Trigger Witch (v2022.05.31)

Magic schools, talking oddballs, and saturated pixel-art landscapes give way to shotguns, blood splatter, and frantic monster hunting in this sharply twisted action-adventure. Trigger Witch casts you as Colette, a trainee from an academy where spellcasting has largely been replaced by firearms, and her graduation day spirals into a realm-threatening crisis. A mysterious intruder sets the plot in motion, sending the young witch across a strange land filled with hostile creatures, eccentric citizens, and secrets behind every locked route. The mood balances cheerful 16-bit nostalgia with knowingly excessive violence, creating an adventure that feels cute right up until everything starts exploding.

Colette travels through interconnected areas, clears rooms with twin-stick shooting, and uses newly acquired weapons to deal with increasingly dangerous enemy types. Pistols, heavier guns, and upgrades steadily expand her damage output, while the action demands movement, aim control, and smart positioning when screens fill with projectiles and monsters. Progress also hinges on classic adventure-game problem solving: players inspect environments, work around obstacles, locate useful paths, and tackle puzzles that break up the constant combat. The full campaign works alone, but drop-in local co-op lets a second player join at any point, making its tougher encounters and exploration considerably more social.

Rather than merely borrowing the look of old-school Zelda-style adventures, Trigger Witch builds its identity around the ridiculous but satisfying contrast between witchcraft and modern firepower. Its colorful sprites, varied locations, and reactive soundtrack give the world personality, while the story keeps introducing characters who are more charming than the premise initially suggests. Combat is immediate enough for newcomers to understand, yet weapon choice, enemy patterns, and optional exploration give action veterans reasons to keep pushing through the map. Anyone who enjoys 2D action games such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Enter the Gungeon, or a lighterhearted Hotline Miami should find plenty to like here, especially with a couch co-op partner.