Review of the board game The Witcher: Old World and its expansions

- Advertisement -

Indeed, when it comes to hunting.

- Advertisement -

Last time I introduced you here to the civilization board “The Path of Progress”. This time we’re going beyond empire building and looking at the fantasy game The Witcher: The Old World and all the expansions available. The following lines of our review will tell you how the basic format is played, what individual packages offer and whether they are worth paying attention to.

Number of players: 1 – 5

Game time: 120 – 180 min.

Price: 1629 CZK (Alsa)

Provided by: Blackfire

Age: 14+

Hunting monsters is a challenge in The Witcher: The Old World

In a world full of magic, secrets and monsters, the rules we know don’t always apply. Once upon a time, before Geralt of Rivia became a legend, sorcerers of different schools roamed the lands to protect people from threats lurking in the shadows. The Witcher: The Old World takes you to an unknown era where adventure and danger are perfectly combined. This board game opens the door to a world full of tension, tactical decisions and many unexpected twists due to the events you encounter.

Players have the opportunity to become one of five witchers who represent famous schools such as the School of the Bear, Cats or Griffin. Each school offers its representatives some unique element. They all have a core set of cards that you work with as you play, as they represent the core aspect of the gameplay. The game’s plot takes place in the Northern Kingdoms, which fans know from the design of the book by Andrzej Sapkowski. Players travel across a map that includes cities and desert with varied landscapes. Each area gives them the opportunity to complete tasks, eliminate monsters, and also obtain various valuable trophies. Undoubtedly, a very decisive factor is the various events that can happen to you both while visiting cities and outside them. Different moments are exactly what the creators rely on.

In this case, the game mechanics focus on cards, which replace the traditional dice roll. Fighting monsters is dynamic and requires tactical training and the ability to improvise. Players create combat sequences that combine attacks, defenses, and special abilities. Each monster essentially has rather limited capabilities, but they are always unique in some way, so you have no choice but to adapt. Then you have to hunt not only cruel monsters, but also other witches. There is also the aspect of dice, which can also be stuck in decently.

The visuals of the game are truly impressive. Detailed monster miniatures, beautifully illustrated maps and atmospheric playing fields will make you feel like you are part of a magical world. The Deluxe Edition even allows players to personalize the game by painting the figures. The Witcher: The Old World is a game that combines strategy, story and intrigue. This is an ideal choice for both fans of the famous saga and new players craving epic adventures. Moreover, thanks to various expansions, the game offers huge replayability, which ensures that you will not get bored.

Do you miss the oceans? The Witcher: Old World – Skellige will provide you with a wider expanse of water.

Geralt also had the opportunity to go beyond the mainland. You too have this opportunity thanks to the Skellige expansion! This expansion will introduce the Scandinavian archipelago, where uncharted islands, treacherous waters and the mighty Dagon await. Moving between islands requires an inspection of the ship, the result of which is determined by a die – the higher the value, the greater the risk of danger on the next voyage. The islands themselves offer a variety of effects and surprises that add variety to every twist and turn.

However, you will never feel completely safe at sea. Dagon, the ancient monster, is the main focus of this expansion. This fish god combines brutal attacks with unique abilities that will make you rethink your hunting strategy. Dagon can destroy cards, lower shields, and deal massive damage, making him an unforgettable opponent. But Skellige isn’t just about danger – it also offers new adventures and stories that will sometimes make you feel like Geralt of Rivia.

Don’t like weirdos? The Witcher: The Old World – Mages offers you an alternative

If you thought that warlocks were the only elite in this world, wizards will come to dissuade you. The Mage expansion adds five unique characters to the game whose abilities are based on their mastery of magic. Instead of traditional shields, wizards work with energy, which affects the power of their attacks and abilities.

Each mage has a different style – Alzur strikes enemies with lightning, Gekira draws power from donated cards, and Philippa can turn into animals, which gives her special advantages. This expansion gives players a completely new perspective on combat and strategy, where magical power replaces physical skill. I am personally one of her biggest fans.

