WitchSpring R
A game that cought my interest a while ago - and last weekend, when hard mode was released last week i bit the bullet and bought it.It was an amazing experience - mostly, as it did fumble a bit at the end - but i finished it in less than week - and i work full time - that should say enough!
Let's get into the meat of....errmm, into the Strawberries of the Pie!
Pieberry, a young witch living all alone in a forest and hunted by warriors during the ongoing witch hunt...loves Pies very much, and so she decides to leave the forest to get the pie of her dreams
Gameplay
Combat
Played early on on hard - most of the game on very hard.
It was an addicting, satisfying and fun experience - the game has a very fun gameplay loop.
System wise, the only character you have "full" control over is Pieberry - however before you go "eh?" on a turn based game with only fully controllable character, the game offers alot of systems that synergize pretty good with each other.
Smooth & Snappy battles
The battles are fast and smooth - there're no random encounters and the victory fanfare is very fast on the field - infact, the all battles take place in the field during exploration - so there's no screen transition (unless you escape).
Also if enemies of the same type have consecutive turns, they attack at the same time - this a great future that more RPGs need to have - makes the battles, especially the ones with many enemies, so much faster.
Black Joe
Pieberry's faithful companion and familiar - he can use items to help Pieberry (without it costing Pieberry a turn) - using combat items (like bombs, buff/debuffs, etc., most of which you can craft) can make him use an item again next turn - however if you use a recovery item, he will get 1 extra turn cooldown - so spamming heals is a no no. Especially since keeping up with the buffs/debuffs using combat tools (atleast on very hard) is essential.
Pets
The game has various monsters you can mind control and summon to fight by your side - they have 2 attacks, 1 they use every turn - the other (usually stronger attack or with some effect) on turn cool down basis. The one thing you can control here is what enemy they should target - so you have to plan how to make best use of them. As you go further into the game and your combat level increases, you can summon more monsters (+the party members you get at various points in the game, they function on the same principle except they have no summon cost - and no mind control ofc XD)
The pets are also quite varied, and while some are clearly superior, even early ones has quite a few uses later - for example, the 2nd Pet you can get gives Pieberry MP steal - that helps alot in keeping up your magical prowess - other focus on (status) effects, or Aoe, more money after defeat, etc.
And they don't just help in battle, but they also have use outside battle, Usually for movement related stuff - for example, early on you can get a turtle that is slow on the ground but will allow you to go through the sea - not needed to finish the game - but for side quests and secrets. Halfway through you get a fast af mount. etc.
Not to mention collecting the Pets itself is fun - especially since for most of the game they act as your Party members (more on that later in the story section) - kinda like a mini monster collector.
Physical & Magical - Perfect synergy
Like any JRPG, you have the choice between Physical & Magical...so why not just go with the highest damage you might ask? It's because of they both synegize with each other
Let me explain
When you use a magical attack - your next phyiscal attack get something called Magic Trace - which buffs them propotional to the damage dealth with magic. Now, add to that that you have a passive ability that gives you an extra turn upon killing an enemy with a physical attacks (which has a cooldown once it triggers so you can't just spam it) and the fact that you can switch weapons in battle, and you get something that just clicks. You have a turn manipulation tool in your hand that needs to be used in conjunctive with the buffs, debuffs and pets.
Not to mention if you use a multi hit physical attack Pieberry auto switches target to the next one if she defeats on before the multi hit is over. You got her zigzaging through the enemies when combined with Magic Trace 😄
You also have an auto crit every 4 turns.
Debuffs & Bosses
This is something i also super loved
Bosses aren't just immune to debuffs/status like most JRPGs or are chance based (although some do resist some status ofc), but they have a certain resistance that needs bypassed by the number of attacks/items applying a certain debuff.
Everytime you apply a debuff, the boss' debuff resistance increases by 1 - ie, you will need 1 extra debuff action than the last attempt to debuff him with the same status again (so first stun will need 2 stun attacks for example, to stun him again i will need 3 stun attacks, etc.) - the same applies to all debuffs/status.
Makes planning debuffs really important - and i really really dig the removal of the RNG aspect of debuffs or just going the lazy way of making bosses immune to status effects.
Blessings
To top of all of that, as you go through the game, you get "Blessings", these are a 1 time use per battle "Ultimate abilities" basically, and they are very important, especially later on - knowing when and how to use them is key - and they are all do vary quite a bit from each other - you get 5 in total, and only 2 are kinda similar.
All of that combined ensures fun, challenging & snappy battles - but that wouldn't completely work without the satisfying gameplay loop.
You see, the game has aloooooooot of extra bosses which are pretty strong - so you challenge one - you get loot - which you use to craft better equipment - which then makes you hunt stronger bosses - rinse & repeat. It's a very satisfying and addicting gameplay loop and i couldn't keep my hands off the controller - so i hunted em all.
Speaking about...
Crafting
The game has a crafting system - it is not as in depth as something as Atelier - but it does have a small fun one that also ties into the gameplay loop.
For Crafting, Events & Training are your main ways of getting stronger, since your maximum level through combat is 5. And even getting stronger spells or customizing them is through crafting - and the best healing items as well.
You also evolve/upgrade your weapons there - and for your staff there're multiple path and upgrades to choose from, right from the very beginning, but even later on
It all ties very well together with the other systems.
