6 years of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt!

+

Vattier

CD PROJEKT RED


The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released 6 years ago!

Time flies when you're surrounded by friends. Happy anniversary, everyone!

P.S. Wallpapers are available in the media section on https://thewitcher.com/en/witcher3
 
Last edited:
I remember my first impression of the game, when I saw it being played. I thought the combat looked way too flashy, and I didn't really like what I saw in general.

Seven months later, after reading all of the books translated by then, and then playing through the first two games, I played this game for the first time.
It quickly became my favourite game of all time, which was no easy feat. Has held that spot ever since.

:beer:
 
Life can lead down rather strange paths. . . . A little over seven years ago, I discovered The Witcher -- by chance, on GOG -- played it, enjoyed it, and then eagerly proceeded to Assassins of Kings. Despite the second game's rather . . . rough start, I was intrigued by the characters, and impressed by the artists' attention detail, realism, and the beautifully crafted world they'd created. When I learned there would be a Witcher III, I was gratified to know Geralt's story would continue on an ever grander scale, in a visually rich setting. However, I knew I wouldn't be able to play it upon release. My computer was far below the recommended specifications, and I'd no intention of purchasing a new machine for just one game! Sadly, I'd have to wait to join Geralt on his new quests.

Suddenly, in February of 2015, the sword of destiny struck -- my PC's motherboard! The whole system was fried. I needed a new machine. This unforeseen, and rather expensive, thundercloud had a silver lining, though, for it allowed me an opportunity to do what might, otherwise, have taken a few more years: To build a gaming system that could handle Wild Hunt!

The rest is history: With the knowledge that I would play, I became a staunch enthusiast of the game, helping and informing other players on the Forums as a regular user. Not long afterwards, I became a moderator, working as a member of a team (which I dubbed the Blue Guards), as The Witcher III brought CDPR new success, new challenges, new friends, and new projects. Six years later, I'm still here, still playing The Witcher III, and still enjoying each renewed journey upon the Path.

The Witcher III
, and its expansions, hold a particular significance in my life. Not only are they magnificence illusions, filled with delightful tales, and memorable characters, but, on a personal level, they changed the course of my steps, which, without these games, would have led me somewhere quite different. . . . Thanks to Witcher III, I've known folk I'd never have met, and have encountered many experiences, both within and outside the game, I'd have missed otherwise.

So, upon this sixth anniversary, I offer, once again, many thanks to GOG, CDPR, our Forums' Community, the Blue Guards -- and a fried motherboard! -- for so many years of monsters, mayhem, and masterful gaming! It's been a wild journey, my friends. Here's to the next step in our adventures!
 
on a personal level, they changed the course of my steps, which, without these games, would have led me somewhere quite different. . . . Thanks to Witcher III, I've known folk I'd never have met, and have encountered many experiences, both within and outside the game, I'd have missed otherwise.
This is true in my case as well. So very true it feels downright bizarre.
 
2 might be my fav overall, but the Bald Mountain quest was peak Witcher. Imlerith was the best boss fight ever (it fell totally like The Mountain vs The Viper, strength vs finesse (but with a happy ending)). Ciri vs all 3 Crones was awesome too. Skellige has more viking/GOT vibes than Skyrim and AC: Valhalla (hell, Kaer Trolde is pretty much Kattegat/The Wall).
 
It really has been an absolute blast to play for the last 6 years!
If anyone’s interested in getting into the game now, I recently wrote a series of articles for gamersdecide.com, including a ranking of the books, the best commands for the debug console, a list of mods for a great first playthrough, a list of combat mods, and (in my opinion) the absolute best contracts in the game!
I have been playing this game since I was in high-school and I will probably continue for a very very long time.
Happy anniversary everyone!
 
