Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree hits consoles and PC next week. I had a chance to give it a quick play at the ID@Xbox GDC event, and the game promises to appeal to those who enjoy a bit of challenge in their adventure games.

Mandragora is set in a world that is more or less ruled by monsters. Humans have retreated into protected towns, and magic is seen as an evil thing. As one of the king's Inquisitors, your life has been focused on enforcing the king's will. After killing a witch in front of the king, magic inexplicably transfers to you. The king is not pleased but sends you off to prove your loyalty by capturing another witch ... and that's when things get interesting.

As you explore the world, it's obvious that something is causing the monsters to appear. Weird entropy portals can be seen outside the protective walls of the city, and creatures get stronger and more powerful as you progress. There's also an odd, disembodied voice that only you can hear. Friend or foe, that's to be determined.

The exploration that Metroidvania fans love is present in full force, with maps that slowly open up as you delve deeper into the game. The developers aren't shy about teasing new sections, sometimes giving you a brief peek at the edge of a new area before it is accessible.

With six different classes (three were available in the demo build), Mandragora promises a variety of combat experiences. Each class has a skill tree that is unlocked from the start, but you can unlock another skill tree when you hit level 25. How the different character builds play out (and if a specific strong build is waiting to be discovered) is something we won't know until the game drops and players at large get their hands on it.

One element that stands out is the difficulty. Before the demo, I was told that Mandragora was meant to be challenging, and the rep was not kidding. Enemies are tough and aggressive, so if you aren't precise in your combat, you're going to die. On the upside, any section of the map that you unlock before dying stays unlocked. On the downside, any time you rest at a save point, every nearby enemy respawns.

Environmental damage is also an issue due to traps and falls. Most traps can be navigated around, but a few specific falls felt cheap — especially since one was a blind jump. On the one hand, dying isn't a huge setback, but on the other, it can be frustrating when you die from basic navigation.

Of note is that the high challenge level seems to be focused on combat, especially since Mandragora is liberal with save points and allows for fast travel to any unlocked save point. Even if you die often in the game, you shouldn't lose too much ground.

Given my short time with the demo, I didn't get to go in-depth with all of the systems, but if challenge and exploration are your thing, Mandragora may be just what you're looking for.