A Nostalgic Return to the Golden Age of SRPGs?
If you grew up playing classic SRPGs like Farland Saga, you know exactly the kind of "vibe" I look for in a game: charming isometric views, deep strategy, and character-driven storytelling.
Enter Stardust: Wish of Witch, a new turn-based strategy RPG currently in development by the Korean indie team, Kniv Studio.
It has been about two years since their first demo appeared on crowdfunding platforms, capturing the hearts of pixel art lovers everywhere. The developers explicitly cited Farland Saga as their inspiration, which naturally set my expectations high.
With the release of the latest demo on Steam, I dove in to see how much the game has evolved. Is it the modern successor to the classics we've been waiting for? Here is my honest breakdown.
The Good: A Visual and Auditory Feast
First things first: The pixel art is absolutely stunning. Kniv Studio has nailed the aesthetic. The character sprites are fluid, expressive, and detailed, capturing that "retro but modern" feel perfectly. The animations—from idle breathing to flashy ultimate attacks—are some of the best I’ve seen in the indie scene recently.
The game also features full voice acting (in Korean). Even if you don't speak the language, the emotive performance adds a significant layer of immersion to the storytelling.
A Twist on Tradition: Deck Building
The Concerns: Where did the Polish go?
However, as beautiful as the game looks, the actual gameplay experience left me with some serious concerns regarding its current "polish."
1. The Missing Character Art
In story-heavy RPGs, visual novels, or SRPGs, standing character illustrations (portraits) are crucial for conveying emotion during dialogue. In the early builds of Stardust from two years ago, these portraits were present. However, in this latest demo, dialogue scenes only zoom in on the pixel sprites. While the pixel art is cute, the lack of detailed character illustrations makes the screen feel empty and the emotional delivery somewhat flat. It’s a strange step backward for a game that excels in art.
2. Pacing and Level Design Issues
This is my biggest gripe. The demo features about 7 battles. Aside from the first Slime tutorial, every single battle is against Gnolls. The lack of enemy variety is one thing, but the pacing is the real issue. For the very early game, the maps are too large, and the enemy density is too high. Instead of feeling like a tactical puzzle, clearing a map felt like manual labor. Because your skill options are limited early on, fighting wave after wave of the same enemy on a huge map became tedious rather than engaging. By the end of the demo, I felt exhausted rather than excited for the next battle.
3. Quality of Life (QoL) Omissions
There are some basic SRPG features missing that caused unnecessary friction:
No "Undo Move": Once you move a character, you cannot cancel it to reposition them. This is a staple feature in modern tactics games, and its absence is frustrating.
No Controller Support: Currently, it only supports mouse and keyboard.
Game Speed: You have to reset the game speed settings for every single battle.
The Verdict: A Diamond in the Rough
Stardust: Wish of Witch has undeniable charm. It has the visuals and the concept to be a hit. However, the current demo suggests that while the "Art" team has done a phenomenal job, the "Level Design" and "UX" aspects need significantly more time in the oven.
With the release planned for Q2 2026, there is still time. I truly hope Kniv Studio takes the player feedback to heart—specifically regarding battle pacing and the return of character portraits. I want this game to succeed because when it shines, it really shines.
📺 Watch the Full Review
Want to see the pixel art in motion and the "Gnoll Hell" I mentioned? Check out my full video review below!
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- Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3936730
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