I've never played a Reigns game, but I have played The Witcher. In fact, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is among my favorite games of all time, and I'm pretty fond of The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, along with having a strong love for the books and graphic novels. So, yeah, I'm a pretty avid fan. As such, I'm willing to play anything that features Geralt, but I was especially interested in experiencing Reigns: The Witcher after learning about it, particularly as I knew there'd be some shenanigans.
Everyone's favorite bard, Dandelion, is spinning the tale - many tales, actually - and Witcher fans know how reliable a story from Geralt's old pal is. While Dandelion's tall tales and penchant for annoying the wrong people land him in some trouble in Wild Hunt, I have to admit, his stories in Reigns: The Witcher are a delight - they're charming, humorous, and engaging.
Dandelion needs inspiration in this game, and that, of course, comes in the form of Geralt, with the bard spinning various stories as he has a bet with Geralt that he can become a legend. For each tale, you can get up to three stars, which give you access to fresh opportunities over time, while meeting new characters, seeing victories, and discovering different deaths also award you with XP, helping you to increase Dandelion's level.
There have been a few delightful tales in my first hour with the game, with the very first one serving as a nice introduction to how the game works. During the stories, different characters ask Geralt for things, be it advice, fighting monsters, or something else, and you need to swipe left or right to make your choice - it's wise to move in each direction slightly to see what each option is before you commit, though. Each story continues until the White Wolf meets his untimely demise, so you also need to try to survive for as long as possible.
My first tale ended with Geralt dying as he lay sweaty among a pile of naked bodies after attending a banquet with Triss Merigold (what a way to go, aye?), while the second tale was all about finding love, only for me to find a noose instead after getting too close to the Scoia'tael (a non-human guerilla faction comprised of elves, halflings, and dwarves). That leads me nicely onto the four symbols at the top of the screen when you're in a story - these determine how well you're getting on with respective groups.
One is for how you get along with humans, the second is nonhumans, the third is sorcerers, while the fourth and final one is how focused Geralt is on the path. When deciding your answer to the aforementioned issues people come to you with, you need to consider how well you're doing in each of the four categories. Doing too well or too badly with one group can have disastrous consequences. I'll point to me ending up with a rope around my neck after becoming too friendly with elves on my quest for love as an example.
Sometimes your choices can lead to a fight, and I enjoy the combat more than I thought I would. It's straightforward, and vastly different from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher games (but you probably already knew that if you like the other Reigns games). Geralt has five squares at the bottom of the screen that he can move across, and a simple tap changes which direction he moves. The concept is simple: various tiles fall, landing in the five squares Geralt can move across. You want to collect the swords, as this is how you attack, while avoiding the other tiles, which damage you.
You can also make use of signs, so long as you land on the squares they spawn on before they disappear. As you progress through the game, you unlock more signs with a variety of uses. For example, Quen is especially handy, as it can protect you from taking hits. It's not just the signs that you'll recognize as a Witcher fan, either, as some of the most iconic monsters in the series, like Drowners, make appearances, along with popular The Witcher 3 characters beyond Geralt and Dandelion.
And it doesn't stop there. Made in partnership with CD Projekt Red, Reigns: The Witcher features some very familiar music, too. My brain isn't cooperating right now, so I can't name the precise song, but I'm sure I'll remember what it's called as soon as this preview goes live. Performance-wise, there are no issues at all; the game works perfectly on my iPhone 13, and the screen is responsive to my touch, so there's no need to repeatedly drag my finger to make my decisions.
If you like Reigns games or are just a fan of The Witcher, Reigns: The Witcher is one you'll want to keep an eye on. It has excellent humor and fun storytelling, while still capturing the fact that Geralt is a monster slayer through enjoyable combat. I very much look forward to helping Dandelion win his bet. Sorry, Geralt.