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[chillybright]

The wild hunt is one of the best game I have ever played but the title is just wrong.

It makes the game significantly easy for sure, but doesn't fix the fundamental problem about the combat: inconsistent moveset.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I think the combat is decent in 1 on 1 boss fights.

Imerith and prince toad fights come to mind.

 

[Realeza]

It's 2016 already. The "RPG" excuse isn't viable anymore when you consider Dragon's Dogma. A game that was released in 2012. Which ironically was close to Devil May Cry meets Skyrim. Then there's all of the Souls games that supposedly "influenced" The Witcher series according to CDPR.

They:
Spent tons of time on graphics.
Spent tons of time on the narrative and voice acting.
Spent tons of time populating the world.

They didn't:
Implement good gameplay.
Implement a smart loot system.
Implement interesting points of interest.



This is the first time I've actually seen anyone other than myself post that. I really couldn't believe that the combat was actually a step backwards.

The game has all of those.

 

[Qassim]

I'd say the combat is average (for an RPG) with some dips into unsatisfactory due a bit of wonkiness here and there.

 

[Palmer27]

Every time I think about picking this up I'm reminded of the combat complaints, those gifs didn't really help..

Stick it on easy and enjoy the world like I did

 

[Tovarisc]

I love hyperbolic statements like calling TW3's combat garbage. It really isn't. It's mediocre system, but nowhere near garbage tier. Hack 'n Slash approach leaves dead in the water and using dodges in combination with few strike combos makes system very tolerable and even fluid.

Whirl just breaks combat, it doesn't fix it.

 

[Walpurgis]

I've been playing lots of Witcher 3 these past few days and really like the combat. I find that Geralt's agility gives me responsive movement controls and his varied toolset gives me many options while rewarding knowledge of enemy weaknesses.

I find the hate for it to be way more than deserved and very misleading to people that haven't played it yet. The only console ARPGs with better combat are Souls games (which are very combat focused) and Dragon's Dogma. You would think that TW3's combat was like Skyrim's or GTA V's shooting with the way people talk about it.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Played with a Signs build, combat was fantastic.

They didn't:
Implement good gameplay.
Implement a smart loot system.
Implement interesting points of interest.

Oh please.

 

[John Kowalski]

Didn't even know this was a thing.

 

[CecilRousso]

It's fun to look at. It doesn't improve the combat. I love the game to death. I'll never defend the combat tho.

Combat is good in the game.

As long as you're fighting out in the open. It's absolutely hopeless in tight spots though, which makes you wonder why the devs so often in main quest missions puts you in such spots.

 

[Anno]

I think the combat is decent in 1 on 1 boss fights.

Imerith and prince toad fights come to mind.

Huh, I always thought the opposite. I thought most of the boss fights were pretty average and overly long, while I had a ton of fun dancing with 3-6 normal enemies. Maybe it's all playstyle dependent.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Except you don't actually know which is which on your first playthrough. So that doesn't matter. Unless all you do is skip everything but the main quest, you're invariably going to be going through tons of boring ass filler content in the name of being able to claim that your game is open world, and that you'll get 100+ hours out of it. Plus, a lot of people actually want to try to complete as much of a game as they can.

Gotcha. I don't necessarily agree it is that bad, but I understand what you mean.

 

[Brix]

Combat is still mediocre in my opinion. Good game though, they nailed everything else.

 

[semiconscious]

Apply the correct Sword oil, Quen yourself, Drink up Tawny Oil and Thunderbolt and go to work...

the idea that this's actually supposed to sound appealing, afa a combat system in a 40-50 hr rpg goes, amazes me ...

 

[Sanctuary]

Played with a Signs build, combat was fantastic.
Oh please.

Some people don't mind repetitive mediocrity. And unless they did some radical loot overhaul recently, it was in fact garbage outside of what you crafted, which was almost always exclusively Witcher gear if you had the materials. Everything else you could find would either be a) below your level and absolute shit compared to what you already had or b) too high for you to currently use, and by the time you could use it you would have either found something better, or crafted something better.

The best gameplay mechanic in the game was Gwent.

 

[JustenP88]

How would you guys compare the combat in The Witcher 3 to that of Dragon Age: Inquisition? I don't usually play these sorts of games, but I kinda started DA recently but was thinking of rolling over into TW3. I've kinda lost interest already and TW3 seems to be the more universally loved game. If the combat in TW3 is more boring than DA, I'm afraid I might lose interest in it too.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

The combat in The Witcher series is bad.

