The Witcher: Monster Slayer Previews AR Combat And Quests

[Nergal]

 

 

 

Gameplay footage was just released for the upcoming AR game The Witcher: Monster Slayer, a bizarre cross between Pokémon Go and The Witcher. The game was first announced just a few days ago, and while it clearly carries many similarities with the iconic Pokémon mobile game that briefly changed the world when it released in 2016, it's being developed by Spokko, a subsidiary of Witcher developer CD Projekt Red.

The Witcher has been doing very well for itself lately. Five years ago, the franchise was catapulted into the limelight when CD Projekt Red released The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, a wildly successful open-world action RPG. Over the following years, the developer supported the franchise through DLC and spinoff games focused around the in-lore card game Gwent. This devotion has come even as CD Projekt Red works hard on its upcoming landmark project Cyberpunk 2077, a massively ambitious game set to release this November. The Witcher franchise, meanwhile, got a successful Netflix TV show recently, bringing it even more into the public eye.

In order to keep the Witcher ball rolling, Spokko is showing off new gameplay footage of The Witcher: Monster Slayer on the game's Twitter account. Anyone who's played Pokémon Go will find a lot of similarities in this footage. The overworld traversal looks very familiar, right down to the pulsing circle around the player character and the creatures standing around on the map. That's about where the similarities end, though. Confrontations with monsters are much more brutal and bloody than in Pokémon Go, as the game tasks the player with actually swinging their sword to cut down gruesome, menacing beasts. Players will have access to a rogue's gallery of tricks and tools to aid them in combat, like bombs and potions. Fully voiced NPCs can also be found wandering about, dispensing quests and items to wandering Witchers. Check out the footage below:


The production value that went into this project is surprising for a mobile game. The monsters wouldn't win any awards for graphics when compared their console counterparts, but they look very impressive and frightful for a mobile experience like this one. The depth of gameplay offered by quests and NPCs means that The Witcher: Monster Slayer has a very good shot at rivaling Pokémon Go when it launches. So far, the launch date is unknown, though Spokko assures Witcher fans that it's "coming soon."

At first glance, it might seem like a horrible time to be releasing a new mobile augmented reality game. The COVID-19 pandemic has confined a lot of people to their homes, while games like these encourage players to go out and explore the world around them. But Pokémon Go has proven that, if done well, AR mobile games can thrive even inside the player's home. While there are a lot of details that fans won't get to know until closer to release, The Witcher: Monster Slayer has a solid chance to take the mobile gaming space by storm.