Brand-New Switch 2 Game Is Like Studio Ghibli’s Take on Zelda: Breath of the Wild

A new RPG has been announced for the Nintendo Switch 2, which looks like Studio Ghibli’s take on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game in question is Winds of Viridia, which is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and PC next year.

Developer Shark Jump has primarily released mobile games in the past, making Winds of Viridia a huge leap in ambition for the studio. It’s exciting to see a smaller developer try its hand at something this ambitious, as it lets the studio bring new ideas to the table that may not have been seen before in the genre. By the looks of it, it has nailed it, with a game that looks inspired by all the best Studio Ghibli masterpieces.

Winds of Viridia Blends Zelda Exploration With Studio Ghibli Style

Winds of Viridia was revealed during the recent Nintendo Indie World Showcase, revealing a new open-world exploration game that looks like it could have been a direct sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The world is breathtaking to look at, with a hint of anime-style cel-shaded animation that has a serious resemblance to Studio Ghibli’s style. It’s a similar story with the enemies, too – the game’s bosses look like they were pulled straight from a Ghibli movie, which is high praise. The game is planned to release in Q1 2027 for PC and Nintendo Switch 2.

Fans of open-world RPGs will feel right at home in Winds of Viridia. The world has plenty of hidden areas to explore and ancient ruins to plunder, with extensive movement mechanics where players can “roll, slide, flip and grapple” through the game world. The boss combat feels almost soulslike, though the game doesn’t seem too steeped in typical soulslike mechanics.

Explore the valley of the towering Grantree, battle grand beasts, and find out what’s driving the creatures in these forgotten lands mad. Discover secrets, make new friends, and find powerful lost relics. Take on fearsome bosses, and uncover the truth of the wild frenzy.

For those who can’t wait until 2027 to try out Winds of Viridia, there’s good news. A free demo is available now on the Nintendo eShop and Steam, letting players see whether it lives up to the hype. It’s definitely a show of confidence by developer Shark Jump.

It’s difficult to overlook the impact of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game wasn’t just massive for the Zelda franchise, but for open-world games as a whole, with plenty of games inspired by Breath of the Wild arriving in the years after. It will be very interesting to see whether Winds of Viridia can be the game that takes the formula to the next level.

Systems

Released

2027

Developer(s)

Shark Jump, Matt Trobbiani

Publisher(s)

Shark Jump

Number of Players

Single-player

Steam Deck Compatibility

Unknown

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