I picked up the Witcher 3 after having no previous experience with the franchise. The hype for The Wild Hunt was too strong and I had watched a few play-through videos which had gotten me too excited to hold off.
What can I say? Well, this game is fantastic in every sense of the word.
I am someone who has never been hooked by the Elder Scroll games or games such as Mass Effect. I couldn't find the motivation to explore the various stories throughout the world & side quest scattered about. They didn't seem deep enough to really challenge my decision making or reward me other than some cool questlines to become part of a guild or something. So I always would play a friends copy or just watch a video.
The Witcher is different. I feel like every decision I make is not only difficult but leads to another hard decision as the world truly reacts. It's like there are these tiny universes woven into every side quest and they keep pulling me away from the main quest-line that I have naturally followed-through in all other games. I'll get back to the main quest soon, for sure, but it's been such a delight tracking down barbaric creatures in the wild or breaking up fist-fights for some bar-maids in a town.
What I wish the game did better was inventory management and combat. I have so many things in my bags and can't store them anymore and whilst in a fight, I have to pause- grab a potion, unpause, drink it, pause and grab food, unpause and eat. I know reading that even seemed tedious so you can see where I'm coming from.
Anyways, I give Witcher a 9 | 10 on my scale. I'm also streaming regularly at night at http://www.twitch.tv/Swellycast if you'd like to see some gameplay
@wesmagness Well said. This is my first dip into this franchise as well. I'm a big fan now! Really makes me wonder how the other games were...
+1 on the inventory management... I do what I can to stay away from that. I try to keep things I *really* need from the quick access menu (where you change signs). I really only go into the inventory to oil up for an encounter & make adjustments to that quick access menu.
@xmcgraw Going into the Alchemy skill tree has made it hard to resist picking up everything and not knowing when or if I'll ever get rid of it- at least in the beginning, haha.
Are you playing on PC or console? I've heard a lot of gripes about the graphics and minor glitches on the console version.
@wesmagness That's true! They've definitely filled up the world with plenty of junk to pick up. At this point I grab all the things! Especially given that it seems insanely easy to run out of coin.
I'm running the PS4 version and have been keeping up with the updates as they release. No annoyances stick out in my mind.
@stewartjarod I have a really hard time getting through games. This is one of the few I itch for weekend time to spend with it. If you really enjoy exploration/story/visuals, it's a phenomenal get. They've really mastered that. If you really enjoy complexity (forced to make decisions on what sword you *must* use for an encounter), you may want to wait for a discount (but I encourage you to give it a spin, never know!).
This game is, by far, the best I've played this year. If you haven't picked it up yet--do it this weekend! The world, characters, and quests are so-well thought out. Seeing some of the consequences of my actions have literally stopped me in my tracks... "Did I... oops, I shouldn't have done that. Wonder what happens now..."
Given the effort I've seen across the board, beginning with opening the PS4 box, you can tell that the developers care deeply about this franchise and the players. You'll have fun with this one for a while.
This game is incredible. One of the best games I've played in ages. The world is really well built and believable. The story is exciting without being ridiculous or over the top. The world is gritty and feels very real. The combat is fantastic and the spells are a ton of fun to use. The only failure of this game is the crafting system. I barely use it and you don't really have to. You find better swords and armor over time without having to "craft" new stuff. The potions and stuff are a little more interesting and somewhat required to make major battles easier, but still feels pretty underwhelming.
I gotta say one of my favorite things is the *very* deep quest structure. You end up doing a side quest of a side quest of a side quest of one of the main quests just to get to the next stage. And that's a good thing! LOTS of quests. All interesting. All fun.
it's funny how people were complaining about downgraded graphics just prior to the launch. It's by far the most astonishing game on this set of current consoles. Things like the dynamic weather system just breathes so much life into the world and the somewhat adult themes just makes it feel grounded. Would definitely recommend it to anyone.
This game is the perfect evolution of the Witcher series and imo a great step forward for the 'open world' RPG design. They throw out the generic fetch quests from the Bethesda games and replaced them with well written, multi-layered plots, often intertwined with main quests. Clever world design and a ridiculous attention to detail make it all the more worthwhile to explore.
The best game I have ever played of all time. It used to be Dragon Age: Origins, but Witcher 3 surpasses it and every other game I have ever played.
Stunning graphics, an engaging and mature story line with real characters and emotional depth.
Are there flaws? Yes, every game has them and Witcher 3 does suffer a little for it, but by and large you will not regret picking up this game if you enjoy narrative in your games.
BUY IT. Reward developers who make games like this.
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