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Why The Witcher 3 is so good (Spoilers)
- Thread starter Turin Turambar
- Start date
MetalGearZed
Member
lol. I forgot Fallout 4 got that many. if BB was robbed, it was from Todd.
DarkoMaledictus
Tier Whore
You in, but just barely
. For me it was kinda of chore the play it, after 5 hours I just never touched again. But to each their own...Jangowuzhere
Banned
There's a lot of variety in the stories being told. However, those parts of the game are mostly non-interactive.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, all the quests definitely all blend together and feel pretty samey, especially monster hunting.
I managed to do basically everything in The Witcher 3 and really enjoyed all of it. I wish my experience with the game would have ended there. However, those expansions came out, and the game no longer had that fresh game smell. It was at that point that I realized the combat truly was a chore. Especially in Blood and Wine, those fucking exploding plant monsters are some of the worst enemies I've ever seen in a game.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, all the quests definitely all blend together and feel pretty samey, especially monster hunting.
I managed to do basically everything in The Witcher 3 and really enjoyed all of it. I wish my experience with the game would have ended there. However, those expansions came out, and the game no longer had that fresh game smell. It was at that point that I realized the combat truly was a chore. Especially in Blood and Wine, those fucking exploding plant monsters are some of the worst enemies I've ever seen in a game.
The Xtortionist
Member
The combat isn't the worst thing ever on its own merits...but for how long the game is, and how much combat the game asks you to engage with, it eventually drags it down pretty hard imo.
lvl99 Pixel
Member
is this memes?
I don't think so, happens in every witcher thread.
I really like souls-likes but the community and fanbase around them really is some of the worst shit I've seen, only community I've expeienced being worse was the csgo community.
CP2077 is big test for CDPR's writing team and game designers. Can they deliver as engaging character driven experience with "blank slate" character
That isn't shot at BW's writing quality, just fact. Having set character
Just jump in, it's only ~200 hours long high end RPG experience.
BizzyBum
Member
I pretty much say this in every Witcher 3 thread because it warrants it:
Hearts of Stone is a $10 DLC that is better than most fully priced games and also trumps the main game which in itself was already better than most games.
Yeah, I never see this quest brought up in Witcher 3 threads.
Hearts of Stone is a $10 DLC that is better than most fully priced games and also trumps the main game which in itself was already better than most games.
Yeah, I never see this quest brought up in Witcher 3 threads.
I mean, you do fucking interdimensional travel. I kinda wish we visited that place Avallac'h brought Ciri with the flying ships. Many people think it was a reference to Cyberpunk 2077.
Well just listen to that dialogue again, SPOILERS: https://youtu.be/rWcK8hX6BhA?t=37 It has to be, right?
KLoWn
Member
This. Goddamn was that a good DLC.
BizzyBum
Member
BizzyBum
Member
It's tough to imagine me playing a better game.
The only thing that can trump it would be their own follow up with Cyberpunk.
VanCityGamer
Member
This thread is bringing back the memories of how fucking awesome The Witcher 3 and its DLC is. Makes me want to go see if I've missed any side quests or monster contracts.
My other option is to play The Witcher 2 which I purchased on my new Xbox One S. However, I tried the first training part for about 5 minutes a couple weeks back and Daaaamn, the graphics were ugly. It looked 720p and just pretty rough. I would kill for a current gen remaster. But is the game good enough that I should play it anyway? I don't mind that it's not open world.
My other option is to play The Witcher 2 which I purchased on my new Xbox One S. However, I tried the first training part for about 5 minutes a couple weeks back and Daaaamn, the graphics were ugly. It looked 720p and just pretty rough. I would kill for a current gen remaster. But is the game good enough that I should play it anyway? I don't mind that it's not open world.
-MD-
Member
I can't believe I bought it at launch and I'm like halfway through it at best.
Games way too big.
His Majesty
Banned
If you're into games mainly for storytelling and world building, I can see how you would rank Witcher 3 very highly. The characters are fleshed out and the stories the game tells with them are pretty good.