Challenge seekers will receive it in The Witcher: Old World – Legendary Hunt expansion.

Are you looking for a real challenge? Legendary Hunt adds seven giant monsters to the game, taking monster slaying to a whole new level. These monsters have unique abilities and high survivability, which ensures that eliminating them will not be easy.

Each enemy, be it a golem, chimera or cyclops, requires a thoughtful strategy. For example, a golem limits your attack options while dealing devastating damage. To succeed, you need to be as prepared as possible to fight the monster. In fact, you will have to give your all to the fight. However, the reward is sweet.

After the legendary monsters, you should definitely visit The Witcher: Old World – Trail of Monsters.

The Path of the Monsters expansion adds personality to each enemy and gives monsters unique abilities. In fact, in my opinion, this is what they should have been given from the very beginning. For example, Spider Crab can weaken players by dealing damage and limiting card combinations, making combat much more difficult. Players must weaken monsters along the way, firecracker cards give them new options in battle, and mutagens allow them to apply one-time effects that change the dynamics of the battle.

Also new is a spellcaster from the Manticore school, whose ability to sacrifice a potion and deal damage can decide key encounters. The expansion also introduces a new enemy, the Artificial Troll. Path of the Monsters adds strategic depth, variety, and greater challenge to the game, making it a must-have for fans of the series.

The Witcher: Old World – Wild Hunt expansion is aimed more at co-op fans.

The Wild Hunt expansion introduces a powerful enemy that players must join forces against. Changes include replacing regular exploration and event cards with Honu-specific cards, with players able to adjust the difficulty as they see fit. On their journey through the game world, they encounter not only the usual minions such as hounds, but also Imlerith, who is undoubtedly the pinnacle of challenges in this expansion.

The expansion gives other monsters expanded packages of abilities, but is still focused solely on co-op, making it less or completely incompatible with other elements of the game. Therefore, Wild Hunt is especially suitable for lovers of cooperation, who will appreciate its complexity and new dimension to the game.

The Witcher: The Old World – Adventure Pack contains 200 new story maps.

One element of the base game that has long been criticized was the weaker story component. The Adventure Pack addresses this shortcoming and adds 200 new maps that enrich the game with various story situations. The new maps add variety, allowing players to encounter beggars, explore unknown areas, or even go on a dragon hunt. This makes each game unique and players can look forward to new experiences. The Adventure Pack increases replayability and gives players more options to make decisions in the story.

The ideal is to organize recruitment efficiently.

Preparing a large board game like The Witcher: The Old World can take a long time. The Kalkared insert significantly speeds up organization thanks to the clever separation of components. Players can easily prepare individual packs, components, and figures for expansions because, as you can see in the attached photo, you can find them more or less all in one place.

Despite its advantages, the insert has minor drawbacks – the boxes for chips and coins do not have lids, which reduces stability when carried. An alternative solution for players who don’t have the Kickstarter version of the game wouldn’t hurt either. However, the insert makes it easier to work with game elements and improves overall organization.

The Witcher: Old World in full format

The combination of the base game and expansions makes The Witcher: The Old World a more challenging gameplay experience than the base format. So the point is not that in the elementary version all this is not worth paying attention to, it is definitely worth it. However, Legendary Monsters and the Adventure Pack and Monster Path are almost mandatory because at least some of the elements I mentioned are what the game should have included from the start.

Thanks to these additions, the game takes its place among excellent board games with very high replay value. Deck building enthusiasts will appreciate the wide range of strategic options and variety of game scenarios. If you’re looking for a massive game with a well-developed gaming universe, The Witcher: The Old World is an obvious choice.

We would like to thank Czech distributor Asmodee Czech Republic for providing us with a copy of The Witcher: Old World and additional components.

Source :Indian TV

- Advertisement -

Subscribe

Related articles

Game Pass opened a number of games in the first half of February

This time the review has 7 names. Representatives of the...

BellFortis – Czech alternative to Total War series

General experience should be faster. When playing the series “Total...

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here