Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree

“Don't overlook Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree. It offers the same frustrations common to soulslikes, but its visuals, soundtrack, and story comprise an experience that can and should be enjoyed by a much wider audience. (With help from its friendly difficulty options, mind you.)”

“Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree combines souls-like combat and Metroidvania structure in a layered, dark gothic world that's compelling, both artistically and in its setting. There are some technical issues, but it's a 2.5D adventure worth experiencing.”

“Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is an example of a game that is "just fine." If you're looking to scratch an itch, then Mandragora might be the one for you.”

“Whether you are a seasoned souls-like pro or a newcomer to the genre, Mandragora has a lot to offer. An ability to tweak the gameplay to your liking by ramping up/down the challenge gives broad appeal to differing skill levels. With a gorgeously crafted fantasy world full of atmosphere to get engrossed in, deep character progression and a tonne of replayability, this is one certainly not to be missed.”

“Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a game with a ton of potential that suffers from feeling half-baked. The first five to 10 hours of the game feel fantastic, and after that, it seems to suffer from being rushed and unpolished, culminating in a particularly lackluster final area and boss. The bones of a fun game are there, but there are enough flaws that it's worth waiting to see how it looks after a few patches.”

“Madragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree provides the perfect blend of Souls-like and Metroidvania. An engaging story and satisfying combat will keep you coming back even though there are going to be things that annoy you and force you to step away from time to time. In the end, there is an excellent adventure to be found here and I look forward to more like it from this development team.”

“Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree doesn’t veer off well-traveled paths, but that doesn’t mean its familiar combination of mechanics isn’t fun. Though it doesn’t necessarily stand out in any one area, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is still a substantial, visually impressive and generally engaging experience.”

“What’s currently here is an ARPG that nails its setting and core gameplay; everything else is underbaked. Fans of ARPGs will likely have a great time with Mandragora as I did, but those who are more interested in a nail-biting Soulslike or a clever Metroidvania won’t find it here.”

“Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a decent 2.5D action RPG with a beautiful world. However, the game has some serious design and balance issues that prevent the experience from reaching its full potential.”

“While it may not reside in the upper echelons of Metroid-style games or Souls-likes, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is built on competent foundations and could grow into something special with more fine-tuning.”

“Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a Soulslike fan's must-play, and could be a good option for fans to cut their teeth on if other titles seem too difficult.”