“The Witch’s House MV” will be released on Steam on Oct. 31. The original game was simply titled “The Witch’s House” as MV was added as a reference to it being remade in RPG Maker MV.
The game is a freeware, puzzle oriented horror RPG made in the program RPG Maker VX, by a Japanese creator known as Fummy. It was released on Oct. 3, 2012 and can run on various systems including Windows systems dating back to Windows 2000 and Mac OS.
In addition to updated graphics, “The Witch’s House MV” will feature new events along with two difficulties that can be unlocked after the player completes the main story once in order to create more replay value past the true ending.
This survival horror game is about a young girl named Viola waking up in the middle of a foggy forest. A torn note is nearby and her exit out of the forest is blocked by a dense bush of roses.
From there, she turns back and approaches a mansion a little bit beyond the trees and speaks to a black cat. The cat advises that the only way to leave is by exploring the house and seeking the way out from there.
However, the game wouldn’t allow it to be as simple as finding the owner and asking to be freed.
The mansion is riddled with death traps which can activate as the story goes, by investigating too much in an area, failing a puzzle or simply existing. This house is out to kill the protagonist in any way possible which makes for a suspenseful journey.
With themes of murder, death, violence and abuse, those who are squeamish would absolutely want to steer clear of this title. While it may not have been gruesome with 16-bit graphics in the original, the updates certainly add a more graphic nature to the game.
This gives the player a true view of what fates may befall Viola if too many mistakes are made over the course of the game.
Throughout the game there is lore aplenty, spread out in the form of diaries from the witch of the house, Ellen.
The player can learn about her life, receiving vague hints as to what led up to this. The save points are represented by the black cat Viola spoke with outside of the mansion at the beginning of the game.
“The Witch’s House” has four separate endings, though two of them are more for a bit of extra content. The normal ending involves completing the game without collecting an item specified early on if the player investigated enough.
The true ending only appears if, during the endgame, the player picks up the item and then proceeds to leave the house. The true ending reveals more dialogue which sheds light on what you had read and some of the sights throughout the house.
As for the extra endings, one requires the player to run through the game without saving at any point. It’s a hidden extreme mode in the game and when completed, gives the player more expositional dialogue for those that are curious to learn more.
The other requires the player to not play the game and just have Viola stand in the spot; she wakes up in an hour to obtain new information.
Fummy also released a prequel series titled “The Witch’s House: The Diary of Ellen” to divulge more information on the witch since the diaries in-game do not give the full story. A manga adaptation illustrated by Yuna Kagesaki began publishing in 2017.
The story of Ellen talks about her tragic past, and how she eventually passed and made a deal with a demon, in the alleyways behind her home.
The series is comprised of horror like themes, puzzles and twists at every turn, with many possible ways to end the journey.
Erika Brandenburg
Arts and Entertainment Editor