Overview – developed and published by Chibig in collaboration with Nukefist, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain tells the story of a young witch on a big adventure. In this colourful adventure, Mika goes on a magical adventure around Mount Gaun, exploring the island, interacting with residents and delivering packages. This title has been released as a final gold 1.0 version now on all platforms, with a link to each version at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Evolve PR for providing the copy of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain used for this piece, via the Terminals service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note, I have already covered the Nintendo Switch version of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain and the content update. So the contents of this review, will be very similar to that, which you can find (HERE). Please note, the images used here are from the official press kit.
Story – Mika is an apprentice witch, who has travelled to Mount Gaun to learn under Mistress Oligari, who lives at the top of the mountain. Upon meeting the elder witch, she is sent back down to the island below, breaking her broom in the process. After this set back, Mika meets up with Allegra, who is able to repair the broom. However, these basic repairs won’t get Mika to the summit, so she must find a way to earn enough to get a broom to get her there.
Gameplay – Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is an exploration adventure, where the player controls the young witch Mika, who must earn money to buy a new broom. To achieve this goal, Mika must get a job at the local delivery company, which serves all of Mount Gaun. As the new courier, Mika will deliver packages to the different residents, while also travelling across the beaches, coastal waters and open plains.
When Mika starts the new job, the player will be given an in-depth tutorial, teaching all the ins and outs of being a courier. The jobs will start off easy, with simple short distance trips, but as players progress, these jobs will become more challenging. These deliveries will have ratings based on performance, which affect the pay that Mika earns upon completion. The ratings are green for good, yellow for okay and red for bad.
The rating that Mika will earn can be affected in several ways, with three conditions that can apply to a task. These are “Fragile”, which means they will be damaged if the player is careless, with too much damage failing the delivery. Then there is “Keep Dry” these packages will get damaged by water, so dipping into the ocean waters will destroy the package. Last is “Time” where Mika must deliver the item as fast as possible, before it expires.
If the player is unfortunate enough to destroy the package, the delivery can be cancelled. When this happens, the package will respawn at the dispatch point, allowing the delivery to be attempted again. This feature gives players the chance to get all jobs done perfectly, earning the maximum amount for a successful delivery. Upon delivery of an item, the player will receive a mark on the delivery card, stamping the order as complete.
Some of the deliveries will lead to new tasks, where more items must be taken to other residents. these additional tasks, alongside the main deliveries push the story along, with each interaction revealing more about the island and its inhabitants. But that isn’t all, because when the card is filled, the day will be completed and Mika will receive her pay. Mika will be paid for all green stamps on her card, but not for yellow or red.
As each day on the island passes, Mika will be able to upgrade her broom by paying Allegra. This will help reach new places, perform new deliveries and be able to take advantage of the new areas. These upgrades include the ability to ride air currents, letting Mika reach higher places and access more of the map. This gives the progression system a nice and balanced feel, with the areas to explore gradually expanding over time with new characters appearing.
During the adventure, there will also be optional side missions to challenge, which will be located across the island. The most common is to find items for people, including bird eggs and lost kites that can be found on the island. These objectives are added to a special delivery card, which fills up as the player makes their way through the story. By completing this extra challenges, the player doesn’t gain any money, but they are satisfying to clear.
Then we have the special content that was added after the initial release of the game. These additions are two special minigames, that will be accessible after set points in the story. The first is save the kitties, where Mika must deliver food to kittens that are taking refuge in the town. Second, we have the Churro Express, where Mika can compete is special ring races around the island. The objective here is to deliver the Churros to the destination within a time limit.
During the course of the game, the player will also be given some choices that have the potential to impact the narrative. These are simple yes or no choices, which will pop up a few times during the course of the adventure. After the main story has been cleared, the game doesn’t end, as players will be able to return to play. During this post-game adventure, new secrets, special unlockables and more can be found while exploring the island.
The final element of the game to discuss is the collectable aspect of the adventure. throughout the island, the player can collect Napopo statues, which will be added to an on screen counter. These can be used to unlock new cosmetic items, like outfits that Mika can wear after unlocking them. Then there are special totems, which will provide Mika with new special effects for her broom. Last are the Gems, which can activate new areas of the map for exploration.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release starting with the controls.
Controls – Mika and the Witch’s Mountain has a very comfortable control scheme, with intuitive and easy to control movements that are easy to pick up. The moment to moment action of flight is crafted expertly, with the movement flowing smoothly as Mika takes to the sky. All of the inputs are responsive, with the controls feeling comfortable in action with the Dualshock 4 controller. This makes for an experience that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Difficulty – there isn’t much in terms of difficulty, as the challenge is all based on how the player wants to tackle deliveries. If the player chooses to rush each delivery, they may seem tougher than they are. However, if the player decides to take their time, they will have an easier time getting those green stamps. The game also makes it hard to fail, as the deliveries can be reset, making this perfect for those who are looking for a calm cosy experience.
Presentation – the visuals for this release are stunning, with beautiful environments, animations and fantastic portrait art. These artistic choices give the game world a vibrant feel to it, pulling players into the adventure with ease. Then there is the sound, which further builds the atmosphere of Mount Gaun and the island, featuring compositions that perfectly fit all areas. Voice work is limited, but it doesn’t take away from the experience.
Final Thoughts – after playing the Nintendo Switch version of the game, I was satisfied with my experience. So when I was given the chance to play the PlayStation 4 version of the game, it was an easy decision for me. The experience on the different system was just as good, if not better than the handheld version of the game. There have been numerous improvements made, with the minor hiccups being cleaned up for a smoother, more polished experience.
I very much enjoyed my time revisiting the world of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, as the story is one that may feel brief, but has a lot of depth to it. The world is full of vibrant locations to explore, with characters that are varied and charming to interact with. There can be some awkwardness when learning the controls, but after a while it falls into place and feels great to play. This is something that makes it a joy to return to multiple times.
The experience is well crafted, making it an easy recommendation, as I enjoyed every second of my revisit to the game. The minor inconsistencies that were present in my switch experience have been polished, with the new hardware that it has been ported to. You can feel the inspirations of the Studio Ghibli film, Kiki’s Delivery Service, which further elevates the experience on offer. This version is perfect for those looking for a cosy adventure, but lack the portable systems.
In the end, I give the PS4 version of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain a final score of 5/5. This is a truly magical adventure, with a story and cast of characters that elevate the experience, with a gameplay loop that is satisfying, which offers an experience that all players can enjoy. There is also talk of more content on the way for this game. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to all versions of the game will be below.
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to Steam version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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