I miss the auto targeting. Still feel that's the missing link in this combat system. TW2 also had a weightier feel and better feedback, both audio and animations. The same sense of impact is a bit lacking in TW3.
If you want to combo AARD (or another sign) with an attack there is a talent that allows you to use adrenaline to cast signs. It makes it feel somewhat similar to TW2 -- slower but still a combo.
Generally I know what you mean. I beat TW2 on dark mode several times (and most without any dark armor) and I loved to AARD and IGNI combo the crap out of my enemies. The fight the Operator on dark mode was frustrating, but still awesome. TW2's combat gets a bad rap, but I like all 3 Witcher games' combat, including TW2.
Played through the witcher 2 three times (or four, I don't remember), but no, I don't miss its combat. Combat in this chapter is just plain better.
TW2 combat depended on Quen too much. That sign was overpowered: you had to keep it on at all times (even more if you played at higher difficulties), but it prevented your stamina from regenerating and this meant not being able to use other signs. People were so used to keep Quen active at all times that many considered the first fight against Letho as the most difficult in the game. Truth is that if you just avoided using Quen and you just used Aard it was a walk in the park.
In TW3 signs are more balanced: even if you don't take Quen into account, Yrden has been changed for the better and now it is much more approachable and useful. There are also many more enemy types that require very different approaches.
To combat in TW3 is just better, even for those (like me) that were not bothered by the fact that TW2 wasn't approachable at all and its controls never worked as intended (aiming, rolling and parrying were a pain in the ass, you have to admit it).
I do. But not only sword combat, picking signs also felt "smoother". The current circle menu thing is worse than the one in TW2 I think. One reason for that is because the new one is a toggle on/off menu. And picking the sign via mouse also felt more fluent, now it often seems to jump between signs and less precise. But that's probably just me.
However that's only about fluidity. Balance-wise I like the new combat much more.
However that's only about fluidity. Balance-wise I like the new combat much more.
You almost never needed Quen even on the hardest settings. A powerful build from any tree would dominate once you got half way into chapter 2.
Yes, I do prefer the combat out of TW2 than TW3. I dont miss it however cause Im already back playing my 12th pkaythrough dark mode no armor just my long johns. And arena mode has taken hundreds of my hours away. It was simpler combat. More meaty and reliable. No whirl over the top attack or rend just cool sword play. My insane playthrough was the best gaming experience of my life,culminating with much planing and expermentation with Geralts build using arena mode to test it. And a few tears at the end. I miss the more hardcore feel to the game with geralts attacks decreased with less vigor etc. And planning for battle by mediation and drinking potions in prep for battle, not during. Much more mature game, much better combat, less frills, more skills required. I truly love the game, without doubt im biased.....
Combat in TW2 EE was a mess, because based on the console edition coming in that year. Combat in TW2 normal edition was better.
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You don't have to use the lock on with multiple opponents, because there is already the soft lock.
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You don't have to use the lock on with multiple opponents, because there is already the soft lock.
Not really, would improve the targetting sistem so that it automatically changes your target to the closest enemy (if you have not locked target of course). Apart from that, combat in W2 was great fun, and it looked very good too, but W3 with it's improved realism, mechanics (like dodging that unlike rolling leaves you close enough to your enemy to land a sure blow) and finishers (have to admit I didn't really like all of the finishers in W2, they seemed a bit lazzy sometimes, though I'm sure it's just me) it just looked bad ass...er. So, summing up I'd only improve the targetting sistem but overall, W3's combat sistem is a 10/10!
TW3's combat is superior. I like being able to dodge and feel very comfortable with the options to engage multiple enemies, although the targeting is occasionally insane. HOWEVER: I often don't feel like I'm in control of Geralt and it's very frustrating. My single biggest complaint with TW3 is that the game itself decides when I'm in combat and when I'm in exploration "state", often gets it wrong (resulting in me getting shot with arrows I expected to block or dodge) or conversely pins me in a situation that I'd need to jump, climb or open a door to get out of (and can't because I'm then in combat state.) TW2 used combat states as well but never took the ability to roll or parry away from me, and even though there were times I couldn't climb I never felt quite as restricted and never died because I wasn't able to do something about an incoming ranged attack. THAT I do miss, often and terribly.
You can do this in TW3 as well, there is even an achievement associated with that. The problem is the victim must be right on the edge and there are scarce combat opportunities like that.
Well, not for me, no thanks. I really disliked the Witcher 2 combo animation system, because one rarely gets the opportunity to attack 7-8 blows in succession, and most of the time you only see the basic animations. In a game that requires frequent dodging, repositioning and signs, a randomized animation system can make sure the fancier animations have a decent chance to show up.
Now I do agree that some restrictions should be placed, for example no repeating animations. Perhaps it's possible to mod it so that the animations already played in a combat will have far less chance of being played again.
Fair enough --
I still think, between Quick/Strong attacks, Geralt in Witcher3 has about 6-7 animations TOPS, which is pretty lame; my thing is, why would they remove OTHER animations from Witcher 2 which animated well? I feel like maybe only 2-3 show-up in this game from W2, and the rest of Geralts Attack animations [given that they are so few] are just bland and forgettable.
In a 190hr game roughly, and I felt like, 'dang, I love fighting but i hate how Geralt keeps looping the SAME quick-attk back to back.' Why didn't the dev's just work-in his old W2 animations in addition to Witcher 3 arsenal... =(
Secondly, in W3, you have amble opportunity to crush or corner certain enemies [human / monster] into a 1v1 situtations where one can button-smash in succession to crush their stamina/guard.
[True as you said; this was much harder and rare in Witcher 2 to perform a FULL-Combo, but it felt good if you managed to succeed; this made it more worth.]
On the simple fact that this was a challenge to swindle / exploit your enemies as much as possible to achieve this goal [in W2] made his combo that much more interesting.
To your last point; I am surprised the modders have not released a combat-mod to stop repeated animations already. Its just so 'UGH' to see Geralt repeat in this beautiful-game.
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