The only good combat in RPGs that I tolerate:

- Souls series - top tier
- Dragon's Dogma - 2nd place
- any IE game or Pillars (turn based)

Everything else is either a pale imitation (Dragon Age 1), a skinned FPS game (Deus Ex, Fallout 3, Mass Effect 1-3 etc.) or pure garbage (Dragon Age 2 and 3, The Witcher 1).

.

 

[Conkerkid11]

I'm a huge fan of The Witcher 3, but I really don't think you're doing the combat's reputation any justice when you make a thread saying it gets better when you can flail your weapon around like a madman.

How would you guys compare the combat in The Witcher 3 to that of Dragon Age: Inquisition? I don't usually play these sorts of games, but I kinda started DA recently but was thinking of rolling over into TW3. I've kinda lost interest already and TW3 seems to be the more universally loved game. If the combat in TW3 is more boring than DA, I'm afraid I might lose interest in it too.

Dragon Age: Inquisition plays like a very mediocre MMO. The Witcher 3's combat is significantly better.

the idea that this's actually supposed to sound appealing, afa a combat system in a 40-50 hr rpg goes, amazes me ...

Well it's a good thing this isn't really a "combat" game, because a majority of the game isn't spent fighting.

 

[Sanctuary]

How would you guys compare the combat in The Witcher 3 to that of Dragon Age: Inquisition? I don't usually play these sorts of games, but I kinda started DA recently but was thinking of rolling over into TW3. I've kinda lost interest already and TW3 seems to be the more universally loved game. If the combat in TW3 is more boring than DA, I'm afraid I might lose interest in it too.

The combat in DA:I was actually a lot more fun, but even that wasn't really any good either. You could quickly make the difficulty of pretty much anything but the drake/dragon fights trivial without really trying. The combat in TW3 is both easy and annoying at the same time.

The combat in The Witcher series is bad.

The only good combat in RPGs that I tolerate:

- Souls series - top tier
- Dragon's Dogma - 2nd place
- any IE game or Pillars (turn based)

Everything else is either a pale imitation (Dragon Age 1), a skinned FPS game (Deus Ex, Fallout 3, Mass Effect 1-3 etc.) or pure garbage (Dragon Age 2 and 3, The Witcher 1).

I sort of agree with this (or at least I'd rank my preferences similarly to the three game types you listed), although neither Deus Ex nor Mass Effect are first-person shooters, or in the case of Deus Ex, not exclusively. They also happen to have a lot more than just shooting with their combat.

 

[Leyasu]

I never got this on release. Instead I got it with both expansions in xbox summer sale. After all the hype, I was really looking forward to it. But in ll honesty at the moment, I dont really feel it, and am having a hard time loading it up at the moment.

 

[dlauv]

It's probably a shame that the pinnacle of Western ARPG combat is Diablo.

 

[takriel]

How would you guys compare the combat in The Witcher 3 to that of Dragon Age: Inquisition? I don't usually play these sorts of games, but I kinda started DA recently but was thinking of rolling over into TW3. I've kinda lost interest already and TW3 seems to be the more universally loved game. If the combat in TW3 is more boring than DA, I'm afraid I might lose interest in it too.

The Witcher 3 shits on DA:I.

 

[The God]

Some people don't mind repetitive mediocrity. And unless they did some radical loot overhaul recently, it was in fact garbage outside of what you crafted, which was almost always exclusively Witcher gear if you had the materials. Everything else you could find would either be a) below your level and absolute shit compared to what you already had or b) too high for you to currently use, and by the time you could use it you would have either found something better, or crafted something better.

The best gameplay mechanic in the game was Gwent.

I'm playing through it now and loving most of it but these are facts. Too much garbage loot in the game and the combat isn't the worst thing ever, but it's just not as the rest of the game.

 

[Staf]

I thought the combat was awful whether it be swords, signs or alchemy. But it's still the best game i've played since Baldur's gate 2 back in 2000.

 

[halfbeast]

YYYEAAHHHH. this was my strategy after i unlocked whirl
http://giant.gfycat.com/NeighboringSeparateAntelopegroundsquirrel.webm

needs some rave sticks.

 

[Sanctuary]

The Witcher 3 shits on DA:I.

For combat? No it doesn't.

 

[Jangowuzhere]

To be fair, it's kind of difficult to improve the core combat mechanics once the game's gone gold.

I honestly can't think of any way to significantly improve Witcher 3's combat after the fact. Adding enemies and weapons with more varied move sets would help, but I don't know if the game has the proper framework to support those mechanics. I think the reason mutations don't improve anything is because there's simply nothing else CDPR can do that won't completely alter the game's balance. As proactive as they are in their expansions, I doubt CDPR would feel comfortable making potentially game-breaking features after release.

