Overview – developed by Rocket Engine and Studio SiestA, with publishing handled by ININ Games, Trouble Witches Final: Episode1 Daughters of Amalgam is the latest update to the Cute ‘Em up shooter. Take to the air with one of 12 witches, each with unique character stories and play styles in frantic bullet hell action. This title is available on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch platforms, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of Trouble Witches Final used for this piece. 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. There is no true singular plot for this release, as each of the characters have their own unique stories, so I will be moving directly to covering the gameplay. I will also be referring to the game as Trouble Witches Final for the sake of brevity. PLEASE NOTE: I was provided the DLC character Cotton from the shooter series of the same name, so I will be discussing that in this review.
Gameplay – Trouble Witches Final is a scrolling bullet hell shooter, where the player takes on the hordes of enemies, while dodging a hail of bullets. Set across six distinct locations, players will take down varied foes, including powerful mechanical ships, monster plants and the environment itself. Using the power of magic, the players will not only fight the minions they encounter, but witches that wield great magic and powerful weaponry.
The player can use one of 12 witches, each with their own unique familiars. All of the playable characters included with the game have their own strengths, weaknesses and capabilities. They are separated into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, which affects aspects like speed, power and more. These different skills offer various strategic capabilities, allowing for players to approach the game from many different angles.
In this game, the player has three distinct skills for battle. The main one is the rapid shot, which is the attack that all characters possess as standard. Each of the playable witches will have their own weapon attack patterns, alongside a familiar that will offer supporting fire. Next is the Magic Circle, which will surround the familiar and slow down enemy shots within its boundaries, lasting until the player’s MP expires. These bullets can even turn into gold coins.
Then there are the magic cards, which will power up the player for a limited time, changing the way that their attacks work. These are purchased from the Pumpkin Shop, a magical floating store that appears in the stages. The player can purchase and hold up to three cards, which cost varying amounts of gold collected from defeating enemies, clearing bullets and using other cards. At the shop, players can also upgrade their MP to extend the Magic Circle.
At lower difficulty settings, the Magic Circle and Cards can activate automatically, if enabled. However, these can be activated manually by the player. The Magic Cards will last for preset time, but if the player takes damage the time will be reduced significantly. The Magic Circle can be turned on and off freely, but the energy that is used must be recovered. This will charge up when the circle is not in use, but faster if the player does not move.
In some of the stages, the player will encounter mid boss witches, who will attack the player. These battles can be a challenge, with the player having a limited time to take them down. At the end of a stage, the player will encounter a powerful witch, who will confront the player in a multi-phase battle. These encounters are dangerous as the bosses will control dangerous weapons, each possessing deadly attack patterns and a weak point that must be destroyed.
When a stage is cleared, the player will receive bonuses based on various factors, which will add to the total score for the game. The player has a set number of lives for the game, which can be adjusted in the settings. Lives are lost by making contact with enemies and bullets, with the hitbox being a star on the character. when the player runs out of lives, they will get the option to continue, being granted Magic Cards as a bonus.
In this game there are several modes for players to sink their teeth into. The main one is the Story mode, which provides a narrative for each of the characters, having a unique and individual story for each of them. At the start of this mode, a story scene will play out, with an interaction between the character and each boss. Then when the player reaches the end, they will be rewarded with the story ending for the selected character.
Next up is Arcade Mode, which plays the same as the Story Mode, with the main exception being that there are no story scenes going straight to the credits upon completion. There is also Walpurgis Night Mode, which is an expert level challenge, with tougher enemies and more chaotic bullet patterns. Score Attack Mode has players go for the best score in 2 or 5 minute runs, at the higher difficulty settings with a lot of chaos on screen.
Endless Mode has players challenge the Arcade Mode, with the difficulty increasing with each loop the player is successful in clearing. Boss Attack Mode has the player go up against all of the main bosses, looping endlessly with the difficulty escalating after each loop. Then there is the practice mode, where players can try out the different characters and mechanics, learning how each of them works and finding out their preferred play style.
