Witchfire gameplay demonstration shows off the power of spellcraft

Witchfire, the gothic roguelite first-person shooter from Polish indie developers The Astronauts, was recently shown off during the Future Games Show Spring Showcase.

Featuring commentary from senior game designer Karol Krok, the video displays the different types of spellcraft available to witch hunters. These include spells, hexes, and curses which can be used upon enemies.

The wide variety of spellcraft available to the witch hunters is just as important as their arsenal of guns, and both will be crucial while wandering the Land of the Witch.

Spellcraft is designated into light spells and heavy spells. The former is quicker to deploy and costs less stamina. That said, it is not as powerful as the latter. In the gameplay video, the witch hunter produces a heavy spell that summons a phantom bell capable of stunning nearby enemies when properly shot.

The video also reveals the four core elements that comprise the majority of spells: air, earth, fire, and water. Each has unique properties, such as setting enemies aflame and increasing the damage they can take. Using different elemental spells in quick succession can achieve combined effects.

The premise of Witchfire finds a war raging between witches and the Church. In this alternate reality, witches are real and dangerous, but so is the witch hunter. Armed by Vatican sorcerers, you will wield an array of guns and forbidden magic to combat the witches and terrors on behalf of your secretive benefactors.

After shifting development from arena-style fighting to open-level combat, Witchfire is on track for a release to Early Access this year on the Epic Games Store.

The Early Access period will be exclusive to Epic Game Store. After that, the game will release on additional platforms such as Steam and consoles once fully developed.