fun and charming. For those who want a simpler game this might be a bit difficult cause the game does not hold your hands at all and it can be unclear at times what you’re supposed to do. But overall the difficulty does not seem unfair or unbalanced. Overall, a very fun experience
  35. enp27
    Aug 30, 2021
    10
    Very but very fun it has it hiccups but I'm really enjoying the challenge and exploration. Not made for everyone. Combat is hard but you have to learn to hit and run and parry and roll to avoid damage.
  36. Michele832
    Aug 29, 2021
    0
    This is a Fraud! 0 Tutorial, 0 Story, input lag delay in commands, You can die and fall at anytime due hidden holes or bad enemy hit boxes.

    They throw you in the first dungeon without any weapon or shield and after clearing the first dungeon you are not awarded with anything,, noto even an heart. I was attracted by the studio ghibli style and beautiful and colorful graphics BUT BEWARE! if    This is a Fraud! 0 Tutorial, 0 Story, input lag delay in commands, You can die and fall at anytime due hidden holes or bad enemy hit boxes.

    They throw you in the first dungeon without any weapon or shield and after clearing the first dungeon you are not awarded with anything,, noto even an heart.
    I was attracted by the studio ghibli style and beautiful and colorful graphics BUT BEWARE! if you love ZELDA , DO NOT BUY THIS!    … Expand
  37. Thephilisopher
    Aug 31, 2021
    1
    Beautiful art direction weighed down by glitches and inopportune moments of frustration. A game inspired by studio ghibli and Zelda influences that fails to execute is an insult to the community. This is and should only be an Apple Arcade game not released on other consoles. Unless a patch fixes these issues stay clear. The gameplay is clunky, response times are sluggish and being one shotBeautiful art direction weighed down by glitches and inopportune moments of frustration. A game inspired by studio ghibli and Zelda influences that fails to execute is an insult to the community. This is and should only be an Apple Arcade game not released on other consoles. Unless a patch fixes these issues stay clear. The gameplay is clunky, response times are sluggish and being one shot by enemies is tedious. Who ever approved this game to be released on consoles needs to be checked… Expand
  38. toho2000
    Aug 31, 2021
    10
    C'è una parola per descrivere questo gioco: meraviglioso, semplicemente meraviglioso e non riesco a capire la follia collettiva di chi lo ha bollato come un pessimo gioco; per potermelo godere a pieno io ne ho addirittura comprate due versioni una per XBOX Series X ed una per Switch e questo la dice lunga su quanto lo sto apprezzando. Vorrei definirlo capolavoro, ed esteticamente lo èC'è una parola per descrivere questo gioco: meraviglioso, semplicemente meraviglioso e non riesco a capire la follia collettiva di chi lo ha bollato come un pessimo gioco; per potermelo godere a pieno io ne ho addirittura comprate due versioni una per XBOX Series X ed una per Switch e questo la dice lunga su quanto lo sto apprezzando. Vorrei definirlo capolavoro, ed esteticamente lo è senza ombra di dubbio, per quanto riguarda il gioco in se stesso è comunque molto apprezzabile, le meccaniche di gioco sono in alcuni casi complesse e richiedono un lento adattamento, la mappa è fin troppo precisa, per me è perfetta così, ed alcuni potrebbero trovarla stucchevole ma quella di Diablo III, tanto per dirne una, è veramente schematica e indecente, il gioco è dettagliato fino all'inverosimile entrando in un luogo qualsiasi ci si perde nell'osservare tutto quello che c'è all'interno e ci si potrebbe distrarre perdendo di vista lo scopo dell'essere lì, ma chi interessa una stanza con sole 4 pareti? Qualcuno dice che il gioco è pieno di bug, niente di più falso, non ce ne sono di bug, su Cyberpunk ce ne sono, anche adesso, ma non qui, è vero si muore spesso ma che importanza ha se ricompari sempre esattamente nel luogo in cui sei morto? Non devi rifarti Km come in Dark Souls devi solo riprovare e stare più attento, il gioco non è mai ingiusto, se muori è perchè andavi di fretta e non hai visto il buco nel pavimento o non hai notato il nemico nascosto nell'angolo, se pretendete di finirlo prima degli altri solo per poter pubblicare qualcosa morirete un milione di volte, siete in un Dungeon da risolvere? Entrate in un luogo, aperto o chiuso, fermatevi un attimo a riflettere guardate cosa c'è intorno e poi muovetevi, questo gioco và giocato lentamente anche perchè è facile perdersi qualcosa e poi devi tornare a