Alright, so with E3 done, we have some info, we have a trailer and some screenshots. It's actually a bit surprising how closely they're following TW3's marketing. I guess it was successful for them, so it shouldn't be a surprise but still.
Anyway, main takeaways for me from all the information that has been released: game sounds very ambitious. That's not really a surprise to me, though - people not being blown away would have been unexpected. They were able to pull off TW3 on vodka, sheer will and a relatively small budget and team, and that game has yet to be surpassed imo. Now, with the success of TW3, they actually have the funds and infrastructure to deliver big, so I am excited.
That said, here are the things that did not excite me all that much... As I've already said, "street cred" I just don't really trust. It sounds like it's tied more to just side activites and is CDPR's answer to people complaining about side stuff in TW3 not feeling rewarding. I... don't know, I'm wary because I have seen similar systems in ME3 and DA:I, and I remember the grind, and I just didn't like it. Hopefully, "street cred" is just there for side stuff, and any side quests that can affect the main quest are not restricted by the system. And ideally, the player will have an option to get around "street cred" restrictions via other means.
Class system - honestly, I was hoping CDPR were going to deliver a more traditional cRPG experience here, but on a next level. Origin stories based on selected class, that have really big effect on the story and gameplay. Sounds like they're essentially playing it safe with sticking to 3 combat archetypes (reminiscent of TW3's sign/alchemy/combat archetypes) and so that was a bit disappointing to me. That said, character customisation still seems like it will play a bigger role than it did in TW3 (where playing as Geralt, there obviously wasn't much room for variation). They also seem to be stressing that choice will have significant consequences, so that is good to hear - I really hope we start getting closer to Witcher 2 levels of C&C, as TW3 was a bit of a step back in that regard (still living up to Witcher 1 levels, however).
Dialogue - I have heard some mixed feeling on this, and if the narration of the trailer (which made me feel like I was listening to a Ubisoft trailer) is anything to go by, I am going to be a bit apprehensive. CDPR have done a fantastic job with dialogue and writing in the past, so I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt here. Hopefully, they don't rely on too many tropes and "cool, edgy" writing.
Now, onto things I liked and/or found interesting: combat and the different approaches players can take sounds solid, I hope the shooting feels good. The Witcher series never managed to really nail the combat, hopefully with CP they finally get there. The crowd system sounds cool, although I have to wonder, while I am sure that for a short demo the variations and dynamic feel of the crowd might have felt amazing, I suspect that it will get less impressive the more you play and the more you start noticing repeating patterns. Still, sounds like they've made a big advancement there, so I'm happy. Vehicles - yes.
Now, looking at the future, seeing how closely they seem to be following TW3's marketing strategy, what I expect is some more screenshots and bits and pieces of info from Gamescom, but nothing major. Probably a trailer that reveals some more of the story at the Game Awards? Then next E3 we get extended gameplay and a release date. Now, if TW3 is anything to go by, release would be 2020. But. The game seems to be farther along in dev than TW3 was when they first showed it. I remember that first trailer and it was really janky in places. Also worth noting is that for TW3, they intended to release the game in 2014, so I would not be surprised if next E3, they do a Fallout-style release date reveal of late 2019.
Also, it's really cool seeing how far CDPR have come since their humble beginnings. Being in the corner of the BioWare E3 2004 booth vs. being the "mic drop" of the MS conference and having industry legends personally visit the CP booth. I am happy for them and hope they stay awesome.
Anyway, all in all, exciting stuff, looking forward to more details and the eventual release.
Anyway, main takeaways for me from all the information that has been released: game sounds very ambitious. That's not really a surprise to me, though - people not being blown away would have been unexpected. They were able to pull off TW3 on vodka, sheer will and a relatively small budget and team, and that game has yet to be surpassed imo. Now, with the success of TW3, they actually have the funds and infrastructure to deliver big, so I am excited.
That said, here are the things that did not excite me all that much... As I've already said, "street cred" I just don't really trust. It sounds like it's tied more to just side activites and is CDPR's answer to people complaining about side stuff in TW3 not feeling rewarding. I... don't know, I'm wary because I have seen similar systems in ME3 and DA:I, and I remember the grind, and I just didn't like it. Hopefully, "street cred" is just there for side stuff, and any side quests that can affect the main quest are not restricted by the system. And ideally, the player will have an option to get around "street cred" restrictions via other means.
Class system - honestly, I was hoping CDPR were going to deliver a more traditional cRPG experience here, but on a next level. Origin stories based on selected class, that have really big effect on the story and gameplay. Sounds like they're essentially playing it safe with sticking to 3 combat archetypes (reminiscent of TW3's sign/alchemy/combat archetypes) and so that was a bit disappointing to me. That said, character customisation still seems like it will play a bigger role than it did in TW3 (where playing as Geralt, there obviously wasn't much room for variation). They also seem to be stressing that choice will have significant consequences, so that is good to hear - I really hope we start getting closer to Witcher 2 levels of C&C, as TW3 was a bit of a step back in that regard (still living up to Witcher 1 levels, however).
Dialogue - I have heard some mixed feeling on this, and if the narration of the trailer (which made me feel like I was listening to a Ubisoft trailer) is anything to go by, I am going to be a bit apprehensive. CDPR have done a fantastic job with dialogue and writing in the past, so I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt here. Hopefully, they don't rely on too many tropes and "cool, edgy" writing.
Now, onto things I liked and/or found interesting: combat and the different approaches players can take sounds solid, I hope the shooting feels good. The Witcher series never managed to really nail the combat, hopefully with CP they finally get there. The crowd system sounds cool, although I have to wonder, while I am sure that for a short demo the variations and dynamic feel of the crowd might have felt amazing, I suspect that it will get less impressive the more you play and the more you start noticing repeating patterns. Still, sounds like they've made a big advancement there, so I'm happy. Vehicles - yes.
Now, looking at the future, seeing how closely they seem to be following TW3's marketing strategy, what I expect is some more screenshots and bits and pieces of info from Gamescom, but nothing major. Probably a trailer that reveals some more of the story at the Game Awards? Then next E3 we get extended gameplay and a release date. Now, if TW3 is anything to go by, release would be 2020. But. The game seems to be farther along in dev than TW3 was when they first showed it. I remember that first trailer and it was really janky in places. Also worth noting is that for TW3, they intended to release the game in 2014, so I would not be surprised if next E3, they do a Fallout-style release date reveal of late 2019.
Also, it's really cool seeing how far CDPR have come since their humble beginnings. Being in the corner of the BioWare E3 2004 booth vs. being the "mic drop" of the MS conference and having industry legends personally visit the CP booth. I am happy for them and hope they stay awesome.
Anyway, all in all, exciting stuff, looking forward to more details and the eventual release.
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