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How I learned to love The Witcher 3

O

OrbitalBeard

Member
And it feels weird.

There are plenty of mainstream AAA games I don't like. I'm not into Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Battlefront, etc....but I don't hate any of those games. They just aren't for me. But I'm really surprised at how much The Witcher 3 is frustrating me.

So I bought the game recently and after a hundred hours of Bloodborne, I finally decided to start it today. I've probably put around six hours into the game....and I think I hate it. The visuals are beautiful and the world itself seems pretty cool, but man....the combat is horrible. The quests are horrible (at least so far). The weapon degradation is driving me insane. It's so insanely expensive to repair anything, at least early on . I have almost no money, even after completing a dozen or so side quests.

I have to be missing something here. Does this game get better? Has Bloodborne's combat completely spoiled me or does it open up and improve as the game progresses?

I really thought I would enjoy this game. I'm honestly a bit shocked at how much I dislike it. Going by all the rave reviews and impressions, I'm just baffled at how much I disagree, at least after the first half dozen hours. What the hell am I missing? I feel like the world and atmosphere are great but the actual gameplay is really, really bland.

I have to admit that Gwent is pretty sweet though.

...........

UPDATE!!!

Since making this thread, I've been playing pretty consistently each day and I've really grown to appreciate the game. This post sums up how I feel right now:

OrbitalBeard said:
Guys.

GUYS.

I like this game now. A lot!

Clearly I didn't know much about this game going in. Novigrad.

NOVIGRAD!!!

I love big cities in games. LOVE them. And this is one of the best! It actually feels like a real place! This area has really impressed me.

Other than that, I've just really warmed up to just about everything in the game. Yes, even the combat. Being away from
Bloodborne
for a few days has allowed me to get used to this game's combat and even though I don't think I'll ever love it, it's more than serviceable for me now.

I've played a ton of really cool side quests and a bit of the Bloody Baron quest line, which has been awesome. Weapon degradation is no longer an issue. I have a lot more money and a TON of repair kits!

I played for six hours last night! I obviously turned a corner here with my opinion on the game and can honestly say I'm excited to play more tonight!
Click to expand...
 
B

bluexy

Member
Not ashamed to say I dropped it to its easiest difficulty and enjoyed the hell out of the rest of the game.
 
B

bounchfx

Member
the combat doesn't really get 'better', it gets a bit more varied with the spells and potions but not on a level that could ever match bloodborne. tbh it's more than enough for what I expected of the game, and I found it fun, but no you probably won't like it if you're comparing a game where the focus is combat to the witcher.

that being said, I never ran into problems with repairing weapons. maybe that changed in one of the post-launch patches but I donno. are you finding and equipping new stuff? are you using the repair kits?
 
P

pizzacat

Banned
I really tried to like it but gameplay is blech and everytime a character talks I get annoyed. Not everyone has to sound so vulgar ;-;


I also hate fantasy settings so there's that.
 
E

Edzi

Member
What is with people comparing The Witcher 3 with Bloodborne? It happened in the OT too back when the game came out, and it makes no sense. If you went into The Witcher 3 with the expectation that you'd be getting a fast paced combat experience like in Bloodborne, then that's more your fault than it is the game's.
 
J

johnnydrama

Banned
I thought the quests were some of the best I've played in an RPG. I enjoyed the combat too, but I could see why some don't enjoy it. My personal GOTY and GOTG. Such a shame you aren't enjoying it. No point forcing yourself I guess.
 
S

StrongBlackVine

Banned
The Witcher 3 is no where near as good as Bloodborne. It has some moments, but the combat definitely does stink after playing a Souls game. It has some of the tedious open world issues too. Stick with it for a bit longer though because it is worth playing.
 
Denton

Denton

Member
You are still in the tutorial area, aren't you ?

Anyway, there are some nice quests even there. Weapon degradation did not bother me, I disabled the notification and only repaired when in town or when I noticed it broken, with repair kits.
Combat is great but you need to stop expecting every game playing as Soulsborne. This is Witcher, you are playing a specific guy with specific abilities and you need to learn to use them.
 
K

Krabboss

Member
The combat is indeed terrible. I hear there are some good quests. I wouldn't know, though, I couldn't manage to play it that long.
 
S

silentbum

Neo Member
I don't think I'd go so far as to say I ever hated the game, but I definitely had many of the same issues you had early on. I felt like I was missing something and that if the game was just gonna be more of those first few hours, I was in for a monumental disappointment.

Luckily, something clicked and it all changed. I'd at least make it through the Baron's quest before you jump off, even though I know that that's asking for quite a bit.

Eventually the systems and money, which were both huge overwhelming concerns for me up front, become clear and less of a problem.

I hope that if you do stick with it, you end up loving it as much as I did. It's seriously a fantastic game.
 
R

raven777

Member
It's my least favorite game I have played all year. I do think it's really well made game, but it just wasn't for me.
 
P

Phreakuency

Banned
I couldn't play it. The combat is terrible. Couldn't get past that feature and struggle to understand how a game with such bad combat rates so high but everyone has their own preferences I guess.

I personally put it down to people wanting the game to be good and just accepting it. If it had an Ubisoft or EA logo on the cover it probably would have got canned.
 
B

BashNasty

Member
I feel the same as you after around about 20 hours, OP. The world and characters are pretty solid, but the gameplay is poor.

In videogames, gameplay is king, so Witcher 3 is not for me. It's most likely not for you either.
 
S

Skelter

Banned
StrongBlackVine said:
The Witcher 3 is no where near as good as Bloodborne. It has some moments, but the combat definitely does stink after playing a Souls game. It has some of the tedious open world issues too. Stick with it for a bit longer though because it is worth playing.
Click to expand...

