Trigger Witch Review – 16-Bit Cute But Deadly Twin-Stick Shooter

Trigger Witch Review

When you pick up a game with the words “trigger” and “witch” in it, you’re likely wondering what guns have to do with magic. Well, nothing much, really. In fact, Trigger Witch does not shy away from addressing the odd ways witches have evolved. With characters following the religion of Ballisticism, you already know it’s going to be weird. As a result of a mysterious portal appearing and gifting witches firearms, magic slowly started to die as people began to rely on weapons. There are still elements of magic in the world, but sometimes a machine gun is more effective than casting a spell.

It is an absurd concept but also pretty intriguing at the same time. This is what happens when Rainbite decides cute characters should wield deadly weapons – and we are all here for it. Honestly, what’s not to not like? Though the background and storyline could have been explored more, rest assured the non-stop shooting action is enough to keep you busy for hours.

A Not-So-Magical Adventure

Trigger Witch is set in an open world riddled with dangerous creatures. We play as Colette, a young witch from the school of Witchcraft and Triggery. While visiting the Ordinance Rift to receive her firearm, a mysterious man emerges from said portal. Colette is then tasked to investigate the man, as his unwelcome appearance was causing confusion and concern in Evertonia. During her preparations, we learn of the life and culture of Evertonia and witness a generation that has forgotten its roots. With witches that rely on weapons and have poor relationships with the neighbouring goblins, it appears there is more to what we know. 

Colette starts her journey with one handgun and throughout the game she finds new weapons to use. There is a good range of firearms which gives players new ways to kill monsters. A magical stone from Colette’s mother allows her to quick-travel back home – a handy tool as home base provides for most of her needs. There, she can upgrade her weapons and purchase items to help her along her journey. Besides Colette’s teleportation rock, she doesn’t really perform magic and is more proud of her sniping abilities. 

Trigger Witch isn’t an easy game, and if you are unprepared you can even die in the tutorial. Once you get the hang of the controls and your enemy’s patterns, death will become less frequent. It doesn’t get any easier though, but by that time you will have potions and a whole arsenal of firearms to choose from. You can also adjust Colette’s attack and defense levels if you wish. This changes the difficulty level and can be helpful if you need a slight advantage or challenge. There are several light puzzles to solve but most of them are easy to figure out. Although some did require brainpower and quick reflexes, it didn’t better the experience of having to walk back and forth to find things.

A Triggered Witch

The action is non-stop in Trigger Witch and monsters spawn and respawn constantly. There’s a good variety of enemy types and thankfully not impossible to kill. It can be hard at first, but once you figure out their movements you will be fine. Unfortunately, this can feel monotonous after repeatedly shooting at creatures with similar attacks. However, the sheer amount of monsters that come at you is a great way to farm for gems, which can be used to purchase upgrades and items. There’s nothing wrong with mindlessly killing either (in a fictional setting!!), but it may not be for everyone. 

While the plot was interesting, the narrative and pacing of the story left me wanting more. Understandably most people pick up shooting games to, well, shoot things. A part of me gets that and yet I was yearning for the story to develop faster. Really though, you can’t dislike a top-down, twin-stick shooter with 16-bit visuals and snarky character dialogue. It was nostalgia paired with a twist of modern-day slang and real people problems, which I enjoyed. I laughed out loud when there was a mention of workplaces causing trouble with the union. I had to remind myself this game was new, because I was so into its retro visuals that the relevant comments threw me off. It was refreshing and added some humor to the experience.

Trigger Witch has the potential to present a captivating adventure, especially with its interesting premise and fun dialogue. There isn’t much else to it besides slaughtering creatures, getting new weapons, and slaughtering the same creatures but in different ways. It’s good fun as long as you don’t expect the story to blow you away. I can see this having a cult following based on the gameplay, attainable trophies, and its cast of charming characters. If bloody, cutesy games with never-ending fights is your thing, you will enjoy Trigger Witch a lot. 

***PS5 code was provided by the publisher for review***