If you're one of many gamers playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt this week, you have probably already seen in-game combat.
However, you've probably noticed that combat in The Witcher 3 can sometimes get a little hairy, especially if you don't really know what you're doing.
And although the game's tutorials teach you the basics, there are still a few tips you need to remember to survive the monsters that live in the world of Geralt of Rivia.
Here are five of the most important tips for combat to remember as you make your way across the massive world of The Witcher 3.
Always use the right weapon
In case you missed the brief tutorial at the beginning of the game, you'll notice you have two weapons (you generally start out with two swords): one for fighting humans and the other for fighting monsters. The steel weapon works well against bandits and the like, but when it comes to fighting things like griffins, you'll want your weapon made of silver. Usually, the game automatically chooses the right sword for the task, but as you can easily switch out weapons during gameplay, it's best to make sure you've got the right weapon equipped for the job.
It's as simple as remember this: steel kills humans and silver kills monsters.
Read the bestiary
You know that little journal that keeps tabs of all the monsters you discover as you wander the world of The Witcher 3? Most players don't bother looking at that bestiary, which means they're probably clueless as how to best fight monsters and are wondering why their fire spells aren't working or why they can't seem to beat down a simple level 1 wolf. Here's the thing: each monster has its own weakness and if you know what that is, it becomes a lot easier to defeat. And all you have to do is read the bestiary to learn what that weakness is and use whatever you have in your arsenal that exploits that.
For example, if a monster's weakness is fire, hit it with Igni and you'll watch it die a lot faster than if you just knock it over the head over and over with your sword.
This becomes especially important as you progress through the game because combat gets harder with the higher-level monsters.
Know when to run
Occasionally, you will run into monsters with a red skull symbol over their head. Don't fight these! This means that your version of Geralt hasn't leveled up enough to tackle these foes and there is pretty much no way you can win that battle. So don't be a hero when you see that red symbol. Instead, turn around and run away as fast as your legs, or your horse, can take you.
The important thing to remember here is to live to fight another day. And you can't do that if you're trying to tackle monsters you're not ready for yet.
Use your signs
Yes, signs are confusing in the world of The Witcher 3, but if you learn how to use them correctly, combat becomes significantly easier. The whole point of being a Witcher is that you have magic, so learn how to use it. Learn what each sign represents and what power it gives Geralt. And learn which kind of magic works best against which monsters (again, read the bestiary to learn this valuable information).
Learn how to properly roll, dodge and parry
Sometimes the best way to fight is to avoid an attack, and fortunately, The Witcher 3 gives Geralt the simple abilities of rolling, dodging and parrying. Learn these three things and practice them as often as you can, so you'll know how to avoid taking hits and sustaining damage to Geralt.
With parrying, if you time it correctly, you can also counterattack. You do this by hitting the parry button right before an enemy strikes you. That will knock the enemy off balance, giving you an opportunity to attack a few times before it recovers.
On the other hand, if you dodge an attack as an enemy comes at you, you can avoid getting hit. But again, timing is critical: if you dodge too early or too late, you'll take a hit. Rolling is similar, but a bit more effective because it puts more distance between you and your enemy.
[Photo Credit: CD Projekt Red]
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