SPOILERS - Very Disappointed

[buckoaus]

SPOILERS - Very Disappointed

I just finished the witcher 3 for the first time and I must say that I am very disappointed. I got the very worst possible ending so I did some digging to find out why and I cant believe it.

I made the most appropriate decisions with ciri. Turns out the one that cost me in the end was not letting her destroy the lab. Because thats the appropriate response to some random chick dissing you. Unlucky for me I have no save games before that so all the hours I put into the game have basically been wasted.

Also I never got the opportunity to kill radovid. Although I wanted to it was like the quest just went away. So I never knew what happened there.

All in all I feel i made the right decisions with Ciri and now I get the worst ending possible. Along with the Radovid thing it has turned the witcher 3 from probably the best game I have ever played into the most disappointing. It has seriously tainted my whole opinion of this game. I feel punished for making the right choices and even then if they were the wrong choices they are so minor it shouldnt affect the whole outcome of the game in such a dramatic way. It cheapens Ciri as a character and has ruined this game for me.

I cant even pick it up again, 10/10 to a 5/10.

 

[Rawls]

I'm sorry it disappointed you. A 10/10 game is probably worth another playthrough. NG+ is pretty great. Make different choices and you'll get a "better" ending next time. Although the "bad" one is quite affecting IMO. Also regarding the save files. I would generally recommend keeping save files at the end of each major part of any game. In the case of my game, I kept save files at the end of the prologue, upon entering Novigrad, upon going to Skellige, upon arriving at Kaer Morhen, and after "Through Space and Time." Just a tip for the future.

I feel punished for making the right choices and even then if they were the wrong choices they are so minor it shouldnt affect the whole outcome of the game in such a dramatic way. It cheapens Ciri as a character and has ruined this game for me.

The whole point is about the relationship of Geralt and Ciri. Ciri gains confidence when Geralt allows her to express herself and stand up for herself ... even if the decision is immature and "wrong." I'm sure that doesn't make you feel any better and I totally get being disappointed, but there was a method to the madness.

 

[Pug.]

Unlucky for me I have no save games before that so all the hours I put into the game have basically been wasted.

Seriously? In the entire 100+ hours you poured into the game, you didn't save more than once? What about autosave?

Also I never got the opportunity to kill radovid. Although I wanted to it was like the quest just went away. So I never knew what happened there.

In order to kill Radovid, you have to complete a series of quests that fall under the label "Assassin": Eye for an Eye, Redania's Most Wanted, and Reason of State. They are spread out over Act One and Act Three.

All in all I feel i made the right decisions with Ciri and now I get the worst ending possible. Along with the Radovid thing it has turned the witcher 3 from probably the best game I have ever played into the most disappointing. It has seriously tainted my whole opinion of this game. I feel punished for making the right choices and even then if they were the wrong choices they are so minor it shouldnt affect the whole outcome of the game in such a dramatic way. It cheapens Ciri as a character and has ruined this game for me.

Ciri's fate doesn't hinge on one single action. It's not about right or wrong, but rather which decisions encourage Ciri to be an independent person and instill her with confidence - the confidence which she needs, incidentally, to face the White Frost.

I cant even pick it up again, 10/10 to a 5/10.

Well, that's unfortunate. To each their own I suppose.

 

[cyberpunkforever]

i know that feel bro, about the worst possible ending, i got that worst ending the first time i completed the game, also started a thread about it, i was very very sad,
because, i agree with you, the decisions regarding ciri, seem the most appropiate, calming her down, don't let her destroy things or something like that, but it turns out, those were the "bad" choices, and you have to let her do whatever she wants,

i assure you, if you start again, make different choices (you can google the best decisions to have the best ending ; ) ) and when you have the best ending, everything will be back to normal, to good, to that good opinion and feeling you had before

and regarding killing radovid, im not sure if you can actually do that in any of the outcomes of that quest, if you play again, there are other outcomes,

Spoiler

that he dies, but not by geralt's hand

so, this is a really great game, i recommend you, start again NG+ and try things differently, have a better ending, and you'll be very happy
:geraltfeelgood:

 

[Avin]

There's an illusion of choice in TW3... and the choices that seem reasonable lead to the worst ending

 

[buckoaus]

I deleted my save from just before the isle of mists, so that is my bad. But the game is just too big for me to slog through again. Especially after all the time I spent on side quests/exploring/levelling and getting new equipment.

