Just played Witcher 3 for first time, after 9 hours, combat is horrible compared to Witcher 2.

[luzarius]

Just played Witcher 3 for first time, after 9 hours, combat is horrible compared to Witcher 2.

UPDATE
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I just figured out the combat system, but it took a VERY long time. The combat system is deeper than anything I've experienced. Basically I change my stance, the combat system is well done, I was wrong.

* The combat system in this game is great!
* Story/Graphics/Visuals are AMAZING! I love it
* Falling damage is horrible.
* Gwent breaks immersion.

I will upload a tutorial eventually that will break down the combat based upon all the advice I got from my viewers. *cheers*

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OLD POST
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Dear CDProjectRed,

The following video is my authentic first seven and a half hours of game play, my first impression of Witcher 3. I hope it serves you well! http://www.twitch.tv/luzarius/v/13996583

After seven hours, thirty minutes here is my assessment.

* The combat system in this game is horrible.
* Falling damage is horrible.
* Gwent breaks immersion.
* Story/Graphics/Visuals are AMAZING! I love it

After seven hours and thirty minutes, I could not figure this game's combat system out. Keep in mind I quickly figured out Witcher 1 & 2's combat.

In Witcher 2 you start out with the following skills:

- Triple Attack (Roll left, left click to attack three times real fast)
- Dive attack (Roll right, left click to dive and close distance real fast)
- Quick cut (roll back or forward, left click to dive forward even more and do a quick finishing cut)

In Witcher 3 you don't start out with shit. You just have to dodge roll and you have absolutely nothing at your disposal. Nothing. Then if you roll the wrong way you fall of a ledge and instantly die. GOD DAMN IT, I"M PISSED. Geralt is like a god damn peasant at the start of the game with his combat skills.

I loved combat in Witcher 1 & Witcher 2 (yes I understand how different both were, but still, I'm that open minded).

WITCHER 3 COMBAT SUCKS, I'M SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW. Oh man I needed to vent, I will try again tomorrow. FUCK.

Here are my youtube videos of playing Witcher 1 & 2 Ironman (no reload after dying, start game over if die)
- WITCHER 1 Medium Difficulty Ironman - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZoY23q_uizatONvBl2vmHV9g98w-SsTs
- Witcher 2 Hard Difficulty Ironman - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZoY23q_uizaFz8aWTaDQe3uKfVJiZbUU

It's not like I'm new to Witcher, this combat system in Witcher 3 just doesn't seem right. Geralt is like a god damn peasant, it's like he's too fucking old to fight now.

 

[Avin]

I find the opposite.

TW3 combat isn't as good as Bloodborne, but vastly improved since TW2.

 

[Benzenzimmern]

From what I can see in the video, you skipped the whole combat tutorial that explains all the new moves and features of our combat system in Wild Hunt. If you play the tutorial, you will learn how to not only roll, but also make the evasive step, which in Wild Hunt is much more important than rolling. There are many more details you learn there, so I'd advise you to give it a go if you haven't already.

This video shows combat of Wild Hunt with many moves quite nicely:

https://youtu.be/CXWbUJXAVE0?t=12m9s

 

[Randomdrowner2015]

I agree Gwent is immersion breaking. It should have been a generic card deck that the players draw from.

 

[BoboTheMighty]

Well, you hear something new every day...except for vastly better skills UI, combat is a huge improvement over the second one. With Combat Enhanced mod, disabled soft lock targeting that puts you in control of every attack, and a possible future mod that improves enemy AI, it may be turn out to be my favorite combat system in any action game.
And thank you for replying here Benzen( ah, what the hell, I can't spell it )...if you don't me asking are you considering doing any improvements to combat in this game in general?

 

[Jobbert.907]

I don't understand what you are talking about. TW3's combat system is TW2's but improved in about every aspect. There's 2 ways of dodging, controls are far more responsive, locking on works better, better camera controls etc.

In Witcher 2 you start out with the following skills:

- Triple Attack (Roll left, left click to attack three times real fast)
- Dive attack (Roll right, left click to dive and close distance real fast)
- Quick cut (roll back or forward, left click to dive forward even more and do a quick finishing cut)

Is that how it works? Because which attack you used in TW2 always felt way too random in my opinion. TW3 does this better too.

