Sabbat of the Witch
- October 26, 2018
- YUZUSOFT
- 50h median play time
Get on Steam"Sabbat of the Witch" is a visual novel game that follows the story of a young man who becomes entangled in the world of witches. The game features a dark, supernatural setting and a branching narrative with multiple endings. Players will make choices that affect the story's outcome and uncover secrets about the witch clan and their powers.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Incredibly charming writing that balances comedic, heartwarming, and romantic elements, creating a fun experience.
- Well-developed characters with unique personalities and engaging story arcs, particularly Nene's route which is highly praised.
- High production quality with beautiful artwork, good voice acting, and a solid soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The main character can be frustratingly passive and dense, which may detract from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- Some routes feel rushed or less developed compared to others, particularly the side character routes.
- The pacing can be slow at times, especially in the common route, which may lead to moments of boredom.
- story682 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Sabbat of the Witch" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its engaging character arcs and emotional depth, particularly in routes like Nene's, which is often recommended to be played last for maximum impact. While many found the narrative to be heartwarming and filled with comedic moments, others criticized it for being bloated, predictable, or lacking in depth, with some routes feeling rushed or disconnected from the main plot. Overall, the game is seen as a solid visual novel with a blend of romance, comedy, and light drama, appealing to fans of the genre despite its flaws.
“With its gorgeous artwork, well-developed characters, and engaging storyline, it casts a spell on players from start to finish.”
“This was my birthday gift, and it's without a doubt, the best gift I've ever had in recent years. It's really an amazing and heartwarming story, the way you like your slice of life VN.”
“Sabbat of the Witch takes its time with its storytelling, which makes it more lengthy than I expected it would be, and I think it's great. The characters are more fleshed out and their developments aren't rushed out, thus making the relationship progression between the main character and the heroines really enjoyable.”
“The story is bloated and awful.”
“The story was all over the place.”
“On paper, the story itself felt like an afterthought by the developers, due to the sheer randomness it has in its premise.”
- music162 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its ability to enhance the emotional atmosphere and fit well with the story. While some tracks are memorable and well-composed, others are noted as being bland or repetitive, lacking a standout quality compared to other visual novels. Overall, the soundtrack is considered enjoyable, with specific themes for each character and a lively opening, but it may not reach the high standards set by other titles in the genre.
“I think the music goes really well with the environment of the story; you can feel the emotion of the characters through the sound!”
“Having a specific theme for each heroine was a good way of showing the presence of each character, and the music was very good in general; I can see the effort in making it.”
“There's a lot to love about Sabbat of the Witch, from its highly addictive opening song and beautiful artwork to its adorable characters and emotional storytelling.”
“The only complaint is that the music is rather bland and repetitive.”
“Music was ehh, not great, nothing really stood out, though it wasn't bad.”
“It just lacks the 'wow' factor compared to other visual novel soundtracks.”
- emotional132 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the visual novel is widely praised for its charming and heartwarming storytelling, effectively blending humor with deeper emotional themes. Players report experiencing a rollercoaster of feelings, particularly through well-developed character routes that evoke laughter, tears, and a sense of fulfillment. Overall, the game is described as wholesome and touching, making it a standout in the genre for those seeking a blend of lighthearted romance and meaningful emotional engagement.
“One hell of an emotional roller coaster.”
“I cried, I laughed, my heart hurt from all the waves of emotions. Nene's route made me not sleep for 2 days because I kept crying reminiscing some of the conversations and scenes.”
“No spoilers, but the emotional climb, character development, and build-up to the climax and aftermath are extremely moving and can get a tear out of you.”
“Boring story, boring characters, and the art is censored.”
- humor132 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and well-timed jokes, providing a mix of hilarity and heartwarming moments that enhance the overall experience. While some gags may feel familiar, the execution and character interactions keep the comedy fresh and engaging, making players laugh throughout the various routes. Overall, the humor is described as a standout feature that complements the romantic and dramatic elements of the story, contributing to a delightful visual novel experience.
“A completely insane concept but great characters, funny moments and emotional highs and lows in all the routes.”
“This is a really enjoyable game, funny voice lines and incredibly lovable characters with all of them having amazing stories.”
“The whole 'magical girl' gimmick was well thought out and led to a lot of genuinely heartwarming and hilarious moments.”
- graphics74 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the visual novel are widely praised for their high-quality artwork, detailed character designs, and vibrant backgrounds, making them a standout feature of the game. While the lack of animation may disappoint some, the vivid illustrations and variety of CG wallpapers compensate for this shortcoming. Overall, the art style is considered exceptional, contributing significantly to the emotional storytelling and immersive experience.
“With its gorgeous artwork, well-developed characters, and engaging storyline, it casts a spell on players from start to finish.”