100hrs wasted at the end really. Put me off buying any expansions.

 

[Mebrilia]

So excuse me but.... for you a game is nice when you can't fail?... This game have different endings just play try other choices.. experiment..

 

[vivaxardas2015]

So excuse me but.... for you a game is nice when you can't fail?... This game have different endings just play try other choices.. experiment..

Well, not everyone has several dozens hours available to play it again. TW3 is a huge time investment, for those who actually have real life responsibilities.

The choice system is terrible because you do not have any bloody idea what it is all about, and why some pretty damn reasonable choices - not allow to destroy the lab, not allow to face the Lodge alone (given what book readers and those who played TW1-2 know about these ladies) count as negatives, and lead Ciri to go suicidal. Sorry, but if these choices are made, she is suddenly presented as some crazy teenager, who pokes her own eye for her father to have an one-eyed daughter.
Sure, sure, everyone talks this b.s. about relationships, AFTER people read this explanation in the guide, or on forums. How many of you actually got it in the game, and knew while making a choice, that it was something important? I couldn't even conceive that, for example, after Ciri agreed not to visit the grave, she holds a grudge, and it is counted in her total suicidal balance. This is not how choices should work, and it does not make the game final choice system good or deep, just totally retarded.

Honestly, I like TW3, and would have pre-ordered it even if I had known about all its flaws. I am a big fan of the books, and there is enough great stuff still. But not in my life I would pre-order CP now because I am somewhat skeptical about writing abilities of a present CDPR team (some TW2 old-timers left in the beginning), and given that I am not interested in that setting at all, the only saving grace for me, the story, may be simply well below my standards.

 

[RepHope]

Seriously, what is up with people getting butthurt that you can fail? This isn't ME, choosing the paragon option isn't always going to get you the best result. Not every one of your choices should have a clear "Pick this option to win". If it does then just how hard are your choices really?

If you don't like your ending reroll and try again, after giving it a break.

---------- Updated at 04:51 AM ----------

Well, not everyone has several dozens hours available to play it again. TW3 is a huge time investment, for those who actually have real life responsibilities.

The choice system is terrible because you do not have any bloody idea what it is all about, and why some pretty damn reasonable choices - not allow to destroy the lab, not allow to face the Lodge alone (given what book readers and those who played TW1-2 know about these ladies) count as negatives, and lead Ciri to go suicidal. Sorry, but if these choices are made, she is suddenly presented as some crazy teenager, who pokes her own eye for her father to have an one-eyed daughter.
Sure, sure, everyone talks this b.s. about relationships, AFTER people read this explanation in the guide, or on forums. How many of you actually got it in the game, and knew while making a choice, that it was something important? I couldn't even conceive that, for example, after Ciri agreed not to visit the grave, she holds a grudge, and it is counted in her total suicidal balance. This is not how choices should work, and it does not make the game final choice system good or deep, just totally retarded.

Honestly, I like TW3, and would have pre-ordered it even if I had known about all its flaws. I am a big fan of the books, and there is enough great stuff still. But not in my life I would pre-order CP now because I am somewhat skeptical about writing abilities of a present CDPR team (some TW2 old-timers left in the beginning), and given that I am not interested in that setting at all, the only saving grace for me, the story, may be simply well below my standards.

So picking the paragon option didn't reward you with countless gold coins and women. What a shame. What's wrong with your choices not having consequences you expect? What's wrong with you choosing one option because you think x will happen, only for the person you're addressing to not respond like you're expecting? People aren't always logical, nothing wrong with Ciri reacting erratically due to emotion.

 

[vivaxardas2015]

---------- Updated at 04:51 AM ----------


So picking the paragon option didn't reward you with countless gold coins and women. What a shame. What's wrong with your choices not having consequences you expect? What's wrong with you choosing one option because you think x will happen, only for the person you're addressing to not respond like you're expecting? People aren't always logical, nothing wrong with Ciri reacting erratically due to emotion.

