With a title akin to that of a YA fantasy novel series, Songs of Glimmerwick is a magical RPG that does, in fact, feel straight out of a storybook. And as the invite to play a demo build of the game arrived in my inbox (though not as magically-infused as, say, my very own Hedwig flying it in), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to gain a little insight into this mystifying world.
Sleepy storytelling and whimsical illustrations are my first introduction to Songs of Glimmerwick, setting the stage nicely for the game’s dreamy witch academy narrative. But before I could arrive at said academy, there was a lot to learn about the historical beginnings of the world I find myself in, building the momentum for what’s to come.
I’m told the mysterious Silence quietened the Earth after the Universe became overwhelmed and maddened by songs of fear and anger. Tales of powerful witches, a resistance, and songs of great consequence ensue. Though the Silence ended 40 years ago, there’s mystery around its presence and the hope for music to return. Though not without my help.
Bewitching mechanics
Without giving too much away, I was subsequently invited to join the University of Magic, the Etchery School of Magic and Melody, in the land of Glimmerwick. Arriving by boat, I was dropped off in a mystical fantasy world that asks me to solve its problems and play my part. I call myself Syra and jump into the character customisation with slight tweaks of hairstyle, glasses, facial hair and more at my disposal. It’s a little hard to see what changes you’re making, but with the soft tones of Songs of Glimmerwick’s artistry, each choice is certainly pleasant.
As I roam, I’m immediately overwhelmed by the beauty of the game’s visuals. Soft and almost poetic, the trees are delicate, the beach calm, and the waters rippling. I truly feel like I’m playing amongst the pages of a storybook, escaping from a village that lives in silence with dreams of a life filled with music. I pick up shells for no good reason, I ring a bell that I’m told does nothing, before slowly interacting my way deeper into the woodland towards my first quest and revelations of my presence here.
My path, though, appears fairly linear. At first, I’m prompted to interact with anyone with three yellow dots above their head, hitting dead ends if I try to talk to anyone else. But, I can happily reveal, as an adventure RPG, that it expands upon these humble beginnings to reward you when you speak to people without cause. There are quests to unlock that may not seem relevant at first, but build upon your journey in the game. I feel important. I’m not sure if I’d stumble upon all these quests without being overenthusiastic with whom I speak to. It’s a little hard for me to judge this because I talk to everyone I can.
A quick look in my inventory at the start of my time in the demo presents me with blank pages. Aside from the shells I’ve collected and a calendar that tells me it’s the first day of Spring, the other menus are empty. But, as I play through the demo, these pages begin to fill up, including a wave of invitations to add to a busy schedule, numerous quests, and a songbook where I’ll unlock the unique and most intrinsic mechanic of Songs of Glimmerwick, casting spells on my magical flute.
Music to my ears
Now, in real life, I learnt the violin from the age of five, clarinet when I was eight, and guitar in my late-teens, so you could say I have a little understanding of the discipline behind becoming a music student. And I was utterly stirred to discover that I would once again play this role in Songs of Glimmerwick. To learn a tune here though means you’re learning a spell that’ll help you to carry out a variety of different tasks. If that had been my incentive as a child, I’m sure I would’ve practiced more.
In this build of the game, spells are limited in use to helping out with an acquired job and the promise of potion-making to expand your access across the map. But while I only got a glimmer of its potential, there were certainly hints at a lot, lot more to come. First impressions on playing my flute? It felt like a mini-game at first, but in fact made up an integral part of the game’s entire narrative.
When I acquired my flute, lovingly handcrafted for me in one of the town’s many wonderful shops, I had to wait a little longer to find my first spell. Once I did, I entered the Guitar Hero-esque layout of song playing. With my fingers quivering over the relevant keyboard letters, play me a tune, it pleads, of A S J; F and repeat.
Ever the amenable music student, I wanted to get it right the first time. Practice makes perfect, I’m reminded, thrown back into memories of my own childhood. Practicing is very important in Songs of Glimmerwick. If you practice, you’ll be able to cast the spells instantaneously. If you don’t, you’ll be prompted to play a few notes of each spell every time you want to use it. Alas, it appears you must, much like in real life, practice to become a better student. Fortunately and cleverly, there’s a special chamber within the game’s music room to practice your songs where time freezes giving you plenty of opportunity to get it right.
Practice makes perfect
Armed with my magic flute, I could sense the scope of the game, unveiling to me that there was going to be a great deal to learn. In fact, I’m told by one teacher that there are over 300 million spells, though I’m sure not literally translated into the game. Either way, its ambition will undoubtedly evolve as the days roll on. For the demo though, I only got to experience three days at the Etchery and in my short time, I’d already unlocked numerous quests, a school job, and a dorm mate that seemed a little haphazard with her own experiments.
I truly felt like a student, too. Despite only playing out a few days, I was given homework from my classes and spells to practice on my flute. With my schedule already filling up with promises of a meet and greet and book club, it felt that Songs of Glimmerwick was ready to explode into a magical world of adventure.
Taking it all in
But there’s no need to rush. A clever quirk that Eastshade Studios worked into the game demonstrates this. Freezing time for calendar events means you never have to hurry to get anywhere. This game isn’t about speed, and this mechanic lets you know that.
You also can’t sprint around the map, and I’m not sure why you’d want to anyway, as I take in the intricate design of the bridge between the Etchery and the town of Wisk, reminding me of the one Neville Longbottom defended majestically, but not successfully, in Harry Potter.
I meet characters with whimsical names like Bristlecone and Abigalia. And the students are an endearingly eclectic mix, spanning age ranges, including a grandmother, regional accents, and different interests. While one such accent sounded mysteriously like Richard Ayoyade, I’m sure it wasn’t (or am I?), but a moment must be taken for the voice acting in this game that’s equal parts engaging as it is fun.
Much to explore
The map, or what I saw of it, also appears impressively expansive for Eastshade Studios’ ambitious title. There’s the Etchery, Glimmerwick and the World ripe for exploring, and that’s just the beginning. It’s a game filled with wonderfully-named places to visit from the Swish & Stitch Clothier, of which I’ll spend the game’s gold petal currency, to the Marywild Mansions. Plus, there are schematics to craft at a crafting table or make potions at, and you guessed it, a cauldron fulfilling the needs of any magical RPG lover.
At its heart, Songs of Glimmerwick is all about music, but it’s also so much more. From storytelling, discovery, adventure and quest-solving, when I get my hands on the full game I’m excited to see what unravels and the challenges I’m given as a student. There are indications of what’s to come from signs on doors promising the return of missing residents in the summer, to mail each day unveiling new quests. Put it this way, if Songs of Glimmerwick were a YA fantasy novel series, I’d be heading to the bookstore to pick up the whole lot.
