Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree review — Glinda, Elphaba, or something else entirely

As a fan of both Dark Souls and Metroidvania games, Mandragora felt like the perfect game for my sensibilities. With a massive world to explore, several job classes to play, and a variety of bosses to conquer, the game beckoned to my geek heart. While I’ve enjoyed my time in the land of Faelduum, it wasn’t without some frustrations. Can the sum of its parts cover this enchantress’s blemishes?

When the Priest King decided to parade a captive witch in front of his entire kingdom, putting her on public display and taunting her, you were forced to intervene. As the lead inquisitor, it was your job to protect his majesty’s life. When the witch attacked, you slaughtered her…but now you’re hearing the faint whispers of Mandragora, the slain witch. As it turns out, not everything is as it seems.

The narrative in Mandragora feels like it’ll be familiar territory to anyone in the fantasy gaming space. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises along the way, but the ride is fun enough. With that said, the game’s dialogue feels well-written, drawing you into the tale as it’s being spun. It just may not be enough to distract you from the repetitive gameplay loop or telegraphed story beats. Think of it like a reflection pool at the base of a mountain: it isn’t particularly deep, but it provides a welcome experience en route to the summit.

Thankfully, what the narrative lacks, the gameplay systems make up for…for the most part. For reference, I played the melee-heavy vanguard class. With regard to the combat, there are strong parallels to be drawn between Mandragora and Souls-like titles. You’ll have to manage your stamina as you attack, parry, and dodge in and out of combat. As you defeat foes, you’ll gain a currency that can be used to level up at checkpoints. This, in turn, rewards you with talent points to grow a deep, impressive tree to augment your stats and skills. It can be a little dense, but the whole experience flows well, and unlocking another node never ceases to feel good.

As you explore the world and complete quests, you’ll run into a handful of skillful citizens you can recruit to enhance your caravan at the Witch Tree. Nearly all of these provide some school of crafting for you to dive into. From a blacksmith and leatherworker to a jeweler and more, there’s something for you to sink your teeth into, regardless of what playable class you choose. You’ll always want access to rings, armor, bandages, potions, and beyond, and Mandragora’s crafting systems are as satisfying to grow as they are useful.

The world of Faelduum is huge. From fields to sewers to castles and beyond, Mandragora provides a variety of landscapes to roam and clash in. Given the game’s structure, it may actually be more accurate to call this a 2.5D Souls-like than a Metroidvania, though. You’ll get some new traversal skills, yes, but the game feels less like it’s gated by access to a skill or item and more like you get those enhancements as a matter of course. As a vessel for Mandragora, your inquisitor will also get access to alternate dimensional zones that either provide access to another part of the map or hold special bosses and rewards. They’re a neat break from the norm, but some of the zone’s mechanics feel oppressive in an annoying way that’s meant to instill urgency but just hampers progress and requires trudging back through the zone again.

Speaking of traversing zones over and over again, let’s discuss the game’s checkpointing system, which feels a bit undercooked. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself spawning at a checkpoint, running past the same group(s) of enemies, dodging, jumping, or climbing obstacles ad nauseum, only to get shellacked by an obstacle or foe and be forced to repeat. It’s on-point for Souls games, sure, but the 2.5D nature speeds up the loop, amplifying potential irritation. This even feels like an issue with boss encounters, which can require 10-15 seconds traversing hazard-ridden environments just to start the boss fight again. At some point, it starts to feel like death by a thousand paper cuts. This is probably my biggest issue with the game. It feels like such a crucial thing to get right, and it’s only noticeable when it’s poorly implemented.

To the game’s credit, there are quite a few side quests to fill your dinner plate. If you want to take a break and earn some extra goodies with an extracurricular activity, there’s ample opportunity. All said and done, Mandragora has a few dozen quests that’ll have you exploring, collecting, and killing for personal gain (and some inconsequential NPC you’ll never see again). While it’s probably a good idea to supplement your playthrough with a handful of these, they’re also an option to get more out of the game after watching the credits roll.

From an aesthetic standpoint, Mandragora is a visual treat. I love the painterly art direction of the world and everything in it. Story conversations manage to take still images and animate them in a way that feels like a painting brought to life. Whether attacking or maneuvering, enemies all look smooth in motion. There were some instances during boss fights where the hit detection didn’t seem to jive one-to-one with on-screen animation, but I’m otherwise quite happy with the game’s look and feel. That’s only enhanced by an ambient soundtrack and VO performances any game would be happy to tout.

Mandragora is a fun game, and for the most part, it’s well done. I love the look of the game, and there’s plenty here to experience and explore. The game is not without some rough edges that need to be smoothed out, but fans of the genre will have a good time.