Tutorials

Tutorials

When you begin your first play-through you will have the option of accepting the Tutorials -- if you have never played the game before doing so is a good idea.  Each Tutorial is made up of Tutorial Panels that contain the information you need to read for that Tutorial.  These are dismissed by hitting the BACK Button and can be restored by holding down the BACK Button if you need to consult them again.

The first Tutorial Panel is, naturally, a Tutorial Panel on Tutorials!

Following that is one on Camera and Controls, followed by a Picking Up Loot Panel, and then naturally one for Inventory.  Be sure to read the Tournament Announcement in your Inventory, and then check out that pair of Squire's Boots that has a Magical enhancement. 

After you exit the Inventory you get your next goal and the Journal Update Panel -- to access the Journal open your Inventory and use the Right Trigger.  Head along the path and talk to the character you encounter, adding another quest to your list -- this one to find the herbs you need to brew a health potion.

An important part of the Tutorial is showing you how to use the Witcher's Medallion -- pressing the Left Joystick activates it, and this will show you if there are any useful herbs near you...  The wave it sends out will briefly cause any herbs or items it ID's to glow -- move to them and collect them and, when you have enough, you will get the Alchemy Panel.

Hold the Left Bumper and then enter Meditate, select Alchemy and the Healing Potion, then hit 'Y' to create it and 'A' to accept it and you have completed that portion of the quest!  Now head back to the Knight and talk to him again, giving him the Healing Potion. 

You can ask him what happened or leave -- I chose to ask him what happened though, and learned his story.  He gives you his Arena Invitation as a parting thank you and you continue along the way to the Arena!

Unfortunately the Guard at the Arena Gate is a little freaked when it comes to night visitors, but here is a perfect example to show you the Wait Tutorial!  And to Wait, that really means Meditate of course!  Open the Meditate Menu and hit 'A' to Meditate and then select the time you want (Dawn) and Meditate. 

Now try to open the Gate and the Guard comes back -- have your chat and then confirm that you have an Invitation and be admitted!

Your next Tutorial Panel is for Combat Training -- Left D-Pad to draw your Steel Sword, and right D-Pad to draw your Silver Sword...  Then you are shown how to select your target by rotating the camera, and you then aim at the indicated targets to pass that Tut!  More information on Targeting is provided, and you learn the attacks.

The Tutorial Quest - Rescue of the Knight

After that a lesson in Parrying, Dodging, and Ripostes follows, and information on Vigor (Stamina in other games), so hold the Right Trigger to Block a few times, and then learn how to Dodge, and finally to Riposte!  You are then prompted to hit 'Y' to case the Aard Sign, and then you learn about Critical Effects. 

Next we learn about the Quick Menu and how to set a Sign to it -- LB to open it then we learn about Critical Effects dealt to our character Geralt!  With his Vitality (HP) now low, we need to cast the Quen Sign to heal and focus upon defense.

Next we learn the Axii Sign that lets us temporarily assume control over our enemies -- and once you do that successfully we learn the Yrden Sign -- which allows you to trap! Once trapped we finish off the opponent with an Igni Sign to blast them!

The next lesson is to Quickslot items -- open the Inventory and add an item like a Bomb, Trap, or daggers and lures from your Pockets into the Quickslot... In this case, empty the reward chest in the Arena and then open your Inventory and add the Bombs, Traps, and Daggers to your Quickslot.

You will be prompted to use first Bombs, then Traps, and then Daggers to defeat the next three enemies, and then you will be shown the Tutorial Panel for Character Development -- which is restricted over the first six levels to selections from the Training Path.  After Level Six you will be able to select from the other three paths -- Magic, Alchemy, and Swordsmanship.  You are briefed on Mutagens, which can be used to modify some of your abilities -- and then prompted to upgrade your character by opening the Inventory and hitting the Left Trigger to reach the Character Development Menu.

After you spend your point you are faced with your Final Trial  -- so go claim your rewards from the Chest and then read the Preparing for Combat Panel before opening your menu and then begin combat!  You get match after match until you end up losing -- which is sort of the point -- and then the game suggests the difficulty rating based on how long you lasted.

The end of the Tutorial triggers the opening to the Prologue.