What a hell is it about paragon/renegade??? The point is that we have NO FUCKING IDEA that we are choosing at all, and what we are choosing. In TW2 a matter of choice was clearly presented - go with Roche or Iorweth, let Roche kill Henselt or not, and, the most important, who to save Anais/Saskia or Triss. There was no paragon/renegade option, and no choice was optimal. We choose what we liked most, or people we cared about. We used to discuss for months here relative merits of killing Henselt or letting him live, for example, and every choice has pros and cons. We knew immediate consequences (Triss saved, or Anais saved, for example), but had to live with unintended consequences (LM massacre). It was a terrific system, when we had to sacrifice certain things in favor of other things. In TW3 a choice system is something you actually have to read a guide, or forums, in order to understand what a hell is going on, and why Ciri suddenly decided to go and off herself. Our "bad" choices in 5 dialogues (while Gearalt know Ciri for years, but nothing of it had ANY bearings) makes Ciri to react as a complete schizophrenic. It is just so bad that I simply prefer to forget it ever happened.

I really don't have any words besides a lot of F*** words about this.

 

[RageGT]

I can't get enough of it. I have over 10 playthoughs, over 1000 hours and I find new stuff in each, plus I really got into the game mechanics with almost perfect dodging, rolling, fighting, casting, brewing, etc. (big boaster, huh?) I will still have many other runs with this game. Trying different things, choices, paths, builds. It's like a awesome movie which I must watch a lot to dig all the details. (I watch TLotR extended trilogy at least once a year, full 11 hrs of it at once). Give the game a chance and go for new playthroughs. Repetitiveness is no issue if you start it with fresh eyes and try things differently. (space key for cutscenes helps too after many runs)

 

[Riven-Twain]

@vivaxardas2015 , @RepHope , keep it civil, please. Limit your complaints to the game, and try to avoid any personal attacks. That's not to say you've launched anything specific yet, but please be mindful of your somewhat aggravated tones.

 

[AvengerGrim]

100hrs wasted at the end really. Put me off buying any expansions.

It’s all about the journey, not the destination. Or some shizwas, can't remember exactly. Though I can understand the frustration, what exactly is wrong with the "bad ending"?

 

[ooodrin]

OP, take your time off, then return to the game when you're ready and play differently. I do agree with you that choice mechanics that determine the ending is bad, not only because its arbitrary, but also because The Witcher games were never about "good" or "bad" decisions.

 

[Tupexi]

This problems stems from the long line of RPGs (I'm looking at you Bioware) where a certain action will always provide expected results.
E.g. pick paragon option and all will turn out well. It has led to an assumption that this is the right (and only) way to do it.
For me it just adds a sense of realism where your actions and decisions don't always lead to expected results or might not even matter at all.
Even if you had clear choice of good and wrong, it doesn't need to lead to happy/sad ending. It's not ripping the player of choice but again, just like in real life: I thought I did everything right and yet it all went to hell.
Brave of them to make a game that has the possibility to leave player with a sense of loss in the end.

 

[whitewoof]

Admittedly by the time I started playing W3, it was impossible not to google about the game without finding out the multiple endings (perceived good and bad) and all the decisions you had to make in order to achieve the desired ending. So I went through my first playthrough knowing exactly what I had to do. I understand that some players would avoid spoilers at all cost, and wouldn't have heard about the choices you had to make to get a desired ending until it was too late.

While I agree some of the critical decisions make little sense, I wouldn't go so far as to say the decision tree is complete bull and none of your decisions actually matter. It comes down to Geralt showing Ciri love and compassion, giving her hope, inspiration and something to look forward to when facing the White Frost. There are some very clear dickish/douchebaggerish choices in this game, like playing with the hearts of two women who love Geralt, trading Ciri for gold, refusing to accompany her to visit the grave of someone who died helping her, and you can't complain being punished for choosing options that would clearly demoralize Ciri.

