Maybe it's hard to believe today but the fact is that The Witcher titles almost got the entire studio CD Project Red to go under. The Polish studio had invested almost everything into it's roleplaying experience, but when it was forced to trash the console version while the economic crisis struck with full force, it did not look very bright.
It offers a lot of spectacular battles. The witcher 3 battle system is much better than it was in before.
Much has happened since then and there is hardly any emergency for the developers in todays climate. The third part of The Witcher series has had an high budget and is one of this years spring most exciting titles. Also game mechanically, CD Project Red has taken a couple of giant steps in another direction. Where the first was a title mainly for the biggest role-playing fans, The Witcher 3 is a much more accessible and finely-polished story.
Fight against deadly clans
During your adventure you'll gain access to more magic and better weapons as you level-up.
Like its two predecessors, the story follows Geralt, a witcher, which basically means he has developed supernatural abilities to fight evil monsters. Geralt is adept in handling any kind of swords, both silver and steel alike, and he is an effective craftsman which he uses in many different ways. Craft poisons, potions and oils as you head out into battle against the deadly clans of the Witcher universe.
The story begins with Geralt looking for a missing friend and shortly afterwards he runs into the deadly clan Wild Hunt. I will not expand on the story further as a large part of enjoying the game is to explore it yourself, but i will say that there are some cool new features like other playable characters this time around (very connected to the story).
Going for the adult crowd
Expect adult content and nudity in this installation also.
The Witcher 3 is in many ways a roleplaying game of the modern era. You are placed in a large and open world where you are free to either follow the main storyline or start crossing of any of the side quests. Everyone who is familiarized with Dragon Age 3: Inquisition and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, will in other words feel just as home when booting up The Witcher 3.
With that said, The Witcher 3 contains plenty of personal touches. First of all, it is more grown in it's approach. The world holds great class differences, where the poor live in pure misery while the more well-offed carry uncomfortable secrets for you to discover. I almost get a Game of Thrones feeling as i explore this world filled of sex, deceit and violence.
Improved & exciting battles
It's a living world CD Project Red paints for us. From the initial picturesque villages of White Orchard to the woodlands of Crookback Book and the vibrant city of Novigrad, it offers a wealth of really well-written characters and plenty of unexpected event developments. As in The Witcher 2, the side quests are at least as well-established as the main plot.
Boss battles are, more often than not, quite an epic experience.
Even the battles impress more in The Witcher 3. The Witcher 2 got a lot of criticism because it quickly became a bit dull in it's combat choices, something that has now been fixed. The system builds a lot on countering at the right time. That way, it reminds a lot of recently launched Bloodborne, although the challenge is not at all as high.
As you traverse the hostile world you will meet many different foes, from flying attacking gryphons, hordes of centaurs and suspicious water creatures, with much much more. There are tools for every occasion, learning to read the situation and improvising quickly turns out to be the survival strategy. The enemy also does not follow you in level, so the feeling of never really being overpowered is happily avoided. A trap other role-playing games often get's caught in. Geralt might look tough at first glance but when facing enemies later on in the game you will find yourself killed by just a few quick hits. In short, be alert and always be prepared for the worst because you can never feel completely safe anywhere.
You need to adapt your strategy after which creature you fight, what works for fighting a ground-walking monster does not help you when fighting airborne ones.
All the points of experience I collect can then be used to customize Geralt according to my game style. There are several different qualities and abilities, and it is important to carefully read what does what. A bit unclear system, but fun in that satisfying manner which makes me look forward to every new upgrade like a little mini-christmas morning.
Not without it's flaws
There is therefore no doubt that The Witcher 3 is an extremely well-received title, but it's not perfect. The biggest shortcoming is taken for granted that you can play role-playing games without instructions. That a game in this genre requires much of the player is not a bad thing in itself, but it would have been desirable if CD Project Red had explained some of the more basic elements in more detail to make it more accessible.
The fighting against several enemies at the same time shows some bad group mentality in the AI of enemies.
Another problem is that artificial intelligence does not always seem to act reasonably. It is not uncommon for soldiers to stand like buffoons halfway through a fight or that enemies are completely unsuccessful when they attack as a group. In common order when it comes to large-scale role-playing, there are also a lot of bugs coming with the package.
But overall, it appears that CD Project Red has come a long way since its debut. This is a magnificent adventure, with a world that feels both alive and interesting. In addition, the title keeps true to it's form all the way to the end, an impressive thing in itself. Few other developers succeed in filling their games with so much content without at least some missions feeling unnecessary.
Get ready to meet some new interesting fantasy creatures in your journey.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is pure gaming enjoyment. Seeing the sun's rays dancing over the twisted on the obscene beautiful game world while the chopped off gryffin heads I have as trophies bounce around the sides of my gracious steed, after which I once again find something new to explore - is an absolutely lovely feeling. Especially when I'm 95% confident that what's waiting for me is a well-written mini-adventure where the story is what makes me want to play it, not collecting experience points or loot. In short, this is one of the few games that makes me want to pause life, lock me in my home for a few weeks and explore a new vast world with Geralt, the monster slayer.
Check out some of my other reviews and previews if you liked this one, and don't forget to smoke a fat bowl before playing any game, peace!
