Which Witch is Which Witches have long been a subject of fascination and intrigue. From fairy tales and folklore to popular culture and literature, these supernatural beings have captivated audiences around the world. However, not all witches are created equal. In fact, there are several different types of witches, each with their own unique characteristics and abilities. In this article, we will explore some of the most commonly recognized types of witches and delve into the distinguishing features that set them apart. Firstly, there is the stereotypical image of the traditional witch.
Sometimes, a game comes along that I have a great deal of difficulty connecting with, despite my best efforts. Asterigos: Curse of the Stars became one of those. Writing this review prior to finishing this game is out of pocket for me, because I normally don’t want to deliver what I perceive to be an “incomplete review.” However, my time with this game was mediocre at best, as much as I wanted to really enjoy it. While I wouldn’t disparage anyone from playing it, I feel as if Asterigos plays like a game that chooses to exist in a Soulsborne space without doing anything to engage me or teach me something new.
Hilda must perform tasks for an underground resistance group in order to learn more about her father s fate, whilst also helping in side quests and doing favors for city dwellers. This game would, in my opinion, appeal to someone who is looking for a lighter adventure title centered more on the gameplay rather than the narrative.
Firstly, there is the stereotypical image of the traditional witch. This witch is often depicted as an old woman, hunchbacked and wearing a pointy hat. She is usually affiliated with the practice of black magic and is thought to cast spells and curses on unsuspecting victims.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars review – Stuck in the middle
When I watched the official trailer a little over a year ago, my interest peaked at this title which presented itself as a fun, combative action-adventure game with Greek and Roman mythology inspired themes and visuals. Sometime later the gameplay overview was released, and more details of the combat system were revealed. Showcasing elemental weaknesses and the ability to wield different weapon types had me hoping for a great build crafting adventure similar to the Souls’ games.
After finishing the game, it is heavily noticeable that Asterigos has a big issue on committing to what kind of game it wants to be. Taking inspiration and admiration of Greek and Roman mythology, Asterigos has tons of potential yet doesn’t realize it. What holds this game back is uniquely one of this game’s best qualities. It is stuck in the middle of being a mythology themed adventure filled with mystery and intrigue, and a Souls-like game filled with an emphasis on exploration and combat. With the intro out of the way, let’s talk about what works and doesn’t with Asterigos: Curse of the Stars.
In Asterigos, you play as a young and optimistic warrior of the Northwind Legion named Hilda. You meet her as she is embarking on a mission to locate her father and his troops as they haven’t reported back to headquarters in three and a half months. Immediately, you get the sense of a young yet determined drive within her. Due to discovering some left behind clues, Hilda learns that her father is somewhere in Aphes.
Aphes is a city that has been cursed with something that I’m not going to spoil here. The heart of the story is the mystery and allure of the curse that happened upon this city, and Hilda’s quest to overcome it. The characters, however, are something that definitely needed more time in the oven. Most of them were uninteresting and bland when it came to both personality and design. With this being stylized after Greek and Roman mythology, I think it would have been much better to implement the gods from those mythologies. Their interactions and personality conflicts would have worked much better. A big reason most games use the gods as characters and add their own twist is because it works.
Trending:Gameplay wise, Asterigos’s combat feels and plays fantastic. Nonetheless, it feels like it is trying to go two different paths, yet not fully committing to either. The game tries to cater to the RPG path of heavy narrative and skill trees, and the “not going to hold your hand” attitude, or self-discovery of the story, many Souls-like games have. That isn’t to say that’s a bad thing as you can cater to two different audiences but weakens the game in doing so. It would have been a better experience to fully commit to one genre, instead of what feels like putting half of their effort into two genres.
The different weapons in combat felt balanced and exclusive. A phenomenal feature is you are able to equip two different weapons at the same time, allowing for unique attack combinations and techniques. I used the daggers and spear combination almost the entire playthrough as, in my opinion, they were the most fun and effective. I love mobility in games, and they allow for great engagement both in attack and defense.
One design I would have loved to see would be more rewarding in combat for combining attacks and builds. Yes, there is a skill tree, where you level up to earn points to unlock new skills but build crafting and tactical fighting took a back seat. The skill tree seems to be a way to time-gate skills that don’t need to be. In most RPG’s the better and more valuable skills are the last to be unlocked for obvious reasons. Here, all of the skills felt the same in terms of lethality, so it’s not very enticing to try different builds with different weapons and abilities when all feel and have the same potency. Having advertised the ability to imbue weapons with different elements to take advantage of enemy weakness, not only did I not notice any difference in damage given, but there also wasn’t a clear tutorial or explanation on how the whole system works.
One of the main draws of the soul’s genre is self-exploration of the world and unique boss fights. Asterigos dips its toe into each of those but keeps it to a casual level. Player exploration and discovery are one of the core designs, however the city was both not linear enough and too big to not include a mini or area map. This is my biggest frustration with the game, along with having to use the stamina meter to run when out of combat. It’s completely unnecessary when you base one of your core designs around exploring every corner of the world to find items and quests.