Even if you had clear choice of good and wrong, it doesn't need to lead to happy/sad ending. It's not ripping the player of choice but again, just like in real life: I thought I did everything right and yet it all went to hell.
Brave of them to make a game that has the possibility to leave player with a sense of loss in the end.

Agreed on this, humans being humans, people won't necessarily react in the manner you thought they would even if you did something perceived as right or good. Just look at real life kids growing up to be delinquents no matter how much effort their parents put in raising them. As hard (and stupid) as it may sound, you just have to look at each decision through Ciri's eyes, whatever version of her the devs had in mind.

 

[Scholdarr.452]

I just finished the witcher 3 for the first time and I must say that I am very disappointed. I got the very worst possible ending so I did some digging to find out why and I cant believe it.

I made the most appropriate decisions with ciri. Turns out the one that cost me in the end was not letting her destroy the lab. Because thats the appropriate response to some random chick dissing you. Unlucky for me I have no save games before that so all the hours I put into the game have basically been wasted.

Also I never got the opportunity to kill radovid. Although I wanted to it was like the quest just went away. So I never knew what happened there.

All in all I feel i made the right decisions with Ciri and now I get the worst ending possible. Along with the Radovid thing it has turned the witcher 3 from probably the best game I have ever played into the most disappointing. It has seriously tainted my whole opinion of this game. I feel punished for making the right choices and even then if they were the wrong choices they are so minor it shouldnt affect the whole outcome of the game in such a dramatic way. It cheapens Ciri as a character and has ruined this game for me.

I cant even pick it up again, 10/10 to a 5/10.

I feel you mate. For me, the ending of TW3 (not excusively the "bad" one, but that surely adds to the picture) also brought the rating down from a solid 9/10 or even 10/10 to a 7/10 or maybe 8/10 at best.

By the way, I wrote an extensive post (actually, more than one) about the issues with narrative and about choices and C&C design in the later stages of TW3. You can read it here if you want to. Sadly, nobody of CDPR has responded in any way to the critique about the narrative in the last third of the game yet, no matter if it's about the general narrative, about choices or about character writing (with the one exception of the relationship between Geralt and Triss).

 

[ConnivingEagle]

I also got the worst ending despite making choices that I felt were the most logical. Same with Radovid.

Didn't ruin my enjoyment of the game though. I felt really empty inside. But after I week a jumped back in and had a redemption playthrough.

 

[sv3672]

For me it just adds a sense of realism where your actions and decisions don't always lead to expected results or might not even matter at all.

It may be realistic, but it is not fair from a game design point of view to fail (as the protagonist dies, which I also see as a problem because he decides to do so against the player's control) because of seemingly unimportant dialogue choices made possibly tens of hours earlier. It is more of a trap than a meaningful choice.

 

[TootyNooty]

I got the very worst possible ending so I did some digging to find out why and I cant believe it.

I made the most appropriate decisions with ciri. Turns out the one that cost me in the end was not letting her destroy the lab.

I didn't destroy the lab - But I still got the Witcheress ending.

Other than that I just treated her like an adult, but also a daughter and all went well, I don't see how you could've made good calls and not got a better ending..

Ciri has been through so much already - She doesn't need Geralt holding her hand like a child.

From the sounds of it, you chose the super protective to the point of cringy options - Let he have her own moral compass.
If Blinky is Ciri she's done much worse than anything that pops up in the game.

All in all I feel i made the right decisions with Ciri and now I get the worst ending possible. Along with the Radovid thing it has turned the witcher 3 from probably the best game I have ever played into the most disappointing.

Nilfgaardian conquest of the North is no better than Radovid's rule... Radovid ensures the freedom of the Northern people while Nilfgaard's Empire would assimilate and kick the Northern peoples of their lands for Nilfgaardians to take up and then put the peasantry to work in mines and manufactories under even worse than serfdom..

I feel punished for making the right choices and even then if they were the wrong choices they are so minor it shouldnt affect the whole outcome of the game in such a dramatic way. It cheapens Ciri as a character and has ruined this game for me.

It is really apparent that Ciri doesn't need sheltering, being supportive was the easily the right choice to me..