Some video games merely ‘wow’ you from the second you’re permitted to enter their worlds, and in that regard, Mission Bloomwalker is a blessing certainly. Revealed for the primary time within the Xbox @ gamescom 2025 Broadcast, Mission Bloomwalker is a wonderful survival crafting affair set in a stunning, anime-infused land that has been corrupted – its flowers shrivelled, and its floor turned an ashy white. As a ‘Bloom Walker’, you might have the flexibility to treatment the world of this blight, utilizing your travelling caravan, a deceptively spacious home escorted by large robotic legs, housing an equally large speaking cat. It’s quirky, inviting, and incessantly magical.
Throughout a hands-on demo at gamescom, we had been invited to discover Bloomwalker’s world, and the way you’ll search to purify it. This actually is the crux of the sport. You’re not crafting to dominate the pure world – you’re there to heal it, and it feels really completely different consequently.
The demo begins together with your character fastidiously escorting their home by means of some tainted areas, utilizing its energy to slowly restore the world round it. It’s instantly inviting; the bottom round it’s restored as it really works – the terrain explodes into vibrant inexperienced, foliage and large mushrooms rework from nasty, sludgy mounds to shiny, rainbow hues – all the things right here feels deliberately positioned and ripe for exploration, which is strictly what you’ll must do.
Whereas nearly all of the world we noticed within the demo was comparatively protected (sans one assault from a large pelican), the contaminated areas require some thought to discover, including layers of puzzle to the combination. You’ll must be ready to come across enemies just like the aforementioned pelican, and enterprise into harmful, blighted elements (taking harm as you do) till you’ll be able to clear it. Fortunately, there are sources just like the Breathblossom that help you quickly breathe in these spots, however you’ll must work quick. For all of its magnificence, Mission Bloomwalker’s world will be treacherous, and it appears you’ll must brace your self for it with the intention to survive and preserve your own home shifting.
The home’s purification energy (or ‘purrification’, in keeping with our cat, Kuroru), gained’t final eternally; after a brief amble to the designated spot, we’re invited to settle the home down and begin crafting extra purification crystals. That is the useful resource that lets you preserve purifying, and it may be created from numerous gadgets scattered across the map – berries, apples, honey, and some different particular supplies like luminite.
That is the place Kettlekid is available in, a creature I can solely describe because the sentient, very hungry contents of a cauldron. Throwing your gathered sources into Kettlekid will create purification crystals, used to fill purification gauge so the home can carry on shifting. These crystals are ferried over to your own home by absolutely the spotlight of the demo – Oddlings. These tiny, squeaky balls of pure pleasure are right here that will help you, however they’ll want a little bit of care to operate successfully.
Happily, you might have a picket crafting desk (additionally outfitted with legs, naturally) at your disposal, which lets you craft little leafy beds and tents on your Oddlings to relaxation in. In a pinch, you may as well method Oddlings which are exhausted and provides them a hug, which won’t solely restore 50% of their vitality, but in addition treatment a tiny a part of your individual soul, too. It’s really cute.
Rogue Oddlings may also be came upon within the wild, both stressing out within the open or hid by a small puzzle. When you discovered them, they are often adopted and recruited into your individual Oddling military. Whereas they’re a pleasure to have round anyway, constructing a bigger group additionally expedites some automated crafting actions (like getting crystals from Kettlekid over to the home). There’s a touch of manufacturing unit sim beneath all of the loveliness.
Your individual ambling home is really spectacular; the quaint little cottage, whereas small on the surface, homes a pocket dimension of types – a whimsical, celestial-themed bed room filled with glowing trinkets and cute decorations. It’s really superb the primary time you notice that it’s larger on the within than the surface, with no loading display screen or transition. The eye to design is basically felt right here – I spent a great jiffy peering into spherical terrariums and zooming into the partitions to soak up each magical element. It’s additionally the place you’ll come to talk to Kuroru about what’s happening, orienting you in your subsequent purpose.
Even with simply a short while in Mission Bloomwalker, I’m completely entranced by its whimsical panorama and characters, and its poignant premise.
