The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Games
7150

So something else to add about Witcher 3 (and yes, again, I realize I’m late to the party)…

So before starting a second run-through of W3, I decided to play 1 and 2 again, so I had a savegame to take with me into W3. And I had played them (or at least tried) before. I think I had finished each game once before, but what was striking in replaying them is I pretty much remembered none of it. I stuck with it because the gameplay wasn’t bad, but it was, to some extent, a bit of a grind because the story just didn’t grab me. I didn’t read any of the books, so I had no idea who any of these people were, or why I cared about them. Sure, any first game in an IP faces that, but most first games seem to do better at setting the stage, and defining the history of (and if needed, between) the characters in the game, whereas W1 and W2 seemed mostly resigned to you getting the backstory from the books.

W3 was much better at this. And I don’t know if it was the length, or the extremely well-written stories (and even side-stories) that got me into this setting, or something else - but W3 pulled me in the way the other 2 completely failed to do. That’s no surprise, I’m sure. But here is something that I haven’t seen posted elsewhere in this thread - and it only really applies to those, like me, that hadn’t read the books before playing the game(s):

Witcher 3 makes the previous 2 games better.

When W1 starts up with Geralt on the wheelbarrow having apparently just been found right after the whole ‘amnesia’ thing, he’s not being wheeled in by people you don’t know. Even given the different (and much less able) graphical engine, you still recognize Ezkel. And Lambert. And Vesemir. And someone that I guess is Triss (oh, sure, there’s her name). And, OK, someone I don’t know - turns out, he’s the new guy, so probably not long for this world. And then when the Wild Hunt started showing up, I knew who they were and what they were about. At any rate, just the fact the game starts off with people you now know makes a HUGE difference in the game not only to start, but going forward through the rest of the game as well. And the same is true for W2 for those characters that appeared for the first time in that game (Roche and Ves, for instance), not to mention the random comments about Ciri and Yennifer. While it obviously didn’t improve any of the gameplay issues from the first two games (man, doors were a PITA in W2), just the simple fact you could more easily follow the story made it a much more enjoyable experience.

I’m not suggesting that anyone go back and play the games, but if you haven’t read the books and decide to check out a little bit of the backstory, know that it won’t be the grind that it was (or may have been) going through them not knowing anything about the books and the stories therein. Which, IMO, makes W3 an even better game for me - it’s not too often a sequel makes the previous entries better.

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I do enjoy reading impressions of the game, especially in context with the previous games. But I’m also curious that I never run into people like myself, who think the second game is their favorite of the three.

I have tried twice to beat the first game and I just can’t do it, I’m finding no joy there. I’ve tried multiple times to chip away at the third game and so far I’m just not getting sucked in. But I’ve played the second game through three times. It connected with me much more immediately and in a more lasting way than the other two ever approached, and I’m wondering why.

But I think what it comes down to is focus. The second game is much more directed and pushes you along. Some would probably say this is a downside, you’re restricted to a critical path an can’t do much exploring. But I find this keeps me on the ball, always having a new task to focus on, someplace new to check out, someone new to meet. As compared with the third game, I feel constantly like I’m catching up, like I’m drowning in questlines and options. What’s funny is that this usually doesn’t bother me, quite the opposite. But when I boot up Witcher 3 I inevitably find myself dithering and wandering about aimlessly. Should I do this quest, play gwent, race horses, search out that armor set, maybe some time look for Ciri? Hell if I know.

Anyway I know mine is the minority opinion, very much so, but it wouldn’t be the first time. And one other thing - I don’t find reading the books really helps. So far, they’ve seemed trope-y in a way the games resist. And the book Geralt seems mopey and emo, without any of the understated humor he has in the games. I’ve found the books to be a real letdown.

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I think I fell into that when I first played the game to an extent. It was also such a HUGE game that I wanted to play other things, and without the investment in the world, it was hard to get back into it w/o starting over - and at 60 hours before I quit the first time, it was hard to start again until I had a large lull in games to play.

Turning the ‘?’ on and clearing them helped give me a little sense of purpose, which I think helped. I also just looked at the quest list, and did those that were at/below my level, and if it got too high, did more ‘?’ clearing. I’m not suggesting it for everyone, but for me, it put a little order on a HUGE game that, without it, made me feel kind of lost because there’s SO much to do.

I do get what you’re saying about W2 being a more focused game. But W3 is worth it if you can make it through. The stories - even on the side quests - are just that good.

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I was a bit lost and disengaged in W1, but W2 was immediately engaging due to the interesting characters. I might have read one of the books in between there, but that didn’t inform my love of Letho or Roche or Iorveth.

If anything, I thought the major characters in W3 were slightly less interesting (especially my favorites from W2, who just felt weird and out of place) but the minor characters and townspeople were much more engaging and real than in the second one.

