Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

 Switch
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales Image
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 103 Ratings

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  • Summary: Thronebreaker is a single player role-playing game set in the world of The Witcher that combines narrative-driven exploration with unique puzzles and card battle mechanics.

    Crafted by the developers responsible for some of the most iconic moments in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the game spins    Thronebreaker is a single player role-playing game set in the world of The Witcher that combines narrative-driven exploration with unique puzzles and card battle mechanics.

    Crafted by the developers responsible for some of the most iconic moments in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the game spins a truly regal tale of Meve, a war-veteran and queen of two Northern Realms Lyria and Rivia. Facing an imminent Nilfgaardian invasion, Meve is forced to once again enter the warpath and set out on a dark journey of destruction and revenge.

    KEY FEATURES

    AN ALL NEW EPIC TALE
    * Experience an all-new 30-hour Witcher world tale with 20 possible world end-states.
    * Embark on a grand adventure full of thought-provoking quests.
    * Influence the state of the world around you by making difficult choices and face their consequences.
    * Meet a cast of rich, multidimensional characters some of them will join you on your quest, others you'll have to face on the battlefield.

    TRAVEL TO NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN KINGDOMS
    * Explore new and mysterious regions of the monster-infested world of The Witcher.
    * Traverse vast lands and unique locations, all with their distinct theme from vibrant countrysides and war-torn landscapes, to grand castles and snow-capped mountains.
    * Save villages from hordes of monsters, look for treasures hidden among ancient ruins, scour the land for resources, and more the world of Thronebreaker is teeming with things to do.

    PREPARE FOR WAR
    * Develop and customize your very own battle camp.
    * Train and recruit units, unlock new skills and work on your tactics.
    * Manage resources you find and trade them with local merchants.
    * Learn more about your companions and increase their strength in battle.

    LEAD YOUR ARMY IN EPIC BATTLES
    * Build an army from characters you meet and interact with during your journey.
    * Fight in epic story battles and solve unique puzzles and challenges.
    * Use unique skills and abilities of your army and lead it to victory.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Daily Star
    May 12, 2020
    100
    Your mileage may vary based on how well you enjoyed Gwent in The Witcher 3, but if you’ve been looking for a fresh perspective on Andrzej Sapkowski’s dense world and lore then we can’t recommend it enough.
  2. God is a Geek
    Feb 6, 2020
    90
    Not only is Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales a great game in its own right, but it's also a worthy entry into the franchise and lore.
  3. Noisy Pixel
    Feb 21, 2020
    90
    If it weren’t for the card games being a sort of niche or the fact that they can be frustratingly difficult at times, I would recommend this Switch title to everyone. This is a bit of a shame, given that this is the most impressed I’ve been with a title that goes beyond the core ideas of the series. But I will say, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is more than another addition to The Witcher series, it’s for anyone who is looking for a challenging and lasting experience, which is now delivered on Switch.
  4. SpazioGames
    Feb 6, 2020
    80
    You can play a Gwent game, written as an amazing The Witcher tale, wherever you want on your Nintendo Switch. There is literally nothing more you should ask.
  5. Cubed3
    Feb 25, 2020
    80
    It may not be a terrific port, but Thronebreaker is a wildly addictive and relentlessly entertaining RPG-lite. The version of Gwent herein is the most fully realised to date, taking the core mechanics of previous versions and refining them into a malleable card game with endless potential. A beautifully written story and compelling characters make this a must-play for fans of The Witcher.
  6. NintendoWorldReport
    Feb 12, 2020
    80
    Thronebreaker is certainly a well-developed title with fun gameplay, but it’s perhaps designed for a niche audience. To really get the most out of it, you’ll want to be a fan of Gwent, a card game that often gets ignored even by the most hardcore of Witcher fans. The story is worth the price of admission, but if you’re not a fan of card-based combat mechanics this title is probably not for you. Thronebreaker certainly is fun, but it might be worth trying out a few hands of Gwent with Geralt back in Witcher 3 to make sure your interest can be sustained for 30 or so hours.
  7. Eurogamer Italy
    Feb 16, 2020
    70
    Thronebreaker strikes again. The RPG-card game arrives on Nintendo Switch and proves to be the perfect choice for an easy, quick and smart adventure for those who are looking for a new and fresh card game.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Raedge
    Feb 1, 2020
    10
    Im very happy to see another Witcher Game on Nintendo Switch.
    It is different from Witcher 3,more fluence,more smart, full of Stratgy    Im very happy to see another Witcher Game on Nintendo Switch.
    It is different from Witcher 3,more fluence,more smart, full of Stratgy &Possibility.also can exploring the world
    Describing another story on witcher land.
    Your Choice change the end.
    end, it is so cheap    … Expand
  2. Nowakowski
    Jan 29, 2020
    10
    Cool game though! People are going to play this because of Witcher series hype.
    Se we going to a better beautiful graphics version of gwent?    Cool game though! People are going to play this because of Witcher series hype.
    Se we going to a better beautiful graphics version of gwent?
    Love this game, RPG/Strategy game! So in practice, it's a gwent adventure game, I see.Love this game!    … Expand
  4. Lawdude7777
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    Fantastic game! I'm a little shocked how great this game looks on Nintendo's portable system. It's a very different type of game compared toFantastic game! I'm a little shocked how great this game looks on Nintendo's portable system. It's a very different type of game compared to Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, but equally as good.

