re: *Official* Witcher 3 Release Thread

I think sbr2 may be the only one here who could be considered a fanboy

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So people who aren't fanboys. How do you like the game

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I will say this. Having made it to the game's second map, it feels like the Witcher franchise's answer to Dragon Age: Inquisition.

The game world is large, but it seems made up of large "maps" that you fast travel in between once you reach the border of an area. The biggest difference is that in Witcher 3, you can't fast travel from anywhere. You have to do so from a sign post out in the world, so there are plenty of situations where you'll be running from point A to point B instead of instantly warping to an area. I actually like this as it provides a sense of scale to the game world, and you do have a horse from the very beginning of the game that expedites travel somewhat. There's mechanics in place for horse combat, but I don't know how prevalent that will be later in the game.

Still, I wonder if the entire game world opens up at some point to where I can travel across the various areas sans loading screens or if it continues to segment the game world into various "maps" with little villages scattered throughout with quests and tasks to finish alongside the main quest. I didn't really like that in DA:I and don't like it here.

That said the side activities you will find are more varied and more interesting than those in DA:I even if they are fewer in number. Content pacing does feel off though. I can't get a handle on the order with which I'm supposed to complete a lot of the side activities as the level ranges required to complete the missions tend to jump erratically, and you're kind of thrown into a game world where everything around you is already 2 to 3 levels above you.

This is probably the least broken Witcher game that they've ever released, but it's still fairly buggy though I haven't encountered any major issues. Mainly, I've seen a lot of weird things like cutscenes cutting out, silent sword swings, and getting stuck on geometry in combat or when running around.

My biggest complaint is still the combat system. 3 iterations of the Witcher and CD Projekt Red still hasn't figured out how to develop a good combat system although Witcher 3 is their best effort. It's too similar to Witcher 2 though in that if you get surrounded by enemies and fail to dodge, you will lose massive chunks of health as you're more or less stun locked by enemies.

This is moreso problematic as, you're often bum rushed by the same enemies while you're in the middle of an attack animation so while 1 or 2 vs 1 fights are manageable, fights against multiple enemies exacerbates the problems with the game's combat system.

Potions, mutagens, and other enhancements are still a part of the game though they do seem slightly less necessary than they did in the past.

Difficulty-wise, the game is easier than 2 but not as well balanced as Witcher 1. The clunky combat system will be the cause of the majority of deaths

Overall, I think your enjoyment is going to be based upon whether or not you've played and enjoyed a prior Witcher game before. It just isn't the mainstream, AAA RPG it was hyped to be. Remember, Witcher 2 received high marks from critics as well, but that game was far from playable by the average gamer. That said, fans of Dragon Age: Inquisition may like it as the overall setup is very similar. Also Dark Souls fans should give this game a look as it is tough and unforgiving although in Dark Souls, the game has a way of making you feel responsible for your deaths in the game. I didn't get that feeling playing Witcher 3.

I'm s huge witcher fanboy. I pimp this series so far

And I'm let down so far.

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I'm s huge witcher fanboy. I pimp this series so far

And I'm let down so far.

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how many hours have you put into it?

I'm sure once I get in the groove it'll be better. I haven't killed the gryphon yet.

Just spoiled by bloodborne

Thanks for the review

pro tip: save your game manually often

It's very good but it's not the end all be all of fantasy games and it's not. There are significant level design issues and world issues. I can't help but feel the world is too big for them to populate it correctly.

Sidenote: why the frick are their dungeons in role playing games in 2015.

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I'm sure once I get in the groove it'll be better. I haven't killed the gryphon yet.

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That whole area is basically one big tutorial. My friend felt the same way after barely getting to play it last night. He texted me this morning asking me if I actually liked. I told him to get past the Gryphon because the game really opens up after that.

I got the puppet axii skill (2nd tier). You can get an enemy to briefly fight for you. I was level four beating level 12 enemies with it. It's a bit OP if you can sit back and get a single enemy to attack the crowd of friends around. With single enemies just stun then strong attack and repeat. I almost want to stop using it so much so I feel like I'm almost cheating