At least there's a few mods that could help, though. This mod (as well as a few others, but I like this one best), is the best attempt to fix the game's combat/leveling/loot systems I've seen so far.

I think it's possible. If you look at games like Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, they can overhaul a games combat system for the better.

Sure, it would probably end up looking more video gamey and fake with their current animations, but at least it would feel better.

 

[xam3l]

Witcher 3 combat is great! And highly addicting once you get used to it.

 

[Staf]

I got more enjoyment out of DA:I combat than W3, but everything else (especially writing) W3 did miles better. DA:I's combat isn't very good though especially compared to DA:O.

 

[Dick Justice]

Didn't really mind the combat, though it becomes a lot less of a slog after installing a mod that lets you access bombs, potions and oils from the radial menu.

 

[The God]

I'm a huge fan of The Witcher 3, but I really don't think you're doing the combat's reputation any justice when you make a thread saying it gets better when you can flail your weapon around like a madman.


Dragon Age: Inquisition plays like a very mediocre MMO. The Witcher 3's combat is significantly better.


Well it's a good thing this isn't really a "combat" game, because a majority of the game isn't spent fighting.

Uh, how is it not? I haven't beaten it yet (level 31) but so far a very large part of this game is sword swinging

 

[Theorry]

 

[Gbraga]

Whirl and Rend are a lot of fun, indeed. There's a reason why some of the combat rebalance mods unlock them from the go.

I also think Alt Signs should be unlocked from the start.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Oh my god, I remember dying a lot there.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Well it's a good thing this isn't really a "combat" game, because a majority of the game isn't spent fighting.

Isn't combat mandatory to finishing the game?

 

[RustyNails]

the idea that this's actually supposed to sound appealing, afa a combat system in a 40-50 hr rpg goes, amazes me ...

I found some off as a nerd, but The Witcher 3 is a different kind of RPG. Sure the D&D mechanics are all there, but it's the world you live and play as Witchers: Humans that turned into semi-human mutants with garbled innards because of drinking poisonous concoctions that make their senses sharp and combat better. It's a thing they do before they engage in a combat. They also read books and carry all sorts of potions, decoctions and tools for monsters. They're professional monster hunters and they're very methodical about it. I think you probably may know where I'm going with this. But you have to be immersed in the game to appreciate it, rather than jump into a throng of monsters ass-first and spamming everything. The Witcher 1's opening cinematic shows the preparations that go towards defeating one particular enemy (king's daughter that is cursed to become a monster).

 

[Sanctuary]

Uh, how is it not? I haven't beaten it yet (level 31) but so far a very large part of this game is sword swinging

Nearly the entirety of the actual gameplay is combat. I have no idea what they are talking about. It's just that there's so many damn cutscenes that there happens to be extremely long breaks in between the gameplay.

 

[spuckthew]

I got annoyed sometimes when I had like 7 nekkers leaping at me at the same time, or a few soldiers in my face with another couple shooting at me from a distance, but I never once thought "this combat is a pile of steaming dog shit".

It was ok.

 

[Gbraga]

Stick it on easy and enjoy the world like I did

Without mods, Death March is also Easy after you leave White Orchard, that's one of the biggest issues I had with the combat in the vanilla game.

Assassins of Kings on Normal was a lot harder. Until it also became braindead after you left Flotsam.

They really need to balance the difficulty curve better.

I like the combat's execution, most of my issues are related to balancing and the lesser focus on preparation, but the fighting itself is a lot of fun, imo. I also share most of the complains other people have, like the random attack animations some times resulting in my death, but they're not a deal breaker to me.

I love hyperbolic statements like calling TW3's combat garbage. It really isn't. It's mediocre system, but nowhere near garbage tier. Hack 'n Slash approach leaves dead in the water and using dodges in combination with few strike combos makes system very tolerable and even fluid.

Whirl just breaks combat, it doesn't fix it.

I mean, it's a subjective opinion, maybe they do think it's complete garbage, but it is strange that sometimes it feels like people shit on Witcher's combat more than they do on something like Skyrim, which I would consider a lot worse.

 

[Sanctuary]

Assassins of Kings on Normal was a lot harder. Until it also became braindead after you left Flotsam.

It was even harder than that on the pre-patch original PC release.

That's why I can't bring myself to ever play this game. Fallout New Vegas had shit combat too, but you could play almost the whole game avoiding it, at least, and the quest design was magnificent.

