Join me as we settle in for the preview of a sacrament. Patrice Désilets has been working on the idea of 1666: Amsterdam for over 16 years now, and now we have finally gotten our hands on a very small taste, an amuse-bouche if you will. As someone who loves all things witchcraft, I was immediately enthralled after the announcement, and I am even more excited after playing the Prologue.

The 1666: Amsterdam Prologue introduces you to characters across the 3 main timelines of the story. Without giving too many details, the characters’ stories are all connected, and there are teasing glimpses of larger secrets waiting to be uncovered. This preview has been a little tricky to write to avoid spoilers, but here’s the gist:

In terms of gameplay, the prologue doesn’t show any of the combat teased in the trailer. However, it does show some of the investigation mechanics, as well as some of Noa’s witchcraft abilities. As I’ve already mentioned, what is available here in this demo is relatively bare, but it is obviously just a tease to show what the dev team has in mind.

Regarding performance, the 1666: Amsterdam Prologue runs very well. I didn’t have any lag, frame-rate issues, or glitches at all during the short 30-minute runtime. The voice acting is very well done, and the area designs and character designs are well crafted.

It is clear that Patrice (and the team) is putting a lot of love and detail into 1666: Amsterdam, and it is obvious from the beginning of the Prologue that the team has a clear vision ahead. I think the Early Access format will be a great way for the team to really flesh out parts that feel a little lacking, while also maintaining the vision that has been set.

My one complaint is that there are certain things in the prologue that could be a little more interactive. At one point, you are setting up a ritual for another character, but all you do is collect the items from around the room. There’s no actual assembly of the ritual space. Immerse us in the idea of witchcraft, let us delve into the practice, the spellcraft, etc.

This is a perfect opportunity to provide immersive puzzles. I know that the game is in early stages, so I hope Panache Games will guide us deeper as time goes on. The idea of honoring traditions and practices is (to me) a very exciting idea.

Overall, while I wish the 1666: Amsterdam Prologue was a bit longer, that’s hardly a sin when the small taste is so enticing. Here’s hoping that the Early Access release comes soon, though if it takes a bit longer, I just hope that means we’ll get even more when the time comes.

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