Exploration
Ofc crafting and battles wouldn't work without exploration, and the various areas you explore and collection points of items. Fun thing is, once you activate a collection point once you just need to move over it to auto collect them. Pets allow you to explore fastes & normally unreachable areas, and sometimes you can hunt small little enemies on the field for collection as well (especially early on).
There're also quite a few secrets here and there - very easily missable - and alot of extra/secret areas where you fight the extra bosses.
I do with the dungeons were you get the blessings were longer and that there were more puzzles tho - the games does have some here and there - usually in the dungeons where you get the blessings - but i do wish there were a bit more meat to the dungeons.
Story and Characters
Pieberry, all alone in her forest, has to defend herself from Warriors, as a Witch Hunt is ongoing. She is a lonely Witch that loves Pies...and once she eats a Pie she looted from a warrior she defeated...she decides to leave for the human world to get the Pie of her dreams. And that's how our story starts.
Pieberry is a great protag - and despite her Pie brain at the start, which has a valid reason - she goes through great development.
Right from the beginning, when she first contacts humans that don't wanna kill/capture her - she starts to learn about how humans live. For example, when she first meets a merchant, he offers her money for some of her loot, and she goes "Money? Gimme Pies!" - Girl didn't have any idea how humans live since she lived all alone, isolated & abandoned in her forest all her life. And so not only does she slowly learn about humans, but also forms various bonds - friendship, family and romantic (even though the romance is halfbaked imo), etc. - learns about the world in general...and humanity, the beautiful, the ugly and the hypocritical.
You see, despite the game having the appearance of being cozy and chill...this is still a witch hunt setting where our Protag is a witch - and you can imagine what that means - although the games doesn't really go edgy with it - even if i wish it did sometimes.
I wanna talk about some really good scenes tho but i don't wanna spoil you the fun 😉
And so Pieberry starts her journey around the country to end the Hunts.
The games does start a bit on the slow side, what's with the first chapters being Pieberry trying to sneak into a village while evading the warriors and not trying to really get anyone's attention to not face capture or execution while trying to satisfy her curiousity - but that usually goes south lol.
One thing the game does well imo is highlight that despite the Witch hunt going on, not everyone is on board since it's quite a recent thing (~10 years before the story started), and so you meet humans who had bonds with Witches from back then, those who betrayed them, those who are just following orders, those who are against the hunts, those who give up and wallow in despair, and more!
And honestly, quite a few of the enemies we meed the games tried to humanize - usually well, sometimes eh.
Ofc a game wouldn't complete without a side cast - and the game has a pretty cool one - which the game develops through the story and very missable side quests.
You see, aside from Merchant requests, you have no ways to keep track of the side quests/stories. Which is a bit of a shame, as the side stories do develop the world and the cast quite a bit. I missed the final part of one such quest - Big F. Tbf, the game can also be a bit cryptic with them sometimes.
Side characters do join the Party from time to time to fight alongside you, and of course for finale you have a classic 4 man party setup...well
Remember how i said above Berry starts alone? The dichotomy between the beginning where Pieberry was alone and finale where she's not only in a 4 man party but can summon 4 pets as well not only highlights her power development, but her character development and and the bonds she formed as well during her journey. It's great.
And ya know, despite having what's effectively an 8 character party (+bird), the gameplay is still smooth & snappy - you don't hear that every day.
Speaking about finale...
Fumbling at the end
The reason that stopped the game from getting over my "fav. game list" barrier, the finale.
You see, i love my JRPG finale meaty, i love my hours long final dungeons, the turns, the challenge, the feeling of "This is it, let's fucking GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", the end of the journey.
So when the game was preparing me for just that, i was getting hyped up, i was getting ready, the point of no return is coming. The final dungeon is here,....
Only to be faced with 3 hallways with a battle each, 2 of which were boss battles, before the final boss. It left me wanting for quite a bit more. I wanted to use my full party for a whole dungeon and not just a couple battles - especially since the final party member joins right before the final boss...
It was a "Where's my final dungeon? There's more coming, right?" moment.
The game also drops quite the lore bomb at the end, which had me scratching my head ngl. Also Sequel setups.
The finale itself resolves the "current" conflict, so it's not that bad, but ya know, expectations.
Music
The music is not bad, i do quite like what's i've heard...it's just there wasn't enough variety imo.
Conclusion
Pros
Fun and satisfying gameplay loop, rewarding battles, exploration and crafting
Challenging extra bosses
Great Protag and good side cast
A fun world oozing with charm to explore
Cool Story
Cons
Finale left me wanting
Halfbaked Romance
Cryptic requirements for some side stories/quests
All in all, it was an amazing journey. In alot of ways, i can call it a modern 90s-early 2000s JRPG, it hits all the notes for that imo, even if it's actually made by a korean dev in 2023 as a remake of a 2015 mobile game (and not a gacha one, but a paid mobile rpg, a rarity). I definitely recommend it, and am planning myself to explore the rest of the series...if they come to PC. 3 is on PC afaik, 2 and 4 not yet. I do hope they get the R treatment as well. I wanna see how the story advances and have some of that fun gameplay loop.
2 is afaik same story as one but different PoV (that of the final Party member - so stories converge on finale i guess?) while 3 and 4 take place somewhere else and advance the story.
Ratings
Gameplay - A
Characters - A
Story - B
Music - B
Misc. - B
8-8.5/10
