To place it merely, Quantum Witch is a heartwarming ‘plotformer’ led to by solo developer NikkiJay and her experiences of leaving a spiritual cult and finally, discovering her personal method in life. Although, to place it so merely is to do Quantum Witch, and simply how particular it’s, a significant injustice.
Whereas the preliminary context may make you imagine Quantum Witch is a darkish recreation primarily exploring non secular trauma, it’s removed from that; the ultimate product is the outpouring of a person’s coronary heart, deeply private experiences, and maybe most significantly, the humour and love which they’ve used to beat them. It’s the latter the place Quantum Witch actually shines, laden with on-the-nose jokes about in-game occasions, the LGBTQIA+ expertise, and present society at massive.
As I step foot into the village of Hus and start to satisfy its eclectic characters (which embrace non secular fanatics, online game icons with all-new identities, and speaking fish to call a number of), Quantum Witch conjures up that exact same feeling that Undertale and Stardew Valley usually evoke in gamers; it appears like coming residence (and the soundtrack performs an enormous half on this). Hus is an idyllic village with some kooky individuals to satisfy, and exquisite music – composed by each NikkiJay and Jerden Cooke – that accompanies your exploration and conversations.
As a plotformer, you possibly can count on some leaping and punching right here and there, however Quantum Witch is much more akin to a visible novel. That mentioned, there are many issues to discover at any given second and much more that you simply may miss (that are more durable to overlook in subsequent playthroughs due to extra hints and a checkpoint system, don’t fret).
Those that absorb each nook and cranny of Quantum Witch, replaying it to see how their phrases can have vital penalties on the story at hand, in addition to the facet tales of individuals you meet and assist, would be the ones to get probably the most of this recreation. There’s a entire world – and extra, actually, given the meta-narrative you’ll quickly see at play – to soak in.
Even when the subject of dialog is lower than jovial – be it the uncanny valley nature of among the individuals you meet, or the clear unhappiness and exhaustion some characters face however can’t categorical because of the ‘all-powerful’ forces that govern what actions and ideas of theirs are acceptable to have – Quantum Witch by no means permits you to lose hope. Hope is a fairly highly effective drive on this world; it’s a combination of that and every little thing you be taught all through your journey – largely from the individuals you meet – that drive you on this recreation.
That doesn’t assure issues gained’t find yourself pear-shaped in Quantum Witch. Your dialogue selections are on the forefront of the narrative, figuring out the outcomes of your self – Ren – and characters akin to Ren’s bonded one, Tyra, or the poor lady she finds tied up and alone, left for useless, Hannah. These are only a few individuals you possibly can assist, or finally condemn.
Whereas hope is in all places and love is prevalent in Quantum Witch, there’s no stopping you from exploring the depths of the sport’s non secular factions, even ascending to Godhood your self if that’s the place issues take you. Not each ending is a cheerful one, although exploring all outcomes is fruitful. Irrespective of the place you look in Quantum Witch, there’s one thing to be taught. Not simply concerning the characters, however your self, and your individual experiences with faith, coercive management, and queer identities.
No matter what route you find yourself taking alongside The Helgrind Path and past, there’s one saying underpinning Quantum Witch’s story (which developer NikkiJay touched upon a latest VG247 interview), no matter which endings you expertise and which side-stories you progress, and it’s that “it takes a village to lift a baby”. The saying is kind of literal, after all, however will be utilized to anybody at any stage; people can’t do that on their very own, and we rely vastly on the love and assist of each other to beat life’s hurdles, to face our trauma, and to really go on residing to one of the best of our talents.
Every little thing is simpler with mates and an open coronary heart, and that’s what I finally took away from Quantum Witch. This recreation – made with love, sweat, and tears in NikkiJay’s bed room – is particular, and it’ll little doubt steal away a chunk of your coronary heart too (or make you snort out loud, on the very least).