cercarlo; ricordate il primo RE? Ogni stanza un enigma, qui lo stesso, alcuni banali altri più complessi, ma tutti risolvibili, forse chi ha scritto recensioni negative è abituato a giocare solo FIFA o COD, e chi lo definisce difficile non sa di cosa parla, manovrabilità difficile? Ma quando mai, controlli lenti? Ma di che parlate? Effetti sonori ritardati? Ma che avete bevuto? Che gioco avete giocato? Le recensioni negative sono solo preconcette, è un gioco che parte lento ma dopo aver finito il primo Dungeon, il Galeone, prende immediatamente quota, io ne ho risolti 6 su 11 e 28 Torri dei Gufi su 50 e c'è sempre qualcosa da scoprire, i Boss finali sono addirittura banali nella loro semplicità, è come Zelda: si fatica molto ad arrivare lì quindi il Boss non è un massacro, filosofia corretta a mio avviso. Non è stato recensito dalle più grandi testate i geni di Multiplayer si sono giustificati dicendo che non glielo hanno mandato...compraselo no eh? Fare come facciamo tutti che spendiamo soldi per giocare è troppo per questi signori dalla puzza sotto il naso? Tirate fuori i dindini signori belli e giocatelo, e qui c'è un'altra nota dolente: questo gioco è il più venduto su tutte le Console, in testa a tutte le classifiche di vendita ed al di fuori dell'Italia è apprezzatissimo, perchè qui ci sputiamo sopra? Non parlo per campanilismo, lo ripeto, questo gioco è meraviglioso e non ha alcun difetto tra quelli segnalati, vien solo da dire che chi lo ha giocato e maltrattato capisca poco o nulla di VG o che semplicemente sia in malafede. Ho letto qui sotto un tizio che parla del primo Dingeon: è vero entri senza armi ma in ogni stanza c'è tutto quello che serve per liberarti dei nemici, vasi da lanciare, anfore per schiacciare e persino teschi da usare com corpi contundenti, e la capriola che risolve tutto? La volgiamo usare? Ma di che parli su, e comunque su fa presto a trovare la spada e se prima avete comprato lo scudo al negozio quel Dungeon diventa persino banale, quindi è ovvio che chi ha scritto queste cose non conosce i VG o non sa giocare, perciò che ne parliamo a fare? E' sicuramente da avere lo apprezzerete se lo affronterete col giusto spirito, se non avrete fretta di finirlo, se vi fermerete ad ammirare gli scenari, se farete la mille cose da fare, le innumerevoli missioni secondarie, gli straordinari personaggi che incontrerete, i mille enigmi da risolvere, mai banali e tutti diversi e, cosa più importante, l'enorme esaltazione che dà il finire un Dungeon portando con voi il giusto premio...i cuori? Li avrete non preoccupatevi ma dovete guadagnarveli, quando sono entrato nella Caverna del primo Dungeon avevo già comprato lo scudo, una filetta di pane e trovato un quarto cuore, se non sapete di cosa parlate state zitti, non straparlate di cose che non conoscete ecco cos'è Baldo: una gioia per gli occhi e non meno di 50 ora di puro divertimento, altro che le 5 o 6 necessarie per finire RE Village, che qualche poveraccio ha pagato all'uscita 80 euro… Expand
  39. marcJohu
    Aug 29, 2021
    2
    Viel zu schwer (Hits der Gegner nicht verhältnissmässig zum Stand im Spiel) was nur durch die plumpe und träge Steuerung verstärkt wird. Perspektive oft unübersichtlich was dazu führt das man oft ohne es zu merken in denn Tot rennt. Leider eine herbe Enttäuschung
  40. WeReview4U
    Sep 7, 2021
    9
    Let me start saying people who say bad things about this game are just casual non zelda player that's it. Zelda player from Link to the past or Ocarina will love this game so much as I did in my 75 hours of gameplay. This game shines, it is not perfect, sure but it's an incredible adventure, well designed dungeons and amazing graphic. I loved so much every second of it
  41. robomartion
    Nov 13, 2021
    8
    I don't know of it's because I am playing an updated version but I have had none of the problems others are speaking of. Baldo is the first decent new game I have played in years. And I mean almost a decade. I just think it's sick and sad that a beautiful game with genuinely satisfying gameplay with challenging puzzles that is the closest thing to a real Zelda we have got in more than 10I don't know of it's because I am playing an updated version but I have had none of the problems others are speaking of. Baldo is the first decent new game I have played in years. And I mean almost a decade. I just think it's sick and sad that a beautiful game with genuinely satisfying gameplay with challenging puzzles that is the closest thing to a real Zelda we have got in more than 10 years and gets absolutely panned by critics and gamers alike.

