Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 345 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • grinding
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time Game Cover
If you’re of a certain age, you’ll know of a film called Groundhog Day.
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Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is a side-scrolling action RPG set in the magical academy from the popular anime series. Players control Akko and her friends as they explore the academy, solve puzzles, and battle enemies in real-time combat. The game features a 7-day loop storyline, with players able to uncover new secrets and events with each playthrough.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 345 reviews
story47 positive mentions
grinding27 negative mentions
  • The game captures the charm and spirit of the Little Witch Academia series, with fully voiced characters and animated cutscenes.
  • The spell system is diverse, allowing for various combinations and playstyles, which adds depth to the combat.
  • Exploring Luna Nova and interacting with characters provides a nostalgic experience for fans of the anime.
  • The combat system is clunky and repetitive, making battles feel tedious and unengaging.
  • The quest design often involves tedious fetch quests and can be confusing due to the time-based mechanics.
  • The game lacks optimization, leading to performance issues and a frustrating experience for players.
  • story213 mentions

    The story of the game is generally well-received, particularly by fans of the "Little Witch Academia" anime, as it features charming character interactions and animated cutscenes that reflect the show's style. However, many players find the quest design repetitive and tedious, often revolving around fetch quests and time-sensitive tasks that can lead to confusion and frustration. While the main narrative is engaging, it can feel drawn out due to the mechanics of reliving the same day, which may detract from the overall experience for those not already invested in the anime's lore.

    • “The story is interesting, with little cutscenes that are animated like the original anime, which I found to be a fun detail. The combat system is very diverse and allows almost an unlimited amount of different combinations of party characters, spell loadouts for each one, upgrade paths for each spell, and what seems to be like 70 or so total spells, so there will be a combination for any playstyle you choose.”
    • “The game captures the feel and mood of the show, with the characters exactly as they were in the anime, and the story is neat, making it a great experience for fans.”
    • “As a big fan of Little Witch Academia, I'd really recommend this to other fellow fans who have been following the story since the first two movies and the Netflix series, because this game is literally an expansion, or a spin-off, to the story.”
    • “The plot is unimaginative and contrived: repeat the same day/events/interactions over and over, with slight variations, a la 'Groundhog Day', until the cycle is somehow broken.”
    • “The storyline of the game gets old quickly, the 'open world' aspect is boring, the only thing you'll be doing is grinding.”
    • “The game expects you to be a hardcore fan and at least have knowledge of the anime up to episode 7, as this game's story happened sometime after episode 7 and before episode 8.”
  • gameplay105 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it subpar and tedious, often criticizing its repetitive mechanics and lack of challenge. While some appreciate the unique time loop and magic elements, others feel that the combat is unbalanced and frustrating, leading to a more enjoyable experience primarily for fans of the source material. Overall, the game is seen as having potential but suffers from execution issues that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is nice; exploring the school is really awesome, and while the combat is kind of messy at first, you end up getting used to it rapidly.”
    • “The exploration gameplay becomes increasingly interesting as you get used to it and find ways to get an abundance of teleport potions.”
    • “A surprising amount of combat depth exists towards the second half; I had great fun exploring the spell mechanics and setting up combos with them.”
    • “The gameplay is subpar and puts emphasis on a lot of things that aren't all that fun.”
    • “The gameplay is where this game does not shine: [list]”
    • “The actual story, while being great and charming, is hindered by the repetitive mechanics of the game.”
  • grinding28 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring them to farm the same dungeons for items or resources, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the grind as part of the experience, many feel it becomes monotonous, especially when tied to side quests and achievements. The lack of efficient item management and the necessity to grind for specific drops can lead to frustration, making the gameplay feel unnecessarily prolonged.

    • “The grinding in this game is balanced and not overwhelming, making it enjoyable rather than tedious.”
    • “While some quests require grinding, it's not excessive and feels rewarding.”
    • “The grind is manageable and often leads to satisfying progress in the game.”
    • “Some of the side events can only be completed by grinding the same simple dungeons ad nauseam for certain drops.”
    • “The gameplay loop of grinding in dungeons for fetch quests can be tedious.”
    • “When the base gameplay (combat and exploration) is very tedious, unvaried, and limited, with serious polish issues plaguing the game's overall amazing presentation, you're definitely in for a bumpy ride.”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and animation as faithful to the source material, particularly for fans of the anime. However, criticisms include coarse character models, inconsistent visuals, and issues with blurriness that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the stylized aesthetics, others find the graphics subpar and lacking in detail, especially during combat and exploration.

    • “The art style is on point and admirably fitting with the feel of the game. I do recommend the game to fans of the Netflix movie and show.”
    • “The characters are exactly as they were in the anime, the story is neat, and the art style is awesome.”
    • “Immersion is so great, graphics reflect that of the source material.”
    • “The graphics are coarse and the models are over-simplified, let alone the screen is always blurred to hide details.”
    • “But the visuals (scenarios) are dull and boring, navigating through Luna Nova is a mess and the fighting sections are boring too.”
    • “-graphics are sub par, characters are blurry and hard to see, and there lacks an option for customizing graphics.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game is primarily sourced from the anime's original soundtrack, which many players find enjoyable and well-implemented, enhancing the overall experience. However, issues with audio mixing have been noted, making the music difficult to hear at times, and some players feel that the limited variety of tracks can become repetitive. Overall, while the music is praised for its quality and orchestration, the execution in-game has received mixed feedback.