If you're more of a gameplay mechanics person though (like myself), Witcher 3 falls apart a bit. Put simply the basic actions you take in the game, walking, swinging a sword, riding horseback just don't feel all that good from a pure mechanical perspective. Even after the patch, movement still feels a bit clunky. Combat is simply average, in my mind slightly below average (calling it a disaster though is, indeed, hyperbole. It's functional). I was never really able to enjoy the world because from a gameplay standpoint, being in that world didn't feel all that great.
That lack of great mechanical gameplay is why I'm consistently baffled that Witcher 3 is essentially worshipped here on GAF. Obviously plenty of people care about different things in games, but I would expect more people to be more level headed about the gameplay shortcomings. Of course, people occasionally are, and they are typically shot down or disagreed with vehemently, and that's fine, but I'm surprised it didn't in general have more of an impact on how the game is perceived. You can't go more than a week without a thread talking about how W3 is god's gift to gaming, and I'm surprised that a game with such a flawed mechanical core has been elevated to such a status.
The combat is fine.
I'm nearing the end of Novigrad and I just haven't pushed on. Why? Because I feel like the whole experience is rather tedious. The quest lines are generally interesting, but I still feel like the majority of my time is spent walking from point A to point B and going through a few dialogue trees. It was great at first, but after 30-40 hours, the magic is gone. I would like to go back to experience the expansion content, but it's just a bit hard to push on at this point. I feel like I get so little done after a full hour of playing.
I'm nearing the end of Novigrad and I just haven't pushed on. Why? Because I feel like the whole experience is rather tedious. The quest lines are generally interesting, but I still feel like the majority of my time is spent walking from point A to point B and going through a few dialogue trees. It was great at first, but after 30-40 hours, the magic is gone. I would like to go back to experience the expansion content, but it's just a bit hard to push on at this point. I feel like I get so little done after a full hour of playing.
His Majesty
Banned
Well isn't that every RPG ever? But you are not alone though, quite a few people seem to dislike Novigrad and then fall back in love when they get to Skellige. I would recommend to push through until you reach Skellige at least.
ebullientprism
Member
The reason (I think) the combat argument comes up so often is because while it isnt bad, it just doesnt match up to the ridiculous standards of everything else in the game.
Story, writing, characters, visuals, art, music, VO etc all just hit it straight out of the park. So the combat appears worse than it is. In most standard RPGs this would be pretty decent gameplay.
Story, writing, characters, visuals, art, music, VO etc all just hit it straight out of the park. So the combat appears worse than it is. In most standard RPGs this would be pretty decent gameplay.
funkystudent
Member
I cant remember the last time I played a RPG that didnt have obvious holes for DLC later. It feels like a generous package compared to everything else. Its a game that respects the buyers $60 which is more then I can say for just about modern Bioware game that feels incomplete without a few DLC packs now.
Combat was fine. Its not bayonetta but whatever. I got into a good rhythm with it and its definitely in another league then something like Skyrim.
It is not perfect though.
The leveling and upgrading system is not great.
Crafting was a bit of a slog.
Actually in general everything that involved the menus was a bit of a mess. THAT would be my big knock against it.
Combat was fine. Its not bayonetta but whatever. I got into a good rhythm with it and its definitely in another league then something like Skyrim.
It is not perfect though.
The leveling and upgrading system is not great.
Crafting was a bit of a slog.
Actually in general everything that involved the menus was a bit of a mess. THAT would be my big knock against it.
Cpt.Underpants
Member
My first play through after finishing a tower full of mice sidequest and I thought to myself "that was a damn good side quest hopefully there's more".
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
The combat isn't terrible, but it really fails to evolve in any significant way over the course of the game. The strategy and flow of combat at max level isn't really that different from level 10, you're just operating with different stats. You can force yourself to engage more with the potions/oils/sign weaknesses by upping the combat difficulty, but combat starts to take up more of your time and it really becomes grating jusy how repetitive it is.