Last to cover for modes is AC mode, where players can experience a faithful remake of the original Arcade version of Trouble Witches. Using the enhanced visuals, players can play through the game in original 4:3 ratio, recapturing the spirit and challenge of the original Arcade version of the game. The only issue is that not all of the assets match the action on screen, switching between the pillar box and widescreen visuals, but this is a minor gripe.
All of the game modes have rankings, with both online and offline leaderboards for players to host their scores. This allows people in the same place to compete, while also challenging others from across the world for the top spot. This further adds to the replay value, as the game offers so many options for players to dive into, there are even secrets to unlock. But that is not all that this game has to offer to players who choose to play.
While this release is intended to be a definitive edition of the game, with all previously released Trouble Witches DLC included. There is one piece of additional paid content, the guest character of Cotton, from the shooter series by SUCCESS Corp. Cotton is a full extra character, accompanied by her fairy friend silk and is playable in all modes, with the best stats in the game making her the best for players who may struggle with bullet hell.
Cotton is fairly special in this game, as she is not just a playable character in this release, but she brings a distinct experience with her. When players have Cotton as a selectable character, there will be the ability to select a soundtrack. There are two options available, the Trouble Witches Final soundtrack and the Original CottoN arcade music. Cotton also has the special Tea Time mini game at the end of stages, allowing for a significant boost in points.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – this is a very easy to pick up arcade style bullet hell shooter, needing only three buttons to use the attacks and the D-Pad/thumbstick to control the character. This works very well, as both the movement options control very well, offering a lot of precision and flexible movement. The best way to play this game is with an arcade stick, but any controller that is compatible will work, and all of the inputs can be remapped freely.
Difficulty – Trouble Witches Final has a mostly balanced difficulty curve to the challenge, offering players the choice of four difficulty settings to select from. At the lower settings, there are fewer on screen bullets and automatic Magic systems, making it a good way for newer players to get used to the game. However, at the higher levels, the game becomes a hellish gauntlet that will test the skills of players, which is still a lot of fun to play.
Presentation – visually this title is beautiful to look at, with vibrant 2D sprites against beautiful fully 3D backdrops. There are no issues when it comes to performance, as everything moves along with no issues in terms of slowdown or lag during play. This is fantastic, as one issue that hinders the genre is slowdown from the amount of shots that can appear. Then there is the character art, which appears throughout and has an anime style that makes them pop.
All of the story scenes are engaging, with the different characters being expressive during interactions, which further adds to the experience. The game also has voiced dialogue throughout, with all of the scenes is Story Mode having full Japanese dubbing. Then we have the music, which wraps it all together with an excellent soundtrack, which fits all of the stages perfectly. The Cotton music as part of the DLC sounds amazing, with very high quality audio.
Final Thoughts – I had played Trouble Witches in the past, having played a Nesica cabinet and the Xbox 360 version, which made me very excited to play this game. I love the Bullet Hell genre, even if I’m not the best at them, so I dove into this and I had a great time. The action flows perfectly, with responsive controls, fun gameplay mechanics and satisfying score mechanics. I lost myself in this game, playing and replaying the different modes several times over.
The game is not perfect, as there is unfortunately some typos and minor translation errors, but they don’t negatively impact the overall experience. There is also a lot of fun, goofy humor, with comedic interactions in the story mode between characters. I also love the fact that Cotton is available as an extra, as Rocket Engine developed Cotton Reboot! back in 2021. If you love Bullet Hell or want to dip your toes into it, I recommend this game to everyone.
In the end, I give Trouble Witches Final: Episode1 Daughters of Amalgam a final score of 4.75. This is a near perfect Bullet Hell SHMUP, with fun and goofy comedy, challenging action and satisfying gameplay mechanics, all wrapped in a cute anime style with endless replayability. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below. Please Note, to access Cotton and all she offers, an additional purchase is needed.
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
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