Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a sidescrolling, Metroidvania Souls-like with a dark fantasy aesthetic. From the moment you boot it up, you know exactly what you’re getting into—the brooding atmosphere, the eerie landscapes, the weighty combat. It’s familiar territory, and that’s both a strength and a weakness.
Whenever a game is labeled as a Souls-like, there’s an expectation of tone and mechanics that comes with it. Dark, gothic, oppressive worlds tend to dominate the genre, and while I understand the appeal, I can’t help but feel that the aesthetic is becoming a little oversaturated. Games like Another Crab’s Treasure proved that you can deliver the same challenging experience while presenting a totally different tone and world. That’s refreshing. But Mandragora sticks to the tried-and-true formula, which might leave some players yearning for something different.
One thing I do appreciate about Mandragora is its layered environments. While running across a foggy swamp, I could see twisted trees fading into the background, giving a sense of depth that makes the world feel more immersive. It’s reminiscent of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, where the 2.5D movement is enriched by 3D visual elements.
The 2.5D art style lends itself to the eeriness of the gothic world of Faelduum.
However, the enemy density in the demo left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It’s sparse—too sparse. I’d run into a few enemy, defeat it, and then run for another minute only to encounter another few enemies again. If combat is supposed to be the core of the experience, then the world needs to be populated in a way that keeps the momentum going. You want to ensure that enemies are placed just right to keep the pacing engaging. Right now, Mandragora doesn’t quite hit that balance. There’s not enough else to do between fights—no meaningful platforming, no collectibles that stood out—just running until I hit another encounter or a story beat. That’s something that definitely needs tweaking.
I will say that I am much more interested in what the other classes offer. There are a total of six unique starting classes and at the time of the preview, three were available (Vanguard, Spellbinder, and Nightshade). My time was largely spent with the Vanguard class.
One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Souls-like combat is its rhythm. A friend of mine, who’s an expert in this space, once told me that Souls-like games function almost like rhythm games—there’s a cadence to parries, dodges, and attacks that create a flow. Ever since he mentioned that I haven’t been able to unsee it, and Mandragora clearly embraces that philosophy.
The boss fight presentation and encounters are true spectacles.
That said, while the combat has weight and follows that rhythmic design, it doesn’t feel fluid enough. There’s a slight pause after every attack that makes inputs feel sluggish, almost as if there’s an input delay. It’s a small thing, but in an action-heavy game, that small thing can make or break the experience. The moment-to-moment fighting should feel intuitive and responsive, and right now, Mandragora feels like it’s holding me back.
Dabbling a bit with the Spellbinder and Nightshade classes offered some more varied experiences and I appreciated that it brings some variety in each of the class types.
Where Mandragora does succeed is in its RPG elements. Various classes to choose from. There’s a talent tree, stat-based leveling, and equipment upgrades that allow for a degree of personalization. While nothing in the equipment system has blown me away yet, the foundation is solid. It gives players the ability to shape their playstyle, which is a crucial component for any RPG-inspired game.
With up to six starting classes, equipment and talent trees, the RPG elements are all present.
Overall, Mandragora has potential. I like the world they’re building, and I can see the vision behind the combat. I love the voice acting and art design. However, the pacing issues, lack of enemy density, and sluggish attack animations hold it back from being as engaging as it could be.
Things can heat up sometimes if you are not careful.
This is where early playtests are invaluable. Games like Hades and Baldur’s Gate 3 benefited immensely from early player feedback, allowing them to fine-tune mechanics before launch. Mandragora could use that same process to refine its combat flow, tighten its pacing, and inject more life into its world. As it stands now, I don’t think it would hit in the way it needs to. But with some key adjustments? It could become something truly special.
Overall, Mandragora has potential. I like the world they’re building, and I can see the vision behind the combat. I love the voice acting and art design. However, the pacing issues, lack of enemy density, and sluggish attack animations hold it back from being as engaging as it could be.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a sidescrolling, Metroidvania Souls-like with a dark fantasy aesthetic. From the moment you boot it up, you know exactly what you’re getting into—the brooding atmosphere, the eerie landscapes, the weighty combat. It’s familiar territory, and that’s both a strength and a weakness.
Whenever a game is labeled as a Souls-like, there’s an expectation of tone and mechanics that comes with it. Dark, gothic, oppressive worlds tend to dominate the genre, and while I understand the appeal, I can’t help but feel that the aesthetic is becoming a little oversaturated. Games like Another Crab’s Treasure proved that you can deliver the same challenging experience while presenting a totally different tone and world. That’s refreshing. But Mandragora sticks to the tried-and-true formula, which might leave some players yearning for something different.
One thing I do appreciate about Mandragora is its layered environments. While running across a foggy swamp, I could see twisted trees fading into the background, giving a sense of depth that makes the world feel more immersive. It’s reminiscent of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, where the 2.5D movement is enriched by 3D visual elements.
The 2.5D art style lends itself to the eeriness of the gothic world of Faelduum.
However, the enemy density in the demo left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It’s sparse—too sparse. I’d run into a few enemy, defeat it, and then run for another minute only to encounter another few enemies again. If combat is supposed to be the core of the experience, then the world needs to be populated in a way that keeps the momentum going. You want to ensure that enemies are placed just right to keep the pacing engaging. Right now, Mandragora doesn’t quite hit that balance. There’s not enough else to do between fights—no meaningful platforming, no collectibles that stood out—just running until I hit another encounter or a story beat. That’s something that definitely needs tweaking.
I will say that I am much more interested in what the other classes offer. There are a total of six unique starting classes and at the time of the preview, three were available (Vanguard, Spellbinder, and Nightshade). My time was largely spent with the Vanguard class.
One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Souls-like combat is its rhythm. A friend of mine, who’s an expert in this space, once told me that Souls-like games function almost like rhythm games—there’s a cadence to parries, dodges, and attacks that create a flow. Ever since he mentioned that I haven’t been able to unsee it, and Mandragora clearly embraces that philosophy.
The boss fight presentation and encounters are true spectacles.
That said, while the combat has weight and follows that rhythmic design, it doesn’t feel fluid enough. There’s a slight pause after every attack that makes inputs feel sluggish, almost as if there’s an input delay. It’s a small thing, but in an action-heavy game, that small thing can make or break the experience. The moment-to-moment fighting should feel intuitive and responsive, and right now, Mandragora feels like it’s holding me back.
Dabbling a bit with the Spellbinder and Nightshade classes offered some more varied experiences and I appreciated that it brings some variety in each of the class types.
Where Mandragora does succeed is in its RPG elements. Various classes to choose from. There’s a talent tree, stat-based leveling, and equipment upgrades that allow for a degree of personalization. While nothing in the equipment system has blown me away yet, the foundation is solid. It gives players the ability to shape their playstyle, which is a crucial component for any RPG-inspired game.
With up to six starting classes, equipment and talent trees, the RPG elements are all present.
Overall, Mandragora has potential. I like the world they’re building, and I can see the vision behind the combat. I love the voice acting and art design. However, the pacing issues, lack of enemy density, and sluggish attack animations hold it back from being as engaging as it could be.
Things can heat up sometimes if you are not careful.
This is where early playtests are invaluable. Games like Hades and Baldur’s Gate 3 benefited immensely from early player feedback, allowing them to fine-tune mechanics before launch. Mandragora could use that same process to refine its combat flow, tighten its pacing, and inject more life into its world. As it stands now, I don’t think it would hit in the way it needs to. But with some key adjustments? It could become something truly special.
by Kurosh Jozavi
