The Witcher: Monster Slayer bears a striking resemblance to Pokemon Go, thanks to its similar use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology. For context, this means that the game integrates with your mobile phone's GPS and camera, so that it can translate the Witcher universe into our everyday world.
As with Pokemon Go, you are able to wander around real-life locations to track down creatures (which are considerably more hostile here) and interact with nearby players. For example, you could be taking a stroll in your local neighborhood, when the game will suddenly alert you to the presence of a wyvern across the road.
While the AR fad has been a little overdone since the release of Pokemon Go (there was even a Harry Potter version a few years ago), The Witcher: Monster Slayer does introduce a few wrinkles to the established formula. For a start, it actually responds to your local time of day and changing weather patterns, so that nocturnal enemies only come out at night and wetland creatures are more active whenever it is raining.
Meanwhile, the game also features proper questlines. Rather than just leaving you to your own devices, the team over at CD Projekt Red's Spokko division have crafted an engrossing narrative here, with a number of scripted adventures for you to embark on. These stories all have their own dialogue trees, unique character interactions and authentic Witcher mysteries.
Speaking of which, the first of these missions (entitled "Winged Bandit") introduces you to a lot of the game's core mechanics, before culminating in an epic boss battle against a griffin. To help you get started, we have prepared the following guide.
"Winged Bandit" Quest Walkthrough
Once you have completed The Witcher: Monster Slayer's introductory training, a quest giver (highlighted by a yellow aura) will appear in your immediate vicinity.
If you tap on this NPC, you will initiate a conversation with him whereupon you will learn that he is a merchant from the Skellige Isles, whose horse has been abducted by a large monster.
After agreeing to help the vendor track down his missing goods, you must then follow the footprints of his mystery assailant to its lair.
Doing so will require you to actually go outside and stretch your legs for a bit, as your destination will be a real-world location somewhere in your nearby area. For a rough idea of what to expect, it was about a 15-minute walk for us, with a few diversions along the way.
When you head out in pursuit of the "winged bandit," make sure to periodically check your phone so that you can orient yourself according to the game's GPS and get your bearings. A yellow arrow will appear next to your avatar, pointing you in the direction that you should be heading. It goes without saying, but always keep an eye on your surroundings and do not put yourself in harm's way when trying to find the objective.
Once you have arrived at the quest location, you will then need to search for (inexplicably human) footprints that will lead you to the merchant's decapitated horse. From there, you will participate in a little crime scene investigation, by tapping on points that have been highlighted on the carcass.
Your amateur sleuthing will soon be interrupted by a high-level alghoul that is scavenging the horse's remains. The creature will inevitably defeat you with its powerful attacks, but do not worry as this is supposed to happen.
'The Witcher: Monster Slayer': How to Defeat the Griffin
While you are licking your wounds from the alghoul attack, the merchant will return to check in on your progress. Together, you make the joint deduction that the monster you are hunting is a griffin. He will then supply you with some of his wares to help you vanquish the beast, including hybrid oil that you can apply to your sword to inflict extra damage.
The ensuing battle can be quite challenging if you are not adequately prepared. A quick glance at the bestiary will inform you that the griffin is vulnerable to fire, so make sure that you are thoroughly stocked up on bombs and that you know how to use the Igni sign. It is also imperative that you coat your sword in hybrid oil, and that you have some thunderbolt potion at hand to increase your base melee damage.
Once you are in the fight itself, you will need to prioritize using quick attacks to stagger the griffin, given that strong blows are comparatively ineffective against it. You will also need to make sure that you are regularly blocking its strikes, as the enemy's stagger bar will completely reset if it manages to land an unguarded hit on you.
We managed to slay the creature by using a combination of bombs, the Igni spell, and a few perfectly timed critical hits but, even then, it was still a close call. As such, if you feel like you are hitting a brick wall with the boss fight, it might be worth leaving the griffin alone for a while and going elsewhere to do some grinding.
We would recommend taking on some lower-level enemies in the nearby vicinity and using the ability points you accumulate to upgrade your "muscle memory" trait. Incidentally, if you want help leveling up faster, Newsweek has already compiled a guide with a few pointers on this.
After defeating the griffin, you will have finally completed the "Winged Bandit" quest.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
