Witch Rise, an upcoming adventure with metroidvania and RPG elements, has officially rolled out on Itch.io and Steam. Inspired by medieval fantasy, players must journey through an open world to find four magic staffs and defeat a villainous witch.
Witch Rise was developed and published by solo dev Juliano Lima’s lightUP. Their Behance profile adds that they hope to launch the game on consoles later on. Here’s the launch announcement from Lima’s official Twitter feed:
Above all else, it is the playful charm of Witch Rise that should win you over. The art design and music craft a cozy, bubbly, and colorful world. All of the characters, even the most challenging, look positively adorable. Blending 2D and 3D effects can generate a naturally cute contrast.
The influence of retro shooters is unmistakable and, surprisingly, a comfortable fit in Witch Rise. This is likely due to the casual approach of the gameplay, which seems to streamline all of the mechanics, from combat to upgrades. That’s also going to make it easier to explore and appreciate the various environments.
Witch Rise prefers to excel in its lane rather than reinvent the wheel, which should make it very accessible. Although there was some trouble at launch, the developer swiftly updated the game in response, adding hit markers and better range. It’s clear they’re dedicated and are certain to continue supporting the game after launch.
Overall, Witch Rise isn’t revolutionary, but it isn’t solely reliant on nostalgia either. It looks like a highly thematic and breezy good time, and the art design should make everything a delight to discover.
lightUP has previous experience with successfully implementing retro and metroidvania mechanics in Slime’s Journey, which is available on the Nintendo Switch. Witch Rise would likewise fit well on a mobile device, so hopefully it will join the Switch too.
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