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Review: Trigger Witch – Movies Games and Tech


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For some of us, life has no plan! We do not know what we are doing from one day to the next, and we love the random nature of our life choices. Other people, however, have their lives planned out for them by their parents. The school they will attend, the friends they associate with, and the career they will undertake. Having limited choices must be frustrating, but having everything selected for you allows you to excel in your field. You channel all of your energy into achieving your goal and if it goes well, you’ll be seen as the leader in that role. Trigger Witch uses this idea to form its old-school 16-bit inspired title.

Developed by Rainbite and published by Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a colourful and magical pixelated adventure title. With a SNES and Mega Drive aesthetic, this will tweak the nostalgia strings of retro gaming fans. Set in an open world, you are free to explore to your heart’s content while taking on many missions in this cute fantasy tale.

You control Colette, a young witch who graduated from “The Stock” to become a fully-fledged member of “The Clip”. She prefers firepower over magic spells and uses her trusty pistol and other weapons she acquires. Her graduation ceremony is ruined after a mysterious man invades her realm and her life is turned upside-down. She is the heroine in this tale and must use everything she has learned to stop this mysterious stranger before it’s too late.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr don’t freeze in the ice dungeon.

Trigger Witch uses the best mechanics from old-school games.

Many indie games come with the strapline “Inspired by retro games”. Some do well to capture the essence of that classic gaming era, but many fail and the gameplay feels hollow. Trigger Witch has taken the best mechanics and style out of many early console games to create a genuinely interesting retro title.

With many weird and wonderful characters to interact with, vast dungeons to explore, and a simple but enthralling story to work through, this captures your interest from the off. It’s a twin-stick shooter that requires quick reactions and accuracy. It will test new players to the genre but it’ll be a walk in the park for veteran gamers. Trigger Witch has an array of weapons to choose from and your arsenal increases as you find them on your journey. These basic guns can be improved with old parts that are found in chests and gems that you collect from killing monsters. The simple weapons quickly go from being pea shooters to overpowered cannons in no time at all. Arming yourself with these ridiculous tools was fantastic and you’ll be chuckling as you mow down every monster you encounter.

Something seems off about this king.

Well laid out dungeons, evil monster, and couch co-op.

An old-school adventure game wouldn’t be complete without fantastic dungeons to explore. Luckily, Trigger Witch has this covered. These labyrinthine areas are full of twists and turns and puzzles that require logical thinking, and quick shooting. You must destroy every enemy you encounter or unlock doors by hitting switches. This concept is simple and gradually increases in difficulty the further you progress. It’s sadly a little repetitive, but I never tired of the action. The monsters became more aggressive with different methods of attack, so rushing in all guns blazing isn’t always the winning solution. You must study their weaknesses, use the surrounding environment to your advantage, and clear each dungeon of monsters.

As well as the brilliant dungeons, you’ll encounter massive bosses that want to destroy you. Whether the battle takes place in a tiny arena or while riding a broom, the aim is the same. You’ll dodge their attacks, select the right weapons, and chip away at their health. The bosses offer little in the way of a challenge, but I liked the grand setting and the build-up to the fight. The battles were easy, but they were nicely intertwined with the story, so each one felt relevant and necessary.

I enjoyed many aspects of Trigger Witch, but my favourite had to be the “drop-in” multiplayer gameplay. A second player can join the action by simply connecting a controller. This was fantastic and captured the retro gaming scene perfectly. If the second gamer stopped playing it matters not, as their character leaves the world and you carry on, regardless. This seamless layer was excellent and made it much more accessible than many of its peers.

Trigger Witch captures SNES imagery perfectly.

Pixelated gaming is all the rage and I’m one gamer that loves it. Trigger Witch stands out against recent indie titles because of its vivid colours and accurate retro aesthetics. The viewpoint is reminiscent of old-school RPGs, and the cute but deadly monsters are fantastic to look at. The game uses simple imagery to create a magical world that is fun to explore and easy on the eye. I enjoyed the varied landscapes and the different enemies associated with each area. The changes sometimes were subtle, but they offered enough variety to keep things interesting.

The dynamic soundtrack and shrill sound effects were great to listen to. The deafening boom of the weapons and the twang of magic spells added to the fantasy theme. I liked how different areas had their own music and the tone and pace changed to reflect the mood. The basic audio delivers enough variety to prevent boredom and helps to create an exciting and magical adventure.

Ready…..Aim…….Fire!!!!!!

Shooting is easy when you have a laser sight. 

I’ve written about enough twin-stick shooters for people to know I suck at them. Yet, I found Trigger Witch easy to play. Is this because I’m improving at this genre? No! With a permanent laser sight for aiming, no one will miss the target. I really liked this approach, and it made the fast-paced action much more bearable. Alongside this user-friendly idea was the well-designed controller set-up that made learning the basics a walk in the park. Players from any skill set can master this in minutes, which made the multiplayer option even more appealing.

Though the game allows you to explore its open world freely, the story follows a mainly linear structure. This sadly impacts the replay value as the plot doesn’t change when you return for a second playthrough. If you are a completionist, you’ll find reasons to return as the achievement list needs patience and an eye for detail to unlock them all. 

Trigger Witch is captivating, brutal, and exactly what you want from a retro game.

Trigger Witch has many interesting layers that make it a wonderful retro experience. Its story is simple but captivating and its combat mechanics are brutal. Some elements are repetitive, yet its mix of characters and interesting dungeons ensure you’ll want to keep playing. I enjoyed my magical experience and recommend you to buy it here! Grab your gun, defeat the bosses, and hunt down the mysterious stranger. 



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