I have read through this thread, and It is very strange and disappointing that very few posts actually talked about Geralt and Vesemir's interaction. All we seem to care about these days are graphics, but as old fans we forget that graphics were not why Witcher 1 was great nor will it be why WItcher 3 would be great or disappointing. I want to take this time to tell the new fans that the Witcher is not about graphics, but it is about a great story told within a rich lore with a unique and immersive atmosphere. It is about mature subjects and life like gray decisions that have consequences that might surprise you. It is about interesting and deep characters and their relationships. These are the things that are most important in the Witcher.
That being said I loved Geralt and Vesemir's interaction. We felt the father and son relationship, and its portrayal was so subtle and perfect. We see a father and son, that care about each other, trying to hide their emotions and act tough for each other. The expression on Vesemir's face when he asks about Geralt's nightmare, shows that he cares about Geralt. They argue about the rereading the letter like any father and son arguing about silly stuff. Vesemir then raises his voice on Geralt like a father, and Geralt daunts Vesemir with a smart comment like a rebellious kid. Although Geralt is a dick to Vesemir in the beginning, we see that he cares about his old man by the look on his face when Vesemir is injured by the Griffin. Vesemir then acts tough for Geralt by telling him that the beast barely grazed him.
I really liked the strong writing and delivery, which makes Geralt and Vesemir's interaction so smooth and believable.
I agree. The interaction is magnificent.
So much is conveyed, yet very little is told. As someone who hasn't read any of the books, I can't help but marvel at how naturally and convincingly both personalities come through. There's the mentor and mentee relationship, of course, but it's entwined with the kind of banter one would expect from old male friends. The pacing is also wonderful. The pauses, the hesitations, the inflections, they have an almost theatre-like quality that at least in my experience seems absent from most contemporary videogame dialogue, which, for the most part, seeks to pack as much exposition as possible. Here exposition is served in a way that fulfils the higher purpose of shedding light on character. The fact the game is willing to take its time, to spend time on this rather than just walk the player through facts cannot be praised highly enough.
What's strange and disappointing about people discussing graphics? You have got to come to terms with the fact not everyone is going to appreciate TW3, and the series, for that matter, for the exact same reasons that you personally do. To say that The Witcher «is not about graphics» is stating a half-truth. Maybe to you it isn't, and that's perfectly fine, nothing to be quarrelled over. Please extend to others the same right. Deem them fit to decide for themselves what's important to them. I'm terribly sorry, but you're in no position to publish an edict, binding on all Witcher fans, establishing what The WItcher supposedly is or is not about. CD Projekt alone is in the position - and I'm not even entirely sure about that. As for TW3, they spend a lot of resources on graphics. That alone should show you how high it ranks on their list of priorities, but, if in doubt, you can always check the official site's front page, which spells it out rather unambiguously.
The WItcher is about graphics, at least to me it very much is, unapologetically so. I mean, to me, The WItcher is
also about graphics, but, of course,
not just about graphics. I claim the right to talk about the subject without having to postscript each and every comment with a disclaimer explaining how, even though on this particular occasion I'm restricting myself to just discussing graphics, that does not mean I deem graphics the be-all and end-all of The Wicther series. And I wouldn't be able to let the greatest irony of all pass uncommented: that you're praising Geralt and Vesemir's interaction, and rightly so, yet fail to acknowledge it owes some of its success to beautifully rendered facial expressions and body language, both direct debtors of the increased graphical fidelity TW3 has managed to secure.
In conclusion, I don't find it strange, let alone disappointing, that people discuss specific topics such as graphics, no more than I find it strange that the much narrower topic of the crossbow was the center of a lengthy thread. I'm curious, did you assert a similar «The Witcher is not about the crossbow» there? Fact is this thread offers a good vehicle for a discussion on graphics simply because, for example, the present footage fails rather flat as a gameplay mechanics showcase. So, yes, some people do seem to want to continue discussing the hypothetical downgrade. Apparently, for whichever reason, they are not allowed to do it on the official The WItcher 3 forum.
Make of that what you will.
This is neither Dragon Age or Skyrim. Sometimes the fight must be held in silence.