I remember when before Witcher 3 launch (probably in 2014) we had a party in our apartment my boyfriend and I recently moved into, and a friend asked me, while looking at my game shelf (mostly with Elder Scrolls stuff), why there is no Witcher games there, which apparently was (and probably still is) a great crime for a Polish gamer to not have a Witcher games in his/her library. At the time I honestly wasn't interested in the series at all. Years back my other friend borrowed me his copy of Witcher 1. To get into it with the right mindset I first read all the Witcher's books, which are a good read, but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan. Finally I tried to play the game, but it was way too clunky for my taste, and so I've abandoned it shortly after getting to the outskirts of Vizima.

When Witcher 2 came out I was already psyched for Skyrim, though I really liked the trailers for this game (I still think that Witcher 2's "Hope" trailer is the best game trailer ever created), but still it wasn't enough for me to play it, especially since I'm a type of gamer that feels obligation to play any past games in the series before getting into new ones, and I haven't felt for Witcher 2 to be enough of a reason to suffer playing it's predecessor. So I've aknowledged Witcher 2's existence but haven't even thought about playing it.

2015 came, and though I've heard about new Witcher game coming, I wasn't really interested in it. I haven't seen any trailers, haven't really read about it. I wasn't even aware that it was delayed a few times. Then, somewhere near launch date a giveaway of Witcher 3's GOG key was created by one of a game deals site I was watching and so I thought "Ah, what the hell, I will enter it". Because I've wanted to know what I'm even dealing with I've started to watch all videos on official Witcher's YT account, and I was mindblown. To my disbelief I've actually won the giveaway and on 24th of May 2015 I received the key. My PC wan't great at the time, but to this day I remember when I first launched it and played a bit in White Orchard. Then the great and terrible (at the time) question came - should I finally try previous Witcher games? I've decided to give it a try and though at the beginning it was rather hard to enjoy playing W1, after every session I launched W3 for like 15 minutes to just ride around White Orchard, listen to the music and ambience, observe the villagers and it was enough to keep me motivated. After some time I really started to enjoy W1 (which I hold dear to my heart, especially for it's atmosphere, which I think is the most unique of the whole series) and later W2 (a great game, though the menus are atrocious) and so finally I could start playing W3. From this point forward I've become a big fan of Witcher series. I've bought the game several times for different platforms and even won Collector's Edition in one of CDP's contests.

Now I have a dedicated shelf for everything Witcher related and it's already as big as the Elder Scrolls one :beer:

Happy Birthday Witcher 3!
 
I could tell within about 2 hours of playing it that it was going to be an amazing game. In the end, it became one of my favorite games of all time. I knew it the minute I finished my first playthrough and, later that same day, started my second. I normally don't finish games the first time I play them. I usually play for a few months, get tired of them, then switch to something else. Later, often years later, I'll play again and get a bit further before switching away again. Conversely, if a game does sink its claws into me, I'll play not only all the way through, but go back and start again right away.

TW3 definitely struck that nerve, and I only managed to move on to other stuff after 3 full playthroughs. I only managed to put it down after a hard drive crash while I was halfway through my sixth playthrough. It's...just incredible. Something tells me that on it's 16th Birthday, people will still be playing and talking about it!
 
TW3 definitely struck that nerve, and I only managed to move on to other stuff after 3 full playthroughs.
This is certainly a familiar tale around here. It's a remarkable game, indeed, which leaves such an impression upon its players, and, for many of them, renders other games feeling shallow and empty by comparison. I was a rather selective gamer, long before I played The Witcher Series, but, afterwards. . . I'm even choosier, nowadays. Witcher III is simply a hard act to follow!
 
The Witcher 3. THE best game I've ever played. There's a certain element of je ne sais quoi that makes playing it, and replaying it, such a pleasure. The world feels alive, in Velen you feel the brutality of war. In Novigrad you experience the bigotry of the witch hunters, the despair of the poor and non-humans. You embark and experience, through Geralt's eyes, an epic adventure that takes a dark tone in Hearts of Stone and further adventures in the Riviera Toussaint, land of wine and pastel colours and vampires.
No other game has captured my imagination as much as this one has. Happy 6th birthday, TW3!
 
Top Bottom