The Witcher: Monster Slayer is Pokémon Go and Elder Scrolls: Blades, and we play it

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• The Witcher: Monster Slayer is Pokémon Go and Elder Scrolls: Blades, and we play it

The Witcher began as a dark fantasy book series before exploding in popularity with the video games of the same name, and the franchise reached new audiences with the Netflix TV show. Naturally, now is the time for a mobile game to hit the big time with fans, so get ready for a game inspired by… Pokémon Go? Yes, The Witcher: Monster Slayer, a new game developed by Polish studio Spokko scheduled for a worldwide release on July 21, is a location-based mobile game that covers your environment with fantastic environments filled with monsters and quests. Much like game developer Niantic's hit Pokémon Go, you'll have to wander the IRL to encounter tough enemies, collect items, and explore the story. The game is a mix of Pokemon Go and Elder Scrolls: Blades - instead of capturing monsters, you'll swipe to slash them with your sword, though you'll probably want to gear up with oils, potions, and bombs. ., and magic adapted to each enemy, just like in the main games. But there's something unique about Monster Slayer that matches its rich literary, interactive, and cinematic origins: the story.

(Image credit: Avenir) "It's not that easy on mobile to create a story-based game, and it's even more difficult to create a location-based game, but it creates a lot of opportunities," said Przemek Tarczyński, mission designer. from Monster Slayer and responsible for the story. TheComparison in an interview. "I don't think anyone else has tried it, at least on such a scale or with as much success." Monster Slayer will have a progression of quests that tell a story tailored to the dark and dangerous world of the witcher. Players will, of course, play one of the titular magically enhanced warriors and follow the main story told through 2D animated cutscenes and dialogue between characters using the game's 3D engine. The game developers did not want to spoil the details, they hinted at an epic story worthy of the franchise. But don't worry, you'll also run into some familiar Witcher quests that require dirty work to slay monsters, like being asked to hunt down a villager kidnapped by Nekkars, Tarczyński told us, you'll just have to execute the bad guys. . in the real world this time.

(Image credit: Avenir) And along the way, don't be surprised if you run into some familiar faces from the franchise, but a word of warning: Monster Slayer takes place 200 years before the games and the show begin, so don't expect to meet Gerald, Yennefer, Ciri, Dandelion (Dandelion for Netflix viewers), or others who wouldn't fit into that timeline. Starting the game early gives the team a lot of design space to tell new stories, especially since this time in the Witcher universe there are a lot more monster hunters roaming around (slanderous propaganda turns the public against wizards and their numbers are reduced). until there are few left in Geralt's time). "We've found that this experience of being a witch and building your own story in this universe is something new," said Witcher: Monster Slayer executive producer Mateusz Janczewski. "It's going to be a game for millions of magicians around the world, and we thought it would be something sexy that we thought would be great for players."

Get your phones ready for the world premiere of The Witcher: Monster Slayer, available for free on iOS and Android on July 21! Android users can pre-register now on the Google Play Store: https://t.co/wwzcA7PW4z See you soon on the road! #TheWitcherMonsterSlayer pic.twitter.com/rFfYXl6pIG July 2, 2021 See More

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The Witcher: Monster Slayer is a free-to-play mobile game, which means that players can navigate the game without spending any money, but if they wish, they can purchase additional resources to craft equipment and fighting items. (such as oils, potions and bombs). Quests and story content will cost no more and will be available to all players at launch. The game's story will be told in uncovered missions around the world (at launch, six main missions and six hidden missions) that players must get physically close to in order to participate. While the Monster Slayer team agrees that this is a tricky subject, especially for players with limited mobility (some monsters and items will randomly spawn around players, but quests seem to be some distance away), the developers believe that this is a key attraction of the Game. People can play Witcher 3 at home, but to experience Monster Slayer, they have to venture out into the world, and that can lead to experiences. Fortuitous IRL. “For example, he is on the other side of the river and you have to find a bridge and it won't be as close as you thought, and maybe you need to visit the part of your city that you've never been before,” Tarczyński stated. “It's a kind of LARP. more than an RPG". There is something else unique that could make Monster Slayer "one of the toughest RPG experiences ever", as Tarczyński puts it: the game constantly records your progress. If you make a decision in the story, it's locked forever (unless you want to start over with a new character) because you can't just load an old save file. As he says, "If you make a choice, you have to live with the consequences." these effects won't be felt immediately, but could have ramifications down the road: Monster Slayer will add more story missions with Seasons, which are expected to arrive twice a year. Seasons will add more content and fill in what happens in a world 200 years before the main games. In theory, Monster Slayer's story could catch up with the plot of the main games, Janczewski noted, but it's a long time to come together before the mobile game catches up: "At some point, because we're going to do the service game with - to play, maybe at some point we can get to the point where Geralt is alive, you know, you never know what happened.

(Image credit: Avenir)

What is it like to be a witch

In our time, with an early release of The Witcher: Monster Slayer, it feels like a game steeped in the world of games, shows, and books. We fight our way through familiar enemies and prepare for battles with oils and potions specially designed for groups of monsters. We've drawn signs on the screen to start the magic (a "V" for breathing fire with Igni, for example, corresponding to his glyph). We pluck herbs from the ground to throw into a cauldron. Monster Slayer clearly owes a lot to location-based games like Inverse and Pokemon Go, which overlay a map of my area with monsters, items, and other sights. It's honestly more fun separating enemies than catching Pokemon, but don't expect complex fights: the fun will mostly be feeling like there's more going on in your neighborhood of a sinister, supernatural variety.

(Image credit: Avenir) Truth be told, we haven't experienced the missions that the Spokko developers have referred to as the most unique parts of the game. Perhaps many players won't, as they'll still enjoy a casual game that doesn't ask for anything. .not too long, just a few minutes here and there while I run the game on a walk. The Monster Slayer developers know this: “Maybe you're not going to play the quests every day, but when you have the weekend and you have an hour, you can start the adventure and dive right into it,” Janczewski said. Similarly, I didn't feel the impact of the real world in the game - rain or other weather conditions will change the types of monsters that spawn, though I did see different enemies spawn after dark. There are even quests that change if you complete them overnight, though the developers have been coy about what would be different about walking in Witch Hour. But it's a new game that costs nothing to try and evokes the feeling that more is happening in our world. For fans of the franchise, as well as mobile gamers looking for something to liven up their outdoor adventures and find reasons to get out and about, The Witcher: Monster Slayer will have a lot to offer, especially since we're all waiting. the second season of Netflix's Witcher show.

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