CD Projekt Red: Thank You for One of the Best Narrative Experiences I Have Ever Had

[UndiscoveredAdv]

CD Projekt Red: Thank You for One of the Best Narrative Experiences I Have Ever Had

[Possible Spoilers Bellow]

Dear CD Projekt Red,

When I first booted up this game, even with all of the hype and anticipation behind it, I could never have possibly imagined the sheer attention to detail, depth, and love that went into crafting The Witcher 3. The presentation, the visuals, the gameplay, it exceeded even my wildest expectations; though for this post in particular, I wanted to express my appreciation for the story.

It's a very unique experience: reading about characters, learning about their pasts, their personalities, their relationships, and then seeing it brought to life - not in a passive way, but in a fully realised, interactive world. Here, you don't just watch the tale of Geralt of Rivia: you get to live it. It was absolutely fascinating to 'meet' the people that I'd read so much about. Seeing Ciri, Yennefer, Dandelion, Vesemir, Triss, and realising that they were exactly how I had imagined them.

Talking to Yennefer for example; noticing her haughtiness, her subtle nuances and expressions, all I could think to myself was "that's Yennefer! That's perfect!". The thought that went into writing, designing and animating these characters is remarkable, and the respect for and homage to the books makes the experience even richer and more immersive.

There were moments in this story that ranged from giddy delight to outright horror, childish fun to quite bliss, deep sorrow to joyful triumph, and I was invested in every second of it. I wasn't sure precisely what I was expecting, but I couldn't have guessed that I'd help put on a play (Geralt's quite the actor!), or have a pun-off with Yennefer, or a snowball fight with Ciri. Such events stuck out to me, and were all the more enjoyable for the often unforgiving harshness of The Witcher's setting.

The way that each quest unfolded, connected, branched is hard for me to fully take in. Looking at the official game guide I can't quite comprehend how you managed to weave it all together, but you did, and to great effect. The grand adventure with Ciri was phenomenal, and the way that it intertwined with each side quest created an incredibly deep, multifaceted narrative, in which every character got the time and attention they needed.

Choices hold weight in a way that I haven't seen in a game before, making you feel real guilt or palpable relief when seeing the consequences of your actions. I was especially intrigued that the core ending's outcome is dependant not on winning battles or assassinating kings, but on the simple way that a father treats his daughter; a move that's deceptively clever, but one that really makes perfect sense when looking at the series as a whole.

I could gush about this game for weeks, in fact I have to my friends and family, but I wanted to find some way of letting you as the developers know how blown away I am by what you've managed to pull off.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, for giving me one of the best narrative experiences I have ever had.

Update:

I guess, seeing as I've started a thread, this'll be a good place to discuss everyone's favourite things about the story!

 

[OptoNick]

+1, I've grunted a lot about endings in nearby threads, but it's still an amazing and captivating story with outstanding atmosphere

And CDPR had satisfied even such annoying books lore nerd as me with Yen and Ciri depictions in the game, it's quite an accomplishment, too

 

[UndiscoveredAdv]

As have I with the endings in another thread (I would've liked them to be a bit longer for example), but that doesn't take away from the fact that the story is incredible. I agree about Ciri and Yen, they got them both down to a T!

 

[JackofTears]

Some of my favorite parts of the game are Geralt's interactions with Ciri; his conversation with her in the hut after he finds her on the Isle of mists, the snowball fight, the trashing of the room; they all feel so perfect, so connected to her, it's incredible. I, through Geralt, feel the kind of love I am supposed to for Ciri in those moments and it is meaningful for me; so when I tell her that I trust her at the end, I mean it. (and I want to ask her not to do this to me, but I know I have to let her make her own choice ... it's a hard moment of letting go and trusting she'll make the right decision.)

Other than that, I loved the drunken bonding in Kaer Morhen, where the three witchers get to really fuck around and let loose ... you feel like part of a family, connected to the others in a personal and important way. That moment really makes you worry about the outcome of the coming conflict and it was fun and perfect and I was laughing out loud at my computer desk during the entire scene.

