STARDUST: Wish of Witch

Stardust blends a nostalgic romance story with tense, strategic counter combat. Despite rough UI and uneven visuals, its compelling narrative and deep mechanics deliver a deeply charming SRPG experience.

Despite a handful of shortcomings, STARDUST: Wish of Witch is an easy game to like Its story may follow well-known tropes and its combat does not always make full use of its ideas, but its cast and the sheer quality of its presentation carry it a long way. Kniv Studio’s debut leaves a big impression and makes me excited to see what the team does next.

STARDUST: Wish of Witch succeeds with stellar details in its presentation and when the narrative focuses on the two protagonist. It fails in its slow gameplay pace, lack of mission variety, and confusing UI that turns it into a chore. These problems turn a charming tactical adventure into an incredibly difficult recommendation, as even the best animations can’t save a game from being a slog to play.