    I see no connection to Dark Souls whatsoever here and have played every single one of them. If you think this game is even remotely difficult you are just bad at video games. The only glaring flaw in the game is the user interface which looks very placeholderish. Other than that the music is superb, the graphics are sharp and have a very strong aesthetic and the dungeon gameplay is better even than Link's Awakening with puzzles actually being difficult and don't just feel like going through the motions. That Is an achievement in itself that shows this developer actually has an eye for gameplay and game design which is something that seems to have been forgotten in this day and age.

    I think you all need to take a look at yourselves in the mirror and wonder why all you get today is remake after remake when you absolutely trash a brand new 3D adventure like this from a new developer because of some bugs (which now seem to have been fixed) or because you failed to pick up on obvious game cues and kept dying. "I died because I ran off the edge of a cliff "(what did you expect morons?)

    Speaking of remakes why did you all absolutely **** on the Diablo II remake after begging for it for 10 years? You guys are so terminally allergic to the slightest hiccup in a game that you have the knee jerk reaction of laying a great big turd on the whole thing in its entirety and then would rather polish and play that turd instead of dealing with a glitch or a bug in an otherwise brilliant game. This is the same reason Prey failed and the developer quit the studio he founded altogether. I just have to shake my head at you people. Since you couldn't possibly play this absolute train wreck of a game I can recommend Hot Wheels Unleashed. That might be more your speed.    … Expand
  42. Nasholo
    Sep 13, 2021
    0
    Shoddy design, hundreds of bugs does not allow the player to enjoy the experience. Controls are laggy, gameplay is repetitive and seems like it was released in a prealpha condition. The only positive reviews are coming from italian media, which is not a big surprise since italy is the developers country of origin.
  43. pgerhard
    Oct 26, 2021
    9
    I give it a 9 because no game is ever perfect and I understand some of the frustrations people are having. For me this is the best game I have played in 2021, It's so immersive, I have put 35 hours into the game so far. The Dungeons and puzzles are some of the best I have played. Reminding me of my first playthrough of Link's Awakening. The game is vast and interesting. The challenge isI give it a 9 because no game is ever perfect and I understand some of the frustrations people are having. For me this is the best game I have played in 2021, It's so immersive, I have put 35 hours into the game so far. The Dungeons and puzzles are some of the best I have played. Reminding me of my first playthrough of Link's Awakening. The game is vast and interesting. The challenge is real but if you learn the patterns and pay attention to them, there is a way to beat every single creature in the game.

    There is no hand-holding? There is! But not as much as what we are used to maybe, for instance, I did not know what the orbs are used for, but since I collected a lot I never found myself unable to use fast teleport.

    The game has opted for realism. You are an underpowered, weak young boy BUT brave and bold (baldo in Italian), and use these qualities to compensate for the lack of stamina and strength. So the pots are heavy and walking through a pond is difficult and you are slowed down: Either you embrace the philosophy of the game, or you don't (and you then have all the nasty reviews I really don't understand).

