Quantum Witch reveals the limitless prospects of what cults, coercion, and finally, the fitting assist can do

To place it merely, Quantum Witch is a heartwarming ‘plotformer’ led to by solo developer NikkiJay and her experiences of leaving a non secular cult and finally, discovering her personal approach in life. Although, to place it so merely is to do Quantum Witch, and simply how particular it’s, a serious injustice.

Whereas the preliminary context may make you consider Quantum Witch is a darkish sport 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 giant.

As I step foot into the village of Hus and start to satisfy its eclectic characters (which embody non secular fanatics, online game icons with all-new identities, and speaking fish to call just a few), Quantum Witch conjures up that exact same feeling that Undertale and Stardew Valley typically evoke in gamers; it seems like coming house (and the soundtrack performs an enormous half on this). Hus is an idyllic village with some kooky folks to satisfy, and exquisite music – composed by each NikkiJay and Jerden Cooke – that accompanies your exploration and conversations.

As a plotformer, you possibly can anticipate some leaping and punching right here and there, however Quantum Witch is much more akin to a visible novel. That stated, there are many issues to discover at any given second and much more that you simply may miss (that are tougher to overlook in subsequent playthroughs due to further hints and a checkpoint system, don’t fret).

Those that soak up each nook and cranny of Quantum Witch, replaying it to see how their phrases can have important penalties on the story at hand, in addition to the aspect tales of individuals you meet and assist, would be the ones to get probably the most of this sport. There’s a complete 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 folks you meet, or the clear unhappiness and exhaustion some characters face however can’t categorical on account of the ‘all-powerful’ forces that govern what actions and ideas of theirs are acceptable to have – Quantum Witch by no means helps you to lose hope. Hope is a reasonably highly effective power on this world; it’s a combination of that and every part you study all through your journey – largely from the folks you meet – that drive you on this sport.

That doesn’t assure issues received’t find yourself pear-shaped in Quantum Witch. Your dialogue choices 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 woman she finds tied up and alone, left for useless, Hannah. These are just some folks you possibly can assist, or finally condemn.

Whereas hope is all over the place 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. Regardless of the place you look in Quantum Witch, there’s one thing to study. Not simply concerning the characters, however your self, and your personal 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 current 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 toddler”. The saying is kind of literal, after all, however could 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 actually go on dwelling to the very best of our talents.

Every little thing is less complicated with mates and an open coronary heart, and that’s what I finally took away from Quantum Witch. This sport – made with love, sweat, and tears in NikkiJay’s bed room – is particular, and it’ll little question steal away a chunk of your coronary heart too (or make you chuckle out loud, on the very least).