There’s a Studio Ghibli sheen to My Aunt is a Witch, a visual novel that takes the ‘visual’ part of the label very seriously. It’s beautiful, colourful and hand-drawn, and it’s a cracking backdrop for a Halloween-y tale. My Aunt is a Witch is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Vita and Switch.
The story focuses on Thomas, kicked out of the house by his evil stepmother and bedazzled father, and finds sanctuary in his aunt Alice’s house. She immediately puts poor Thomas to work, and it becomes clear that the house – and Alice – aren’t quite what he bargained for. The hats, plants and even crockery of the house are out to kill him, and Alice may well be a witch (no prizes if you anticipated that twist).
She plans to groom you to be a witch yourself, or – at least – a potion maker, as teaching an apprentice would allow her to get her accreditations back. The problem is that she’s neglectful and forgetful, and not a little headstrong, so she’s not always the best of teachers.
This is a coming of age story, and it looks like it might be an-all ages romp that covers a lot of the territory of The Worst Witch and Harry Potter.
It’s not all visual-novel stuff either, as there are some gameplay bits stirred into the cauldron. You will be searching areas for items to complete quests, mixing potions in QTE-like sections, and completing other shorter puzzles. It’s possible to die, although not frequently, so you’ll need to ensure you make the right choices.
Features include:
– Colorful and beautiful art style
– Fabulous and warm atmosphere
– Original soundtrack and realistic sounds that create the effect of presence, which helps you immerse yourself in this magical world
– Quest mechanics
– Interactive locations
Having played My Aunt is a Witch – and having reviewed it on Xbox One no less – we can confirm that it’s not only visually a bit ravishing, but it also sounds good too. There’s a lovely soundtrack throughout, and sound effects help to ground the happenings a bit more than your average visual novel.
My Aunt is a Witch is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X at a price of £8.39. It’s also out on PS4, PS5, PS Vita, Switch and PC.
Game Description:
My Aunt is a Witch’ is a Visual Novel full of adventures and quests in the world of magic where you have an incredible chance to become an apprentice of one of the most peculiar and charismatic witches. The protagonist, a boy named Thomas, has a difficult life. It gets even worse when his father marries a woman who simply can’t stand her stepson. His whole life changes with a sudden trip to his aunt, whom he visited once many years ago. Now he is definitely distracted from all sad thoughts, because his aunt Alice is a real witch who has a talking cat and a bunch of magical things, and her house is not exactly the right place for little boys. But despite all the dangers, Thomas accepts the challenge and firmly decides to reach the heights of potion-making and to reveal all the secrets hidden behind the magical barrier.
