Why this game is broken (at least as a PC game but probably also as a console game)
tl;dr: There is no real control over the character.
There are several major problems with the gameplay design of this game so I will try to be very specific.
Actually, some of the gameplay design decisions the DEVS made contradict other design decisions they made,
so here goes:
---------------------------------
It's the Auto Draw / Sheething and the fact that the lock on can't be turned off completely,
Add to that the fact that you can't parry unless you are locked on a target,
and also the fact that the lock on range is not far enough and the result is just bad.
The lock on target button dose not help in any way also, sometimes it just dose not work,
And most of the time you don't really know on which target it will lock on to.
It dose not extend the low range of the automatic lock on ("enemy detection"),
and in general it dose not make any difference what so ever to the gameplay,
at least on a M+K it doesn't.
Also, the fact that half of the keyboard is not bind-able is just a joke.
"Enter" and "Backspace" (open game menu) do the same thing yet you can't re-bind any of them,
Call horse is the fu**ing "X" button?! and some of the keys don't even appear in the key-bind menu at all.
Hell, you can't rebind the basic movement keys, WTF???
Here is a good example of how bad this design is:
I have the perk to deflect enemy arrows with my parry,
However archers can shoot arrows at me from a much further distance I can parry from.
This is just stupid, as the AI can attack me but my character is not in a combat state at all,
Because I just killed a bandit and the combat system decided (against my will)
that Gerald should sheath his sword right now, Even though 20 meters away,
there is a fu**ing archer shooting arrows at him!
Not that it matters if he would not auto sheath his sword (which happens sometimes),
Because you can't parry from this "far away" distance anyway.
Please tell me, what is the point of having a key bind for sword sheathing / drawing anyway
(not just one sword but two) I mean Gerald do it automatically anyway right? And in the worst of times to top it all off.
I wan't to fu**ing use the wrong sword, yes I know it's wrong but maybe I don't have time to fu**ing switch swords right now!!?!
But wait, there is more, let's say I want to run away from combat because i am low on health or any other reason.
(even a tutorial is teaching you that sometimes it's better to run away) yet Gerald will stop and turn back just because the lock on kicks in.
And the fact you are still pressing the sprint button dose not seem to matter to him (or the developers for that matter).
Now I admit, I don't know how this game is on consoles and I did not try this game with a controller,
But to be honest I don't see how a controller would solve these problems anyway.
This combat system (with all the facts I just wrote) just sucks.
Moreover it's not that a controller is really needed, remove the restriction I mention above (most basic of games have these options yes?)
And this game could be very enjoyable. So for a PC title this game is a fu**ing joke.
The thing is, that CDPR stated so many times that the PC is the definitive version.
I read an article on PC-GAMER back in January with a level designer from CDPR,
Saying how they optimize the controls for PC and how all of them prefer to play with K+M anyway,
LOL what a flat out lie, THIS IS OPTIMIZING?? what a bad joke, it's nothing more than an after thought.
And anyone who say otherwise is either a liar or a fool.
Article link: (PC GAMER, lol, at least I know now not to trust them after reading their review)
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-witcher-3-level-designer-on-the-delay-pc-controls-and-world-building-2/
Other than that the game is cool and I really want to play it,
But i can't more than 10 minutes until I quit because i just can't control my character!! and it's fu**ing frustrating!!
So for me (and many many others) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIeEZeKN8JE (this is a real PC review)
this game is broken and unplayable, and over all is just a mess.
And I didn't say anything about the horrible FOV or restrictive camera angles
(YOU CAN'T LOOK UP AT ALL WHILE ON THE WATER SURFACE, WTF???)
I got this game bundled with my new gtx 980 so I am glad I did not pay for this game.
Also I will never buy a CDPR game and glad I never did.
I will tell everyone I can not to buy from CDPR, at least until they change their practices in general and patch up this game.
I hope someone from CDPR is listening because fixing these issues is relatively easy and can all be optional.