I think I had more genuine emotion during this game than I've had during any other in a long time and that is something that means a lot to me, that will make me remember and treasure the experience in the days to come. The only series to come close to this was Mass Effect, in its totallity it, too, was the story of Shepard as a person and her relationship with the people around her - and the ending of their stories. Both great experiences that I was made better for having shared.

 

[UndiscoveredAdv]

I loved every second with Ciri as well, CDPR nailed their relationship and their respective personalities . Exactly, they do such a fantastic job of making you feel a genuine connection to the characters. That makes me want to mention how in awe I am of the facial expressions in this game; you can see the slightest emotion conveyed on the character's faces, it's incredible.

And yeah, the drinking scene was pretty darn hilarious!

 

[AlphaAquila]

I really have to concurr here. I finished the game yesterday with a partly happy an partly sad ending. I've never experienced such emotional moments in games or movies before.I'm a little depressive that the story around Geralt has come to an end, that this was the third and probably last part of a series like no other. I'm still that much involved in the game, that I can't get it out of my head. The story, the authentic characters with their complex relationships to each other, as well as the dense atmosphere make it the most immersive medial experience I've ever had. It's more than just a game, more than just a told story, it's an excursion into the players own emotional sphere. If you turn off the game on your computer, you don't in your mind. This is what makes the Witcher series unique, and this is what is climaxed in The Wild Hunt.
I had great moments playing this game, laughed alot and shed a tear on more than one occasion. Even though not every aspect is perfect, for me TW3 is the best game I've ever played.

Thank you CDPR for making this possible. I still hope you can find a way to extend the series around our favorite witcher and all the characters we've grown to love, while keeping the serious exceptional quality.

 

[carsomnyr]

Kinda stupid but my favorite secene was the snowball game also loved all those father daughter interactions. And yeah i think they nailed it for Ciri and Yennefer aswell (I know they made characters nicely because i still hate yens guts even in the game )

 

[UndiscoveredAdv]

The snowball fight was definitly one of my favourite moments as well, especially seeing Geralt laugh! I love Yen personally, but she's meant to be pretty dislikable on the surface, 'the woman without a heart'. I wasn't too keen on her at first in the books until she met Ciri, then the all of feels made me warm to her!

 

[Scholdarr.452]

My favorite thing about the story is that it's based on one of the best series of fantasy novels ever written..

 

[Jou05]

Even though most of Act 2 and especially Act 3 were rushed and in parts very unsatisfying overall I still liked TW3's story
Especially the Baron questline was a highlight for me, it was emotional, had great writing and atmosphere

Definitely my favourite part of the story

 

[UndiscoveredAdv]

Yeah the third Act (the ending in particular) especially would have benefitted from being a little more fleshed out in some areas, but I still think the main story is absolutely wonderful As for the Baron questline, yep, it's masterful, and they really don't pull those emotional punches!

 

[EliHarel]

I had great moments playing this game, laughed alot and shed a tear on more than one occasion. Even though not every aspect is perfect, for me TW3 is the best game I've ever played.

I relate on both accounts. I cried more than once, but I was kinda expecting that, seeing as I'm just a big softie. What surprised me was how much I laughed in the game. As in, laugh-laugh, not just smiling at the screen. Probably the game I laughed the most from its humor. And it's surprising considering it's not meant to be a comedy like Portal or Borderlands, and some of the content was really grim (I felt uncomfortable with what the Witch Hunters were doing - that was some messed up shit, it felt like the beginning of a small genocide, and that's not something that's fun to tackle). I think the humor doesn't get enough praise. I believe it actually had a big (positive) influence on my experience.

 

[UndiscoveredAdv]

I completely agree about the humour, it actually took me by surprise just how funny the game was! Most of the humorous moments revolved around Dandelion, naturally! Though there's also stuff like the banter with Yen, or looking for Princess the goat, or those little comments from Geralt!