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Who says that games need huge budgets to be successful and draw players nowadays? We're seeing more and more small studios release games that offer something many AAA titles struggle to deliver—a true connection with the players, or, let's just say, a soul.
Within the first few minutes of playing Europa, a platformer adventure set on a fictional moon in an unknown system with Earth-like conditions, I immediately felt a deep connection to the game. Those first couple of minutes were more than enough to fall in love with this gaming piece of art immediately.
In Europa, you play as a robotic boy called Zee, who arrives at the moon Europa under unknown circumstances, without any knowledge of what he is doing or how he came there in the first place. Not long after, you'll be introduced to the beautiful world of Europa: beautiful meadows full of greenery as far as the eye can see, unknown cute friendly creatures, and everything that will leave you in a state of awe, and you'll remain in this state for as long as you play this beautiful game.
Zee is a quiet boy who won't speak a single word throughout his adventure, so your comprehension of the story will be harder due to his inability to speak. However, the story will be told differently through the journal pages Zee will find exploring Europa. Since those pages are mandatory for understanding the story, the developers made sure you won't miss a single one because they are always left on the path you must take to progress through the game.
These journal pages are left by Zee's father, who was a scientist stationed at Europa from Zee's birth till he turned six. To avoid spoilers, I won't talk about the content of the pages; I will only mention that you'll discover Zee's past, his existence, and all the events that occurred on this distant moon during the time humans occupied it.
The story of Europa is very well-written, and you'll discover it step-by-step as you progress through the game. Every page reveals a new piece of the story, and in this way, the game will hook you up all the way until you finish it. I know it hooked me because I didn't let go till I saw the credits, and this was one of those games I finished in one turn.
Of course, this is possible because Europa can be finished in less than three hours, but even if it lasted much longer, I think the feeling would be the same—I wouldn't drop it until it is done.
Given that Europa is a very "peaceful" game, you won't meet any combat system or enemies to fight—make no mistake, there are enemies in this game, but you won't be fighting them, only evading their attacks. The enemies are the creatures called "gardeners," made by AI. Most of them are peaceful, but due to human intervention, some of them developed defence mechanisms.
So throughout the game, you'll meet torrents, creatures that fire projectiles at you, and bird-like creatures that drain your jetpack energy and aim to ground you; all of these will try to slow your progress. Speaking of jetpack, the main mechanic of the game is actually platforming using a jetpack-like device Zee carries on his back. With this device, he can elevate himself high in the air, provided it's filled with enough energy.
While in the air, Zee can glide and mix jetpack and gliding mechanics to reach very long distances. Apart from that, you'll platform around using different kinds of floating cubes, vortexes that can launch you into the air, vortexes that serve as accelerators during flying segments, and many more.
Platforming is, like everything else in this game, very relaxing and not so hard. Only on a couple of occasions did I find myself repeating some sequences due to missed jumps or any other usual mistakes that can be made in such games. However, it differs from any other platformer you tried because it is designed in a completely different way.
Namely, each level or stage is designed as an open area through which you have to pass to progress. Those open areas can be explored at your own leisure, and while exploring, you'll be able to find emerald crystals, which have a significant meaning at the end of the game should you find all 40 of them, special items that augment your jetpack, or already mentioned journal pages.
Apart from this, you'll solve very relaxing puzzles where, for example, you must find three wisps to open a door or activate three or four boxes; all those puzzles are very easy and will also work towards creating a relaxing atmosphere during the gameplay.
The only small flaw I can point out is the repetitiveness of platforming. In each level, the platforming sequences are somehow similar; even though they are executed differently, each time you know exactly what to do, and it all feels like you're doing the same platforming all over again.
When it comes to the game's captivating atmosphere, it's impossible not to highlight the true star that elevates it to perfection: the visual presentation. Europa is easily one of the most stunning games you'll encounter, with an absolutely breathtaking art style. Whether you're exploring lush green plains with grass swaying in the wind, where Zee nearly blends in, wandering through abandoned mines, climbing snowy mountain peaks, or soaring through vast skies, the visuals will amaze you beyond words.
Some graphical effects, like the impressive reflections that look as if they were ray-traced, even though they aren't, stand out brilliantly. The use of particle effects and lighting is also exceptional, particularly in one part of the game where Zee appears in his original form, walking through shallow water. The vivid colours surrounding him at that moment truly took my breath away.
The best part is that it performed very well on my not-so-strong PC featuring an RTX 3060 graphic card. With all settings maxed out, the game runs at 60 FPS and above without a single performance drop or anything of the sort.
Alongside the brilliantly executed visual presentation, the sound design in this game is equally impressive. While Zee is a silent protagonist, as mentioned earlier, his father—whose soothing voice reads the journal entries—adds another layer of calm to the experience. The soundtrack, too, is masterfully composed, with tracks that play as you explore Europa, enhancing the relaxing atmosphere beautifully.
Conclusion
Everything in Europa is crafted to fully immerse and relax you, which was clearly the developers' goal—and they nailed it. From start to finish, the game has a therapeutic effect, allowing you to enjoy every moment in a completely stress-free experience.
With its stunning graphics, soothing music, stress-free gameplay, and a story that's both brilliantly written and even better executed, there's little to criticise about this little gem. All that's left to do is tip your hat and say: well done, guys—give us more games like this!
The Good
Beautiful art style- Relaxing gameplay
- Well-written and engaging story
- Soothing soundtrack and sound design
- Simple but effective puzzles
- Immersive and therapeutic experience
The Bad
Short playtime (under three hours)- Platforming can get repetitive
