PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

Little Witch Nobeta isn't a Souls-like in the traditional sense, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like a cunning crone, developer Pupuya Games have skillfully combined seemingly disparate ingredients to create something magical. Still, genre veterans may find themselves put off by the lack of challenge to be found in the title's beginning hours, and the stark contrast between its whimsical protagonist and the grim world she inhabits can admittedly, at times, be a bit jarring. If these things don't bother you and you're a fan of Souls-likes who's looking for something more forgiving, or perhaps a bit cuter than what you'd usually expect from the genre, Little Witch Nobeta is sure to leave you under its spell.

A charming title that doesn’t overstay its welcome; Little Witch Nobeta is a fun, if occasionally repetitive, journey of discovery. Well utilised mechanics and some epic boss fights make this a good choice for veterans of the Souls-like genre and newcomers alike.

Armed with a quartet of spells, Nobeta is one-witch-army, prepped to take down a castleful of antagonists. The presence of stamina and mana gauges means that the game draws from Souls-like formula. But this little enchantress offers more than your usual swing- and slugfest, extending the energy of a solid third-person shooter.

I mostly enjoyed my time with Little Witch Nobeta, especially with its gratifying combat and consistent character enhancements. However, it's still a rather clunky game that could greatly benefit from a map and more distinct environments.

Little Witch Nobeta is a pretty fun Soulslike that doesn’t use its presentation as bait to veil a shoddy experience. Its well-crafted boss battles, fulfilling progression, and intricate exploration illustrate thought-provoking gameplay design. Even when considering a lacking narrative and the playtime clocking in around 10 hours if you take your time to accomplish every task, this is definitely an experience that fans of the genre should pick up. Of course, the potent ambiance and cute main character also help matters.

Though it seems like a simple anime dungeon crawler, Little Witch Nobeta is a fun romp with an excellent combat system and fantastic world-building. It also features some great exploration full of plenty of secret rooms and treasures to find and I found myself lost for hours just looking for that next little collectable or scroll to level up my magic. Little Witch Nobeta takes what made a lot of the souls formula great and introduces it to the more casual player.

After beating Little Witch Nobeta, my main thought was that I wanted more. More spells, more environments, more characters, more opportunities to customize Nobeta. It's always a good sign when a game leaves you wanting more. I feel like this could be the foundation for an awesome sequel if Pupaya Games sees fit to make one. There is definitely room for a sequel, especially with everything revealed in the lore entries. But as is, Nobeta is a cute and charming good time that is sure to delight.

Little Witch Nobeta makes for a fun old-school action shooter. It’s just a shame that this particular witches’ brew is filled with so much unnecessary and bland garnish that serves only to dilute the taste.

Little Witch Nobeta is not for me, but then I’m not certain who it is for. It is a catastrophic fumbling of the bag with a narrative that makes no sense, combat that feels far too basic, puzzles that don’t even warrant a mention, and a distinctly unappealing target demographic. The only magic I want from Nobeta is a disappearing act.