The Witch and the Jero is a play written by Nigerian playwright and poet Wole Soyinka. It was first performed in 1971 and explores the clash between traditional African beliefs and the influence of Western culture on Nigeria. The play is set in the village of Ilunjinle and follows the story of a young teacher named Jero. Jero is a devout Christian who prides himself on his connection with the Western world and his education. He believes that he has been chosen by God to lead his community to a more civilized and modern way of life. However, Jero's beliefs are challenged when he is visited by a witch.
However, Jero's beliefs are challenged when he is visited by a witch. The witch threatens to expose Jero's secrets and reveal his true nature if he does not conform to the traditional practices of the village. Jero, fearing for his reputation and status, reluctantly agrees to the witch's demands.
Review: Witch and Hero
Retro games have their place in gaming just as much as contemporary titles. A game’s visual style has nothing to do with quality, on both sides of the spectrum — anything has the potential to be a great experience. Of course, it’s to be expected that a game cannot rest solely on the laurels of “retro” as an excuse for quality.
While Witch and Hero looks like a charming throwback to classic RPGs of old, it quickly devolves into nothing more than a grindy mobile game of the worst degree. In fact, it could have done better in just about every facet of the experience, and in the end, feels like wasted potential.
Witch and Hero (3DS eShop)
Developer: F K Digital
Publisher: CIRCLE Entertainment
Released: April 18, 2013 (US), April 4, 2013 (EU)
MSRP: $3.99
At the start of the narrative, the titular Witch and Hero make their way to slay Medusa for a cash reward, only to find the Hero beaten into submission, and the Witch turned to stone. After a realization that the only way to save the Witch is to slay Medusa proper, the Hero drags the stone Witch along on a second adventure — and that’s where you come in.
It’s a very cute premise, but said cuteness it doesn’t really play out in any fashion outside of the beginning and the end of the game. Beyond those portions, you’ll completely forget the charm as you’re engaging in Witch and Hero‘s extremely repetitive gameplay.
At first, since the Witch is in fact turned to stone, your Hero will be the only playable character. In order to attack enemies (that move in an amoeba-like manner to attack the stationary Witch in the center), you simply bump into them and trade damage. That’s literally it — no sword-slashing attack button, no sword-swinging animation — nothing. You bump into creatures, and if you bump them in the back, they’ll take more damage and you’ll take less. The bumping itself is sporadic, sometimes throwing you across the screen, sometimes letting you bump multiple times in succession.
Once your life bar drops, you’ll have to wiggle (mash) the circle pad to spring back to life, then repeat the process. There’s some strategy involved here obviously, like deciding what enemies to attack, whether or not to go around the back and risk the Witch getting hit, and so on, but it’s so basic that you won’t really wrack your brain tactically in any meaningful way.
After a few levels, you’ll unlock the ability to pick up monster blood and give it to the Witch to temporarily bring her back to life (think 5-10 seconds). She’ll prove extremely useful (and vital) to your success in some of the harder stages, as you can toggle a straight-shooting fireball ability, and an area-of-effect wind power, as well as moving her 360 degrees with the L and R triggers.
This system has the potential to be extremely rewarding, but it’s really not. Gameplay distills down to bumping, occasionally having the Witch use her AOE wind power, then when a mini-boss appears, switching to the fireball and aiming it. My biggest issue with the game is how lazy the enemy waves are.
In most titles in the genre, waves are designed to have a purpose — to present new and interesting concepts to make you adjust your tactical stance on the fly. With Witch and Hero, enemies are seemingly given a random number generator-style “have at it” approach, which could make for some pretty entropic fun if it weren’t for the fact that every enemy in the game feels like a homogenized blob.
Levels range from extremely easy to nonsensically impossible, forcing you to grind and grind again, unlocking menial upgrades to your attack, defense, speed, and magic. All of these upgrades are extremely boring, as they aren’t replicated visually (outside of the occasional spell change), giving you no real sense of progression — like every level is the exact same.
I can certainly appreciate that the gameplay is so simplistic that it’s easy to get into — moving around to attack enemies could make for a pretty appealing “one more round” style of game. But the fact remains that given the sloppy enemy and wave design, the lazy storefront, and complete lack of ingenuity until the very final battle, Witch and Hero feels like an utter waste of talent.
Outside of an interesting final battle, a decent twist ending, and an unlockable hard mode, there isn’t that much substance here. You’ll keep bumping over and over until you’ve bumped your way to the final boss (really, the only good part of the game) — then if you want, you can bump some more.
Variety could have really done wonders here. Even with a small budget, tiny nuances like sword animations, items in the shop, and mini-boss depth could have gone a long way. Witch and Hero takes a simple, charming concept and somehow manages to make it repetitive, dry, and unfun. Given the price, you’re better off skipping this retro-centric experience in favor of the endless sea of classics on the 3DS eShop.
5
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
At the start of the narrative, the titular Witch and Hero make their way to slay Medusa for a cash reward, only to find the Hero beaten into submission, and the Witch turned to stone. After a realization that the only way to save the Witch is to slay Medusa proper, the Hero drags the stone Witch along on a second adventure — and that’s where you come in.
As the play progresses, Jero becomes more and more entangled in the world of witchcraft. He seeks the advice of traditional healers and participates in rituals and sacrifices. Jero's actions lead to the conflict and tension within the community as they struggle to reconcile their traditional beliefs with the influence of Western culture. The play serves as a critique of the influence of Western culture on African societies. It explores the complex relationship between tradition and modernity and the challenges faced by individuals who straddle both worlds. Jero's character represents the clash between Western ideals of progress and the traditional beliefs of his community. Through the character of the witch, Soyinka highlights the power dynamics and hierarchies that exist within African societies. The witch serves as a catalyst for change, challenging the authority and beliefs of Jero and the wider community. Overall, The Witch and the Jero is a thought-provoking play that tackles important themes of cultural identity and the clash between tradition and modernity. It raises questions about the impact of Western culture on African societies and challenges the notion of progress at the expense of traditional beliefs..
Reviews for "The Controversy Surrounding Witchcraft in Jero Cults"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "Witch and Jero" to be a very underwhelming experience. The plot felt disjointed and confusing, with too many subplots that didn't really contribute much to the overall story. The characters lacked depth and I couldn't really connect with any of them. Additionally, the pacing was incredibly slow, making it hard to stay engaged. Overall, I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend this book.
2. Emily - 2 stars - "Witch and Jero" had so much potential, but it fell flat for me. The writing style was verbose and overly descriptive, which made it difficult to follow the story. The world-building was inconsistent and lacked coherence. I also found the romance between Witch and Jero to be forced and unrealistic. I struggled to finish this book and ultimately felt unsatisfied with the overall reading experience.
3. David - 1 star - This book was a major letdown. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, with too many unnecessary twists and turns. The dialogue felt forced and unrealistic, making it difficult to connect with the characters. The pacing was painfully slow, and I found myself losing interest multiple times throughout. This book just wasn't for me, and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
4. Sarah - 2 stars - "Witch and Jero" failed to capture my attention. The writing felt flat and lacked emotion, making it hard to truly immerse myself in the story. The world-building was underdeveloped, leaving me with more questions than answers. The romance aspect felt forced and rushed, lacking any genuine chemistry. Overall, I found the book to be lackluster and wouldn't recommend it to those seeking a captivating read.
5. Michael - 1 star - I was extremely disappointed by "Witch and Jero." The characters were poorly developed and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their struggles. The plot was predictable and lacked originality, offering nothing new or exciting to the genre. The writing style was dry and lacked any sense of imagination. Overall, I found this book to be a complete waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone.