3 minute read time
First things first, I want to say that I am a massive Witcher fan – as you may know, I have written blogs, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may be my favourite game of all time. So when I heard there was a “spin-off game” called Thronebreaker out I was very excited to give it a go.
Let me lay out the scene and there may be spoilers if you have never played it – you can get it on mobile too. Disclosure, I played it on mobile when on holiday and it was amazing.
It is a captivating blend of narrative-driven exploration and card-based battles. You play as Queen Meve, the ruler of Lyria and Rivia, she is a bad-ass queen.
The Beginning: A Queen’s Plight
The game kicks off with Queen Meve facing a realm in turmoil. Rebellion, war, and dark forces threaten her kingdom. This is one of those games where every decision seems to have consequences, I love it, but it is seriously stressful.
Exploration and Decision-Making:
Thronebreaker is a linear game by the books, but you never really feel “hemmed-in” It is a very rich-looking world and I abso the art style. The decisions made while you are exploring every section of the map (just me?) significantly impact the unfolding narrative, influencing alliances, morale, and the overall fate of the realm.
Card Battles: The Art of War in Gwent:
At the heart of Thronebreaker lies the Gwent card game, in the Witcher 3 game, I think I spent the most time actually just collecting my Gwent deck, I played everyone. It is very similar here, but there can be more tricky ones, where you aren’t necessarily playing against a traditional opponent like in The Witcher 3. You may need to steal your carts back or save cows from a beast… that one was wild.
Evolution of Meve’s Army:
As Meve journeys through the Northern Realms, she gathers her army. You basically can start building your deck with different strengths and you have to upgrade your campsite in order to improve your deck. So not only are you recruiting people, you also are trying to keep them with your decisions AND you need to keep morale up.
Characters and Lore: A Witcher’s World
Thronebreaker is enriched with the lore and characters from The Witcher Universe. The voice acting in this game is incredible, it really keeps you engaged in the game. There are some familiar faces you encounter – like old mate Geralt. For me, it was seeing a lot of the places that you had heard of, but never travelled to that was amazing for me.
Unveiling Secrets and Unraveling Plots
Honestly, this game keeps kicking you while you are down, but one thing I will say, if you have played two minutes of any Witcher game, watched the series or read the books then you will know that this happens all the time. it is not a “warm and cuddly” series/game/book so why would this one be? Also when it is set… we know that war, she is coming.
Conclusion: A Throne Well Worth the Battle
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is an amazing, masterfully crafted game that really draws on the lore from the Witcher Universe, but also has some amazing voice acting and some VERY tough decisions. I think that on mobile it can feel a little clunky, but honestly, you get to play it on the move and that is great too.
| Criteria | My Rating |
|---|---|
| Gameplay | 4/5 |
| Graphics | 3/5 |
| Story | 4/5 |
| Do you want to replay it? | Eventually yes |
| Overall Rating | 3.75/5 |