Hope I was clear.
tl;dr: There is no real control over the character.
There are several major problems with the gameplay design of this game so I will try to be very specific.
Actually, some of the gameplay design decisions the DEVS made contradict other design decisions they made,
so here goes:
---------------------------------
It's the Auto Draw / Sheething and the fact that the lock on can't be turned off completely,
Add to that the fact that you can't parry unless you are locked on a target,
and also the fact that the lock on range is not far enough and the result is just bad.
The lock on target button dose not help in any way also, sometimes it just dose not work,
And most of the time you don't really know on which target it will lock on to.
It dose not extend the low range of the automatic lock on ("enemy detection"),
and in general it dose not make any difference what so ever to the gameplay,
at least on a M+K it doesn't.
Also, the fact that half of the keyboard is not bind-able is just a joke.
"Enter" and "Backspace" (open game menu) do the same thing yet you can't re-bind any of them,
Call horse is the fu**ing "X" button?! and some of the keys don't even appear in the key-bind menu at all.
Hell, you can't rebind the basic movement keys, WTF???
Here is a good example of how bad this design is:
I have the perk to deflect enemy arrows with my parry,
However archers can shoot arrows at me from a much further distance I can parry from.
This is just stupid, as the AI can attack me but my character is not in a combat state at all,
Because I just killed a bandit and the combat system decided (against my will)
that Gerald should sheath his sword right now, Even though 20 meters away,
there is a fu**ing archer shooting arrows at him!
Not that it matters if he would not auto sheath his sword (which happens sometimes),
Because you can't parry from this "far away" distance anyway.
Please tell me, what is the point of having a key bind for sword sheathing / drawing anyway
(not just one sword but two) I mean Gerald do it automatically anyway right? And in the worst of times to top it all off.
I wan't to fu**ing use the wrong sword, yes I know it's wrong but maybe I don't have time to fu**ing switch swords right now!!?!
But wait, there is more, let's say I want to run away from combat because i am low on health or any other reason.
(even a tutorial is teaching you that sometimes it's better to run away) yet Gerald will stop and turn back just because the lock on kicks in.
And the fact you are still pressing the sprint button dose not seem to matter to him (or the developers for that matter).
Now I admit, I don't know how this game is on consoles and I did not try this game with a controller,
But to be honest I don't see how a controller would solve these problems anyway.
This combat system (with all the facts I just wrote) just sucks.
Moreover it's not that a controller is really needed, remove the restriction I mention above (most basic of games have these options yes?)
And this game could be very enjoyable. So for a PC title this game is a fu**ing joke.
The thing is, that CDPR stated so many times that the PC is the definitive version.
I read an article on PC-GAMER back in January with a level designer from CDPR,
Saying how they optimize the controls for PC and how all of them prefer to play with K+M anyway,
LOL what a flat out lie, THIS IS OPTIMIZING?? what a bad joke, it's nothing more than an after thought.
And anyone who say otherwise is either a liar or a fool.
Article link: (PC GAMER, lol, at least I know now not to trust them after reading their review)
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-witcher-3-level-designer-on-the-delay-pc-controls-and-world-building-2/
Other than that the game is cool and I really want to play it,
But i can't more than 10 minutes until I quit because i just can't control my character!! and it's fu**ing frustrating!!
So for me (and many many others) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIeEZeKN8JE (this is a real PC review)
this game is broken and unplayable, and over all is just a mess.
And I didn't say anything about the horrible FOV or restrictive camera angles
(YOU CAN'T LOOK UP AT ALL WHILE ON THE WATER SURFACE, WTF???)
I got this game bundled with my new gtx 980 so I am glad I did not pay for this game.
Also I will never buy a CDPR game and glad I never did.
I will tell everyone I can not to buy from CDPR, at least until they change their practices in general and patch up this game.
I hope someone from CDPR is listening because fixing these issues is relatively easy and can all be optional.
Hope I was clear.
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