I had the most fun playing on Sword and Story difficulty, the combat isn't too taxing and the way Geralt flows around the battlefield and slices everyone to pieces is at least visually fun to watch. It's easier to gloss over the flaws of the combat if the combat encounters are shorter, too.
Mr.Fletcher
Member
I'll never forget walking along the bridge into Oxenfurt for the first time and feeling relieved to actually find civilisation.
I'd spent the last dozen hours in the war-torn wilderness, fighting off monsters in the swamps and dealing with bandits.
It was a watershed moment. I felt like I'd gone through hell and back and the next chapter of the adventure was about to begin.
I made my way into Novigrad shortly after, and was totally absorbed by the politics and racism on display.
A lot of people get bogged down in the city, as you mentioned, but I just loved it. Geralt goes from dealing with penniless villagers to brushing shoulders with the upper class elite.
He goes from hunting down fiends, to investigating murders. It's such a tonal shift and highlights one of the game's biggest strengths - Geralt himself.
Watching him interact with all these different people is fascinating. Novigrad also introduces a whole host of awesome characters for him to play off.
It might feel suffocating to some, but when you finally leave for Skellige, the contrast really strengthens that feeling of freedom you have when you get to the island.
I'm just rambling now lol
What an incredible game. My favourite of the generation and probably my favourite overall.
poodaddy
Gold Member
I appreciate this post.
On topic: The Witcher 3 is truly the top of the mountain in interactive media. While The Witcher 2is still my favorite I absolutely adore The Witcher 3 and I'd say chances are good that it's in my top 3favorite games of all time along with The Witcher 2 and Chrono Trigger. The anticipation of Cyberpunk is killing me lol.
His Majesty
Banned
I loved it as well! My Geralt was on his way to find Tamara in Oxenfurt and after a long, nightly trek through war-torn battlefields he could finally make out the lights of Oxenfurt on the other bank of the river. One of the most memorable moments in this game for me.
CerebralTiger
Member
I don't agree with the title so...
Absolutely agree with you OP.
And the writing of the game doesn't insult you, it's not only adult as in it deals with themes beyond simplicistic of many other titles, but it does so without being excessively R18 that ends up being a parody (again, so many titles). It's just so adult.
Geralt is a really belieavable character to me, he has needs and anxieties and just want to drop everything for a simple life, its such an endearing thing to me.
And the writing of the game doesn't insult you, it's not only adult as in it deals with themes beyond simplicistic of many other titles, but it does so without being excessively R18 that ends up being a parody (again, so many titles). It's just so adult.
Geralt is a really belieavable character to me, he has needs and anxieties and just want to drop everything for a simple life, its such an endearing thing to me.
primovinny
Member
Same here, just tried this game for 6 times, starting fresh and in different dificulties. I can't like it. It doesn't stick to me at all. A shame, never got past the
griffin part
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Btw, I think the combat works much better with a keyboard and mouse compared to a controller in this game.
Heckler456
Banned
I bought this game at launch.
A second playthrough later, I'm finally about to wrap up Blood and Wine tomorrow. The game's a real achievement, and I loved spending my time in the world. If Cyberpunk somehow tops this... My god.
A second playthrough later, I'm finally about to wrap up Blood and Wine tomorrow. The game's a real achievement, and I loved spending my time in the world. If Cyberpunk somehow tops this... My god.
SporeCrawler
Member
lol no
whalleywhat
Member
I didn't dislike Novigrad (has to be the best city in any game yet), but this was certainly my experience. Skellige is a breath of fresh air.
SporeCrawler
Member
combat is really bad but also the performance in general is not that great on ps4. also it had strange bugs and sometimes the game wouldnt recognize button presses. still overall a great story and a great openworld so it is forgiven
its up there. witcher 3 and bloodborne justified my PS4 (before that i was really dissapointed)
the year where shadows of mordor beat bayonetta 2 was the most hilarious. stopped caring about goty in general after that.
VanCityGamer
Member
How does The Witcher 2 running on Xbox One backwards compatibility hold up after playing Wither 3, guys? Worth playing?