WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT

About

"WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT" is a coming-of-age story set in the 1980s, following an innocent young man and two young witches. The remastered version features fully voiced characters, full HD visuals, and animated graphical elements, bringing the reading experience to life. The game tells the tale of two witches living in a mansion on the hill, and a boy who moves to the city, narrowly missing them.

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,530 reviews

story243 positive mentions

character development8 negative mentions

The story is engaging and well-written, showcasing the depth of the characters and their relationships.
The visuals and animations are stunning, making the game feel dynamic and cinematic.
The soundtrack is exceptional, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of the narrative.

The translation has several typos and awkward phrasing, which can detract from the reading experience.
The game is linear with no choices, which may disappoint players looking for interactive elements.
Some players found the pacing slow in the beginning, which could lead to a lack of engagement initially.

story
645 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
61%
1%
The story of "Witch on the Holy Night" is widely praised for its engaging narrative, character depth, and beautiful presentation, showcasing a blend of slice-of-life and magical elements. While it is a linear kinetic novel with no choices, many reviewers appreciate the focus on character interactions and development, making it a compelling read despite some pacing issues and a few unresolved plot threads. Overall, it is considered a standout entry in the Nasuverse, appealing to both newcomers and long-time fans.
- “The story is beautiful, as you'd expect from a type-moon work.”
- “This is genuinely the best story I have ever read, and I am eager to eat through all of the extras and am awaiting my next read through, whenever that may be.”
- “A tremendous story about appreciating what we have while we have it, knowing that nothing truly has permanence in this world, but things are beautiful and noble for that very reason.”
- “Good moments are 10/10, but the story is full of holes and devoid of logic while the author tries to cover it up with complex magical nonsense.”
- “The plot is largely inconsequential, the stakes are low, the overwhelmingly detailed world-building is mostly absent, action scenes are relatively sparse, and there's essentially only 3-4 characters that matter.”
- “Lazy pacing, no character development, plot is pretty mid, with no choices.”
music
240 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
1%
The music in this visual novel is widely praised for its exceptional quality, blending classical pieces with original compositions that enhance the emotional depth of the story. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often describing it as beautiful, immersive, and integral to the overall experience, making it one of the best in the genre. Many express a desire to have the soundtrack available for separate purchase, underscoring its impact and memorability.
- “The soundtrack is simply beautiful, with some music being classical pieces or original tracks from the visual novel, which are absolute bangers, making some moments in the story truly memorable.”
- “The music is a great mix of classical artists like Liszt, Satie, Tchaikovsky, and Haydn, interspersed with an original soundtrack that really enhances the scenes.”
- “The music also requires special mention, as it thoroughly outclasses the already outstanding work from Fate/Stay Night and takes the crown of the most rich, emotional, and varied soundtrack accompanying a Type-Moon novel.”
- “The OST is also an absolute banger, so much that I'm sad you can't buy it as a DLC to listen during free time without having to open the game's mediocre music player.”
- “The song is played within the game, but not found in the game's music gallery.”
- “Firstly, this is less a game and more a novel with music and pictures.”
graphics
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The graphics in this visual novel are widely praised for their stunning quality and artistic beauty, often described as some of the best seen in the medium. Reviewers highlight the dynamic animations, intricate character designs, and immersive backgrounds that elevate the storytelling experience, making it feel more like an animated film than a traditional visual novel. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact and overall production value.
- “On a technical scale, this visual novel is a masterpiece, constantly delivering visuals I wouldn’t even expect from a medium that focuses on motion.”
- “The visuals and music are beyond expectation, and make the game feel like a AAA visual novel.”
- “The art style is simply gorgeous and the unique cinematography and framing keeps the reader even more engaged as if the characters and story weren't doing that enough.”
- “Not that the visuals were not significant or not good; quite the contrary, but this was more or less an animated/computerized light novel than it was a game.”
- “Does not work properly on an AMD graphics card.”
- “Now $40 is a lot for what is at the end of the day a fancy picture book, but it has flat-out some of the best production value ever seen in this medium; challenging the limits with its jaw-dropping visuals, sporting dynamic portraits over ever-changing backgrounds, coupled with copious CGs.”
humor
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players frequently laughing out loud at the absurdity and clever banter among well-defined characters. While some moments may fall flat, the overall comedic timing—especially in scenes involving character interactions and voice acting—delivers a mix of hilarity and emotional depth. The game's humor is not only entertaining but also enhances the narrative, making players eager for a sequel.
- “Thanks to this, when the game goes for humor it's absolutely hysterical; I was belly laughing at multiple points.”
- “Then we have the tiger-dojo-like 'the wonderful world of ploys', which is one of the best parts of the entire game and utterly hilarious, amusing and dampens the pain of knowing the eventual sequel is still far from our grasp, knowing Nasu's schedule.”
- “The characters are incredibly well defined, the music and art are incredible and the work has an amazing sense of humor.”
atmosphere
