Unleashing Supernatural Mayhem: Get a Sneak Peek into Witchfire's Early Access!

Witchfire, developed and published by The Astronauts, offers a unique gaming experience that sets it apart from other shooters. While it includes the usual array of firearms and spells, it distinguishes itself with its random unlock system, challenging difficulty, and the time required to unlock all its features. This may not appeal to casual gamers, but those seeking a roguelike shooter will uncover intriguing concepts, combat strategies, and distinctive scenarios. However, Witchfire truly shines once players have invested several hours battling various creatures. The game starts off with minimal story exposition, providing only a brief description about witches and a short tutorial to introduce basic skills. Players are then immediately thrown into a demanding grind, armed with only a six-shooting revolver. This initial weapon, while reasonably powerful, quickly becomes insufficient when confronted with even a small horde of rapidly spawning enemies. The sluggish reload speed and the time it takes to acquire additional weapons and spells contribute to the grind. Nevertheless, the inclusion of a mix of past, present, and medieval-themed weapons and outfits adds a refreshing touch to the shooter genre and helps Witchfire make a mark.

In addition to grinding for random unlocks, players will need to consider whether the changes that occur with each play-through are enough to hold their interest. Every aspect, including enemy groups, monsters, and event starting locations, will be different each time a player enters their chosen level. It can truly feel like luck is either completely in favor of or against a player when they encounter an unfavorable grouping of spawns, especially if it hinders their retrieval of their corpse, making it extremely challenging or even impossible. In the early stages of the game, players may discover that intentionally dying to retrieve their corpse and the valuable witchfire (the in-game currency for leveling) is the most viable option. It may feel strange to allow oneself to perish in order to progress, but in certain early situations, it becomes the only feasible means of advancement.

The gunplay in Witchfire is excellent, with a satisfying sense of weight, recoil, and diversity among the various weapons, making each one unique and valuable. An upgrade system is in place for each weapon, allowing for significant changes in their functionality. One notable example is the auto rifle. Initially, it operates like most standard auto rifles, where pulling the trigger results in the emptying of the clip. However, after upgrading, the rifle introduces a progress bar with distinct sections for cold, heat, and overheat. By holding down the trigger, players progress from cold to heat, maximizing the weapon's damage output in the heat section. It requires a few bullets to reach the heat section, and then players must control their trigger pulls to keep the weapon within that range for optimal damage. This transformation essentially turns the auto rifle into an almost semi-auto rifle, providing users with the option to maximize its potential. While not all armaments undergo such dynamic changes, some players may find the alterations made to their favorite weapon somewhat bothersome.

The distance at which damage falls off when fighting enemies can be hit or miss for players. While close-up attacks with any weapon will always do maximum damage, some weapons quickly lose their effectiveness, and even medium-range weapons can be frustrating due to their rapid decline in damage. This mechanic is necessary to prevent players from easily sniping enemies from a distance or exploiting the game's mechanics. However, even the starting revolver can feel as though its damage falls off even when enemies are not very far away. This puts players at a significant disadvantage and can feel unfair at times. Although long-distance weapons fare better in this aspect, it can still feel strange when firing from what seems like a relatively short distance but still experiencing low damage numbers.

Despite these gameplay limitations, Witchfire is visually stunning. The game boasts top-notch textures that meet the expectations of a next-generation game. Enemy textures are also well-crafted, although there is a lack of diversity among grunt enemies. Some of the witch's minions, such as the wandering ghost that summons over 30 minions when provoked and the skeleton minions, are genuinely terrifying and fit well in a Halloween-themed game. The spell effects are excellent, albeit some are more subtle in their visual impact rather than flashy. This, however, does not diminish their usefulness. The weapon skins are simple yet possess a unique look that blends elements of both past and present styles. On the downside, there is a noticeable repetition of ground textures, making it occasionally challenging to identify specific areas based on these repeated textures. Similarly, the sound design can become repetitive, but it remains solid and does not detract from the overall experience.

Regrettably, a number of problems arose during playtesting of the early access version, resulting in unnecessary deaths. These issues encompassed being obstructed by rocks and unable to move, getting trapped between walls, and sliding off objects and beyond the boundaries of the map. It is anticipated that some of these challenges will be resolved in forthcoming patches, while others may necessitate intricate adjustments to level components prior to the official release. Fortunately, these occurrences were infrequent, yet in a game where the margin between survival and demise is narrow, even such minor incidents hold significance.

Switching genres can be a challenge, even for the most talented studios. The Astronauts have done a commendable job creating a game with potential for replayability, although it starts off slow and takes time to become an enjoyable run-and-gun-and-spells first-person shooter. While Witchfire may not be the best choice for those seeking a rogue-lite shooter-style game, it does offer some thrilling battles against witches and their undead armies. However, be prepared for some frustrating moments that can feel like a punch to the gut during otherwise successful runs. Those seeking a challenge will appreciate the heightened difficulty that Witchfire occasionally presents. Currently in early access, Witchfire is available now on PC. We received a PC code for this preview from our website.