One of the biggest highlights of Asterigos are the boss fights. Each boss fight felt different and scaled really well in size compared to Hilda. Some changed attacks and styles after reaching certain damage thresholds, which is on par with the genre. Unfortunately, aside from the final boss, the fights throughout the story didn’t have the difficulty I’ve come to expect. Most games in the soul’s genre use bosses as a big difficulty spike to make them feel truly like bosses and to test players ability on learning attack patterns. If you’re going to have item use and combat be based on a genre known for difficulty spikes in boss fights, I think a game should fully commit. All the same, I truly believe Asterigos’ best feature is what it advertises so much – fun and customizable combat.
On to the last topic, let’s talk about some foundational aspects. One of the first things I check in games are accessibility features, along with visual and audio customizations. First up is accessibility, and there were only four different button configurations to choose from. In a game where a core component is dodging and the timing of attacks, I would have liked more options along with these base configurations. I think a custom toggle, where one could map any action to any button would have been a nice option to have available.
Trending:Moving on to visuals, I was disappointed in not only the visual options available, but also throughout the game as well. In the menu options, there was only a gamma adjustment and subtitle font size changer. I reviewed Asterigos on a PS5, and was surprised not to see a performance/resolution slider on as it seems to be the standard for most games that are released on last gen and current gen. The game would benefit from that slider in that it perfectly could coincide with my opinion of it catering to two genres. A low frame rate and high resolution would have been great for having the beautifully detailed worlds and characters RPGs are known for. While vice versa, in almost all Souls games, a high frame rate is essential for dodging and blocking attacks.
The one word I would use to describe the graphics is inconsistent. Many of the cutscenes were of good quality rich with detail and lore, however in-game dialogue isn’t meeting that same high watermark; most of the time characters beside Hilda would not have mouth movements when speaking. There are also recurring instances, like trees and houses looking normal but bushes and items in the streets looking like they lost all texture. Enemy textures and animation are also low quality in a lot of areas, with frame rates and details dropping to poor levels. Enemy density is extremely low, with you only encountering two to three different enemy types in each large section of the map, and some enemies would look and move like they belonged in the PS2 era. Luckily, once you engage in combat the visuals settle in, and you can focus on fighting and such.
Dialogue trees open up backstory, though sometimes conversations can overstay their welcome.
While this image may be rooted in myth and legend, it has become deeply ingrained in popular culture and has shaped our perception of witches. However, it is important to note that not all witches fit this description. Another type of witch is the Wiccan witch. Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion that emerged in the mid-20th century. Wiccans believe in the worship of nature and the practice of magic. They follow a set of moral principles known as the Wiccan Rede, which encourages harm to none. Wiccan witches often engage in rituals and spellcasting to connect with the divine and harness their magical energies. They are known for their reverence of nature and their use of herbs and crystals in their practice. There are also kitchen witches, who specialize in the magical arts of cooking and home-making. These witches create magic through the preparation of food and the creation of a sacred space within the home. They believe that cooking can be a magical act, imbuing their meals with intention and energy. Kitchen witches often use herbs, spices, and other kitchen tools to enhance the magical properties of their dishes. Furthermore, hedge witches are practitioners of folk magic and herbalism. They are often found in rural areas, living close to nature and utilizing the plants and herbs around them for healing and magical purposes. Hedge witches are known for their knowledge of traditional remedies and their ability to communicate with spirits and creatures of the natural realm. Finally, we have modern witches or eclectic witches. These witches draw inspiration from various traditions and combine different magical practices to suit their individual preferences. They are often experimental and open-minded, willing to explore new techniques and ideas. Modern witches may incorporate elements from Wicca, witchcraft, and other spiritual practices into their own unique blend of witchcraft. In conclusion, witches come in many different shapes, sizes, and types. From the traditional old hag to the modern eclectic witch, each individual witch brings their own set of skills, beliefs, and practices to the table. By understanding and appreciating the diversity within witchcraft, we can gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating and misunderstood world..
Reviews for "Finding Your Witchy Path: Identifying Which Witch is Right for You"
1. Sarah - 1/5
I did not enjoy "Which Witch is Which" at all. The plot was confusing and I struggled to keep up with all the different characters and their relationships. The writing style felt disjointed and I found myself constantly having to go back and reread sections to understand what was happening. Overall, I found the book to be frustrating and I wouldn't recommend it.
2. John - 2/5
I was really excited to read "Which Witch is Which" as I am a fan of mystery novels, but unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. The story was convoluted and the twists and turns felt forced. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters, and their actions often didn't make sense. Additionally, the pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on and others feeling rushed. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not read it again.
3. Emily - 2/5
I had high hopes for "Which Witch is Which" as I love supernatural themes, but I found the execution to be lacking. The story felt predictable and cliché, with no real surprises or originality. The characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue felt unnatural. I also found the writing to be overly descriptive, which slowed down the pacing and made it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book and it didn't live up to my expectations.