Whether you’re a fan of European and Slavic folklore or simply a Keanu Reeves enthusiast, you’ll have likely heard the name “Baba Jaga” before. If you’re only familiar with the dogless hitman hell-bent on revenge, John Wick, Baba Jaga is actually better known as a legendary and morally ambiguous witch, who stalks the dark and haunted forests of the old country in a hut that’s sprouted giant chicken legs. Sounds like the perfect setting for a cozy crafting game, right? Well in Emberstorm Entertainment’s debut title, Reka, you play as the titular trainee thaumaturge as she apprentices herself under Baba Jaga. As you guide Reka on her journey from humble herbalist to esteemed enchantress you’ll need to perform powerful rituals, forage the lands for magical materials and, of course, build your own bird-legged hut!
Yeah, sure, I’M the one who smells!
I’ve had my (evil) eye on Reka for a while now and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy, just before it launched into early access on the 12th of September. As a big fan of esoteric stories and moody atmospheres, I absolutely adored my time with Reka. Most of the ‘witchy’ games I’ve played tend to lean into a colourful and cutesy aesthetic or a more contemporary take on the occult, but the team at Emberstorm have decided on a more traditional approach. The muted woodlands and marshes you’ll traverse are blanketed with creeping fog, the villagers you’ll interact with are grounded and sombre, and it constantly feels like you are dabbling with forces that are ancient and perhaps a little bit sinister. They have absolutely nailed the tone and setting of an old folk tale, and it feels like an authentic experience of being a witchling under the tutelage of the infamous Baba Jaga.
At the time of writing, the early access build of the game includes the opening chapter, some additional regions filled with quests and story content and a whole heap of building and customisation options to make your cottage cozy, creepy, or both. The first thing you’ll do is create your own version of Reka, customising her skin and facial features, her hair and her clothing, more of which you can unlock as you progress. Then it’s on to a nearby village, where you’ll hear tales of a curmudgeonly old crone who lives out in the woods, who you’ll of course want to meet. Baba Jaga herself will then test you before leading you in a ritual to create your very own ambling abode. It’s up to you how Reka’s story continues – will you help the simple folk with their daily malaise, or will you punish those who disrespect the power of nature and ancient magics? Either way, you’ll be commanding your crow familiars to harvest and collect various materials and using them to craft all sorts of weird and wonderful things.
Cleansing the black rain above a graveyard is probably a good idea
Given that Reka is launching into early access, there is obviously still quite a bit of content that is yet to be added to the game. My playthrough of story and quest content available came in at around four hours, but I could easily have spent far more time building out and customising my house. Some mechanics that are present need to be fleshed out a bit more before they will feel meaningful and it’s clear that more rituals, crafting options and materials will be added as time progresses. There are also a few niggling issues that appear in most early access titles, such as some side quest structures breaking, making them unable to complete (but you can still skip them), some unfortunate camera angles when talking to NPCs and some mechanics needing to be explained better. When all is said and done though, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Reka, and I’ll definitely keep checking in with it as it continues to develop.
Melbourne rentals: 0 bed, 0 bath, on-street parking. $500 p/w
As far as first impressions go, Reka is charming, spellbinding and several other magic-related puns. Though what is on offer with this early access release is relatively bite-sized, it will definitely leave my fellow witches, wizards and warlocks wanting more. Much like Baba Jaga’s house, this game has legs, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Previewed on PC // Review code supplied by publisher
