Is this magical FPS Doom-ed from the start?
Witch Rise takes its inspiration from FPS games like DOOM but also contains a Metroidvania style map to explore and an RPG levelling system which sees you fighting through 4 different areas that include a forest and sewers as well as a volcano area and a snowy area.
You begin with only a sword which isn’t the easiest to use, but you can discover magical staffs that can fire like guns in different ways, but these use mana which end up being the in-game version of ammo. You may need to backtrack to a different route if you aren’t careful as some bosses will eat you alive if you just have your sword in your arsenal.
Enemies will drop coins that you can redeem at shops scattered in each area. These can vary from a simple refill of health or mana to upgrades like extra HP/Mana points, a complete map of the area or being able to dodge or move wooden boxes. The object of the game is to collect a key in each of the 4 areas which will then give you access to the final boss.
The game itself isn’t particularly long and nabbing the Platinum is very easy as long as you don’t run into a boss early on with just the sword. The 2D pixels in a 3D FPS view is decent and the controls are neat with the staffs and moving, but the sword is a pain to use…so my advice is to try and find a staff as soon as possible.
I didn’t come across any visual/performance differences in either PS5 or PS4 version, nor did I come across any bugs other than the ones I had to kill with my sword or staff. The soundtrack is pretty good too.
The Verdict
Witch Rise is a nice blend of DOOM, RPG and Metroidvania. It’s just a shame that it’s over so soon, but it’s another easy double Platinum from Ratalaika. The sword handles poorly but once you get a staff, the game becomes a lot more fun. It’s also incredibly cheap at just £3.99 for both PS5 and PS4 versions.