The Knight Witch

It's a mixed bag; story is mildly interesting, art is serviceable, characters are good, music is fine... Gameplay though, it has compelling ideas, but in practice it feels clunky, like you are struggling with the format while fighting enemies. Bullet hell in cramped spaces while also having to look to the corner of the screen at you ability cards... nah. It's not hard really, it just doesn't click, and it gets worse as things become more difficult; becoming a slog. (also there is this underwater area where you lose bullet control, and can only fire horizontal... that was straight up annoying) The story and characterization was the only thing keeping me going (barely), but I finally lost patience with it; I think I was 65%-ish done with the story. Not terrible, but I wouldn't recommend this unless you REALLY REALLY need another lite-Metroidvania.

Great mix of bullet hell (not really that hellish) and metroidvania Skill cards, nice story and beautiful art made me really enjoy the experience

The Knight Witch blends Metroidvania exploration, fast twin-stick shooting, bullet-hell encounters, and deck-based magic into an adventure that feels considerably different from the typical side-scrolling action game. Developed by Super Mega Team and published by Team17, it places players in the underground world of Dungeonidas, where fantasy magic exists alongside advanced machinery. Rather than relying on one central mechanic, the game continually shifts between exploration, intense aerial battles, character progression, spell management, and story-driven decisions. The adventure follows Rayne, a young woman who becomes involved in defending Dungeonidas when an army of War Golems threatens its inhabitants. As a Knight Witch, she possesses both combat abilities and magical powers, but her journey also revolves around earning the confidence of the people she protects. This gives the narrative a more personal angle than simply defeating an invading force. Rayne gradually becomes a public symbol, and the way she communicates with citizens can affect the connection she establishes with them. Movement is one of the game's defining features. Rayne can fly freely through environments instead of being limited by conventional jumping and platforming. This creates an unusual interpretation of Metroidvania exploration, allowing players to approach rooms from several directions while searching for secrets, upgrades, and new paths. Progress still involves obtaining abilities and reaching previously inaccessible areas, but unrestricted flight makes navigating the interconnected environments feel much closer to a shoot-'em-up than a traditional platformer. Combat builds naturally around this mobility. Rayne can fire weapons while maneuvering around enemies, and encounters frequently fill the screen with projectiles that must be carefully avoided. Positioning becomes increasingly important as enemy patterns grow more complicated. Players need to balance attacking with survival, especially during larger encounters where several threats can arrive simultaneously. Auto-aim can simplify offensive control for players who would rather concentrate on dodging, while manual control provides a more involved challenge. Magic adds another layer through a customizable deck containing spell cards. More than 30 spell cards can be discovered, and these provide different offensive and defensive possibilities. The system encourages experimentation without turning the entire experience into a complicated card game. Spells function as tools within the real-time combat system, allowing players to complement conventional shooting with powerful magical attacks and situational abilities. Building around Knight abilities favors direct combat, while emphasizing Witch powers provides greater reliance on spells and magical options. Character progression also ties into Rayne's relationship with Dungeonidas. Knight Witches gain strength through the gratitude and trust of the people, making social interactions relevant to progression. Rayne sometimes has opportunities to determine how she presents information to the public, creating an interesting conflict between honesty and gaining greater support. It is a clever concept because the reputation system serves both the story and gameplay rather than existing merely as background dialogue. Difficulty can become demanding because bullet-hell combat requires quick reactions, especially when numerous projectiles occupy the screen. Fortunately, the game provides assistance features that make the experience more approachable. Auto-aim is particularly useful for players unfamiliar with multidirectional shooters, and other accessibility options can reduce some of the harsher challenges. Players looking for the intended level of intensity can ignore these assists, so the game accommodates different skill levels without forcing one difficulty philosophy on everyone. The hand-drawn visual direction gives Dungeonidas plenty of personality. Character designs are expressive, environments combine colorful fantasy imagery with mechanical elements, and combat produces an impressive display of magical effects and enemy fire. The presentation works particularly well during quieter exploration because areas retain visual character even when the screen is not filled with enemies. During intense battles, however, the quantity of effects and projectiles can occasionally make encounters visually busy. The genre mixture is also responsible for some of the game's limitations. Players who mainly want traditional Metroidvania platforming may need time to adjust to the constant aerial movement and shooter-focused battles. Likewise, players attracted primarily by bullet-hell action may find dialogue and exploration slow down the pace. The card system introduces tactical flexibility but remains intentionally secondary to real-time action. These elements make the game most appealing to players who enjoy experimentation across several genres rather than expecting a pure example of any single one. Steam Deck compatibility is officially listed as Steam Deck Verified, making it particularly well suited to portable play. Its controller-oriented movement and twin-stick combat translate naturally to the handheld format, although the amount of action and projectiles on screen means careful attention is still necessary during demanding encounters. Overall, The Knight Witch is an imaginative hybrid that manages to give its unusual combination of mechanics a coherent identity. Free-flight exploration distinguishes it from conventional Metroidvanias, bullet-hell encounters provide satisfying intensity, and the spell deck creates room for experimentation. Its trust system also connects narrative choices with progression in a meaningful way. Not every component is equally deep, and its combination of genres may require some adjustment, but the result is a stylish and engaging action adventure that rewards both quick reflexes and thoughtful character building. Rating: 8/10

It has a strong start, beautiful art, and an amazing soundtrack. I also love the whole concept of leveling up by getting to know the NPCs. HOWEVER... the design has some strange decisions that hold the game back as it goes on. It's still good, overall, but... They have a section that puts you in a series of little submarines, and when you're in the submarine you can't aim in every direction (just left and right) or dodge. At the end of the day, it just requires you to play differently, but this is RIGHT after you get the dodge, so I was frustrated with it for a good while. Also: they made a whole spell system for the game, and the way it actually works is just really strange. Not so much that it's complicated... More that I spent a lot of the time going, "Why'd they make it work THAT way?" By far the biggest offender is the fact that you have to look at the bottom-right corner to see what spells you have, what button activates them, and how much time they have left if they're active. Also: you have to look at the top-left corner to see much time your weapon spells have left. So you have to constantly check at least THREE different places: your character, and two corners. Four if you're aiming at an enemy. It's somewhat saved by the fact that you have a lot more safety than in other shoot-'em-ups, for me at least. Another saving graces for the game, by the end, is this ridiculously over-powered weapon spell you can find by the end. It doesn't last nearly as long as the other weapon spells, but if you level up enough, that's not a problem, either. The feeling of absolute power is pretty fun after seriously testing yourself against every kind of bullet Hell challenge! So the end is as good as the start. It's the middle that's a problem. If you're able to slog through? There's a really great game, here.

its just not for me(non skippable slide show cutscenes)

Тут особо и расписывать нечего — игра получилась довольно слабенькой. ⭐Мой рейтинг: 4/10

Schöne Welt, liebevolle Charaktere und spaßiges Gameplay.

Es un metrovania diferente con tintes a lo tohoujo, lo bueno es que podes configurar tus poderes, Super recomendable