    If you give the game a chance there is really an amazing game here. The developers have fixed the bugs and have introduced quality of life improvements. Maybe in a few years, people will open their hearts/eyes? In the meantime, I am enjoying and dread (pun intended) the moment it will be the end, and I'll have nothing to play.    … Expand
  44. Mikogami
    Sep 21, 2021
    10
    The game is absolutely amazing and very magical and the developers are awesome. I can’t wait for a second game. ^..^
  45. Donny85
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    Very nice game. I've been spending hours and hours and I'm still have al lot of things to do. Most of the bugs have been solved.
  46. Pizarrator
    May 14, 2022
    10
    En mi humilde opinión, este juego es una obra maestra. No entiendo muy bien por qué tiene tan mala nota. El juego no es perfecto, pero poco a poco con los parches lo va siendo. Es una joya oculta y es una pena que tan poca gente lo pruebe por tener malas críticas.
  47. yand
    Oct 10, 2021
    6
    Прошёл Baldo: The Guardian Owls за 63 часа.
    За красивой картинкой скрывается абсолютный клон ранних Зельд, максимально недружественный к игрокам. Все элементы геймплея до боли знакомы, но не доведены до ума. В игру сложно начать играть и также сложно её не бросить. Постоянно приходится догадываться, что делать дальше, как это пройти, куда идти, зачем это вообще и пригодится ли потом.    Прошёл Baldo: The Guardian Owls за 63 часа.
    За красивой картинкой скрывается абсолютный клон ранних Зельд, максимально недружественный к игрокам. Все элементы геймплея до боли знакомы, но не доведены до ума. В игру сложно начать играть и также сложно её не бросить. Постоянно приходится догадываться, что делать дальше, как это пройти, куда идти, зачем это вообще и пригодится ли потом. Разрабы добавили подсказки по каждому заданию, которые можно получить за деньги в городской библиотеке. Я ими редко пользовался, в итоге десяток заданий так и не выполнил, полные комплекты оружия и брони не собрал. Да оно и не требуется для прохождения.
    Если мало жизней, рядовые враги практически всегда могут убить героя, даже если вы знаете их слабые места. Так как трёх сердец жизней на старте и до половины игры крайне мало, умирать будете каждые две минуты. В игре приличные боссы, кроме финального, со многими из них придётся повозиться.
    В общем, Baldo получилась очень неоднозначной. На каждый плюс полтора минуса. Странное повествование, неадекватная сложность, затянутые подземелья, неочевидные решения. А ещё полностью слитая концовка. Разработчики старались, но опыта на всю игру им не хватило. Тем не менее, поставлю ей 6 из 10.    … Expand
  48. Kwar
    Sep 2, 2021
    7
    Ok so I LOVE this game. The music. The art. The owls! The challenge too. It would be an automatic 10, but yes the bugs. I had a bug at the beginning of the game about 2 hours in and I had to start a brand new game. And there's more. I'm stuck somewhere else now much further into the game from a horrible bug. Please developers take the time to play through your game before you release it.Ok so I LOVE this game. The music. The art. The owls! The challenge too. It would be an automatic 10, but yes the bugs. I had a bug at the beginning of the game about 2 hours in and I had to start a brand new game. And there's more. I'm stuck somewhere else now much further into the game from a horrible bug. Please developers take the time to play through your game before you release it. Cause this game is that good. I shouldn't be the one testing it for y'all. Such a shame. So 7. Not 10. But should be a 10 IMO. I love it.… Expand
  49. Kaiwibot
    Dec 5, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Struggled though the whole buggy game and probably have an ulcer now out of frustration. It seemed like a game with such huge potential if they had just taken more time to iron out all the kinks. I loved the look of the game and the characters. The cat town was adorable and a lot of the side quests were fun but the difficult and buggy dungeons and combat made it difficult to enjoy especially after paying such well designed dungeon games like Zelda. Then after all the hard work and 50+ hours THAT was the ending? He was sleeping the whole time?! Feel like we must all be getting trolled. I couldn’t help but just laugh about how truly horrible that ending was. Why not just have us back in the little owl village being congratulated by all the cute owls for defeating the villain? Anything would have been better than that ending.… Expand
  50. Asdrubbale
    Oct 3, 2021
    6
    After reading too many absurdly negative reviews and playing this game for about 20 hours, I feel the need to write what I think. Although it had some objective flaws such as disabling bugs at release, the game was fixed in the following days. However, these defects cannot prevent a positive evaluation of a title with refined artistic expression and complex and sometimes difficultAfter reading too many absurdly negative reviews and playing this game for about 20 hours, I feel the need to write what I think. Although it had some objective flaws such as disabling bugs at release, the game was fixed in the following days. However, these defects cannot prevent a positive evaluation of a title with refined artistic expression and complex and sometimes difficult gameplay. This game represents an act of love, more evident towards the Ghibli studio and Zelda, but also towards the entire world of video games of the past.… Expand
  51. Sam195
    Sep 8, 2021
    5
    After a couple of days of really hating this game and feeling sad for what this game could have bin, I began to see this game in a different light.

