One of the staff members behind Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree recently spoke to The Best War Games and shed some insight into what developer Primal Game Studio has planned for the game’s future. Mandragora is a side-scrolling action RPG that adds gameplay elements from the Soulslike and Metroidvania genres to deliver a sprawling gameplay experience inspired by medieval folklore. As an Inquisitor, the player must journey to stop an alternate realm called Entropy from consuming all that exists, all while leveling up their character from one of many playable class playstyles.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree was previously set to launch sometime in late 2024, but would ultimately be released on April 17, 2025. Before that, a free Mandragora demo was made available on Steam for players to try out the game’s first few hours ahead of time. Reviews for Mandragora have been mixed to positive, with some praising its plot, presentation, and variety of playstyles.
Mandragora Is Adding Permadeath and New Game Plus
Now that Mandragora is out in the wild, the question turns to what the developers have planned to support the game post-launch. The Best War Games recently interviewed Primal Game Studio Community Marketing Manager Alex Pearson to discuss these plans, which include at least two future update patches that will add new features.
Pearson didn’t provide any further information about when these updates will be added to Mandragora: Whisper of the Witch Tree, but both features are sure to enhance the gameplay experience for Metroidvania and action RPG fans. New Game Plus will presumably allow players to restart Mandragora’s story from the beginning with all of their gear and upgrades carried over from their last playthrough, while permadeath could raise the stakes by ending a game after the player character dies once. Pearson says:
We’re excited for players to enjoy our two upcoming content patches: one will introduce Permadeath Mode, and another will introduce New Game+.
This could still be just the first wave of post-launch content for Mandragora, as Primal Game Studio could decide to expand the dark, Elden Ring-like world it has created through story DLC. However, nothing has been announced or confirmed aside from the upcoming New Game Plus and permadeath updates, and even then, fans don’t know when these promising features will be added to Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree. In the meantime, the base game can take players over 30 hours to play through the whole way, so there is already no shortage of things to do or nightmarish enemies to defeat.
Mandragora
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 72%
- Released
- March 27, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Primal Game Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Knights Peak, MY.GAMES
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
WHERE TO PLAY
Mankind has surrendered the world to the monsters. The people of Faelduum hide away behind walls of brick and palisades of ignorance, constructed by their leaders. Joy and delight are coveted jewels, out of reach of the masses. This is not the world you were promised. Travel by night and take it back.
Journey through a world in decline, slowly falling prey to the damaging effects of Entropy. Fight vicious creatures, challenge nightmarish bosses, meet new allies, enemies, and every shade in-between, and make harsh moral choices. There are many paths worth taking. Choose yours.
UNIQUE SIDESCROLLING SOULSLIKE: Enjoy a rare combination of 2.5D side-scrolling levels and skill-driven combat that deals punishment and reward in equal brutal measure. From the leering Caretaker to the Vampires of Braer Island, face ruthless foes and uniquely horrifying bosses that will make or break you.
FALL INTO A DARK FANTASY WORLD: Get lost in a rich and atmospheric world brought to life by timeless painterly art direction and the epic twisted music of Christos Antoniou. Discover every detail with Metroidvania exploration, tearing down crumbling walls, utilizing new skills such as ground strike, and scaling buildings with your grappling hook.
