I have a soft spot for a game with a good twist. A narrative switcher that lets you go deeper into the story than where you want to go. knight witch It’s one such game that I didn’t like at first but eventually won me over.
Knight Witch is a 2D Metroidvania packed with flick-hell action. It follows the adventures of Rayne, the fifth member of a group of powerful magical warriors who gained notoriety for saving the world’s population from extinction, taking them underground after a grueling battle against technologically advanced golems.
At first, the game was slow and it didn’t really bother me. The original premise was a typical magical girl story, in which a green (but warm) witch tries to live up to the example of her seasoned peers and win people’s hearts, but fails to captivate. I won’t hide my general disinterest in the genre; any fiction I’ve read or seen that conforms to the archetype is a critique of the genre, intentionally subverting expectations.
However, just an hour or two into the game, the game begins to revise the knight-witch’s glittery livery–choosing what your character and their predecessors in the world accept, and what it actually means to carry people’s hopes in you shoulders.
The game offers binary choices in many ways, which have a real impact on how your character will perform in enemy-infested areas. I, always someone who digs into the “wrong options” available in games, was glad to see the game didn’t wobble on you. You might feel like a bit of a jerk, but there’s a good reason for that, and that’s a message that runs throughout the game.
Suffice it to say, Knight Witch breaks free from regularity and manages to keep me invested in what’s going on. It’s not Disco Elysium, or another narrative masterpiece that the most pretentious, artistically minded gamer will root for, but it’s smart.
But what about the gameplay itself? As a knight witch, you have two attack styles. First off, magic explosions are your main source of damage to enemies. The second is spells, mana-consuming attacks drawn from six cards in a customizable spell deck. Typically, during a shootout in The Knight Witch, you collect mana by building up mana through magical explosions, then cash in your mana for powerful abilities.
This spell deck is the only source of customization in The Knight Witch. With it, you can pick and choose which fighting style you want to play. I? I really like the magic blast modifier, took a copy of the hand cannon card, a reloaded spell, and filled the other slots with defense options so I could constantly keep my weapon of choice. However, the game does throw a bunch of different spells your way that can significantly change how you go about combat.
You also need to perfect your deck, as Knight Witch can be really tricky at times. The game didn’t work out. You’re thrown by the boss almost immediately, and while it’s not too much of a hassle, you can’t sleepwalk. The game unfurls a steady difficulty curve throughout, keeping you on your toes from start to finish.
There are assists to help you out, such as auto-aim fire mode, which fires off blasts with reduced damage so you can focus on moving and dodging attacks and keeping the pressure on. Enemies will also drop currency that can be exchanged for temporary armor and upgraded rest points, so you can accumulate advantages in tricky battles. Perhaps the most intriguing form of progression comes from increasing your link level, which is your main source of character advancement. You earn these by saving people in the world and making certain narrative choices, and you can change how you approach those moments accordingly.
The whole package is paired with a pleasing look, especially when it comes to aesthetics. The many areas in The Knight Witch are all different, filled with vibrant colors and intricate backgrounds. It’s a joy to watch. You’ll find this happening every now and then, especially in indie games, bringing together artists with serious talent, like their hip six-shooters. blame! Eye candy is coming straight for you before you know what hits you.
Speaking of negatives, I did run into a few bugs while playing the game, including a save file that wouldn’t load after hitting Alt-F4 midway through death (I know, I know), and my bullet direction locked in one direction . Also, while I love a good game with a short completion time, I beat the game in about 10 hours. It’s not a bad time for a passion project, especially on the merits of a year of impeccable experimentation in Signalis (the best of all games). However, you might want to keep this in mind if money is tight right now.
It’s also worth noting that a console bug discovered the day before launch delayed the launch on that platform by a full week.The game has some issues of this nature, so while there are no such destroyed My time with The Knight Witch, maybe get ready to encounter some if you pick it up when it’s released.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by Knight Witch. In an age when so many games are vying for your time and attention, a neatly packaged gift of an indie game clearly made by a team that knows what they’re doing and with a quirk you won’t find anywhere else Refreshing. While I don’t think it’s going to be a classic or make the Game of the Year lists, it’s still worth your time. Personally, I think Super Mega Team is a studio that I’ll be following from now on.
