This was my number 1 worry about the game they went to the other extreme when it comes to length ,the fact that they are catering to people who did not finish the witcher 3 is just weird ,yes the witcher 3 was too long and yes the story felt bloated at times ,but it was at the same time it did not leaving me wanting more ,i feel that the story said everything that needed to be said the story was fleshed out.
people were expecting quality over quantity and as someone who has been playing their games since the witcher 1 i knew this will not be the case , like everyone else said ,there should have been more time exploring characters like Tbug and Jackie getting to know them more ,the ending for the prologue/interlude was phenomenal tbh but it could have hit harder knowing these characters more.
i heard that the side content are connected to the main story and will make it better ,i hope this is the case.