Watch The Witcher 3's Monsters Explained In This Dev Diary

CD Projekt Red has released a new developer diary video that dives into the monsters you'll face in its upcoming role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

As with previous games in the series, you'll have an easier time taking down monsters if you learn a little about them first from in-game books and use the right tools for the job. Unlike previous Witcher games, however, it sounds like tracking these creatures will be a more interesting process, as CD Projekt Red created complex creature behavior and ecosystem that allows them to move freely through the game's huge open world.

"Designing these creatures is a collaborative process between the character concept and the animation departments," CD Projekt Red secondary lead character artist Bill Daly said. "We start by trying to visualize the anatomy of the creatures and ask ourselves if this is something that could actually exist. They're fantastical creatures, but we don't want them to defy the laws of physics."

Digital copies of Witcher unlock on May 19 at 1 AM CET, which means gamers in the United States can actually start playing at 4 PM PDT / 7 PM EDT on May 18. Boxed copies arrive May 19.

GameSpot recently visited The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red's offices in Poland. Check out this roundup of our previous coverage from the trip, which includes exclusive interviews with key developers and even more gameplay footage, among other things.