    The movement and controll of your character is horrible. The Enemies are unfair and relentless. The puzzles are difficult, confusing and sometimes make no sense at all. The map is completely useless. The UI is not very practical and also looks    After a couple of days of really hating this game and feeling sad for what this game could have bin, I began to see this game in a different light.

    The movement and controll of your character is horrible. The Enemies are unfair and relentless. The puzzles are difficult, confusing and sometimes make no sense at all. The map is completely useless. The UI is not very practical and also looks to be designed to work against the player. Basically every mechanic in this game is broken and unfair in it's design. It is like they're doing everything they can to prevent you from having fun.

    And yet I'm having tons of fun playing this game. Room after room. Getting lost, backtracking and dying, lot's of dying and then some more dying. I frustratingly curse this hellish game and it's untalented programmer to hell, while my girlfriend laugh's her ass off everytime something unfair is happening to me.

    From time to time everything clicks together in my mind. I get calm and focused and turn into Neo from the matrix with spidersenses. Flawless I kill every annoying unfair and unpredictable enemy in the room or solve that unsolveble puzzle. I feel awesome!!!! Untill i go into the next room to be struck down again.. But that is part of the fun.

    The fantastic music and the beautiful environment sounds and looks amazing. There is some real talent here. I want to press on, see how ridiculously bad or unfair it can get, already feeling proud of my gaming bragging rights yet to achieve. I love to hate this game and love to beat it! Opening a door and dying right away is stupidly hilarious. Getting five Hindi after twenty tries emptying a room is infuriating and fun at the same time. It's just funny to put in a tremendous amount of effort to achieve anything in this game and getting the lamest reward possible. It is a struggle and the reward is only in my mind.

    As of now this product is not finished. Bugs are plenty. But Team Craps is working on it, patching and taping things up as we go along. 15 years of development and then they release an unfinished product. Why this is the new trend in gaming is beyond me. But we'll keep rewarding developers for unpolished and unfinished work, even make excuses for their bad work. If you like torture and great atmosphere like me, you will have fun to!    … Expand
  52. Kraid96
    Sep 22, 2021
    7
    Baldo is a 90s style game like no longer seen around. it has some flaws regarding the combat system (woody and unbalanced), but the fights are not very present and the game overs do not punish. each death is therefore similar to a respawn in the immediate vicinity. the map is not of good visualization but it is difficult to get lost in that world as it is very small. otherwise an adventureBaldo is a 90s style game like no longer seen around. it has some flaws regarding the combat system (woody and unbalanced), but the fights are not very present and the game overs do not punish. each death is therefore similar to a respawn in the immediate vicinity. the map is not of good visualization but it is difficult to get lost in that world as it is very small. otherwise an adventure very similar to that of 2D Zelda awaits you, full of puzzles and mysteries that will always make you want to play.… Expand
  53. Striptofaner
    Sep 23, 2021
    10
    This is the kind of game that you will hate or will love. I truly love it. I understand negative reviews, i was skeptic too at the beginning, seeing that i already died a lot in the first hour of play. Then you get the grasp of the tricky point of view, game mechanics and everything. Suddenly dieing isn't a problem anymore, in fact you often use it to regain some hearts. And you start toThis is the kind of game that you will hate or will love. I truly love it. I understand negative reviews, i was skeptic too at the beginning, seeing that i already died a lot in the first hour of play. Then you get the grasp of the tricky point of view, game mechanics and everything. Suddenly dieing isn't a problem anymore, in fact you often use it to regain some hearts. And you start to enjoy this beatiful looking game. It's a difficult game, without any tip or help except the research you can do at the library. In this recent years of gaming, where you are walked through a game almost by hand, it's a breath of fresh air. You have to really struggle to solve puzzles, monster don't get too much easy when you "level up". It's a game i don't hurry to finish, though i play every time i get the chance.… Expand
  54. sjmartian
    Sep 30, 2021
    9
    Despite its few flaws at the beginning (glitches etc) this game is visually stunning and has a really interesting storyline
  55. KeepItToUrself
    Nov 9, 2021
    3
    TL;DR:
    Baldo has some potential, but it needs another 15 years of development before I could even think about recommending it.
    PROs: - looks good (some facial expressions are awkward but other than that it looks okay) - good music - some interesting looking side characters (the frog bard, the cat witch, ...) - relatively long game CONs: - boring story (think "Our princess is in    TL;DR:
    Baldo has some potential, but it needs another 15 years of development before I could even think about recommending it.

