Witchfire has been out for nearly a year, and while a lot has changed since it first hit Early Access on the Epic Games Store, it’s still one of the most interesting genre mashups you can play today. The game’s latest update, now live, further solidifies its status as one of the most unique shooters in the field.
I spent a few hours running this newly updated version of the game ahead of today’s release. It’s called “Crying Tower,” and it’s Witchfire’s biggest release since its release last year. The main addition here is the game’s first new area, which has a completely different vibe than the existing map.
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I’m a huge fan of Witchfire; so I was excited to get the big update that Spaceman told me. In fact, this is an accurate description. Most of my time was spent in the new area, the eponymous Wailing Tower, but the system and mechanical changes here impact the entire game.
I’m a little disappointed with the new map, though. While it does have a different narrative theme than other games, it retains the game’s autumnal aesthetic and slightly pastel color palette. This is one of my favorite looks in the game, so this shouldn’t be taken as a complaint, but I did expect something, well… a little different.
The new area has several interesting battles, including one big one – just as you’d expect from Witchfire. And, like every other map, it also hides some secrets (although compared to the original launch map, I didn’t seem to find many). Maybe I’m not discerning enough, or the Astros are doing a better job of hiding them. After playing the original map for a dozen hours, I’m starting to see patterns, but I haven’t gotten the same feeling in Weeping Tower yet.
In addition to all the new content, including new enemies, weapons, abilities, and more, other major additions to the update include a massive rebalancing and overhaul of the running process. This so-called Arcana 2.0 touches every moment of strength progression in running. I played the release version last year and checked it out a few times on Witchfire since then, and the difference was immediately noticeable. Now, the game feels much better.
I initially started with a new character because I remembered how brutal the early games were at launch. It’s a little surprising how much more popular those early hours have become. Challenges remain, of course, but the transition from calm to chaos is smoother. In particular, Witchfire is now more eager to equip you with powerful spells and unlock passive skills early and quickly.
While I avoided battles that I knew would probably end my run in the release build, this new process actively encourages you to seek out challenges. Many of the random encounters have also been reduced, which was a major contributor to the difficulty in the first place.
Now I wouldn’t say Witchfire was easy, but back then the challenge was clearly front-loaded. This latest version spreads it out more evenly and gives you a wider range of options, meaning you have more ways to solve problems. I’ve never really been in a situation where I was forced to evacuate because I just exhausted all the options available to me. Previously, this was a critical part of the loop. The pacing of the whole thing is much better now.
However, where all the changes really get interesting is later in the game. On the one hand, a smoother initial curve means you’ll get there faster, but it also means there’s another side of the game you might not think about if you’re new to it. Your base now has more rooms to unlock, and an NPC to trade with. This effectively creates some kind of economy in Witchfire, which is a feature it really needs.
The developers included some advanced character saves in the preview window, which really allowed me to appreciate a different side of Witchfire. Playing with a character above level 80 is a struggle to survive in the face of powerful enemies, which brings its own challenges and is very different from the original battle of survival. More money, more problems, etc.
Most importantly, though, returning to Witchfire really reminded me why I love it and highlighted how underrated it is among shooter fans. Maybe that’s a side effect of being an Epic Games Store exclusive (although it won’t be for long). Store preferences aside, Witchfire’s winning combination of roguelite, escape game, role-playing game, and shooter is worth a look. If you want the thrills and scares of a roguelite game and the satisfying combat of a great shooter, there’s really no other game like this.
