A Dark Fantasy Metroidvania with a Soulslike Edge
A dark fantasy action RPG, you say? That does sound relevant to my interests…
Going by the name of Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree and coming from Primal Game Studio and Knights Peak, this one promises to deliver a mixture of a Metroidvania style game and a Soulslike; something which is an intriguing prospect.
But can Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree live up to its two lofty inspirations, or are we better off running through Elden Ring again? Well, I strapped on my best suit of armour and set off to find out. It does chafe a bit though…
Hand-Painted Horror
In terms of presentation, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is pretty much a mixture of the two genres I mentioned above. The game is set as a side scrolling action affair (don’t say platformer) and your initial impressions will be good. The opening cutscene has a cool, hand painted vibe to it that works really well, and the animation style on display is also interesting.
Once into the game itself, the design of our hero and the creatures that we come across, as well as various NPCs is very nicely done. The various locales that we find ourselves in are cleverly designed and drawn as well, ranging from the soaring towers of Crimson City right down to various caves and swamps.
And the sound is very well done too, as it goes about ranging from the fully voiced cutscenes with decent voice acting through to the various sounds of combat – swinging swords, whizzing spells, the growls of bosses and their minions. And alongside that, the music is worthy of particular praise; what with it being exceedingly well scored, and capable of matching the action that plays out. So far, so good!
Inquisitor’s Descent: Mandragora’s Dark Fantasy Narrative
But why are we running around in the wilderness, doing all we can to make monsters an endangered species? Well, therein lies the tale.
As Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree opens, we are an Inquisitor, son of the Priest King’s elite soldiers, and he has had a witch captured and brought to court. As he is torturing the witch in front of a baying crowd of bloodthirsty onlookers, we are moved to put the witch out of its misery and make a quick end of things. Sadly, our act of mercy backfires as the essence of the witch seems to seep into our being, leaving us hearing voices and so on.
Luckily the Priest King sees the bright side of this situation, and we are sent on a mission to capture another witch, and to bring this one back alive. I kind of got the impression that this was a one way trip – either return with a live witch or not at all… And so off into the wilderness we go!
2D Souls and Stamina Management
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree kind of plays out like a 2D Souls game, with all that that entails. We find ourselves running around with our chosen weapon, and each action that we take will consume some of our stamina. When that stamina runs out, we can’t do anything, so managing this is just as vital as it is in a Souls game. You do get a bit more warning here though, as when the stamina bar gets low, the movements that your character makes get slower, so you are always informed without having to watch the bar.
There is also a handy dodge move that allows you to roll behind the enemy and swipe away, and as you get further into the game, a parry move becomes available. But as is normal in these games, I struggle with the timing. Sometimes it sucks being old.
Actual combat is quite good fun; at least with a single caveat: it is lacking in feel, so it is not always easy to tell when you have been hit. When the borders of the screen flash, that is usually the first hint that not all is rosy in the garden, but by which time you about one hit away from death. However, with a bit of concentration and some determined dodging, this can be overcome.
Classes and Customisation: Building Your Inquisitor
There are multiple distinct classes to choose from as you set off on your run, and so picking a class that works for you should be pretty simple. These range from all sword and no magic, through to the opposite; all magic and no sword. There are four classes with a mixture of each, and I pretty much settled on the fire mage option, reasoning that whatever I set on fire and didn’t die, would probably like a smack around the noggin with a mace.
Each character has its own skill tree to explore and level up, and unlocking nodes on the tree will help your character become stronger. Add to this a robust crafting and upgrade system, and there are multiple ways to build your ideal avatar in the world.
A Solid Dark Fantasy RPG with Soulslike Elements
It means that Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a solid game, with a lot of fun on offer. The combat is nicely paced, adding depth as you get better equipped, and while the battling remains a little too numb, you do get used to the quirks of the way it feels. With a decent story to follow, and a lot of ground to cover, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree should well last you a good while.
Important Links
The dark, epic fantasy of Mandragora revealed for PC and console – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-dark-epic-fantasy-of-mandragora-revealed-for-pc-and-console/
Defy Your Fate in the Dark Fantasy Action RPG Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree – https://www.thexboxhub.com/defy-your-fate-in-the-dark-fantasy-action-rpg-mandragora-whispers-of-the-witch-tree/
Buy Mandragora on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/mandragora/9pdk46p3ptqm
Go deep with the Deluxe Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/mandragora-whispers-of-the-witch-tree-deluxe-edition/9NM91C6WJ2SC/0010
