The Reigns series has been a popular game since its release. Partly down to how easy it is to play, but also how much story and detail is packed into it. We got a Game of Thrones spin-off that saw players try to reign Westeros as one of the main characters from the books. Now, it’s Geralt of Rivia’s turn. Reigns: The Witcher is an interesting take on the source material. It also fits perfectly into the Reigns franchise.
Although I only played around an hour, I got to se plenty of what the full game is going to cover upon release. Starting off at one of Dandelion’s performances, it is the bard’s job to entertain the masses with tales of the famous Witcher. The thing is, people aren’t exactly impressed in the beginning. Unlocking new inspirations for Dandelion’s songs will hopefully turn him into the continent’s most famous bard within a year.
If you’re not familiar with Reigns, its concept is simple. Within Reigns: The Witcher, you will see a story play out as different cards appear on screen below some text. They normally offer a conundrum of sorts, and you can choose to answer via swiping left or right. It’s like a fantasy RPG meets Tinder. There’s always a decision to make. At times it can be confusing as it’s not always clear what the right one is to choose.
Each answer or decision effects four main categories; whether humans look on Geralt favourably; whether non-humans look on Geralt favourably; whether Sorcerers look on Geralt favourably; and how focused Geralt is on the path to hunt monsters. If you fill any of these categories or completely drain them, Geralt will die. There are many ways he’ll see his end, and some are rather amusing. Once dead, Dandelion goes again and tells a new story through any new tales you’ve unlocked in the last run.
It’s amazing how much of a story can be built with static images and seldom text. I bumped into characters like Vesemir and Triss, and at one point Yennifer tried to blacktail me into fetching her some forktail spinal fluid at the detriment to my reputation among the people. Whatever direction your story goes, each one is a lot of fun. Each run has various quests depending on the inspirations you chose, so there’s always something to try and focus on outside not dying, obviously.
While there’s plenty to dive into and so many stories to explore, Reigns: The Witcher is showing a lot of promise. There’re sections where you can battle various monsters in mini-games that are short and sweet. I love Geralt more than any other video game character. This has been a fantastic way to add to the Witcher gaming universe in such a simplistic yet exciting way. It looks gorgeous with some colourful and neatly designed images, and the writing is also pretty fantastic.
Reigns: The Witcher is coming to PC and mobile on February 25th.
