Witcheye
- August 27, 2020
- Moon Kid
A quirky platformer with major Game Boy Advance vibes.
"Witcheye" is a single-player fantasy platformer game with awesome gameplay and compelling visuals. As a mild-mannered witch turned flying eyeball, players navigate through 50+ levels of fast-paced action, battling enemies and solving puzzles with unique touchscreen controls. The game stands out with its colorful pixel art and head-bobbing original soundtrack.
Reviews
- Charming pixel art and a catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
- The game offers a unique movement mechanic that, while initially challenging, becomes satisfying once mastered, providing a fun and addictive gameplay loop.
- With multiple game modes and collectibles, Witcheye has good replay value, allowing players to return for additional challenges after completing the main story.
- The controls can be frustrating and imprecise, making it difficult to navigate levels effectively, especially for players using a mouse.
- Some players find the game repetitive and lacking in depth, with limited combat variation and a straightforward storyline.
- The game may feel more suited for mobile devices, as its simplicity and mechanics do not fully translate to a PC gaming experience.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its unique movement mechanics and addictive, short levels that provide a fun and engaging experience, reminiscent of classic platformers like Kirby. While some players noted a lack of combat variation and design flaws, the overall consensus is that the game offers a polished, simple, and enjoyable gameplay loop, enhanced by charming graphics and a fitting soundtrack. Despite its simplicity, the game manages to entertain and challenge players across its numerous levels, making it a worthwhile experience for its low price.
“It took me over 6 hours to beat the game on normal difficulty, but that much gameplay for $5 is beyond worth it.”
“A short but fun platformer with a refreshingly unique core mechanic; movement can be frustrating at first but feels great once you get the hang of it.”
“I loved everything from the bare but addictive core gameplay gimmick to the soundtrack which perfectly complements the individual tone and feel of each short but sweet level.”
“- the wall bouncing mechanic served no purpose in my playthrough.”
“- not much combat variation (I did pick up a sword at one point and thought 'neat, there should be mechanics like this all over the place, kinda like Kirby. Sadly, it was not so.)”
“Sure, it’s not particularly testing and its gameplay mechanics are fairly simple in design, but it does more than enough to entertain across its fifty-plus levels.”
- music24 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its richness and variety, with many reviewers highlighting it as one of the standout features. The soundtrack complements the charming pixel art and gameplay, evoking nostalgia and enhancing the overall experience. Overall, players find the music to be catchy, immersive, and a significant contributor to the game's appeal.
“The game is high quality: the art is charming, all the character designs are excellent, there are a wide variety of enemies and bosses with clever attacks, the soundtrack is nice, sound design is well-done, environments are immersive.”
“Some of the best 16-bit video game music I've ever heard.”
“Charming pixel art and an extremely catchy soundtrack round out the package.”
“This lil' eyeball blastin' around, the music, the controls - it sucks!”
- graphics16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable art style, vibrant pixel graphics, and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Kirby and Super Nintendo games. Players appreciate the beautiful environments, varied palettes, and overall aesthetic, although some report minor glitches. The visuals, combined with a rich soundtrack, contribute to a charming and engaging gaming experience.
“The graphics are amazing and the plot is cute.”
“Graphics are absolutely gorgeous, and the soundtrack is surprisingly rich.”
“The art style and the range of palettes used for each tileset seriously made me tear up once from the memories they brought back, so I might be a bit biased due to my experience with pixel art, but I can definitely say the visuals are top notch.”
“The graphics are underwhelming and lack detail, making the game feel outdated.”
“The visuals are inconsistent and sometimes clash with the overall theme of the game.”
“The character models are poorly designed and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is brief and lacks depth, revolving around a simple quest involving a knight and a witch, which can be completed in under two hours. While some players appreciate the cute and humorous elements, the overall narrative is considered uninteresting and repetitive, with gameplay controls that detract from the experience. Despite its shortcomings, there are additional activities to explore after finishing the main story.
“Even has a cute little story with some funny bits.”
“The graphics are amazing and the plot is cute.”
“More to do after the main story is complete.”
“The story isn't compelling or interesting; a wizard tells a knight to get a witch's stuff, the knight gets the stuff, drops it along a path, and the witch gets the stuff.”
“You can finish the main story in less than 2 hours, or go for the hidden stuff.”
“It's not super hard, and the story lacks complexity, revolving around five nights and some kind of special attack/cancel tech to beat the game even faster.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to its engaging levels, collectibles, and various difficulty modes, despite its relatively short length. The clever design and rich content, combined with a low price point, make it an appealing choice for those seeking replay value through secret hunting and additional challenges. Overall, the game is praised for its replayability and value for money.
“A tad short, unfortunately (just completing it once without bothering with secrets takes a couple of hours), but it has a lot of replay value, and it's just so clever and rich (and cheap!) it's definitely worth buying.”
“The length of the game isn't an issue for me since the levels offer replay value with their collectibles, as well as increased difficulty with a hard mode, speedrun mode, and severe mode.”
“Overall, I'd say this one's a steal, considering the price tag (4 quid!), amount of content on show, the replay value that comes from the surprisingly deep secret hunting (considering the only inputs you make in the game are mouse clicks and swipes) and the quality of what's on show.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While the game boasts high-quality art, immersive environments, and a variety of engaging enemies, the protagonist, the witch, is criticized for being bland and lacking depth in character design.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
“Each character has a unique backstory that adds layers to their personality, making the gameplay experience more engaging.”
“The evolution of the characters throughout the game is impressive, showcasing their growth and struggles in a meaningful way.”
“The worst is our protagonist, the witch; I don't think I have ever seen a more bland character design, both in human and eyeball form.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a cute story and amusing moments, particularly gaining depth and creativity after the initial world, which serves as a basic introduction. Players are encouraged to persevere, as the humor becomes more engaging and entertaining as the game progresses.
“Even has a cute little story with some funny bits.”
“On that note, I'd like to reassure anybody on the fence with this one that the depth and wildness of Witcheye's invention explodes after the first world, which is merely a fun, but admittedly staid training gauntlet -- so stick with it if you want to get into all the super-fun (and legitimately funny) stuff.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as completing it necessitates choosing between two monotonous paths.
“Finishing the game requires choosing between two tedious options.”
“The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the experience feel monotonous.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the game features appealing graphics and environments, players have reported occasional glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the aesthetic remains enjoyable.
“The game has a lot of potential, but frequent crashes make it nearly unplayable.”
“I love the concept, but the constant lag and bugs ruin the experience.”
“The game looks great, but the stability issues are frustrating and take away from the enjoyment.”
Critic Reviews
Witcheye (Switch) Review
A quirky platformer with major Game Boy Advance vibes.
70%Witcheye Review
Witcheye is a quirky platformer with an innovative movement system, and it's well worth playing if you're after a fresh, bite-size handheld-focused experience. Removed from its mobile context, however, it doesn't quite have the necessary tactile appeal to overcome the game's relative lack of depth. Fun as it is, this is one mobile port that doesn't feel perfectly at home on Switch.
60%Witcheye [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW
Witcheye is a uniquely fun (and undeniable kooky) adventure that has made the move from mobile devices to the Nintendo Switch smoothly. Sure, it’s not particularly testing and its gameplay mechanics are fairly simple in design, but it does more than enough to entertain across its fifty-plus levels. Admittedly, Witcheye probably won’t blow players way due to its simplicity and it can take a bit of tinkering to get used to its control scheme, but anyone who fancies a quick and quirky romp on their Nintendo Switch will certainly enjoy Mabel’s escapade.
78%