On July 21, the new role-playing game The Witcher: Monster Slayer was released for Android and iOS. The game is fundamentally reminiscent of Pokémon GO. You walk through the real world and see dangerous monsters from the Witcher universe thanks to augmented reality. However, single-player and role-playing aspects take center stage.
What kind of game is this? In the new free-to-play game The Witcher: Monster Slayer, you can create a female or male character and explore the game world with them. However, thanks to GPS tracking and Google Maps, it is essentially our real world.
Through the augmented reality mode, you see monsters sitting in your garden or on the street, very similar to Pokémon GO.
One big difference is that The Witcher: Monster Slayer focuses more on classic role-playing aspects and combat instead of catching and collecting monsters. How this works is shown in a first trailer for the game:
Kill monsters instead of collecting them
How does the game work? As you roam the world, you encounter circles that indicate that a monster is nearby. You then need to track it down and fight it.
Before every fight with a monster, you can gear up and choose your weapons based on the monster’s weaknesses. As in The Witcher, some creatures have a problem with steel weapons, while others can be more easily wounded by silver swords. Additionally, there are oils, bombs, and magic that you can use in combat.
The combat itself is controlled via the touch display:
- Depending on the swipe motion, different strikes are executed
- If you hold your finger on the display, you block incoming attacks
- By drawing runes on the display, special magical abilities are activated
The system is complemented by various talent trees and new equipment that you can find.
In the world, you will also encounter NPCs who give you quests. You are expected not only to track down monsters but also to find a thief and retrieve a stolen bag. This creates classic role-playing vibes.
A detailed preview report on The Witcher: Monster Slayer can be found with our colleagues at GamePro.
How can you play? You can easily download The Witcher: Monster Slayer from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
First reviews mention release issues, but many are positive
How is the new Witcher game received? The freshly released The Witcher: Monster Slayer currently (as of July 21 at 7:30 PM) has 3,525 reviews in the Google Play Store. They average 3.7 out of 5 possible stars.
The first reviews mainly criticize technical problems at the game’s launch. For example, there were maintenance works just 5 minutes after the release, which lasted for 6 hours. Additionally, there are reports of a bug that allowed some players to reach the max level 40 after the first quest.
However, some positive reviews are very interesting to read:
- David Kunkel gives 4 stars and writes: “Brilliant! At first glance like Pokémon GO, but from the gameplay perspective like Witcher (especially regarding the missions and story). The combat system reminds me of Elder Scrolls Blade. Before almost every fight, you need to prepare potions, oils, or bombs. To fulfill missions or defeat new monsters, you must move around like in Pokémon GO. A minor deduction for server issues and maintenance, but that’s understandable for a new game.”
- Philipp Men even gives a full 5 stars and already describes it as more varied than Pokémon GO: “The atmosphere in the game is fantastic. It’s a lot of fun to play. I immediately shared it with all my friends so they can join me. I hope it will continue to be worked on and updated. It’s a great game, much better than Pokémon GO, which became boring after some time.”
- DragonGameUE is also satisfied with the experience so far and gives one star for the level 40 bug: “Nice to-go game in the Witcher universe. Personally, I would have liked more character options (let’s be honest, they aren’t that attractive). But the atmosphere is great, and the sound also sounds good. Only the bug that lets you reach level 40 immediately is indeed annoying, as you can’t defeat monsters with starting equipment that easily.”
What are your experiences with the game? Are you excited about a Pokémon GO in the Witcher style? Feel free to write it in the comments.
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