Can this Witch delivery game put a spell on you?
Meet Mika, an aspiring witch with a half-formed set of powers. In order to complete her training, she must help out the townspeople living at the bottom of the mountain, bringing them packages on her magic broom. It’s time to make some friends and take to the skies! Help Mika earn her stripes, roaming around the island and earning upgrades with each successful delivery. Along the way you’ll get to know each of the quirky characters in town. But be warned – flying is a dangerous business, and packages are easily damaged in transit! A combat-free game for curious hearts. Soar with the wind and discover a bewitching open world with secrets hidden in every nook and cranny.
A glimpse of Mike and the Witch’s Mountain and you’ll see the inspiration it got from games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker among others. It has a charming light-hearted story about a young witch in-training who is knocked off the top of the mountain by the teacher witch and has to work her way back to the top from the bottom by completing deliveries to get a good enough broom to reach the top.
You’ll come across a range of interesting villagers who all need help, while uncovering some secrets about the town as you progress. It’s very heart-warming and definitely a feel-good game as you help out around the town and get to know the townsfolk with each delivery. Flying itself does take a bit of getting used to, but it does get easier with practice. I also wanted to note that I did laugh at the font used for the Mont Guan map, it looks slightly Tolkien-inspired…
Deliveries vary in their requirements. Some items may not be water-proof or are fragile and can only take a few hits, but you can always reset the item from the original point if you want to make a perfect delivery. There are collectibles scattered across, as well as unlockable costumes to nab. The main game itself is only a few hours long, but the clean-up will take a bit longer if you are after that Platinum trophy.
The visuals are charming with their Wind Waker/Studio Ghibli vibe, while having a really relaxing soundtrack to play to. The performance is solid throughout with a smooth framerate and I didn’t come across any glitches during my playthrough.
The Verdict
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain won’t win any awards for originality, but it does get a lot of credit for its heart-warming story, memorable characters and providing a chilled out experience with no pressure or time-limits to obtain your goals. It’s charming from start to finish, I just wish it lasted a bit longer…
Score: 8.0
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co