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As has been the case for so many games of late, the Studio Ghibli-inspired Zelda-like Baldo: The Guardian Owls has seen a significant delay from its initial planned release of Summer 2020. There’s still no update on its current “TBD” release date, but now we at least have lots of new gameplay footage to demonstrate the beautiful anime-esque world in action.

IGN has uploaded two new gameplay videos for Baldo with a combined runtime of around 25 minutes. Zelda fans in particular will be pleased to see some familiar elements, including a talking owl, a magical musical instrument, and breakable pots. You can rest easy if you’re anxious about stumbling upon major story events, as the videos have been cut specifically to avoid showing spoilers as stated by the opening disclaimers.

In the first video, protagonist Baldo is greeted by his friend Luna, who tells him his grandpa is looking for him. Baldo is also seen engaging in some sidequests across Kidoge Village, including finding a lady’s missing chickens. When Baldo and Luna fall into a pit and land in some old ruins, they discover a talking owl who goes by Enore the Traveller, who teaches Baldo the Owl Song to play on his newly acquired Guardian’s Horn. A number of shops are also visited, and the video ends with what appears to be a boss fight in a dungeon known as The Lost Galleon (which Baldo’s grandpa had been searching for throughout his life).
 

 
Next up, Baldo and Luna explore Haneko Plain, wherein Baldo must engage in combat with roaming enemies. He can tell Luna, who automatically follows Baldo in his adventure, to stay put when there’s danger ahead. Baldo uses the Owl Song he learned in the previous video to awaken a large statue, and learns the “Song of the Wind” by a singing frog called Ranotto that allows him to fast travel across the land through portals. The duo also encounter the Great Moiro, a jester promoting his nearby nighttime carnival, which is apparently where Baldo can acquire a Crossbow of Light. Finally, on his way to rescuing Luna (who has fallen down a well and injured herself), Baldo meets another companion, Junpei, who is looking for his lost dog, and more locations are teased including an underground section, a beach, and Maluna’s Villa (which looks like a haunted house).
 

 
While there is still no specific release date for Baldo: The Guardian Owls, the description of both videos state that Baldo is “coming soon” to Nintendo Switch and other platforms.
 

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Written by Reece Heather

A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!