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The thing of it is, I know all of that to be true. Logically, I mean. I’ve played through a decent chunk of the early parts, even the Bloody Baron which gets lots of praise. And rightly so, it was really interesting finding out where that was going to take me. But the game hasn’t sunk its hooks into me, hasn’t made me stay up way too late for that next thing around the corner. And I keep expecting that, and I find it weird that I haven’t been totally absorbed like everyone else.

Part of it is probably that I’m not much of a fantasy guy. I’m way more into sci-fi. But like I said, I loved Witcher 2 and the ways it sidestepped and tore down a lot of fantasy expectations, kind of the way Game of Thrones does. I guess I just need a little more regimentation in my game. Like, I’m overwhelmed by my friggin’ inventory. I’m carrying so much crap that I don’t even know what they do. Will I need this, can I scrap that? Hell if I know! It just kind of paralyzed me.

That’s not to say that I’ve given up, by no means. I’m just trying to clear out some other games I’m sinking around with so I can fully direct my attention on Witcher 3. Yes, I’ve been saying that for a while now. I’m going to do it, just not today …

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This is also me. I’ll still enjoy mediocre sci fi. But anything but the absolute best of fantasy and I nope out faster than you can say ‘evil wizard Mordeath’

Witcher 3 pulled me through, slowly at times, because the writing was generally better than what most RPG peers do, with nary a ‘slay 10 wolves’ in sight.

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Argh, man, that’s another thing - there’s so much damned random combat in this game, you can’t take a dozen steps without tripping over a wolf or wild dog! I wish this was a setting I could crank down, I would enjoy this game much much more if the combat were less frequent and therefore more meaningful.

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Just ignore it. For the most part if you are on horseback, its a non issue. I mostly only got off to fight if I came across something interesting.

But, yes, this is extinction event level monster infestation. Like, dude, there’s a nest of drowners not 50 yards from where you are fishing. Your ass is about to become their next hors d’ourvre

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CD Projekt did a fun panel on the 10 year birthday for the Witcher series with a retrospective panel on all three games.

And also this video:

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They also presented a blooper reel.

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Brilliant documentary about making of the first Witcher game, english subs available.

After seeing what a crazy messy chaos the development was, my appreciation for its quality is even higher.

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My next main story quest is Isle of Mists. I already finished all the Brotherhood quests, and got the Achievement for having every possible ally available for Kaer Morhan.

My side quests are basically fist fights, gwent and horse races. I have some random Witcher contracts and misc treasure hunts. I’m playing on Normal, and have a level 25 Geralt with Enhanced Cat School Gear.

It’s basically safe for me to proceed with the Isle of Mists and roll into the endgame, right?

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Yeah, sounds like you’ve covered the major bases and should be good to proceed.

It is nice that they give you that heads-up, even if it does induce some gamer paranoia…(I had the same crisis when I got to that point.)

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Just FYI, and i just looked this up right now on a hunch, but CD Project is going to release “4K” versions of Witcher 3 for PS4 Pro and XXboxXX in the near future. This is despite them very clearly declaring they would not do so a year or so ago.

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Yep, I know I developed so many side quests that some of them ended up being far below my level and a few just got skipped (as much as I hated to do that!) I never did pursue completion of the fist fights and horse races (but Gwent? Hell yeah!)

You should be fine for the Isle. And make sure you have the music on. I always turn off the music in open world role playing games (I just want to hear the ambient sounds when I role play, and not feel like an orchestra is walking behind me) but in Witcher 3, the music really is essential at some points.

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Interesting. I love music, so I never turn it off in any game. The only game where I made an exception was Far Cry 2, which was incredible with the music off. I wonder if I should be doing that more often?

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My style of play in an open world role playing game is to try to make it as much “role playing” as possible. For me, part of that is, when for example I’m walking through woods, all I hear are the sounds of the wind in the trees, the sounds of wildlife, the sound of my feet as I walk, the sounds of others approaching me. I know in Skyrim I heard things in my headphones I would have never heard had the music been playing in the background.

I loved the feeling of just being in the woods or hills in Skyrim, alone, walking, no sounds but the ambient nature sounds.

However, I discovered that the writing of W3 and the way that it unfolds was so cinematic that the music was an integral part of the game. The music during and after the battle of the Witcher fortress, the music when you finally find Ciri; Witcher 3 felt like I was playing the lead role in an incredible movie, vs. the feeling of pure role playing in Skyrim.

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PS4 Pro patch is out, supposedly it makes the game render in 4K or close to it. Should be pretty good IQ improvement for the console folk.

Also the noclip docs are out, two of them, and are great.

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Digital Foundry just had an early look at that with more details to come:

Wendelius

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How very convenient that I just bought a 4K TV… so now I’ll just HAVE to buy a PS4 Pro and replay it…=)