The fact that Gwent cards have characters from the story on them is a bit immersion-breaking, but I wasn't too bothered about it. You can just ignore it if you want. Though you'd be missing out on a great minigame.

 

[DimitrisM]

In Witcher 3 you don't start out with shit. You just have to dodge roll and you have absolutely nothing at your disposal. Nothing. Then if you roll the wrong way you fall of a ledge and instantly die. GOD DAMN IT, I"M PISSED. Geralt is like a god damn peasant at the start of the game with his combat skills.

WITCHER 3 COMBAT SUCKS, I'M SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW. Oh man I needed to vent, I will try again tomorrow. FUCK.

You sound like me the first time I played Dark Souls lol . I didn't watch your video cause it's too long but I can't help but wonder...did you really skip tutorial? And do you even alt-dodge bro? Overall the combat is great. You have to be more careful and time things a bit better. And btw, what difficulty are you playing on? Highest difficulties are unforgiving in the early game,it gets easier as you progress,but still a challenge(I HATE SWARMING DROWNERS!!!!).

I will agree on one thing though,fall damage is annoying. However I do think that it is realistic. If you are not into it there are several mods that disable it or tone it down.

A final word of advise, I think this is the most important. I see you are only referring to the swordplay of Geralt. IMO swordplay was the least altered aspect of Witcher 3 combat compared to Witcher 2(alchemy was vastly changed and so was vigor management and signs). And it is those changes that actually completely alter the combat system. You see, in Witcher 2 you could go for full swordsmanship build and never brew a potion/bomb(perhaps use the occasional quen). In Witcher 3, you have to use everything at your disposal. Different enemies require different strategies. For example, no matter what you do you can't beat a fucking gargoyle if you don't use quen. I tried like 20 times to kill the fucker but he kept beating me. On the 21st time I used quen(as the bestiary suggested) and BOOM dead motherfucker on the ground+gargoyle heart for me .
Another crucial part is potions. You can now refill potions easily(when you meditate provided you have alcohol). USE THEM IN EVERY FIGHT. Same thing goes for oils and bombs.
Try to learn your enemies. In Witcher 2 you could dodge+hit every enemy. In Wild Hunt, some of them require you to be cautious and plan each strike carefully and others require you to just kill them as fast as possible,dodging them only gives them time to retaliate and regenerate hp(I'm looking at you Katakan in Novigrad sewers!). Poison and burning dmg is also key against regenerating foes.

Anyway this was longer than I intended,but I hope it will help you see what the combat in W3 is about. If you can't learn/master/cope with it after all, just play the game on medium/easy difficulty. If you have problems there too it means you HAVE TO GIT GUD NOOB!! xD jk

I hope you enjoy this game,it is a true masterpiece.

 

[Holgaroni]

From what I can see in the video, you skipped the whole combat tutorial that explains all the new moves and features of our combat system in Wild Hunt. If you play the tutorial, you will learn how to not only roll, but also make the evasive step, which in Wild Hunt is much more important than rolling. There are many more details you learn there, so I'd advise you to give it a go if you haven't already.

This video shows combat of Wild Hunt with many moves quite nicely:

https://youtu.be/CXWbUJXAVE0?t=12m9s

The combat has really improved and you're right but, he has a point on one thing. Geralt compared to the other 2 games is TOO slow for a witcher. And not a common one, he's the White Wolf.

Geralt is like a god damn peasant, it's like he's too fucking old to fight now.

 

[Riven-Twain]

I agree Gwent is immersion breaking. It should have been a generic card deck that the players draw from.

That would have been a fair approach. With the card-collecting, eventually the player's deck becomes overpowered, and can beat everybody else's with little effort. If there was more element of chance or luck, and both players were drawing blind from a single deck, that might prove more a challenge. (However, it's too late now, and enough people adore Gwent as it is, so I'll just shut up about that, and go back to my Dice Poker!)

 

[BoboTheMighty]

You're missing the point of why they did it...otherwise this would turn into another jprg where your every action is lightning fast and feels entirely mechanical, artificial. It's precisely because dodge, strafe, roll, sprint have completely varied animation speed that combat has far better and immersive sense of rhythm than almost any action rpg out there.

