The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is a book written by Christopher Penczak, a modern-day witch and occultist. In this book, Penczak delves into the deeper aspects of witchcraft and provides guidance on the spiritual journey of a witch. The book is divided into twelve chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of witchcraft. Penczak begins by introducing the concept of the Inner Temple, which he describes as the sacred space within ourselves where we can connect with the divine. He emphasizes the importance of cultivating a strong foundation in witchcraft through self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-exploration. Throughout the book, Penczak explores various practices and exercises that help the reader deepen their connection with their Inner Temple.
Twin-stick combat is thrillingly challenging, whilst the controls are tight and precisely configured. Heck, even the deck-building elements work well. During your travels, you’ll find spell cards that can be added to your hand. You can have six spells in your hand at any one time, each one powered by the mana gathered from fallen enemies. You are actively encouraged to play with spells and their configuration as they are instantly shuffled back into your hand, removing any sense of penalty for experimentation. A few too many of the spells are a bit useless and will soon be forgotten, but like a Foo Fighters album, there are enough bangers to make you forget about the pointless dross in between. Highlights include lightning storms, spectral maces, and a sword-spewing magic bird.
Adding to the irritation are some poorly positioned respawn points, forcing lengthy re-treads of a section, just to see if the frame rate dies a death again. A few too many of the spells are a bit useless and will soon be forgotten, but like a Foo Fighters album, there are enough bangers to make you forget about the pointless dross in between.
Throughout the book, Penczak explores various practices and exercises that help the reader deepen their connection with their Inner Temple. He covers topics such as meditation, energy work, divination, and ritual magic. Penczak also provides insights into the symbolism and mythology associated with witchcraft, allowing the reader to explore their own spiritual identity and path.
The Knight Witch Review
The Knight Witch is a deeply frustrating game. Not just because of the teeth-gnashingly irritating difficulty spikes – more on those later – but because the first third of the game is brilliant, whilst the rest is pretty poor. It’s a game that could have been amazing, and still could be with some intensive post-release patches, but for the moment is severely lacking. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself, what is The Knight Witch all about anyway?
The Knight Witch is an intriguing genre hybrid. It’s a Metroidvania infused with fast-paced twin-stick shooter combat. It also has deck-building elements, just to be confusing. Oddly enough, this potpourri of genres smells mighty fine together. Players take on the role of Rayne the Knight Witch, one of a cadre of magic-infused warriors who must defend the underground realm of Dungeonidas from an invasion of War Golems.
Despite its cutesy aesthetic the narrative and character development of The Knight Witch is surprisingly nuanced. Rather than focus on the black-and-white of good and evil, the story traverses the murky grey uncertainty between those two extremes. Characters deal with challenging emotions and have intriguing and satisfying journeys ahead of them. In short, it’s a terrific tale told well.
Another highlight is the art direction, which is utterly gorgeous. Hand drawn and suffused with charm, The Knight Witch looks like a modern Metal Slug. There’s tons of on-screen detail to enjoy, making each section of the expansive map a joy to explore. Not only that but for the first third of the game or so, the game is deliciously smooth, like the finest knife full of artisan peanut butter gliding onto warm crunchy toast.
The blend of genre and mechanics work well too. The Metroidvania elements are well-done and satisfying; returning to old levels with a pumped-up Knight Witch to uncover previously inaccessible secrets is great fun. It also gives you the opportunity to find denizens of Dungeonidas on your return visits, each one boosting your magical link. Ultimately, this means that the more famous and beloved you are, the more powerful you become. The push and pull of fame versus integrity is expertly explored in the narrative, but for mechanical purposes, The Knight Witch can acquire a series of stat boosts until they become a whirling dervish of bullet spewing death.
Twin-stick combat is thrillingly challenging, whilst the controls are tight and precisely configured. Heck, even the deck-building elements work well. During your travels, you’ll find spell cards that can be added to your hand. You can have six spells in your hand at any one time, each one powered by the mana gathered from fallen enemies. You are actively encouraged to play with spells and their configuration as they are instantly shuffled back into your hand, removing any sense of penalty for experimentation. A few too many of the spells are a bit useless and will soon be forgotten, but like a Foo Fighters album, there are enough bangers to make you forget about the pointless dross in between. Highlights include lightning storms, spectral maces, and a sword-spewing magic bird.
Unfortunately, The Knight Witch falls apart from around the halfway point onward. First off are the frame rate issues. Once different bullet types are unlocked – boomerang and rocket shots, in particular, are an absolute nightmare – and more bad guys appear on screen, the game grinds to a halt, regularly pausing for a second or two mid-combat. It makes certain encounters borderline unplayable, leading to frustrating player deaths. Adding to the irritation are some poorly positioned respawn points, forcing lengthy re-treads of a section, just to see if the frame rate dies a death again. These frame rate issues start off few and far between before becoming increasingly commonplace. A patch has helped resolve issues some players had with the game speeding up, but other issues remain, so fingers crossed that the other plentiful issues get fixed too.