“To top it all off, the artwork in this visual novel is some of the best I've ever seen, with scenes being so beautifully drawn that any one of them could be used as a desktop wallpaper.”
“As the content summary on the shop page already states, this visual novel strikes with a unique, high-quality art style with a high focus on detail and a good mix between full-fledged anime style CG wallpapers and chibi style SD artwork.”
“Initially I wasn't very impressed, as the reuse of graphics and environments is a bit extreme, and 10-20 hours in I was definitely feeling let down.”
“What this visual novel lacks in terms of animation - there is none, not even blinking eyes - is completely countered with their vivid use of all the artwork they have.”
“While it does have a decent art style and voice acting, it lacks any substance.”
- character development40 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The character development in this visual novel is highly praised, particularly for the two main characters, Hoshina Shuuji and Ayachi Nene, who undergo significant emotional growth throughout the story. Reviewers note that the writing is both funny and heartwarming, with well-crafted personalities and backstories that enhance the overall narrative. While some characters receive less development than others, the game is recognized for its depth and ability to evoke strong emotional responses from players.
“No spoilers, but the emotional climb, character development, and build-up to the climax and aftermath are extremely moving and can get a tear out of you.”
“Though the majority of the story is a normal comfy romcom, there is major character development for both the main girl and protagonist, and also minor development for other characters.”
“If you're looking for a nice lengthy high-quality visual novel with romance, slice of life, comedy, and drama in a school setting with lots of character development, then this is definitely right up your alley.”
“Now that I think about it, the teacher was introduced at the start and then falls flat in terms of any mentionable character development, while Nanao and Shuuji's father are spread over the whole novel.”
“Much to my experience, this visual novel among many others has a 'main' route - a character line with the most story involved, character development, and so forth.”
“Sanoba Witch is an eroge by Yuzusoft, who are known for their extremely good artwork and deep character storylines within each route, which is rare for most eroge to have considering most of them devolve into nukige fests and not much more character development.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this visual novel (VN) is primarily centered around reading and making a few choices, with no traditional gameplay mechanics or minigames involved. Players can expect a playtime of 30-50 hours, depending on their reading speed, with some users reporting up to 80 hours for multiple routes. While there are minor translation issues, they do not significantly impact the overall experience, which is praised for its immersive storytelling.
“Gameplay time-wise, this visual novel can take you 30-50 hours depending on whether you skip or not.”
“This is my first long-term visual novel experience ever; my actual gameplay is about 80 hours for 3 routes. This visual novel really captured my heart and showed how reading could immerse me into another world.”
“As for criticisms, there are still minor typos here and there, but they don't affect the gameplay at all.”
“In a visual novel, there is no gameplay to speak of other than clicking.”
“This game is a visual novel; there is no gameplay or minigames in this game.”
“Don't come expecting any gameplay other than reading and making a few choices here and there.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by high production quality, a chill school and romance setting, and a friendly vibe fostered by strong interpersonal relationships among the cast. The well-drawn art and dynamic character expressions enhance the lighthearted and warming ambiance, complemented by a solid story and a good mix of humor and ecchi elements. Overall, players appreciate the enjoyable and immersive atmosphere that avoids forced drama.
“The cast is amazing in this game and they all play very well together, creating an atmosphere of good interpersonal relationships without really any kind of forced or useless drama to bring them together.”
“The art is well drawn, (god tier in my opinion) lighthearted and warming, which suits the game's atmosphere as a whole. I also really like that the characters' expressions can change in one line and there's a good mix of ecchi and jokes.”
“Art is great (no iffy character CGs), the story is solid, and the overall atmosphere is 'friendly' as well.”
“The art is well drawn, (god tier imho) lighthearted and warming that suits the game's atmosphere as a whole, and I also really like that the character's expressions can change in one line and has a good mix of ecchi and jokes.”
“Art is great (no iffy character CGs), story is solid and overall atmosphere is 'friendly' as well.”
“For my part, the school and romance atmosphere makes the game really chill.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The stability of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some users reporting bugs while others experience smooth performance without any issues. Overall, opinions are divided on the game's stability.
“No bugs at all, runs great!!!”
“The game is a bit buggy.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a strong negative sentiment towards the monetization strategy, with users perceiving it as a blatant cash grab, suggesting a lack of originality and effort in the game's development.
“Imagine publishing the same game for a quick cash grab.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide any information regarding the optimization of the game, focusing instead on the quality of Kiritani Hana's voice acting performance.
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game's replayability is limited, with many players feeling that once the main content is completed, there is little incentive to return. Some users appreciate the potential for different playstyles or choices, but overall, the consensus suggests that the game lacks significant replay value.
