If you haven’t Heard of the WitchSpring series, we cannot blame you. These games are developed by a South Korean studio for mobile systems; however, WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine is the first time the franchise makes it to a home console, like the Nintendo Switch. A port of a mobile game presented as a complete game for the Switch? That may deter several of you reading from even considering the game, and you might be right to some degree. But if you like turn-based RPGs with a chibi aesthetic, a colorful palette with quirky characters, a complex crafting system, and the nostalgic feel of playing a game that feels like it belongs to the latter days of the 3DS, then you might be in for a treat.

First, let’s tackle some important issues. No, you don’t need to have played the first WitchSpring games to play and understand this one. Yes, it is a mobile game in essence, and it does feel and play as such. No, it does not have a predatory microtransaction system. With that out of the way, we can proceed. WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine tells the story of Eirudy, a girl that has been labeled as a witch. She lives away from society in a cabin in the middle of the forest. Eirudy is well versed in combat and alchemy, but she also enjoys crafting ragdolls. These puppets are her companions and, thanks to her magical abilities, can infuse life into them. One day, Eirudy gets a meet-cute with Adrian, a young man exploring the forest who happens to be of royale lineage, and now both embark on a quest to save Adrian’s mom and unravel a bigger mystery in the process.

The Switch version’s main difference and improvement from the original mobile release must be the incorporation of voice acting. 50 different characters now have a voice of their own, and while it might not feel like a crucial element of a game, with a story-driven RPG such as this one, this addition is everything. Especially when there are typos and grammatical errors in the game’s dialogue, mainly due to localization. Also, the dialogue feels a bit flat and awkward, again, because there must be a thing or two that get lost in translation. Nevertheless, hearing voices instead of having to read dialogue against the background music is a most welcome feature.

Now for the combat system. As mentioned before, it is turn-based and, being an eastern RPG, it adheres to most conventions of the genre. Grinding, elemental attacks, elemental beings, encounters in the overworld, which can be avoided or skipped, fortunately, and summons. But here is where things get interesting. Remember the dolls from the cabin? Well, these can be used as summons during combat. You get a maximum of three dolls for combat so choosing which ones to summon becomes a tactical decision, which layers beautifully with the combat system and the coherence of the narrative. Also, you can even use some of these dolls as mounts off-combat, which kind of makes us think of how some Pokémon work in games such as Sun/Moon and Sword/Shield. Now for the magic attacks, these are also quite interesting and may I dare to say, unique. You get three slots for magic attacks and each slot is composed of the main circle and a support circle. The way you choose to combine these circles will determine the effects and strength of the attack, as well as its cost. This offers multiple possible combinations that might suit different several playstyles. The crafting system is nothing to write home about; you get loot from fallen opponents, you use the ingredients you receive to craft new items, and it all is wrapped around the concept of alchemy. It is fine but nothing revolutionary.

One of the main issues most players will face is just how generic the game setting is. The color palette, the chibi designs, the environments, the villages, and the dungeons, all feel so familiar, like something you have seen for the millionth time. Even the design of notorious fiends, such as dragons, feels like something you have known all your life. There is no real cohesion about the lore of the game. You only get a putlock of elemental beings and mystical characters that aims to tackle every trope in the book. There is however a silver lining, and those are the dolls. Those things are impossibly charming and their relationship with Eirudy is compelling. It adds quirk to the character and, at the same time, provides a gameplay element that distinguishes the game from others of its kind.

Finally, the music is what you might expect, beautiful and relaxing, with upbeat tracks for combat and tense situations. Not worthy of much praise like many final Fantasy titles but still enjoyable enough to listen to it even without playing the game.

WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine is a glorified mobile game, there is no doubt about it, but one with some heart to it. Of course, one might be asking of paying at least 10 times for the Switch version instead of the original 4-5 dollars of the mobile release. The short answer is no, the game is not optimized enough for the system and feels like an emulation more than a port. Still, the physical version of the game is absolutely beautiful, and also includes the soundtrack, so collectors might want to throw in a couple of bucks more to snatch a copy of WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine for the Nintendo Switch.
 

Sarwar Ron, NoobFeed
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