WitchSpring R PC Review
Summary: A simple and enjoyable RPG that works great on Steam Deck. The game hides within an enchanted forest so deep that almost no one has heard of it. It's a pity – hopefully the title's console release will change anything about this.
3.5
Hocus-pocus!
Being a witch is not a simple thing. Being a gluttonous witch appears even worse. But worst of all is that you are the heroine of a game that no one has heard of.
WitchSpring R tells the story of a young witch named Pieberry. She has but one goal: to eat as much pie as she can. She lives in the forest, hiding from the knights of the holy church who hunt witches. One day a golden opportunity comes to leave the shelter and explore the outside world – and the protagonist takes it.
The plot seems quite shallow at first glance, but it quickly turns out to be more to this than meets the eye. At the same time, the scenario remains hilarious, and characters in the story are lovable and nicely animated.
Pieberry cooks magical meals, crafts spells and – above all – fights knights and monsters lurking in the trees. Turn-based combat is an essential part of the game. Our potential enemies are placed in luminous circles. Once the protagonist steps into a circle, the statistics of an opponent – or, much often, opponents – are displayed. From now on, the player can decide whether to start the brawl or retreat.
Well done, well done – the possibility of choice is always better than the lack of it. Not surprisingly, combat is necessary for Pieberry’s progression, so she needs to exchange blows with opponents, but at least the player can avoid situations when the protagonist willy-nilly becomes a whipping boy (or girl).
Brawls turned out to be more compelling and satisfying than I expected. Naturally, the more the character fights, the stronger she becomes. But she by no means acts alone – she tames creatures that become her brothers in arms. Apart from that, there is an option to ride these animals, which increases map traversal speed.
WitchSpring R can be classified as a purebred RPG, which shyly suggests that combat points are not enough and some other complexities surrounding character development are unavoidable. This seems to be true: the player needs to increase a few additional stats, such as mental or physical ones. That sounds complex, but reality says otherwise: the witch can develop both of these parameters by means of training, which takes the form of simple arcade minigames.
The story and combat system prove enjoyable. At the same time, there is one thing in particular which I don’t like about the game: the unnecessary violence. In WitchSpring R one can defeat bunches of annoying knights or menacing monsters, and I have no problem with that. The problem begins when the protagonist shoots arrows at totally vulnerable fluffy bunnies. Why? For meat. Are such mechanics necessary in such a cute game? I don’t think so – in my estimation, this element deprives the title of its “coziness”.
WitchSpring R has pleasing graphics with eye-catching locations and interesting character design. But not everything looks cute there: personally, I don’t like the main protagonist’s appearance. I’m a non-fan of hypersexualisation of women (in the anime industry – or anywhere else).
I played WitchSpring R on Steam Deck. The game’s status on Valve’s PC is “verified”, and I confirm it: both graphics and controls perform perfectly; no issues occurred on my Deck. The title works straight out of the box on the device and there is no need to adjust anything – unless, of course, you want to.
The game has a full voiceover. Unfortunately, no English dubbing is available – the player can choose between Japanese and Korean. And, as it didn’t make a difference for me (I don’t understand a word in any of these languages), I chose Japanese. It perfectly suits anime visuals. However, the main protagonist sounds a bit too emotional in this language. Naturally, the title has English subtitles and interface.
As for the more “universal language”, namely music, it does the job in the game. The soundtrack comprises different types of music, from calming tones with the classical touch to more energetic samples. All this is bright and cordial.
Final thoughts?
WitchSpring R tells a clear story with expressive NPCs and a good dose of humour. Some mechanics seem unnecessary there, but gameplay remains extremely absorbing nevertheless. And if only for that reason, the title deserves more attention than it got so far.
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