Game: WitchSpring R
Genre: JRPG
System: Nintendo Switch (Also available on Steam (Windows), XBOX, PS5
Developers | Publishers: Kiwiwalks | Kiwiwalks, PM Studios
Age Rating: US: E 10+ | EU 12+
Price: US $39.99 | UK £35.99 | EU € 39,99
Release Date: August 29th, 2024
A review code was used with many thanks to Team Critical Hit.
WitchSpring R is not a new game, exactly, but it is a total revitalization of what’s often regarded by JRPG fans as one of the best mobile games on the market. Never gacha-based or time-locked, it was — and still is — an adorable turn-based story about a little witch girl with some big destinies ahead of her. It’s a series often recommended to fans of the equally charming Atelier games, and playing it is not hard to see why.
Your protagonist, Pieberry is a naive young witch with the bounties of her forest available to her and a hearty curiosity about the world beyond. That includes pets to befriend, potions to brew, and spells to unlock. Revived and released on Switch, the biggest hurdle ahead of the game is whether it can overcome the problems many have in seeing mobile games as capable of being equal to their console cousins. Since I’ve never played the mobile version, I’m at least not biased in this regard. But does Pieberry cast a spell on me? Find out! Daily hint: this kid is cute.
WitchSpring R is a JRPG Return to Form
It’s oddly hard out here for JRPG fans lately, as we subsist on remasters of Star Ocean and Final Fantasy and, grabby hands, Dragon Quest. But there’s not much that feels new, and while WitchSpring R isn’t new in the strictest sense, it’s easy for JRPG fans to miss out on this small series’ existence. With a Switch remaster, this colorful game is blown up to console size, and that makes it much easier to see what it brings to the table.
The recommendations for Atelier fans are solid ones. The earliest game loops have you running around the first few maps to collect plants and other resources to make your potions once you get back home — and to get the invading human warriors the heck off your wildflower lawn. Once you have your first few tools under your belt, you’ll be introduced to combat to take care of that little weed problem yourself. The local rock golem can only do so much, you know?
Combat is, oh thank goodness, I’ve missed you, turn-based and flavored with a little bit of strategy. Though various wrinkles will gradually be introduced, you’re initially armed with a couple of spells and a staff that can bonk a guy real good. The game will teach you how to go from spell to bonk and more in order to maximize your damage, and you’ll have an easy time mopping up your first few invaders.
More options, from critical hits to counterattacks, pet combatants, and adding more spells to your palette, are all introduced at a chill pace that never leaves you feeling overwhelmed. If you’re an old hand and start running around to try to pull off difficult fights or grab more stuff before going back to rest, you’re welcome to. The game won’t stop you, but you’ll find it easier and occasionally less confusing to follow the quests, especially in the first several hours.
To underline, the game features a really good combat system, with enough options and eventual build choices to make it suit your style without ever turning the game into something on the level of an Octopath Traveler boss battle. Strengthening your character will seem a little confusing at first, with a training system and an XP pool that only fills with new battles, but it becomes cozy fast.
A Surprisingly Dark Backstory To A Beautiful Pastel World
On starting WitchSpring R, I was a little surprised at the heavy implications in the game’s intro cinema. Witches, in this world, are the hybrid descendants of fallen gods, now dismissed as demons and humans. For that heresy, they’re hunted whenever they’re found. None of that is presented as gory or upsetting or anything, but it’s a little like playing Love Nikki and then finding out the real reasons why they do catwalk fashion shows instead of wars.
Frankly, I admired the set-up, which then launches into the pastel-washed life of this punky little sweetheart who just wants to get a slice of the best pie she’s ever tasted. It even reminded me of the premise of NIS’s Phantom Brave. Good kids are disliked because other people have issues they can’t get over. It’s a good story hook here, and it’s presented gently and without a lot of upset.
It also makes it fun to dismiss every knight you have to face as a meanie boo-boo head, and yeah, that includes the cowardly knight, who’ll become a recurring laugh pretty fast. In fact, he’s a pretty good harbinger for most of the story’s tone; yeah, there’s something going on, but also, your mentor is a big round bird who continually invites karma to his door to bite him in the tailfeathers. I love you, Black Joe. You’re an idiot. Even Pieberry knows it.
The Switch Remains a Fab Home For JRPGs
WitchSpring R runs perfectly on the Switch, with menu-based controls and even a few touchscreen options if that’s easier for you. The mobile origin story remains visible in the way the on-screen menus look, clustered together in corners and marked by clear icons, but it doesn’t distract. The larger screen makes taking in information a lot easier, with various options and tutorials helping you to understand what you’re looking at clearly. And if you’re having a hard time or too easy of one, the difficulty system has your back. On normal mode, it’s definitely one of the easier JPRGs on the market, especially once you grasp the expanded tactics of combat.
In all other respects, WitchSpring R goes to remind us that the Switch remains a go-to locale for playing JRPGs in the comfiest of fashions, curled up on the couch and playing in doses as long or as little as you want. There are few ways to misclick your way to danger, nor can you game over yourself into hours of progression lost. Once again, it’s a nice game going out of its way to be nice, and I’m still capable of finding that refreshing.
Conclusion
WitchSpring R isn’t just a solid JRPG for fans looking for a new title; it’s a great choice for someone’s first foray into the genre. With a well-paced series of tutorials and new options fed at a pace easy enough for anyone to comprehend, it’s also a game that’s not looking to make itself difficult for you.
The plot may be simple, but it’s also adorably presented, bracketed by flourishes that are intriguing and inventive without simply being dark. In fact, it’s a game that feels like it’s saying that the past, while hard to forget, can be overcome by kindness and understanding. Pieberry is a good kid, and while she does have choices ahead of her, it’s easy to want to nurture her innocence and charm. It’s a game that’s a great fit for the Switch and a definite no-brainer for anyone looking for a classic turn-based joy ride.
Final Verdict: I Like It A Lot
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