I'm assuming you actually prioritize gameplay, but did you end up enjoying TLOU? If so, you'd probably find about as much enjoyment with TW3, since they both are very similar regarding presentation and priorities...
At least with TLOU though, the stages were a lot more focused, and not "glued" together by extremely large stretches of nothing important.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

I can never understand the hate for witcher 3 combat.... like what are people expecting? Devil May Cry meets Skyrim?

This already exists

Unfortunately devs and execs are more worried about pushing pixel quality rather than implementing this brilliant idea.

Sad but true.

Uh, how is it not? I haven't beaten it yet (level 31) but so far a very large part of this game is sword swinging

That's why I can't bring myself to ever play this game. Fallout New Vegas had shit combat too, but you could play almost the whole game avoiding it, at least, and the quest design was magnificent.

 

[Mossybrew]

Fun ability but I certainly never found it game-changing or anything.

 

[hemo memo]

The combat in Witcher 3 is okay. Just like the gun play in GTAV. It support the other perfect parts of the game.

 

[Gbraga]

I've been playing lots of Witcher 3 these past few days and really like the combat. I find that Geralt's agility gives me responsive movement controls and his varied toolset gives me many options while rewarding knowledge of enemy weaknesses.

I find the hate for it to be way more than deserved and very misleading to people that haven't played it yet. The only console ARPGs with better combat are Souls games (which are very combat focused) and Dragon's Dogma. You would think that TW3's combat was like Skyrim's or GTA V's shooting with the way people talk about it.

Yeah, exactly.

Combat is good in the game.

As long as you're fighting out in the open. It's absolutely hopeless in tight spots though, which makes you wonder why the devs so often in main quest missions puts you in such spots.

This is true, though.

It was even harder than that on the pre-patch original PC release.

Never played it, unfortunately.

Did you ever play with the enhanced combat mod? I only learned about it this year, and ever since I've been wanting to test it.

I still have the opinion that Witcher 2's act 1 offered an amazing combat experience. If the entire game was able to capture that, it would be so damn good.

 

[harpingon]

I just dropped the turret sign thing, and some of the slow sign things.

It finished off most fights without lifting a hand to sword.

 

[RustyNails]

This already exists

Sad but true.


That's why I can't bring myself to ever play this game. Fallout New Vegas had shit combat too, but you could play almost the whole game avoiding it, at least, and the quest design was magnificent.

What is this, gif for ants??

But honestly the combat is a part of the game as much as exploration and talking to people. You could skip all the combat stuff by playing on easy and slicing through everything.

In my opinion, it's not garbage as some people are claiming and it's definitely not the perfection in an rpg. It just gets the job done, and adding in Whirl made it more fun in crowd situations.

 

[leng jai]

Witcher 3 is my favourite game of all time but the combat is objectively terrible in tight spaces, and only becomes somewhat tolerable otherwise. I mean Gerald's light attacks have RNG animations with varying speed FFS.

 

[Tovarisc]

I'm assuming you actually prioritize gameplay, but did you end up enjoying TLOU? If so, you'd probably find about as much enjoyment with TW3, since they both are very similar regarding presentation and priorities...
At least with TLOU though, the stages were a lot more focused, and not "glued" together by extremely large stretches of nothing important.

... You don't say? Game that has basically funnel model of map design has more focused maps than open world game, would never have guessed :b

 

[Googledotcom666]

I really want to step back in to this game, it's been months since I last played, I'd consider restarting as I've forgotten everything about the controls and systems in this game, but hell it would be a grind to get back to where I'm at

 

[Moon_frogger]

It doesn't really improve the combat so much as trivialize it. But here we go with another pointless discussion about the combat mechanics in the witcher. My stance is the same as before, it's functional, barely but I can only stand it for about 5 to 10 hours before I lose interest in the game. It's too bad because I love the story a great deal. Witcher 2 didn't have great combat either but there wasn't nearly as much of it so it didn't get as frustrating as quickly. Also powers like aard actually worked reliably and the potion/oil system had an interesting risk/reward mechanic where you couldn't just pop them on a whim with reckless abandon. All in all witcher 2 had much more interesting mechanics where you actually had to prepare for engagements, think outside of the box for big encounters, and use your head to get through quests instead of just follow a quest arrow, witcher vision, kill stuff, rinse repeat. Don't even get me started on how the open world was a disappointing by the numbers Ubisoft collectathon and far less engaging than witcher 2's beautifully crafted hub areas.

Witcher 3 deserves all the praise it gets but let's not pretend it doesn't have flaws.