Mika and the Witch’s Mountain Review
“Broom Service” Written by: Ethan (@ChaoticAether) Review Copy Provided
It’s been hard not to notice the rise of cozy games as a genre over the past five or so years. From farming sims like Stardew Valley to brewing drinks and solving problems in Coffee Talk, I’ve had my fair share of cozy game experiences over the years, which all stem from my love of Animal Crossing ever since I played New Leaf on the 3DS. Sometimes there’s just nothing better than sitting down with a warm drink and hanging out for a while, and I’m always down for a vibey game when the opportunity arises. So when a code for Mika came through our inbox last weekend I decided to give the game a shot. I’m glad I did.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a sweet delivery game inspired by Studio Ghibli and Wind Waker, that has oodles of charm and a relatively simple gameplay loop that I found hard to put down. It may seem basic and is definitely not to everyone's taste, but I couldn’t help but appreciate its relatively simple loop, charming characters and wonderful soundtrack.
Image Credit: Chibig, Nukefist
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain has you taking control of aspiring witch Mika, who arrives at a witch’s tower on top of Mont Gaun to begin training at her mother’s request. After talking to her soon to be teacher, she is thrown off the mountain as a test, and is tasked with flying back up the mountain as her first task in training. After landing on a beach and noticing her broom is now snapped, Mika arrives in town and requests the assistance of a local builder who cobbles the broom together. Needing money for a broom strong enough to fly back up the mountain, Mika joins the local delivery service, and starts delivering packages to residents of the island in order to pay for a better broom and get back up the mountain.
The story is rather barebones from here, having you take jobs from your snarky boss and meeting the inhabitants of this island town. The writing is oftentimes basic, and the mustache twirling villain leaves something to be desired, but there are some really heartwarming moments and fun surprises that kept it from getting stale. Most of the characters all have their own little arcs that they go through, and as Mika you really do feel like you’ve made a difference as you progress through the game. Mika herself is a likeable protagonist, and the dialogue is accompanied by some lovely artwork that helps express the emotions of the scene.
Image Credit: Chibig, Nukefist
The game breaks down into three separate acts, with each having a set number of main jobs for you to accomplish. These jobs often have you delivering packages across the open world from one person to another, sometimes with an additional number of restrictions. These restrictions may ask you to deliver the package in a certain amount of time, to not let the package be dropped or damaged, or to not get the package wet. These challenges won’t prove to be much of a challenge, and I found it relatively easy to get a green stamp on every delivery. You may also discover a few of your jobs may require you to solve a puzzle to progress, but these are relatively tame and don’t prove a challenge. The fun however comes from your mode of transportation: the broom.
Mika has a broom that allows you to glide in the air and ride currents of wind to rise upwards or pick up speed. The game intentionally starts you out with a pretty wonky broom that can often feel clunky and cumbersome to control. This is intentional, as the further through the game you get the better the broom becomes, allowing you to glide further, boost more often and perform more tricks with wind tunnels. I honestly had a blast gliding around once I got used to the controls, and often tried to find the best methods to make my deliveries as efficient as possible. Even without deliveries, I often found myself just gliding around and seeing what the island had to offer. On one occasion a group of birds joined me on my travels as I just took in the atmosphere and scenery.
As for the open world, the island itself has a simple circular layout, with wind tunnels flowing throughout to help you soar across the sky. From plains, farms and mines, there are plenty of diverse areas to discover, and there are a plethora of collectibles to find along your travels. From hidden tarot cards, orbs that open up new routes, collecting fish in bowls and a bunch of statues that can be traded for new costumes and cosmetics, it's always worth going that extra mile to explore every nook and cranny. There are also a bunch of side quests for you to find. These often involve discovering an item somewhere in the open world and trying to figure out who they belong to. From Kites to TVs to a random ocarina, discovering these items and returning them to their owners is a fun distraction if you feel like you're rushing through the main quest.
The main questline isn’t very long, clocking in at around three hours for me even with distractions. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot of value here, but by doing everything the game has to offer you’re looking at a roughly eight hour experience.
Image Credit: Chibig, Nukefist
As for the game's visuals, I found the game's blend of Wind Waker inspired aesthetics with Ghibli inspired art and animation to be a lovely combination. The island of Mont Gaun is extremely pleasing to look at. From its beautiful ocean scenery to the ruins scattered in the mountains, I think it has nailed its presentation. Everything from the character models down to the scenery often reminded me of A Hat in Time: filled with charm and personality. The score is also surprisingly excellent, and suits the ambience wonderfully. There were many times where I was flying around and musical cues just added a little something extra to the journey. I wouldn’t say that I would go out of my way to listen to it outside of the game, but it does a great job of setting the tone while in the zone.
Image Credit: Chibig, Nukefist
Summary
I can’t help but recommend Mika and the Witch’s Mountain to both cozy game enthusiasts and anyone who feels like they would enjoy this bewitching experience. Its gameplay systems aren’t particularly deep and its story is far from compelling, but what is here is filled to the brim with charm and personality. There’s something soothing about getting on your broom and flying around the island, interacting with the townsfolk and discovering new secrets. Match this with a really well realised playspace that is complimented by the games lovely visuals and rather excellent soundtrack, and Mika is on to a winner. Before I knew it twenty minutes had turned into three hours and I was rolling credits with a smile on my face. It may not be for everyone, but if you value a cozy game that is filled with charm and doesn’t overstay its welcome, then Mika is definitely a game to keep your eyes on.