Wow - Simply Amazing Game (barring technical difficulties) MINOR SPOILERS
I really had high hopes for this game, CDPR did not disappoint!
MINOR SPOILERS ALERT
Sorry for the length (it’s a book), this epic story deserves it however.
After playing the Witcher 2 (4 months ago) and battling through some really tough game-play environments and battle mechanics I was sincerely worried. I had reservations about the story being a bit convoluted and over bearing, in some cases a bit childish for an adult game and wondered if Witcher3 would be as short of a game as W2.
This was so far from what I just finished experiencing last night. This game is by far and away the best game I have ever played.
What a story: first off, great tempo, great plot lines, incredible quests that are all voiced and all have a uniqueness to them. All the characters had incredible, believable depth (a few minor flaws). I really started realizing this right from the beginning with how warm and yet stern Vessemir was and confirmed this as I began to absolutely hate the Barron and then somehow felt compelled to have compassion and help the dude. “I want to smack you in your filthy mouth Bloody Baron, oh man really? Okay…I’ll help you clean up your mess you dope!”. I still hate him, I think, maybe he has changed? LOL I love it!
It doesn’t stop there by any means! The back and forth plot changes, highs and lows, curves and twists that tug you along as you explore this incredibly realistic and awe inspiring landscape are simply amazing! I thought I knew what was coming next but then realized CDPR had other plans and took the story for another heart pounding ride.
Side quests: are such a trivial term for some of these stories! That’s really what they are, incredibly well thought out, superbly written and wonderfully acted stories! Some of the most terrifying beasts were found just following these stories. I can’t tell you when or if I have ever played a game that made these “side quests” feel less like chores and more like doing something meaningful and worthy of finishing. Not all mind you, but there are a lot of really, really great ones.
The monsters: wow really? I have not had shivers from a game in such a long time that I thought I might be immune to SCARY. No such thing, these monsters really do come from nightmares, they are the stories that freak you out as a child, they hit you with that ancient, ancestral, instinctual FEAR. You know the kind that made us scared of the dark, cover your head with a blanket, turn a light on or run to your mothers room. This is how monsters are made people! Even the dammed Drowners, the sound they make just messes me up (I can’t swim very far by the way, and I’ve almost drowned before). The water hags a foglets are simply disturbing, I remember seeing one from a distance prancing around in a swap and shivers just flew up my spine as the hair stood straight on my neck. Then to see this monstrosity coming at me really laid it on heavy. Ah Igni I love you!
The environment is incredible, it’s not only fitting for the stories but it has a character all its own. The land takes on the form of the history that has preceded your entry into this world. It has the scars and torments, the good and the evil just as this story does. In some areas it is downright depressing and in others I just lingered a while longer to enjoy the peaceful majestic serenity. I found myself not sprinting everywhere but strolling and enjoying my travels. It is the journey not the destination that is the goal!
All in all, I wouldn’t buy this game…once, I’d buy it again, and again, and again. So worth the paltry fee. I will replay it (I think) and for me that’s a big deal. I have NEVER replayed a game once completed. I move past and get on with life. This one I think has something different for me. My only fear is that my ending was PERFECT. I worked hard to get what I wanted and was rewarded for it. Sure not all things went my way but the important things did. Such is life, and such is this game. A master piece on all accounts! Simply the most engaging, terrifying, wonderfully fulfilling game I have played yet. Call me a Fanyboy, call me what you want. I never post reviews, I never leave feedback, but this was such a great story that I felt compelled to repay CDPR in kind with my thoughts on their incredible game.
Thank you CDPR for a job well done!
The only problems I had were minor:
Plot lines: Triss I think deserved a bit more weight in the overall plot of the story. I just felt like she was a third wheel and lacked some substance. She is fiery, full of life and passionate. It just didn’t seem like she was fighting as hard as she would have. Not a deal breaker by any means.
I also wanted to be able to deal the Witch Hunters and Church of the Eternal Fire a serious blow. There needs to be some way the Geralt can save these non-humans from the hands of these deviants.
Technical problems: Hrmm: If not for being semi-technically adept (or just plain old stubborn) I think I would have given up on this game a while ago. However as a PC player I knew what I was in for. The reality was that the game didn’t suffer from not being able to use xfire (the only fix for flickering) but I would have liked to see this push my new system to the brink. It came very short of doing so. The textures perhaps someday will get an HD mod and I will replay again. I however did not have nearly as many problems as some, but I do keep my system under a very tight regiment of updates and removal of old and useless applications and services.