 

[Merwanor]

The combat for Witcher 1 was not the best, it did the job but it got boring very fast. Witcher 2 had great combat imo, it did not take long to figure out how it worked. Don't get how people found the combat in Witcher 2 hard, but anyways. The one thing I did not like in Witcher 2 was the finishing moves, just did not like that they where small cutscenes that at time made no sense.

But the combat in Witcher 3 is very good. It is so much better than Witcher 1 and 2. When you start to get the hang of the combat in Witcher 3, it is like a dance. You mostly use evade on most enemies, the dodge roll is only for larger foes or if you have to get out of immediate danger. You have to attack when the opportunity presents itself, timing is key. You pick the right signs for the right encounter and you are always on your feet. I just love it. By far one of my favorite combat systems in any game to date. Finishers blend into the combat so perfectly, not only do they look amazing, but they actually serve as extra damage to other opponents if they are close too you. At times a finisher that for instance chops a head of one human, chops a head of another one that was too close. And one thing I really love is that when you face a large pack of enemies it just gets much harder and more fun. I have almost put in 200 hours and I am not even close to being tired of this combat system.

Witcher 3 combat system is an improvement over the previous games in every way imo.

 

[Holgaroni]

otherwise this would turn into another jprg where your every action is lightning fast and feels entirely mechanical, artificial.

Are you saying that it would feel like a... witcher? A mutant with enhanced senses, reflexes and fast as hell? Ok, what's the name of this jrpg?

Spoiler

Jokes aside i just wanted to say this:
Less realistic ---> More responsive ----> More fun and why not, even LORE-FRIENDLY

 

[Garrison72]

Gwent is indeed immersion breaking, I don't think anyone can argue that. As to combat, both TW1 and TW2 still have the best of the special abilities and perks. TW3 certainly has better controls and execution, but it lacks variety. I'm simply less compelled to experiment with builds than I was in the previous games.

 

[BoboTheMighty]

Are you saying that it would feel like a... witcher? A mutant with enhanced senses, reflexes and fast as hell? Ok, what's the name of this jrpg?[/SPOILER]

It's a matter of game play, not lore design. And which jrpg are you referring to?

 

[luzarius]

From what I can see in the video, you skipped the whole combat tutorial that explains all the new moves and features of our combat system in Wild Hunt. If you play the tutorial, you will learn how to not only roll, but also make the evasive step, which in Wild Hunt is much more important than rolling. There are many more details you learn there, so I'd advise you to give it a go if you haven't already.

This video shows combat of Wild Hunt with many moves quite nicely:

https://youtu.be/CXWbUJXAVE0?t=12m9s

I finally figured the combat out, it took roughly 15 hours with the help of 20 people constantly training me with combat advice. I basically had to unlearn everything I learned in Witcher 2. I will upload a tutorial soon to help out players like me who were struggling! *cheers* Thanks for an amazing game with such an in-depth combat system!

 

[Paul_cz]

I finally figured the combat out, it took roughly 15 hours with the help of 20 people constantly training me with combat advice. I basically had to unlearn everything I learned in Witcher 2. I will upload a tutorial soon to help out players like me who were struggling! *cheers* Thanks for an amazing game with such an in-depth combat system!

How is this even possible...

 

[luzarius]

I hate to say it, but I still don't get the combat in this game. It is not as fun as Witcher 2. Oh well, *sigh*.

 

[luzarius]

I tried to get into witcher 3 again, couldn't do it. Boggles the mind. I loved the first two witcher games, but the third one is unbelievably boring. The combat is just horrible.

I really hope they come out with an enhanced edition that streamlines the game, maybe removes all the open world, removes all the meaningless side quests. I just want an experience similar to Witcher 1 & 2. *sigh*

By the time I get to novigrad it's so boring and that stupid dandelion quest ends up being the final nail in the coffin of me not playing this game

 

[Draconifors]

I really hope they come out with an enhanced edition that streamlines the game, maybe removes all the open world, removes all the meaningless side quests. I just want an experience similar to Witcher 1 & 2. *sigh*

Well, that most certainly is not going to happen.
You can just ignore the side quests and even the open world, if they bother you.

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And since this thread has been dug up, I might as well add some input.

