Was there ever anyone out there who thought, “Man, it would be great to play The Witcher, but only if all the characters were anthropomorphic animals.” The people at MiTale believed so because, on the surface, that seems to be the basic premise of their game Willow Guard. Joking aside, however, there is much more to this game than what it may appear on the surface because Willow Guard might be another great indie RPG. What exactly does this indie Playing Game have to offer? Let’s dive into the world and find out. 

Willow Guard is a story-driven dungeon-crawling RPG that combines difficult but engaging hack-and-slash gameplay that rewards the players’ time and investment. It features an advanced building system that enhances abilities and defensive capabilities. On top of that, the story also features layers of deep, choice-based story that can change the narrative for anyone who plays it. Despite being only playable with keyboard and mouse on PC, this game still offers an enjoyable experience that players can enjoy. 

The players take control of Ghweros, a Willowguard who is investigating a series of monster attacks on a remote village close to the northern Hinterlands. He is plagued with dreams that seemingly involve a goddess who helped create their land. It seems to be important, as the dream implies that something mysterious may befall the world, and Ghweros must figure out a way to stop it. On his journey, he will encounter all sorts of dangers as well as meet various allies who can help him during his journey to slay monsters and uncover mysteries throughout the town of Woikos by utilizing an innovative clue and item gathering system that utilizes both focus and interactions, which are referred to as “inclinations.” These Inclinations are Creed, Empathy, Focus, or Neuroticism; each one can either be used during dialogue or investigating clues at specific locations to get more information about the area. Each inclination can also be leveled up and, over time, unlock special abilities and skills that can be used during combat. Focus specifically acts as a currency that can be recharged overnight through resting at his camp. At the start, there are only five charges of focus and interactions based on inclinations that either require them to be a certain level or cost a specific number of focus points in order to interact with specific clues. That level up the more they are used.

Throughout the game, players can also build a specialized deck of Willow Guard abilities, which will either improve previous skills and passives or replace them completely with other, more powerful spells and tools. These cards can be upgraded or crafted at Ghweros’ camp to become more powerful so that he can overcome all sorts of challenging foes. For those players who aren’t looking for a narrative experience, but instead a dungeon-crawling hack-and-slash adventure, there is a mode called Dungeon Run, which allows for nothing but monster hacking and slashing. 

On the surface, this 2-bit hack-and-slash adventure may seem barren; however, after the opening tutorial and encountering the blacksmith, the game starts to unveil its vast depth with its detailed RPG mechanics and compelling character dialogues and interactions. Even though its weakest link could be its gameplay, as it is largely a point and click hack n slash, the game more than makes up for it with its randomized card deck building and its challenging enemies that will have the player constantly on their toes. While not as challenging of a game to get into as Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Willows Guard is just as addictive due to the large amount of mystery as to what encounter and abilities the player may discover during their adventure which is what typically makes for a great RPG which is having a variety of options and interactions that can lead to different scenarios and outcomes with legitimate benefits and consequences that evolve the overarching narrative. The only big issue so far is its grindy system when it comes to gathering materials needed to upgrade gear and the cards. Some people may not have an issue with it, especially if they are fans of a Diablo-style grind, but toning down the time it takes to gather materials a bit could go a long way. 

Overall, Willow Guard is a fun hack-and-slash indie RPG with many great gameplay mechanics and compelling characters that hopefully can get the attention it deserves. It can’t be stressed enough how important indie games are, especially when they are developed by a development team that is very passionate about gaming. Hopefully, your word can get out there that there is a fun indie role-playing game that needs to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Despite some of its shortcomings, this game has great potential to be a diamond in the rough for Indie developers. 

Overall Score: 8 out of 10

Reviewed On: PC