14 DAY TRIAL // The Witcher franchise made by CD Projekt Red is one of the most popular medieval fantasy role-playing game universes in the gaming industry, as the Polish developer managed to take the central ideas from the novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski and make them known around the world.
While the studio made sure to deliver stellar RPG experiences on PC and on select platforms, it's also examined other ways of fleshing it out, via comic books, for example. Among the new ways of reaching fans is The Witcher: Battle Arena, a mobile-only experience that's set in the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre.
While the new title isn't built as a killer of popular MOBAs like League of Legends or Dota 2, it is a rather interesting twist for the series. Right now, the game is in a closed beta on the Android platform, but the final release will see it debut for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.
Does the closed beta of The Witcher: Battle Arena manage to prove its worth or should you stick to Geralt's regular adventures? Let's have a quick look.
This isn't your regular MOBA
MOBAs have begun flooding the market ever since the likes of LoL or Dota 2 proved that there were millions of people eager to play such complex experiences on the PC. On mobile devices, however, the flood hasn't been so serious, as things like smartphones or tablets don't lend themselves all that well to such experiences.
However, The Witcher: Battle Arena manages to provide quite a fun time. Its only mode is called Conquest, which tasks the two teams of three characters to obtain control of three different points on the map. Right now, there are just two maps, but both are pretty well done and have different layouts that require different tactics.
There are eight characters right now, ranging from major faction leaders, like Iorveth, to villains, like The Witcher 2's Letho, but also some of Geralt's allies, like Zoltan. All of them have three different abilities that can be used in combat, with two regular ones and one ultimate.
In terms of gameplay, Battle Arena is similar to other MOBAs, as you invest points in skills as you level up and can buy gear for that match as you take over conquest points and kill foes. You can also use potions in combat.
For now, you can play the game as a Player-versus-Player competition experience or as a team of humans versus one composed of bots. In case the matchmaking doesn't find anyone, you can also practice with bots on your team against other bots.
A polished test build
The closed beta went live on the Android platform last week and, as you can expect, some problems, issues, or other such things are inherent. However, this test version of The Witcher: Battle Arena is quite stable in terms of gameplay and there were no errors or crashes. Sure, you don't have an exit option and the back button doesn't work, but it's still quite polished.
The visuals are rather good, at least on the Samsung Galaxy S4 we tried the game on. Sure, seen in full resolution on a computer screen, they might not look that good, but in action on a smaller screen, they're pretty finished.
Overall, The Witcher 3: Battle Arena looks quite good, especially for a mobile MOBA experience. Matches don't last that long and the experience is great for when you want to waste some time but don't feel like matching candy or flinging birds on your phone.
Check out some screenshots of The Witcher: Battle Arena below.
