Two Playthroughs, 230 hours later, The PWSD is real.
This is the best game ever made. Simple as that. From the bottom of my heart, CDP, thank you. At the same, curse you, because you may very well have ruined video games for me. I'm taking a break from TW3 for now because I don't want to become burnt-out. At the same time, everything else seems bleak., I don't want to play anything else. I can't think about anything else. I've even had a few dreams about the game! I realize that there will probably be no game as great as this one for a long time. CD Projekt has set a new precedent for quality. Years ago, the common discussion for RPGs was gameplay vs. story and that one often had to be sacrificed for the sake of the other. Another topic was story vs. content, and it was believed that you couldn't deliver an enjoyable story-based game, like say Mass Effect or TW2, while offering the same amount of content and level of freedom as say Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Dragon Age Inquisition tried to achieve this, but fell short. Because a lot of people (including myself) thought that much of the content was hollow or uninteresting. It was still an enjoyable game, but I felt it's quality was a bit distilled.
Though I should admit my bias. I consider myself a pretty big fan. I played TW2 several times, and have read The Last Wish. When I found out that many more of them are getting translated into English, I decided that I will start reading the rest. I'm the guy who was super-hyped for this game. I'm the guy who told all his friends about it, said it was going to be the greatest game ever, and even tried making them play TW2 or at least teach the about the Witcherverse. Almost every expectation I had was met or exceeded. I haven't had as much fun since TES 5. My experience was a bit unique, because when I played through the game the first time, I ended up getting what I think is the worst possible ending. Radovid controlled the North, I got the bad main ending, and worst of all Geralt was alone at the end. I felt so empty after playing it for the first time. So I took a break for a couple days, then hopped back in for a second playthrough of the game where I redeemed myself.
What can I say about the game? Combat is great: challenging, thrilling, and rewarding. The soundtrack is amazing, memorable, and it suits the Witcher perfectly. It is one of the most beautiful games I have played, and the world feels believable, authentic, and alive. The narrative/storytelling is gripping and interesting. On top of it all. you definitely get a bang for your buck.
This isn't to say the game is perfect. It has many flaws, and I do have some genuine criticisms about the game. My friends who own the game don't share these because most are new to the franchise. I only join a forum when I'm very passionate about something. And I'm glad I did, because it seems a lot of people here share the same grievances. The main three are that
1) The Triss romance was butchered. The game seems very biased towards Yen from a gameplay standpoint.
2) The Witcher 2 choices are essentially rendered meaningless.
3) I was disappointed by the lack of the Wild Hunt's presence. I thought we'd be confronting them throughout the entire game, not just mainly near the end. I thought Eredin would've dispatched his riders to try and get rid of Geralt while he was pursuing Ciri. There also wasn't that much interaction with the Wild Hunt, which I was particularly disappointed by. Not only that, but the game, being an entry point for many players, doesn't really put that much effort into explaining the Wild Hunt, its generals, their history, or their motivations. As somebody else said, they seem like these simple thugs that just use fog/frost special effects and badass Halloween armor to make themselves look scary.
I'm really hoping CDPR will amend these in an EE or through the expansions. Which I really hope that the expansions are tied to the Main Quest, and not just a pair of unrelated, glorified mega-side quests. But I also adore this company so much that I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that these aspects of the game weren't done as well because of constraints on resources and time. And I'm willing to forgive them, because the rest of the game, everything really, is done so well that shines bright enough to hide its blemishes and imperfections.
In conclusion, 10/10, the best game I have ever played, IMO everybody should play this game. Thank you, CDPR, for everything.
What are your thoughts on the game?
This is the best game ever made. Simple as that. From the bottom of my heart, CDP, thank you. At the same, curse you, because you may very well have ruined video games for me. I'm taking a break from TW3 for now because I don't want to become burnt-out. At the same time, everything else seems bleak., I don't want to play anything else. I can't think about anything else. I've even had a few dreams about the game! I realize that there will probably be no game as great as this one for a long time. CD Projekt has set a new precedent for quality. Years ago, the common discussion for RPGs was gameplay vs. story and that one often had to be sacrificed for the sake of the other. Another topic was story vs. content, and it was believed that you couldn't deliver an enjoyable story-based game, like say Mass Effect or TW2, while offering the same amount of content and level of freedom as say Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Dragon Age Inquisition tried to achieve this, but fell short. Because a lot of people (including myself) thought that much of the content was hollow or uninteresting. It was still an enjoyable game, but I felt it's quality was a bit distilled.
Though I should admit my bias. I consider myself a pretty big fan. I played TW2 several times, and have read The Last Wish. When I found out that many more of them are getting translated into English, I decided that I will start reading the rest. I'm the guy who was super-hyped for this game. I'm the guy who told all his friends about it, said it was going to be the greatest game ever, and even tried making them play TW2 or at least teach the about the Witcherverse. Almost every expectation I had was met or exceeded. I haven't had as much fun since TES 5. My experience was a bit unique, because when I played through the game the first time, I ended up getting what I think is the worst possible ending. Radovid controlled the North, I got the bad main ending, and worst of all Geralt was alone at the end. I felt so empty after playing it for the first time. So I took a break for a couple days, then hopped back in for a second playthrough of the game where I redeemed myself.
What can I say about the game? Combat is great: challenging, thrilling, and rewarding. The soundtrack is amazing, memorable, and it suits the Witcher perfectly. It is one of the most beautiful games I have played, and the world feels believable, authentic, and alive. The narrative/storytelling is gripping and interesting. On top of it all. you definitely get a bang for your buck.
This isn't to say the game is perfect. It has many flaws, and I do have some genuine criticisms about the game. My friends who own the game don't share these because most are new to the franchise. I only join a forum when I'm very passionate about something. And I'm glad I did, because it seems a lot of people here share the same grievances. The main three are that
1) The Triss romance was butchered. The game seems very biased towards Yen from a gameplay standpoint.
2) The Witcher 2 choices are essentially rendered meaningless.
3) I was disappointed by the lack of the Wild Hunt's presence. I thought we'd be confronting them throughout the entire game, not just mainly near the end. I thought Eredin would've dispatched his riders to try and get rid of Geralt while he was pursuing Ciri. There also wasn't that much interaction with the Wild Hunt, which I was particularly disappointed by. Not only that, but the game, being an entry point for many players, doesn't really put that much effort into explaining the Wild Hunt, its generals, their history, or their motivations. As somebody else said, they seem like these simple thugs that just use fog/frost special effects and badass Halloween armor to make themselves look scary.
I'm really hoping CDPR will amend these in an EE or through the expansions. Which I really hope that the expansions are tied to the Main Quest, and not just a pair of unrelated, glorified mega-side quests. But I also adore this company so much that I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that these aspects of the game weren't done as well because of constraints on resources and time. And I'm willing to forgive them, because the rest of the game, everything really, is done so well that shines bright enough to hide its blemishes and imperfections.
In conclusion, 10/10, the best game I have ever played, IMO everybody should play this game. Thank you, CDPR, for everything.
What are your thoughts on the game?