    PROs:
    - looks good (some facial expressions are awkward but other than that it looks okay)
    - good music
    - some interesting looking side characters (the frog bard, the cat witch, ...)
    - relatively long game

    CONs:
    - boring story (think "Our princess is in another castle")
    - most abrupt and unsatisfying ending in gaming history (You land the final blow on the bad guy, then there is a super short animation and then it just says "the end". This is NOT a finished game, guys.)
    - unfair fights (not "hard" as in Hollow Knight or Dark Souls, just unfair)
    - no game balance (there are regular enemies that look like robotic owls that you fight over and over, but they are harder than the final boss)
    - bad hit boxes
    - input delay (even on the world map and in the quest log)
    - BUGS, oh so many bugs (Just to name one: There is a certain room where you have to kill 3 ghosts in order to progress. I needed approx. 20 attempts, because the ghosts either got stuck in a wall somewhere or just didn't spawn at all.)
    - characters are boring other than their looks (after finishing a quest, the NPC that gave you the quest will just repeat his quest text over and over, like you never did the quest)
    - horrible sound effects (doesn't matter if you kill a spider, or a rat or a big tentacle, they all sound the same)
    - LOUD sound effects (opening chests is ridiculously loud)
    - no sound options (other than master volume)
    - no graphic options (other than some blur)
    - bad UI and UX (Take the master volume slider for example. You would think that "right" key increases the volume and "left" key decreases the volume, correct? Well, no, that's not how it works.)
    - broken ingame economy (there is a ton of items with the only purpose to sell them for money, but for some reason you can still buy those items)
    - lots of backtracking...
    - ...and that backtracking doesn't even pay off, as enemies won't drop any items 90% of the time
    - ...and that backtracking takes forever because Baldo doesn't have any stamina    … Expand
  56. 1cosmos
    Mar 17, 2022
    0
    This is not how to design a game. There are hard games and then there is Baldo, a game that is buggy, and untested, designed solely to make the players' lives miserable. Many games are hard but not unfair. Baldo is hard due to sheer stupidity of the devs and unfairness. It does not qualify for a score...

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. Hey Poor Player
    Feb 14, 2022
    70
    Baldo: The Guardian Owls may have had a rocky launch, but the issues have been cleaned up to such a degree that the low scores earned months prior don’t necessarily apply anymore. I’d recommend caution before jumping into it, however — even in a perfectly playable state, Baldo: The Guardian Owls is still a polarizing title. If you love cozy aesthetics with design choices that feel more suited for the 90s – 00s, Baldo: The Guardian Owls should definitely be on your Wishlist. If not, well… in the worst case, I’ve found it to be a fantastic cure for my insomnia.
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  2. Switch Player
    Oct 4, 2021
    70
    Baldo is a mixed bag of delights and disappointments. I don’t think it will ever become the game it should have been, but for those willing to overlook or approach with an open mind, there’s a decent game here.
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  3. Everyeye.it
    Sep 14, 2021
    55
    Ultimately it is difficult to promote Baldo, his flaws are obvious and even assuming that all the technical problems are solved by future patches, it would remain the heart of a frustrating and badly balanced experience.
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