Thank you Tiny Meow studio for providing us with a review code!

Bura: The Way the Wind Blows was successfully Kickstarted in October of 2024. Currently it is only available on Steam, but PlayStation 5 and Switch versions are in the works. It’s inspired by Adriatic folklore tales, Studio Ghibli movies, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Bura: The Way the Wind Blows beings with you playing as a young girl named Rina. Rina loves animals and exploring. She has a ferret-like creature that’s always flying by her side, and she can also see spirit animals wandering around. The first chapter takes place in a costal Mediterranean village where Rina can swim in the ocean and use her glider to ride along wind currents. Exploration is key, but this isn’t an open world game. If you venture out too far, a gust of wind will blow you back.

The townsfolk will give you some guidance on what to do if you’re unsure. I also found a helpful YouTube video that has a complete play though done in under two hours. It took me closer to five to see the credits. Throughout the game, you’ll have to re-assemble ancient broken tablets, and revitalize multiple altars to bring harmony back to the forest.

All of the chapters will have common collectibles, including seeds (acorns) and rocks. There are rock arrows that will guide Rina, but each of the arrows is missing a stone, and you can complete them with the rocks you find. These arrows often open up gusts of wind to glide on. Acorns are used at wells, where you can unlock new abilities. Each new ability will cost more acorns to unlock. Some of the abilities include jumping higher and having your animal guide point you in the right direction for your next objective.

Rina can gather plants and herbs that will be added to her journal. There are books to collect that will supplement her journal as well. The journal records Rina’s journey and items that she has collected. The Spirit Forest has at least one logic puzzle where you have to push buttons on four different rocks in a certain order to open a locked door.

With the beginning of each new chapter, Rina will noticeably age. You get to play from her youth to her closing her eyes for the (presumably) last time. There are numerous references to spirits, and Rina is tasked with restoring balance to the places she travels to. To restore harmony, Rina will have to reactivate neglected altars by leading fireflies to them again.

The art style in Bura: The Way the Wind Blows is rather unique. It looks nice at times and incomplete at others. I like the nod to Hayao Miyazaki with the artist character named Mijo.

There is no voice acting, but the piano background music in this game is very relaxing. The sound effects are good, too.

There are some references to violence, and you’ll see a man battling against a spirit animal. No blood is shown. One of the characters says “Oh my god”; whatever god they are referring to doesn’t deserve a capital g, apparently.

Bura: The Way the Wind Blows is rated as playable on the Steam Deck. Sadly, this game doesn’t support Steam Cloud, so your progress is not transferred between devices.

If you don’t mind the spiritual elements, Bura: The Way the Wind Blows is worth checking out. I can definitely see the Studio Ghibli similarities. I haven't played enough modern Zelda games to confirm the developer's inspiration there. If you’re on the fence, there is a demo available. The asking price is reasonable and has been on sale for 25% off.