Baldo: The Guardian Owls

 Xbox One
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 7 out of 13

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  1. 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
  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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. Destructoid
    Sep 17, 2021
    35
    If you’re wondering why it took so long for this review to show up on Destructoid, I’ll tell you: I dreaded playing Baldo. Every night over the past three weeks, I looked down at my Xbox controller with unease, worried the next two to three hours of my life would be agonizing. And every night, that intuition turned out to be correct.
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  2. COGconnected
    Sep 3, 2021
    67
    Baldo: The Guardian Owls is an audacious release that struggles to find its own identity. Although the Studio Ghibli-esque visuals are stunning, the issues with the gameplay make this a laborious plod through a gorgeous world. With a map that lacks clarity, you will spend hours of your time haphazardly wandering the terrain in search of objectives. Fans of traditional Zeldas will enjoy the interconnected, puzzle-filled dungeons but will be left annoyed and irritated by the inconsistent combat and odd design choices.
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  3. TheXboxHub
    Sep 3, 2021
    50
    It’s not hard to imagine a game that fulfils the promise of a Legend of Zelda game set in a Studio Ghibli world, because it occasionally shines through Baldo: The Guardian Owls. But Naps Team needed an experienced hand to get more than ‘shines through’. They’ve locked so much good stuff behind terrible design decisions and a steep difficulty that your patience will run out well before the fifty hours it takes to complete Baldo, which is a crime against some fantastic art and music.
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