WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] The Story of Eirudy Reviews
WitchSpring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy is an eye-pleasing and adorable RPG that has some heartfelt characters but suffers at the cost of being a bit repetitive. The game employs some nice systems like doll summoning to act as battle allies but the awkward translation and frequent revisits to the same game areas equate to a ho-hum experience. At the price point of $39.99, you'd do best to try the series on the cheaper mobile phone versions first before plunking down that much coin on the Switch version.
WitchSpring3 was originally available in mobile platforms, but has been ported and found a better refined home at the Nintendo Switch library. With no complex difficulty levels, the game is well approachable by all ages. Character designs, background renders have become much smoother in higher resolution so everything feels like a big visual upgrade. Clean UI and fully voiced dialogue for the entire ride is a bonus touch to evaluate the story of its world without discrimination and warmth. The main story is based on a witch and a boy who agree to lean on and become each other’s light in the forest full of foggy mist. After your first initial adventure comes to an end, the additional contents fill in the extra colors for a more diverse world to explore and discover.
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WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] – The Story of Eirudy is a port of a made-for-mobile, turn-based JRPG that should've stayed on mobile devices. It's not bad, but it's better played in short bursts where the game's lack of a solid hook and issues with repetition are more forgivable.
WitchSpring 3 Re:Fine is a glorified mobile game, there is no doubt about it, but one with some heart to it.
In spite of the decent things Witch Spring 3 Re:Fine does right, it falls short everywhere else. Obviously, this focuses on the die-hard fanbase of the franchise, and could be boring to new players. Playing for the hours I did left me bored, even when enjoying the smallest charms but never held up.
WitchSpring3 Re:Fine isn't bad, but the Switch version doesn't feel well optimized or especially exciting compared to the mobile release.
More than anything else I think the real issue with this game I have is the asking price. At time of writing it is going for around £30. You can get all four games in the series on mobile for just over a third of that, almost half of which is for the fourth (and newest) game. WitchSpring 3 on Google’s Playstore is priced at £3.87, a far more compelling price point for the title. Given how well it played in handheld compared to docked mode, and the implementation of the touchscreen controls, if you are at all curious about this game I would certainly recommend the mobile version over the Switch for price alone.
While it was a noble effort to port the game to consoles, the transition is rough around the edges and makes for an uncomfortable playing experience.
I actually feel terrible that I haven’t enjoyed WitchSpring3 more. In isolation it has a lot going for it – I love pastel aesthetics, I love cute witches. I love the CG art. I really love alchemy JRPGs. Unfortunately, WitchSpring3 is a little too obviously a “mobile JRPG best practices” game, so a lot of its potential is let down by less-than-enthusiastic storytelling and a mechanical approach to gameplay systems that left me feeling very cold.
Witch Spring3 [Re:Fine] – The Story of Eirudy was a nice little surprise. While I struggled initially with all the options available it soon cast its spell on me and I really enjoyed it. The flexibility on offer allows the player to really play this in their own way and at their own pace. This is a very rare example of a game where I am kinda keen to look at the previous entries on mobile. A great introduction to the series and hopefully we’ll see more entries in the future on Switch.
On the other hand, if you truly could care less about the plot, there are some fascinating mechanical elements to mess around with here. Using homebrewed potions to level up is a terrific idea. Having a difficulty scale that’s both harsh and forgiving is a great way to hook a wide swath of players. And the hefty list of skills, spells, and summons means you can fight every battle in a new way. But otherwise, you’d best be wary about picking up Witchspring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy.
Despite being widely empty of content outside the main storyline, WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] costs 39.99 USD on the Nintendo Store at time of writing. With gameplay more in line with mobile-app game expectations, those who enjoy in-depth JRPG titles may be frustrated with the lack of exploration, storyline, and graphic quality. However, for those wanting a simple experience that is easy to set down, WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] might be a good fit. With a drop in price and a patch to improve translations and add content that takes advantage of the Nintendo Switch's capabilities, WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] would be a more enjoyable experience for those interested in trying it out.
So overall, WitchSpring 3 [Re:Fine] – The Story of Eirudy is a shorter and often enjoyable RPG that shouldn’t take too long to go through. With other entries into the series both before and upcoming, I’m curious to see if we’ll see more of these or not down the line.
WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] fails to stand out in any way, which is sad because from afar it carries a large degree of charm in its minimalist design and soft character illustration. The combat is mindless yet provides the most fun you’ll have in the adventure given that the unrefined dialogue and overtly simple gameplay mechanics are always looming over.
It’s been said that good things come in small packages, and WitchSpring3 Re:Fine is about the best JRPG equivalent of that saying that you’re going to find. Eirudy’s adventure around Derkarr is a full JRPG experience boiled down to a breezy 10 – 20 hours, depending upon how you play and what kinds of things you’d like to do. If you’re itching for adventure but don’t have much time, or just have an appreciation for cutesy, easily digestible JRPG action, WitchSpring3 Re:Fine is probably worth your while.
Ultimately, WitchSpring3 Re:Fine is a perfectly average title with its highs and lows. It’s not my kind of game, but I’m certainly glad that fans of this Korean franchise will be getting a chance to have it on a major platform. Bogged down by the shadow of its mobile game past, WitchSpring3 Re:Fine will probably appeal, primarily, to fans of the franchise. Newcomers might find this entry hit or miss: it just depends on if Eirudy and her story grab your attention. I will say that the Magic Circle system—this is used to power up your magic—was a bit confusing. That might be due to the overwhelming amount of info stuffed into each textbox, which unfortunately suffers from the small font size.
WitchSpring 3 [Re:Fine]: The Story of Euridy is a pleasant and engaging game on the Nintendo Switch. The delightful story pairs well with the flexible playstyle and character development options. WitchSpring 3 [Re:Fine]: The Story of Euridy is a bit shorter than a typical console role-playing game, but I found it was just the right length before its systems and narrative lost their sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.