IMO the combat in TW3 in way better than the one in TW2 - but that does not mean the older game has bad or clunky combat. There's good, and then there's better.
Two of the major differences in TW3's favour are in evading enemy attacks (roll only vs. roll and dodge) and counterattacking (in TW2 you have to spend an ability point on the riposte ability, whereas in TW3 it's a default skill).

The one "issue" I have with TW3's combat is the default keybind for strong attack. That can easily be remedied by rebinding or using a controller, though, so it's not a problem.

 

[Orpheal]

The combat for Witcher 1 was not the best, it did the job but it got boring very fast. Witcher 2 had great combat imo, it did not take long to figure out how it worked. Don't get how people found the combat in Witcher 2 hard, but anyways. The one thing I did not like in Witcher 2 was the finishing moves, just did not like that they where small cutscenes that at time made no sense.

But the combat in Witcher 3 is very good. It is so much better than Witcher 1 and 2. When you start to get the hang of the combat in Witcher 3, it is like a dance. You mostly use evade on most enemies, the dodge roll is only for larger foes or if you have to get out of immediate danger. You have to attack when the opportunity presents itself, timing is key. You pick the right signs for the right encounter and you are always on your feet. I just love it. By far one of my favorite combat systems in any game to date. Finishers blend into the combat so perfectly, not only do they look amazing, but they actually serve as extra damage to other opponents if they are close too you. At times a finisher that for instance chops a head of one human, chops a head of another one that was too close. And one thing I really love is that when you face a large pack of enemies it just gets much harder and more fun. I have almost put in 200 hours and I am not even close to being tired of this combat system.

Witcher 3 combat system is an improvement over the previous games in every way imo.

And they could have made it a ton times still better .... by making usage of all potentials the game offers, but instead they wasted alot of potential to make the combat system really great. I can understnad, why some say, the system makes Geralt look slow.. because the combat system of TW3 has been dumbed down to just Perma Evading, Button Mashing and randomous Instant Kills.

The Swordmanship of Geralt in TW1 and 2 looked alot more of a very experienced witcher and master of the sword... when you swign your sword with Geralt in TW3, you see him doing basicalyl always the exact same moves, unless you are doign one of those few randomous instant kills and even on those, CDPR could have been far more creative so that they don't repeat themself so oftenly by making also usage of the Signs, like castign igni onto your sword to make it a burning blade that cuts through any defense of the enemy and slices the foe in half vertically, or using Axii to force the enemy to kill itself, or using a more powerful cold Aard sign to freeze the enemy and crush the frozen foe into pieces, or using Yrzen onto your blade let the foe get stroke by lightning to death or using quen for a counterattack instant kill at moments where a foe woudl hit you, while your quen is active, instead of only instant kills with your sword.. or an instant kill move, where you pull your crossbow to shoot your foe from nearest distance directly into the head (to help also for the head kill achievement)

More creativity is absolutely something, I missed in this game, can say it only over and over again, the game has so much wasted potential in its combat system, especially in regard of geralts Character Development options that could have been used in a much better way to make the whole combat systemof this game alot more fun and interesting....

All the decoctions, trophies, runes, glyphs and glyphwords as also the mutations could have been made alot more diversive, useful and interesting to make the combat better..instead with each added character development they made the previous one mostly obsolete...

When you use glyphword, you make your runes and glphy obsolete,
you use mutation,s you make basically your skill point based development obsolete, because to develop mutations, you must waste alot of skill points, which you can't put then anymore to develop other witcher skills and even then you can always have only 1 mutation active, but to get the mutation that you wan,t you have to waste alot of skill points..

this all isnt very well thought out and definetely could have been made alot better and has been made i nthe past already alot bett,er as the mutation system of TW1 was already alot better, that we got with TW3, there you could get multiple mutaltions, and it didnt require skil lpoinmts, it required its own items you needed to activate the mutations by defeasting powerful creatures to drink special decoctions that unlocked the mutations for you..all of this hasn#t been used and improved for TW3, not they fdecided instead to complely rework everythign and make it in fact alot worser, because the cobmat and character development in this game obviously received the short end of ther development stick in regard of spent budget money for it, while other thigns liek word design ,story telling and voice actors, the thigns which make this game by far the most so great as it is, these things received for sure the biggest parts of budget money in the development of this game, while the cobmat and character development feels like being the last stuff that has been worked on at the end...