You can never have too many platformers, though separating the crème of the crop is a tough task. Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is the latest, developed by Primal Game Studio and combining dark medieval fantasy with the average backtracking and ability unlocking. Throw in some Souls-like combat as well, with a stamina meter and stat-scaling weapons, which may dissuade some from giving it a try. Mandragora does have several other core gameplay issues, but it did surprise me with its exploration, art direction, and combat feel. While I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to play it, there’s still a certain charm to it all. Witches are a core part of the setting if the title didn’t tip you off. However, you start on the opposite side – the Inquisition. During the “trial” of a witch, your character opts to execute her and gains witch-like powers in the process. The extent of this is unknown, but the Powers That Be are far from happy with your display of defiance. Still, power is power, and even you’re sent to locate another witch in the wilds. An ominous voice slowly creeps through your thoughts, however. Surely, it won’t lead down any dark paths. The premise is intriguing enough, and Mandragora has some solid voice acting to back it up, yet some dialogue and characterization aren’t the best. You’ll still encounter some intriguing characters, like the tailor Shirin, who mysteriously knows how to circumvent many of the dangers of travelling, but most of the personality lies in the ambient dialogue of passersby. "Speaking of the bosses, they’re not exactly Dark Souls caliber in terms of mechanics but still pose a decent challenge if you’re appropriately levelled." Hearing a father annoying his daughter with a dad joke or two NPCs haggling over prices felt natural; even the banter and taunts from bandits and brigands lent to the world-building and personality. A shame that my character can’t quite match it, with the voice acting and dialogue feeling like the most forced of the “protagonist who talks to themselves too much” archetype. It’s not super overbearing, but it did elicit an eye roll or two on occasion. The journey is more important than the hero in this case and Mandragora offers some rather solid level design. The relative safety and civilization of the city gives way to the boondocks, with swamps, and ruined buildings containing all manner of monsters and towns on their last legs. More than one system of sewers awaits, but they feel varied enough, one packed with poisonous slimes and straightforward corridors versus another with extensive ledges and platforming. The freedom to explore is also quite nice, even if it meant running into a wolf-like boss that was clearly out of my league (clones are cheating, and I will not back down from this stance). Side quests can be fairly straightforward, like cleansing an area of threats, and work just fine while incentivizing exploration. I’m not the biggest fan of the sheer number of locked chests, especially in the early going when lockpicks aren’t super common drops, but at least it’s something to return to for completion’s sake if nothing else. Speaking of the bosses, they’re not exactly Dark Souls caliber in terms of mechanics but still pose a decent challenge if you’re appropriately levelled. It did seem like there were one too many giant rats in the early going, but the threats diversify as you go along with some truly devious (and rage-inducing) affairs. Which brings me to one of the game’s more annoying issues. "Combat is solid though, with multiple classes and weapon types to choose from, I went with the Flameweaver, which provided solid physical and magic damage alongside decent sustainability." Movement as a whole feels decent, especially when dodge-rolling through enemy attacks or jumping over obstacles. It’s usually on point when grabbing ledges and dropping down…except when it’s not, and you take fall damage (and sometimes die). The randomness of this would throw me off at times, and since you need to backtrack from the nearest checkpoint, it can become frustrating. Don’t even get me started on the finicky nature of dropping down onto ledges. Combat is solid though, with multiple classes and weapon types to choose from, I went with the Flameweaver, which provided solid physical and magic damage alongside decent sustainability. Each class has an extensive passive tree, though many game-changing options are much farther along. The majority of nodes are committed to stat increases, and that’s fine – it just makes some level-ups significantly less exciting, especially when the closest major nodes provide options like “Eight percent increased damage after casting a fire spell.” However, the twist is that other class skills can be discovered while exploring, and you can allot points to other passive trees. You still need the corresponding relic, which can cost gold in the early going, and switching to a separate weapon set is required, but it’s an interesting approach to multiclassing. A separate system is also in place for diversifying skills to reduce mana costs or increase Adrenaline on hits, adding further wrinkles to builds. With the sheer amount of resources dropped and discovered, it’s no surprise that crafting is a major component, though it’s mostly relegated to “Take these materials to the vendor and make something.” The problem is that unlocking the ability to craft certain blueprints requires levelling up the vendor, which is a separate grind unto itself. Your mileage may vary on this – some may appreciate it, but I sure didn’t. "Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is still a title where its many parts don’t particularly add up to something greater than the whole." If there’s one area in which Mandragora deserves unequivocal praise, it’s the visuals and art direction. Reminiscent of No Rest for the Wicked but with thinner outlines, there’s a hand-drawn aura to the environments with gorgeous lighting and shadows that truly set the mood. The giant portraits of key characters in conversations also look great, even if some are jarringly different from their character models. Animations are top-tier – watching a smaller monster’s blade slip out of its hands and impale it upon death is but one of many examples of excellent attention to detail. Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is still a title where its many parts don’t particularly add up to something greater than the whole. Some parts are worthwhile, like the combat; others, like the progression and crafting, could use further polish and improvements. While I wasn’t super-invested in the story, it was still fun to push forward, discover new environments, scoff at dead ends and revisit places to see if I could progress forward. Does it qualify among the best platformers or Souls-like games out there? No, but it’s a solid combination worth checking out and may surprise you with its presentation, combat and enemy design. Just do yourself a favor and think twice before any death-defying leaps, at least until a few patches drop. This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.