The Legend of Dark Witch

About

The Legend of Dark Witch is a side-scrolling action game with RPG elements. Players control Zizi, a witch who battles enemies using various magical spells and abilities. The game features multiple stages, each with their own unique boss battles and environments. Collecting items and defeating enemies earns experience points, which can be used to upgrade Zizi's abilities and stats.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a great combination of Mega Man and Gradius mechanics, leading to a satisfying upgrade progression.
The graphics and character designs are appealing, with cute anime-style sprites and well-designed bosses.
The soundtrack is enjoyable and adds to the overall experience, enhancing the game's charm.

The game can be frustratingly difficult, especially with the lack of health items and the penalty of losing upgrades upon death.
Level design is often criticized for being uninteresting and lacking variety, making some stages feel repetitive.
Boss weapons are generally considered useless outside of their specific weaknesses, leading to a reliance on the basic weapon.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The gameplay is a blend of Mega Man and Gradius mechanics, offering a satisfying upgrade progression and a mix of action-platforming elements. While many players appreciate the tight controls and engaging mechanics, some criticize the finicky weapon-switching and blocking systems that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game provides a fun challenge with a charming aesthetic, though it may frustrate players with its difficulty spikes and certain design choices.
- “The gameplay is like a mix between a Mega Man style action platforming with Gradius-like upgrades to make you more powerful.”
- “What I enjoy the most about it is the gameplay, a mix of Mega Man and Gradius.”
- “It's a great game with amazing mechanics, and the learning curve is perfectly on par!”
- “All this I will ignore, for the sake of focusing on the mechanics of this game, so that you understand exactly why I do not recommend it.”
- “The intent is obviously for you to use the parry mechanic on these attacks, pressing forward at the moment the projectile hits you to nullify the damage, but the timing is so finicky and unreliable that it's almost not even worth bothering, were it not for the fact that getting hit makes you drop half your tres.”
- “I can appreciate the Mega Man style with a different spin approach, but this temporary enhancement mechanic really breaks the game.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
33%
10%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its catchiness and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some noted occasional issues like repetitiveness and odd clipping, standout tracks and an engaging soundtrack were highlighted as significant strengths. Overall, the music is considered a major asset, contributing to the game's fun and immersive atmosphere.
- “This is peak game music.”
- “The music is amazing, probably one of my favorite game soundtracks to date.”
- “The soundtrack is one of the catchiest I've heard in the last few years, and it always fits the current situation.”
- “The soundtrack is decent, albeit slightly repetitive; there are a few standout tracks, however, and it certainly serves its purpose.”
- “I will ignore the forgettable music and amateurish voice acting.”
- “The music is decent, nothing bad, but in all honesty, I can't remember a single song I've heard.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their appealing anime style and high-quality pixel art, with cute character designs and smooth animations that enhance the overall visual experience. While some reviewers noted that the level design could be improved, the vibrant sprite work and consistent aesthetic contribute positively to the game's charm. Additionally, the inclusion of unlockable artwork adds an engaging layer for players who appreciate the visuals.
- “The graphics are very appealing and every sprite looks great.”
- “Graphics are nice, characters are cute anime girls - both in art style and when pixelated.”
- “The graphics are really nice and well done; they fit for a 2D platformer like this game, and some of the monsters you fight are sometimes so cute you will 100% regret killing them.”
- “If you'd like to play this game, there is a remake of it on Steam that even features the original graphics as an unlockable.”
- “For this review, I will be ignoring the game's questionable aesthetic choices.”
- “Graphics: pixel art is overused in modern games, but good pixel art isn't.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The story in this platformer is generally considered weak and superficial, with minimal dialogue and a lack of depth that can easily be skipped by players. While there are some narrative elements introduced before boss fights, the overall consensus is that the game is not designed for those seeking a compelling storyline.
- “There is a story of some sorts, brought in small dialogue scenes before each boss confrontation, but it's not very deep and can easily be skipped if you just want to play the game, or have already read it once.”
- “The story of the very short, all syngien have been stolen and you, the goddess dark witch, want to find out who took it.”
- “There is a story of some sort, brought in small dialogue scenes before each boss confrontation, but it's not very deep and can easily be skipped if you just want to play the game, or have already read it once.”
- “I will ignore the poor translation, laughable story, and eye-roll-inducing dialogue.”
- “If you are looking for a deep story, this is so not the game for you.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game offers significant replayability despite its short completion time of 1-2 hours, thanks to features like unlockable characters, a bonus shop, multiple difficulty modes, and hidden collectibles. Players can enhance their experience through upgrades and various gameplay modes, making it a worthwhile investment for those seeking extended play. Overall, it has received high praise for its replay value, with many reviewers recommending it for this reason.
- “There is a lot of replay value here for such a low-priced game.”
- “The base game can be completed within an hour or two, even for completely new players, but its true value lies in replayability.”
- “9/10 because the game is a little short, despite the replayability.”
- “The ESP you get is also spent on upgrading abilities from health to lives, making your boss weapons stronger and gaining more ESP from the same kills, etc. Each stage also has hidden crystals to find and you have three difficulty modes, so there's a lot of replay value here.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unenjoyable, particularly when it involves farming common enemies, which detracts from the overall immersion and fun.
- “And farming common enemies isn't anyone's idea of fun.”
- “You'll probably find yourself grinding a lot.”
- “That doesn't sound fun to me; it sounds tedious and breaks the immersion of the game.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its quirky and unexpected elements, such as the amusing observation about players' hands. Reviewers appreciate the balance between humor and seriousness, highlighting that the game effectively uses comedic moments alongside more serious themes. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch while still maintaining depth.
- “The text is funny when it can be and serious when it needs to be.”
- “That leaves us with two upgrades on the bar that are worth it, humorously enough on opposite ends of it--speed and power.”
- “Also, my hands smell funny after playing this for some reason.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the game's strong character development, noting that the character designs are particularly impressive and contribute positively to the overall experience.
- “Great character designs”
- “Good character design”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game suffers from poor PC optimization, a common issue noted in many Japanese indie titles.
- “As is the case with so many Japanese indie games, this one has poor PC optimization.”
- “The game suffers from significant performance issues, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and long loading times, which severely impacted my enjoyment.”