Then there are the difficulty spikes. Oh crikey, those difficulty spikes! Your progress will undoubtedly be slowed by evil difficulty spikes that take the form of sudden ambushes. These lock the screen and force you to fend off a horde of enemies. It’s not just the volume of enemies that makes these encounters so challenging, it’s the fact that often they appear at points that prevent players from bypassing them to go and explore elsewhere to level up. Instead, you’re trapped in a never-ending groundhog day of pain until they finally beat the ambush. Or quit and go stare vacantly at their phone of something.
Take a poorly judged submarine section as an example. You’re stuck in a vehicle with a new control scheme that they have only had five minutes to get familiar with, and which also prevents access to the awesome bullets that you have diligently been levelling up. Then you’re bunged into a seemingly never-ending ambush against entirely new enemy types. Fun it is not.
In short, frame rate drops combined with difficulty spikes make a game that could be great a complete chore. In time, all these elements could be fixed, but I definitely wouldn’t suggest picking up The Knight Witch for the time being.
SummaryThe Knight Witch could have been fantastic. It was so dang close to being something very special thanks to its fantastic visuals, great gameplay and compelling story, but it's instead plagued by frame rate issues and awful difficulty spikes rearing their slappable faces to ruined the fun. Fingers crossed Super Mega Team takes the time to thoroughly patch The Knight Witch and make it the game that it deserves to be.
Good- Gorgeous hand-drawn 2D visuals
- Genre melting pot works surprisingly well
- Quality story well-told
- Frame rate drops spoils the experience
- Difficulty spikes makes for an inaccessible and frustrating game
Unfortunately, The Knight Witch falls apart from around the halfway point onward. First off are the frame rate issues. Once different bullet types are unlocked – boomerang and rocket shots, in particular, are an absolute nightmare – and more bad guys appear on screen, the game grinds to a halt, regularly pausing for a second or two mid-combat. It makes certain encounters borderline unplayable, leading to frustrating player deaths. Adding to the irritation are some poorly positioned respawn points, forcing lengthy re-treads of a section, just to see if the frame rate dies a death again. These frame rate issues start off few and far between before becoming increasingly commonplace. A patch has helped resolve issues some players had with the game speeding up, but other issues remain, so fingers crossed that the other plentiful issues get fixed too.
One of the key teachings in The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is the importance of balance and harmony. Penczak encourages the reader to embrace the duality of light and shadow, masculine and feminine, and active and passive energies within themselves. He teaches techniques to integrate and harmonize these energies, allowing for personal and spiritual growth. Another significant aspect of the book is the exploration of the various magickal tools and correspondences used in witchcraft. Penczak covers topics such as the elements, planets, herbs, and crystals, providing guidance on how to work with these tools to enhance one's magical practices. Overall, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft serves as a comprehensive guide for witches who are seeking to deepen their spiritual connection and expand their knowledge of witchcraft. Penczak combines his own experiences and teachings with ancient wisdom and modern techniques, offering a unique and practical approach to the craft. By the end of the book, the reader is encouraged to create their own personal Inner Temple, a sacred space where they can connect with their higher self and the divine. The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is not just a physical place, but a state of being where one can cultivate their spiritual path and manifest their desires. In conclusion, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is a valuable resource for any witch or spiritual seeker who is looking to explore the depths of witchcraft and connect with their Inner Temple. Penczak's teachings and exercises provide a solid foundation for personal and spiritual growth, allowing the reader to create their own unique path within the craft..
Reviews for "The Inner Teachings of the Inne4 Temple of Witchcraft: A Spiritual Journey"
1. Grace - 1/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft". The author's writing style was dry and boring, and I struggled to stay engaged with the material. The exercises and rituals described in the book were confusing and didn't provide much guidance for someone new to witchcraft. Overall, I found this book to be a waste of time and money.
2. John - 2/5 stars - As someone who has been practicing witchcraft for a few years, I was hoping that "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" would provide me with some new insights or practices. However, I found the book to be repetitive and lacking in depth. The information provided was very basic and didn't go beyond what can easily be found in other introductory books on witchcraft. I struggled to finish reading it and would not recommend it to experienced practitioners.
3. Sarah - 1/5 stars - "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" was not what I was expecting at all. The author seemed more focused on sharing their personal experiences and beliefs rather than providing practical information for beginners. The exercises and rituals described were not explained clearly, making it difficult for me to follow along and understand their purpose. Additionally, the book felt disorganized, jumping from topic to topic without a clear structure. Overall, I found it to be a confusing and unhelpful read.