Product Info

Platform

Switch, PC

Publisher

Chibig

Developer

Chibig, Nukefist

Genre

Adventure, Platform, RPG, Simulation

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

1.7 GB

Release Date (NA)

Aug 21, 2024

Purchase From

eShop

Steam

The Indie game Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a cute and enjoyable adventure with a bite-sized story. However, even though it’s filled with side quests, there’s only about a day’s worth of gameplay. So is it worth players’ time to try to conquer this mountain?

Becoming a Witch

You play as Mika, an aspiring witch who fell down from the top of the mountain thanks to your witch instructor. Stuck at the bottom of the mountain with a broken broom, you’ll need to figure out how to get back to the top. Luckily, the island’s inhabitants are welcoming and offer you a job to deliver packages to earn some money to help fix your broom. If the thought of a witch delivering packages sounds familiar, you’re right—it feels like a story from one of Studio Ghibli’s popular films, Kiki’s Delivery Service. Of course, here, you’ll be doing the deliveries.

You’ll spend a good amount of time traveling around the island to run errands and do deliveries. The story starts off at a smooth pace, but it closes the book too soon, feeling like there should be more adventures that await Mika. The game uses a clock to indicate your days of service, and it only goes for three days before you’re done with the story. In the real world, players can complete the entire story in less than four hours, not including the side quests.

It would be interesting to see more stories about some of the townsfolk on the island, especially the businessman named W.Soot who gives Mika a hard time and bad reviews. For example, late in the game when you find out his business scheme, he disappears, leaving nothing but the townsfolk to comment that he had moved on from the island.

Still, in those short three days, you’ll not only take on your delivery jobs but also become a helpful witch by doing noble errands, delivering lost items that are scattered across the island, e.g., a kite or an ocarina. It’s not necessary to do this to finish the game’s story, though. Doing these good deeds are like side quests. This is only for completionist players who want to finish the game at 100%.

A Fragile Ride

Although your broom is broken, it’s still usable, though you can only deliver one item per delivery. After fixing and upgrading it, you can deliver up to four packages at a time. These upgrades come through the game’s storyline, so there’s no rush to try and grind.

However, controlling the broom is a different story. You technically don’t fly up and instead hover and slowly descend. When you upgrade your broom, you’ll be able to add an additional boost to keep you levitated. Maneuvering takes time to adjust, too, as controlling your ride feels too loose and can be annoying when trying to descend to a specific location.

Parts of the island have wind breezes that’ll boost your flying speed or send you upward. Be warned that if you are not paying close attention when using these, you can collide against a wall and your delivery item could be damaged or even destroyed.

Because of how loose your control is, delivering items is now more risky. The majority of the items you’ll deliver have what’s essentially a health gauge. The package’s life span can deplete if the item gets wet or collides against a hard substance like a wall. If the package is damaged, you can reset the item: just re-pick it back up for another chance. Delivering the item gives you a stamp and mostly gratitude. The only time you’ll have a customer issue is based on the storyline, so in those cases, don’t get hung up on what you did wrong.

While you’re traveling, you can collect small totem-like figures that are scattered across the island. Your map will indicate how many totems you’ve found in each area. Collecting them gives you accessories and outfits for Mika. If you complete the story before finding all the lost items and collecting those totem figures, you can still do so afterward.

Wind Waker Witch

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain’s world and style was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker with its cel-shaded cartoon-style graphics and by Studio Ghibli movies. That means it’s bright and cheery. It’s also detailed but not overly so—a pleasantly clean world to fly through. The beginning animation clips are a great touch as well, capturing some of that Ghibli style.

The game’s simple user interface is straightforward and easy to use. It makes traveling around the island enjoyable. Its soundtrack is symphonic and its smooth scores bring the warmth and coziness of the island to life. The music is quite impressive and easily one of the highlights of the whole experience.

The Last Delivery

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is beautiful, relaxing, fun, and easy to jump into. At the same time, its gameplay length may not be enough for gamers looking for a long adventure. Still, it’s a cozy experience that will make you want to see what Mika’s next adventure will be.

A Nintendo Switch code provided for this review and gameplay footage.