“WitchSpring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy” Game Review

Even though WitchSpring3 Re: Fine – The Story of Eirudy is the third game in the series, it can be easily played (and enjoyed) as a standalone title. Nintendo Switch players looking for an easy-to-grasp JRPG with cute character designs should consider picking it up.

I was provided with a free digital version of WitchSpring3 Re: Fine – The Story of Eirudy for review. The opinions I have shared are my own. 

For those who don’t know, WitchSpring3 was originally released as a mobile game back in 2017. ININ Games and STUDIOARTDINK decided to release it as a boxed retail edition, along with a downloadable digital store version for Nintendo Switch in North America and Europe on August 13, 2021. Originally being a mobile game is something you should keep in mind when playing this offering because even though it is enjoyable, it has certain limitations.

You get to play as a nameless witch who has been living a secluded life in the Misty Forest. Apparently, her goal is to create a doll that can talk to her. I guess living alone can get quite lonely. One day, while hunting a wild boar, she meets a human named Adrian. A curious traveler, he’s the one who gives the witch the name Eirudy (due to her red eyes).

From there, Eirudy accompanies Adrian on a journey across the continent of Derkarr to find a mysterious object to help his ill mother. Along the way, Eirudy begins to learn more about her true destiny. The overall story is your usual RPG fantasy fare with magical beasts, the chosen one, meeting companions, and defeating villains.

I liked how Eirudy’s more of a reluctant hero. There’s humor in her interactions with Adrian and when she’s trying to figure out why humans act a certain way. As far as being able to impact the narrative is concerned, the good news is you can select if you want Eirudy to walk the Dark or Light paths to basically see two different endings. Such a choice gives this game a bit of replayability.

The turn-based gameplay mechanic is easy to understand. Eirudy’s able to use Sword-based and Magical attacks. Magical attacks consume Mana while consecutive Sword attacks eat away Health points. Defeating enemies allows Eirudy to restore health. It also helps fill her Vitality-carrying Soul Stone (which I will get to in a bit). The Magic System has the ‘Main Magic Circle’ and the ‘Supportive Magic Circle’. The Main Circle determines the attribute of magic while the Supportive Circle enhances the effect of the Main Circle. You should be able to get the hang of it very quickly when playing the game.

Crafting is also something you can (and should) do. Exploring areas will help Eirudy collect a range of materials to craft items for temporary or permanent boots. Eirudy’s cottage is the main Hub where she crafts, awakens her Dolls being kept in the cellar (which I’ll get to in a bit), undergoes training, writes in her journal, and sleeps. Dying in battle sends you back to the cottage.  

Eirudy can use five days to go through Training to help boost her stats. For example, Sword Training gives her an HP boost and unlocks new Sword Fighting techniques. Magic Research raises MP and unlocks new magic recipes. Running boosts HP. And so on. You can select her training regimen from eight options. The game lets you know the boosts Eirudy will gain from each exercise to make it easier for you to finalize how you want to train her. Seeing her do pushups or run around in her cottage is fun.

Now, I think everyone will agree that the most interesting aspect of this title’s gameplay is Eirudy’s ability to summon dolls during battle (summoning consumes Mana). You can summon a single doll per turn and you can’t summon more than three dolls per battle. Each doll offers specific abilities or buffs. For example, Little Emelia automatically heals Eirudy (she saved my life more than once while I was trying to get understand the battle system). The doll named Lara casts supportive magic for Attack, Magic, Health, and Defensive boosts. Dolls require a certain amount of Vitality to be awakened. Giving them more Vitality points (after waking them up) increases their power levels. Some dolls can be used for transport.

Unlocking new dolls, figuring out which ones to use during battle, and which dolls should be leveled up offer a sense of customization and strategy.

The overall design of WitchSpring3 Re: Fine – The Story of Eirudy can be described as cute. Characters have a Chibi style to them. However, there are certain moments in the story where the cutscenes display the usual anime style. The characters also show up in non-Chibi style when they’re talking. You should watch this trailer to understand what I mean.

As far as the limitations are concerned, not everyone will be a fan of the visuals. You can argue they look a bit dated. Also, while the continent of Derkarr does give you lots of areas to explore, you can’t help but think about how things could have been made bigger and better if this title was its own thing and not a Nintendo Switch version of a mobile game. There really aren’t any vast open spaces that players like exploring when playing a fantasy RPG.

All in all, WitchSpring3 Re: Fine – The Story of Eirudy is a fun little JRPG you should consider checking out even if you haven’t played the previous installments. This title has a bit of a retro vibe (to the Nintendo DS days) that might appeal to certain players. I think those of you who like to grind will enjoy this game a lot. You can basically train Eirudy until she’s capable of one-shotting a majority of her opponents. Grinding isn’t necessary to finish this game. But the option is there if you want it. I even allowed my younger brother to play this game. His job was to grind and make Eirudy powerful while I attended to non-game tasks I had to complete elsewhere. I think you should be able to comfortably finish this game in under 12 hours if you don’t spend too much time grinding and leveling up Eirudy.

You can learn more about this game by visiting witchspringgame.com. While this title is available right now Digitally for $39.99, collectors can head on over to the Strictly Limited Games Partner Store for the exclusive Limited and Collector’s Editions for WitchSpring3. The Limited Edition comes individually numbered and includes a manual. The Collector’s  Edition includes a beautiful artbook, an acrylic standee of Eirudy, a soundtrack CD, and more.

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Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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