I finished my first play through of The Witcher 3 right at about 100 hours with all bounty quests accomplished and a guess-timate of approximately 75 percent of side quests completed. Having completed the game once, I can say that TW3 met my expectation as it is an awesome and worthwhile addition to the open world action RPG genre. Not since the original Gothic 1 and 2, or Morrowind, did I thoroughly enjoy an open world game this much.
The following are some aspects of the games that I'd like to discuss in further details:
GRAPHICS/SOUND/MUSIC
Sound is well done and appropriate. Music is very done albeit a few reused (good) soundtracks from the previous games.
Although I am not a graphics prostitute, I readily admit that good graphics can certainly enhance gameplay and boost the total experience - and The Witcher 3 has graphics in spade. The game is simply beautiful to look at on the high settings that I run on my mid-range PC. In brief, TW3's combination of excellent graphics, sound, and music makes it an exquisite game to begin with.
GAMEPLAY (Combat, Leveling, and Exploration)
The combat system of TW2 and TW3 is inspired by Batman: Arkham Asylum (along with TW3's witcher's sense), which is a very good thing. Granted, The Witcher's combat system never reach the level of Batman's, but TW3 did a very good job overall.
In comparison with TW2, TW3's combat is noticeably improved. The slight delay in elapsed time that occurs when one presses a button and the actual sword swing that follows in TW2 (that some complained about) is almost non-existent here. The action is more instantaneous. The upside is that combat is now more dynamic and happens at a faster pace, thus make it more fun and intense. The downside is that it does make button mashing easier since timing is not as critical as in TW2. However, be mindful that straight up button mashing will not get far since enemy AI is improved (eg. monster dodge quicker, human parry and counter attack more often). In addition, signs are now more integral to combat than ever before.
In terms of difficulty, the developer CDPR made a drastic change from TW2; that is, TW3 now has a story mode difficulty for a wider audience, namely those who just like to think that they are gamers without ever having to prove it. Fortunately, the higher difficulty levels put the challenge back to the game. I recommend playing the first area on medium difficulty to get better gears, and then change to hard or even higher after that to aprreciate the full challenge and benefit of being a witcher where the combination of magical signs, potion, and bomb are essential in addtion to swordplay.
In level up, TW3's skilltree has changed from TW2. There is now less skills that can be used at once, but it is now more versatile since you have a greater freedom of customization where various skills can be switched in and out to accommodate a specific situation or enemy.
Exploration, the highlight of every open world game in my opinion, is extremely well done here. Horseback riding (but not horseback fighting) is well integrated into the game and make exploration an enjoyable experience. Adding a well-detailed and lively world along with great graphics, sound, and music into the mix and TW3's exploration becomes much more than a trait of an open world game; it is a wondrous expereince to behold to the point where I can totally lose myself mentally in the game and enjoy every moment of being lost.
STORY AND DIALOGS
Upon learning that TW3 will be an open world game a long time ago in a discussion with another veteran gamer, I expressed my concern that it would be a difficult task to combine a tightly narrated story of The Witcher caliber with the go anywhere and do anything characteristic of an open world game. With that in mind, I think TW3's story is very good; however, unless one makes a conscious effort to concentrate on the main quest, the story element of TW3 seems less focused and less layered than the previous games due to the new open world environment and the myriad side quests involved. However, in so far as open world games go, TW3's story is still one of the best ever.
Also, dialogs are very well written and voice acting is very good. Taking a cue from the Mass Effect series, TW3 uses in-game cutscenes to enhance narration and dialog delivery. I am not a fan of cutscene, but like the Mass Effect series, I also make an exception for TW3's cutscenes since they are very good. For those who do not like cutscene at all, know that there is an easy fix -- 'One does simply toggle on the subtitle and skip through the cutscenes.'
Furthermore, for those who read the Andrzej Sapkowski's short stories and novels like myself, it is such a wonderful treat to see old characters making appearances in TW3 - especially the Wolf School Witchers. Moreover, although the game did a good job of bringing one of the main characters Ciri into the story, only those have read the books can really comprehend the travails that Ciri had faced, and can truly appreciate the reunion of Ciri and her loved ones.
For the Sapkowski readers who nitpick - and I can certainly nitpick - the developer got a few important details wrong from the books (I'll share the top fews in the comment section when I have time,) but overall, all the mature themes and elements that one expects from a Witcher story - including sex and violence, of course - are here.
DRM-FREE
Last but not least, it's important to acknowledge that just like its predecessors, TW3 is DRM-Free !!! Once again, a big 'Thank You' to the developer CDPR (CD Projekt Red) for not treating Cutsomers as thieves, and for respecting Customers' rights to own the game that they bought and paid for - and what a great game to own TW3 is.
A thank you to the publisher WB (Warner Brother) as well. Granted, WB did screw up big time with another recent release in both quality and DRM, WB did everything right with TW3's release
On the other hand, although the game is indeed DRM-Free, there is one thing that I think CDPR should do better in making it more clearly that the GOG game client - which is also DRM-Free BTW - is totally optional for inattentive customers.
In conclusion, The Witcher 3 is an excellent open world action RPG that - although does not quite redefine the genre - does mark another milestone in achievement in terms of its first rate writing and direction. Please be aware that the game is rated 'M' for good reasons. In general, the level of sex, violence, and languages are somewhat scaled back from previous games, but they are still there. Therefore, I highly recommend the game to the mature gamers.
As a Witcher game in the series, I give TW3 4 stars (vs. 4.5 stars for TW1 and TW2). As an open world ARPG, it's a 5-stars game.
From the manufacturer
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength and reflexes, witchers are a distrusted counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live. Gruesomely destroy foes as a profession monster hunter armed with a range of upgradable weapons, mutating potions and combat magic. Hunt down a range of exotic monsters from savage beast prowling the mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadows of densely populated towns. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry buy custom armor, or spend them away in horse races, fist fighting and other pleasures the night brings. |
Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains and seas. Deal with the treasonous generals, devious witches corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices go beyond good and evil and face their far-reaching consequences. |
Take the most important contract to track down the child of prophecy, a key to save or destroy this world. In times of war, chase down the child of prophecy, a living weapon of foretold ancient elven legends. Struggle against ferocious rulers, spirits of the wilds and even a threat from beyond the veil – all hell-bent on controlling this world. Define your destiny in a world that may not be worth saving. |
Built exclusively for next generation hardware, the REDengine 3 renders the world of The Witcher visually nuanced and organic, a real true to life fantasy. Dynamic weather systems and day/night cycles affect how the citizens of the towns and the monsters of the wilds behave. Rich with storyline choices in both the main and subplots, this grand open world is influenced by the player unlike every before. |
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for this product
3:00
Click to play video
The Witcher 3: Opening Cinematic
Merchant Video
Videos for this product
4:41
Click to play video
The Witcher Wild Hunt Trailer
Merchant Video
Videos for this product
2:26
Click to play video
Witcher 3: Cinematic Trailer
Merchant Video
Reviews with images
Game of the Year, a standard for other AAA Titles to follow.
The best value in gaming, probably for all of 2015.There is so much to do in this game, gorgeous graphics, and this version comes with extra goodies included too. I wish more developers would make games like this. Despite some people saying the graphics were downgraded: I don't feel like they have been. There are places on the internet where you can download mods to upgrade the graphics to that extent if you'd like to as well. If you've been looking for the next "Skyrim" and a purchase that is worth all of your money: This is the game to be looking at.The developers plan to support the game (which already boasts over 200+ hours of content) with 16 editions of Free DLC!
