It's a brutal world of dark, eldritch creatures clashing together for a chance at survival - but hey, that's the current Soulslike indie market for you, and now the Future Games Show has presented with a strong new contender: Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree, an upcoming 2.5D hack-and-slash dark fantasy RPG from Primal Game Studio and Knights Peak.
From what info we have already, it seems as though Mandragora has a lot in its corner. What combat we see seems slick and springy to me, inspired by recent trials like Blasphemous and Salt and Sanctuary. The "Inquisitor" we watch weaves their way through albino spiders, hulking rats, legions of animated corpses, and strange, angular horrors that defy easy explanation. Not only that, but we see them mixing up spellcasting and swordplay, slinging fire and steel alternately while backed by a skill tree that's downright sprawling.
One thing I personally appreciate appears to be that aforementioned emphasis on movement. While we only get a glimpse of it, the shot of the hero swinging on some sort of line or grappling hook has me excited: it's a feature that has never, ever failed to make a game better. In fact, everything seems smooth; the character never advances if he can lunge, never steps forward if he can dramatically leap. You commit with your chest, buddy - I respect it.
But perhaps most intriguingly to a broader audience is the pedigree behind the game, as Mandragora is written by Brian Mitsoda, former writer of the eternal classic, Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines. If that doesn't speak to a solid dark fantasy experience, then what will?
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree will be out on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch on April 17, 2025. You can follow progress from the developers at the official Mandragora X page for all the latest details!
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
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