    The card battles are rather easy to learn compared to Gwent, it's visually beautiful & the story is phenomenally written. Queen Meve is just as compelling a character as Geralt. Kudos CDProjekt Red. Must play game     … Expand
  5. embyrr
    Apr 11, 2021
    9
    Just fantastic storytelling. They really went al out and developed Gwent into a full fledged game with nuances, strategy, different tacticsJust fantastic storytelling. They really went al out and developed Gwent into a full fledged game with nuances, strategy, different tactics depending on what you prefer. It’s pretty fun! But the selling point is the magnificent way they’ve laid out the battles of Queen Meve. Every character is fleshed out, nuanced, interesting. The scenarios match this - you trudge through swamps and countless fights against monsters, elves, dwarves, and of course the hated Black clads. Basically, if you like the Witcher books: play this. If you enjoyed the Witcher games: play this. If you loved both like I: you’re actively harming yourself by not playing this masterpiece.… Expand
  6. LordOMO
    May 10, 2020
    8
    Thronebreaker is a fantastic The Witcher spinoff game with some flaws. In my opinion it is a diamond in the rough that could've been a 10/10Thronebreaker is a fantastic The Witcher spinoff game with some flaws. In my opinion it is a diamond in the rough that could've been a 10/10 with a bit of extra polish. However it is not sold as a $60 dollar game which makes it hard for me to judge the game fairly. In my opinion if they ironed out the kinks this should have been sold at $40. But let's get to the review.

    Thronebreaker is played form an isometric perspective and doesn't have cinematic cutscenes. Instead a "dialog screen" pops up. Also combat and puzzles take place in form of a strategic card game instead of real time third person combat like in the main series.

    Thronebreaker has lots of strengths: The story is well written and the voice actors do a fantastic job delivering their lines. There are also lots of interesting quests and decisions you can make along the way. Thronebreaker definitely upholds the high standards of storytelling we know and love from the Witcher video game series.
    Also the combat is fantastic in this game. Gwent is a really fun card game and they made lots of interesting changes to the formula in order to make for more exciting and strategic combat that is oftentimes more thrilling than the real time combat in the original Witcher series. The developers also found interesting ways to incorporate Gwent into puzzles and side challenges you can find in side quests.
    In general most of the stuff in this game feels very premium with neat details like good lip sync on the characters, beautifully animated and voiced cards and fantastic music to top it off.

    Unfortunately the game lacks a bit of polish which is where two big negatives come in:
    1. moving your character through the game world feels very sluggish, which is mildly annoying as soon as you leave the beaten path to search for loot and hidden quests and as a result get stuck in every corner.
    2. the puzzles in this game can be very annoying and frustrating. I like the concept of these puzzles: while using a predefined deck of cards you have to achieve a very specific goal (for example destroy a unit that wants to capture your caravan). The problem however is that usually there are only one or two correct solutions to solve the puzzle. I would've wished for an "undo" button so you don't have to restart the entire puzzle after making one single mistake. Most of these puzzles are side content and can be skipped but nonetheless this is just unnecessary frustration in what otherwise could've been very enjoyable content.

    In summary: it's really hard for me to judge the game. It's great value but I would've much preferred to pay more for a game that had fixed the two main issues I just mentioned.
    With some polish it could've been 10/10 and easily be sold at $40. But as it stands I have to reduct 2 points for its two major problems that could've easily been fixed: 8/10. Still a solid recommendation even if it didn't live up to its full potential    … Expand
  7. elgredy
    May 3, 2020
    8
    You have to like Gwent game cart to enjoy this game. If you do not like game cart, this game is no for you
  8. Nepen1he
    Mar 10, 2022
    0
    games out of politics, juegos fuera de la politica, jogos fora da política

See all 10 User Reviews

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16
#16 Best Switch Game of 2020

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