Review: Time Princess - Vengeance of the Witch

When I think of witches, I think of Bewitched, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and most recently, Wicked. So when Time Princess announced a new visual novel called Vengeance of the Witch, I expected something along those lines, especially after their latest collaboration with Wicked. Instead, the robust dress-up game app pulled the old bait and switch, releasing yet another bland Chinese story about demons. This app contains several other visual novels inspired by Chinese mythology that are way more interesting than this one, including White Snake and Ancient Dreams. If you are looking for a compelling story that incorporates Chinese myths, I recommend playing one of those. The Apothecary is much closer to what I expected from Vengeance of the Witch, as that story actually focuses on magic and sorcery with some compelling plot twists.

Vengeance of the Witch tells the story of Qingqing, who is part of a demonic cult that we're apparently supposed to root for. To be fair, it's revealed later that she didn't actually want her group to be referred to as a cult, but they were under a lot of scrutiny due to their techniques of releasing parasites like snakes to achieve their goals. The "Gu Parasites," as they are referred to, are the only "witchy" thing in this story. There are no cool magic powers, no covens (unless you count the cult), and no cute animal familiars. It's quite possibly one of the least supernatural stories I've ever read. Instead, it presents itself as more of a murder mystery in which Qingqing must figure out who killed her father so she can take her revenge. Despite the story's title, she doesn't come off as spiteful and is instead more analytical as she tries to determine the whereabouts of an ancient bell that would serve as an important clue to resolving the mystery.

This visual novel has the traditional "light" and "dark" love interests with a bonus female friend for players who aren't interested in romance. Though the three companions are very basic and have no traits that differentiate them from other companions in the game's visual novels, I was partial to Jiang Yushu because his design and personality reminded me of my beloved Samurai Jack. He is a monk who is obsessively respectful of Qingqing and is trained in the healing arts. Despite all her efforts to make him dislike her, he does everything in his power to help her with her goals and protect her on her quest. Ye Changsheng is also fiercely protective of her as a result of a traumatic event from his childhood that turned him into a dark and brooding "bad boy." Su Wen is Qingqing's loyal lifelong friend who has stuck by her through thick and thin and reports all the important comings and goings around the demonic cult.

Although the Chinese watercolor-inspired art for this visual novel is lovely, it is one of the infamous "Traveler's Notes" stories, which means there are minimal dress-up items available. Players who complete the entire novel can unlock two outfits--a light one and a dark one. Despite the limited number of options, the light outfit is quite lovely with long flowing draperies of lavender and white, a beautiful veil, and a stunning scepter. The dark option matches the cover of the visual novel with the traditional "evil" colors of black and red to match the misleadingly witchy or demonic vibes of the story. Since every chapter must be completed to unlock these outfits, it is impossible to wear them during the first playthrough, making it less fun than the other visual novels in Time Princess because you can never see them in the context of the story unless you choose to replay a level, and I don't know why anyone would want to do that.

Vengeance of the Witch fell short of my expectations, promising a witchy tale but delivering a bland, supernatural-light story instead. With its lackluster characters, unengaging murder mystery plot, and limited dress-up options, this Traveler's Notes visual novel fails to impress. If you're looking for a compelling story with Chinese mythological elements, I'd recommend exploring other options within the Time Princess app, such as White Snake or Ancient Dreams. For a more authentic witchy experience, The Apothecary is a better bet. It's a shame the app has been struggling so much with their Wicked collaboration, or we might have been able to get a new story about Oz, which would have been a slam dunk for me.