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The atmosphere of the visual novel is universally praised for its immersive quality, combining stunning visuals, exceptional voice acting, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke distinct moods, from cozy to mysterious, making it a standout in atmospheric storytelling. The intricate world-building and character interactions further contribute to its reputation as a masterclass in creating a compelling and engaging atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere, writing, voice acting, characters, and all are to die for.”
- “Witch on the Holy Night is a masterclass of atmosphere and character-building.”
- “Starting up the game and reading through the prologue while 'Liebestraum' by Franz Liszt is playing in the background, being hit with multiple shots of indoors and hearing raindrops while slowly realizing the scene isn't played in one character's perspective, this game immediately drops in a cozy yet mysterious atmosphere that dragged me in for a ride that left me eager for more by the end.”
- “The atmosphere in 'Witch on the Holy Night' is particularly noteworthy; I'm instantly transported to Misaki Town, vividly feeling each scene's distinct mood alongside characters like Aoko and Sojuro.”
- “The novel uses its limited character art and backgrounds creatively to give a cinematic dimension to the reading experience, further enhancing the immersion and atmosphere that Type-Moon novels often took advantage of.”
emotional
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its slow build-up, rich world-building, and deep character development, culminating in a heartwarming and poignant story. Players are drawn into a touching coming-of-age narrative that explores themes of friendship, loss, and self-discovery, enhanced by an outstanding soundtrack and beautiful visuals. The heartfelt writing and engaging character interactions ensure that players feel a strong attachment and investment in the story's emotional journey.
- “Kinoko Nasu's tried and true blend of action and slice-of-life finds itself perfectly at home in this story, where the dynamic between youthful and eccentric characters lends to a touching coming-of-age story, where teenagers cope with the loss of their childhood by being thrust into a new and strange life they're not sure they fit in with, but learn to find a new reason to live and exist through each other's friendship and values.”
- “There is nothing more touching than coming full circle, realizing that 'Witch on the Holy Night', originally written in 1996 and now finally published more than 20 years later, is the seminal work that binds this series together.”
- “The story is a rather simple one, but it can be very emotional, and still has Nasu's classic touch of mystery.”
character development
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
Character development in the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate the slow build and emotional depth, others criticize the lack of growth and unlikable characters, particularly Aoko and Alice, who fail to evolve despite opportunities for development. The character designs are praised for reflecting personality through expressions, but many feel that the overall pacing and absence of meaningful choices detract from the experience. Ultimately, the game is seen as a missed opportunity for character exploration, leaving players disconnected from the climax.
- “It's definitely a slow build-up, but if you like a lot of world-building, character development/exploration, and strong emotional impact, give this a shot.”
- “The character designs are very good, each one showing a bit of the character's personality, whether it be through their design or facial expressions, and they are also drawn beautifully.”
- “The character design for some characters is probably nothing exceptional in their uniqueness; however, they reflect their personality ideally in their expressions and designs. As the game progresses, you start to see the charm in simplicity in some characters, and also an understanding of the complexity of why a character looks a certain way once you start to learn more about them.”
- “Lazy pacing, no character development, plot is pretty mid, with no choices.”
- “Unlikable characters and no character development for any of them means I am given no reason to care about the climax, and ultimately one moment at the end where a character actually does something for another person for once falls flat because they had no character development leading up to it.”
- “The problem lies in that not a single character in the game experiences character development.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay of *i]witch on the holy night* is characterized as a linear visual novel or "kinetic novel," offering no choices or interactive elements, effectively making it a narrative experience akin to reading a book with accompanying visuals and sound. While this lack of gameplay may deter some players, many find the storytelling enjoyable despite the absence of multiple routes or gameplay mechanics.
- “In terms of gameplay, [i]Witch on the Holy Night[/i] can be classified as the 'kinetic novel'-type: a visual novel where the player can only read through the story instead of interacting with it; there are no choices to be made or multiple routes to play through here.”
- “- No routes, there's no choices to make and no gameplay (aside from a bonus story at the end), so it's really just a book with sound and pictures; it's not necessarily a negative, but you need to know it before buying.”
- “In terms of 'gameplay' however, [i]Witch on the Holy Night[/i] can be classified as the 'kinetic novel'-type: a visual novel where the player can only read through the story instead of interacting with it; there are no choices to be made or multiple routes to play through here.”
- “- No routes, there's no choices to make and no gameplay (aside from a bonus story at the end), so it's really just a book with sound and pictures. It's not necessarily a negative, but you need to know it before buying.”
- “The game is entirely a linear visual novel, with no gameplay or choices of any kind, but I found it very enjoyable.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's engine suffers from poor optimization, leading to significant battery drain, with a recommendation to set the thermal design power (TDP) to around 4 watts. Despite this, the voice performances are solid and contribute positively to character engagement.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express disappointment with Aniplex's lack of advertising for the game, indicating that the monetization strategy may not be effectively supported by promotional efforts.