    • “The main cast showed their charm that came from the OVA, movies, and anime, which is heightened further by the extravagant and magical OST from the anime, making it enjoyable and feel just as if you're watching Little Witch Academia.”
    • “If you loved the amazing music of the show, you are going to love this because it's the same; you get to move and play with the amazing orchestrated themes of the show.”
    • “The background music is great, classical orchestra music.”
    • “The audio mixing is messed up to such a degree that the music is basically inaudible, and whenever I think to fix this I'm in a dungeon and I can't access the options menu.”
    • “Music volume varies wildly between tracks, and I ended up just turning it off.”
    • “The soundtrack is pulled straight from the show's OST, which makes it feel repetitive and uninspired.”
  • humor15 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from entertaining dialogue and character interactions, reminiscent of the beloved anime "Little Witch Academia." While the repetitive nature of fetch quests can detract from the experience, the inclusion of funny cutscenes and character mishaps adds charm and enjoyment. Fans of the series will likely appreciate the humor, though some references may be lost on those unfamiliar with the source material.

    • “Every side quest has some entertaining dialogue; other times, it can be funny.”
    • “Almost all you do in the adventure mode is repetitive fetch quests, sometimes broken up by some funny dialogue, but mostly it's just walk from point A to point B, get the item, walk back to point A.”
    • “+ many (all?) major and minor characters are in the game and feature hilarious interactions with each other and the main character through the main and side quests.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The optimization of the game is mixed, with some users reporting significant performance issues, particularly on low-end systems, and inconsistent frame rates when settings like Vsync are enabled. However, others have found it to be well-optimized, running smoothly across various PC configurations. Overall, players should be cautious about performance expectations based on their hardware.

    • “The game is very optimized for PC.”
    • “The game is well optimized; I ran it on different computers and it worked on all of them. The price is not as high as I thought it would be, so if you are a fan of LWA or Trigger in general, it's totally worth it at full price.”
    • “It's not that optimized; turning on VSync results in some real lagging patterns in the game.”
    • “The game is not optimized very well, so expect to use high TDP to achieve consistent FPS.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized, so be careful on low-end systems.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report frequent glitches and bugs that contribute to a chaotic experience, others find it runs smoothly on older hardware, suggesting that performance may vary depending on individual setups.

    • “The game runs great on my hardware (which is from around 2014) and also runs on the Unity engine, so it should be fine for most people.”
    • “The game glitches often.”
    • “It would be less chaotic, but I bet it would be far less buggy and frustrating.”
    • “Maybe it was on purpose, or part of the buggy combat gameplay, but either way, I will change to a positive review.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game successfully captures the atmosphere of the anime, immersing players in a side story that feels authentic to the original series. With well-crafted cut scenes and a strong focus on recreating the show's mood, it effectively introduces characters and enhances the overall experience for both fans and newcomers.

    • “It feels like you are indeed playing a side story to the anime; a lot of effort has been put into recreating the anime's atmosphere.”
    • “The game captures the feel and mood of the show exceptionally well, both in terms of story and atmosphere.”
    • “There are cutscenes to introduce the characters to those who have not seen the anime, and the game excels at providing the same atmosphere as the show.”
    • “However, story and atmosphere-wise, the game captures the feel and mood of the show.”
    • “It feels like you are indeed playing a side story to the anime; lots of effort has been put into recreating the anime's atmosphere.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players find the game's magic system highly satisfying, contributing to significant replayability through the variety of spells, combinations, and builds available, allowing for diverse strategies to overcome challenges.

    • “The magic system in this game is incredibly satisfying, offering a wealth of replayability with countless combinations and builds to experiment with, allowing you to tackle any foe that stands in your way.”
    • “With so many different strategies and character builds to explore, the replayability factor is off the charts, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
    • “The variety of choices and paths you can take in the game ensures that no two playthroughs are the same, providing endless replayability and keeping the experience engaging.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users highlight "Lwa (Little Witch Academia)" as an exceptionally wholesome and enjoyable experience, emphasizing its emotional warmth and fun-filled adventure, which stands out as one of Trigger's best productions.

    • “Little Witch Academia is probably the most wholesome, fun, and enjoyable adventure Trigger has ever produced.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the game is viewed as a love project rather than a cash grab, suggesting that while it may not have a strong purpose, it is not primarily focused on exploiting players for profit.

    • “This game feels more like a cash grab than a genuine effort to create something enjoyable.”
    • “The monetization strategy is so aggressive that it overshadows the gameplay experience.”
    • “It's hard to enjoy the game when it constantly pushes you to spend money for basic features.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

58% average critic score

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Play time

20hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
20-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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