Other then combat, Dark Souls and Bloodbourne is pretty shit.


I don't think that but really don't get the damn comparisons. Two VERY different kinds of RPG.
 
D

Dominic_Shade

Member
You're not missing anything that you would have found value in, OP. If the game's combat hasn't grabbed you after a dozen side-quests' worth of hours, it likely never will. Which is okay. There's nothing wrong with disliking a game, no matter how acclaimed it is in the eyes of its fandom..

If you happen to enjoy the game's story and atmosphere enough to overlook your distaste for the combat, then by all means spend your playthrough on the easiest difficulty. But if you've been playing as long as I suspect you have, there's not going to be a magic "sweet spot" that'll suddenly make everything click.
 
J

JinjoUnchained

Member
Try to remember that the combat isn't supposed to be Dark Souls or Platinum Games. It's simple, but effective and fits the game well. And you have enough signs and skill tree options to customize the action the way you want.

The thing is that W3 doesn't require you to be tactical, it's more there if you want it. And if you stick with it, you'll find more quests and encounters a few levels above you that need more tactical play, so there's that.

Hope that helps. If you still don't like it, then by all means stop, it's a really big game!

Edit: also, don't use the horse, lower the HUD size to small, and turn off the option to see the path to your next location (use custom markers instead). Those all made the game more fun to me.
 
M

Moaradin

Member
I don't know if I'd say I hate it, but I don't like playing it. The controls and combat feel awful to me. This was a few months ago so maybe I'll try it again at some point with all the patches. It's a shame because I really enjoyed everything else about the game. I guess I'm more sad than anything, because this is a game I SHOULD love.
 
S

Sjefen

Member
I am in the same boat as you OP, been playing around 12 hours and havent really had any fun yet, but I know with all these big RPG´s it will only get better. its just a frustrating learning curve and cant get myself to invest the time to sit down and learn all the different mechanics in the game.
 
J

Jolkien

Member
The combat is fine. It just doesn't play like you want it to. I'm not sure how you can say the quests are terrible there's some really nice one in White Orchard.

If the game doesn't grab you, it doesn't grab you I'm not sure why people keep playing if they hate something. The minute I start hating a game, I just stop playing.
 
U

UberLevi

Member
I dunno what the deal is for some of you guys. I'm a huge fan of the Souls series and I still managed to really enjoy the combat in The Witcher 3. The only issue I'd agree with is that the game did feel a little too big for it's own good at times.

I don't think my opinion matters too much though, because I also liked Dragon Age 2. Maybe I'm just easy to please.
 
C

Chaos2Frozen

Member
OrbitalBeard said:
So I bought the game recently and after a hundred hours of Bloodborne,
Click to expand...

Ah, there's the problem.

OrbitalBeard said:
I have to be missing something here. Does this game get better? Has Bloodborne's combat completely spoiled me or does it open up and improve as the game progresses?
Click to expand...

Don't worry, it's a completely well documented condition on Neogaf where Souls type games have ruined gaming for a lot of people. I'm not joking, just do a quick search on Gaf to see the number of threads started about it.

From now on you'll only be able to play games with equal or superior gameplay. No more of that 'standard' western AAA stuff.
 
Z

Zukkoyaki

Member
I found The Witcher to be absolutely amazing in every regard except for actually playing. While I wouldn't say gameplay/combat was bad, it was indeed thoroughly mediocre and to me had some serious response issues. There were times when I felt it actually detracted from the experience but those were rare, thankfully.

Still finished it along with the first DLC and managed to love it thanks to the world, characters, and writing. I actually enjoyed all if the boss fights. One time where the combat shines.
 
F

Forkball

Member
Are you even in Velen yet? That's when the real game starts.

I don't get the complaints about the combat. Of course it's not like Dark Souls. Or Devil May Cry. Or Zelda. It sets out to do something completely different. Try to be more diverse in combat. Use bombs, potions, crossbow, magic etc. I think the combat gets a bit too easy later on in the game, but I think it has a lot of great aspects.

As for money, yeah you might be a bit strapped for cash early on. Don't forget to LOOT EVERYTHING. Hides sell for a lot of money. Also sell items to the correct person for more money (weapons to blacksmiths, goods to merchants etc.). Weapon degradation is another difficult obstacle early on. Maybe carry a back up sword if it becomes too big of problem. But you will find weapon and armor repair kits all of the place. It got to the point where I was selling them because I had so many it was weighing me down. You will gradually have a buttload of cash later on in the game, so these two problems won't be an issue at all.

I can understand disliking this game (every game has someone who dislikes it) but I really don't understand people saying it is unplayable or downright horrible. I personally feel it's the best game this year and one of the best games in a long, long time.
 
J

Jolkien

Member
Denton said:
haha, sometimes on GAF I get the feeling that everything not made by From and Platinum is the worst game ever made :)
Click to expand...

Well to be fair From and Platinum makes such amazing gameplay, they drop the ball on almost everything else but they nail the game play so much.
 
M

maverick40

Junior Member
Skelter said:
Other then combat, Dark Souls and Bloodbourne is pretty shit.


I don't think that but really don't get the damn comparisons. Two VERY different kinds of RPG.
Click to expand...

Not even remotely true. Not a single boss battle or creature in the Witcher came close to anything in the souls games. Also the atmosphere is unmatched in souls games.

I still like the witcher 3 though. The combat is the worst I have seen since Remember Me
 
F

Fletcher

Member
I'm kinda the opposite. Love Witcher. Hate souls games.

Pretty much everything about Witcher 3 clicked with me and I find it to easily be the best game released this year.
 
S

Steez

Member
Sounds like you haven't even left White Orchard.

Combat isn't amazing by any means, but it's perfectly servicable and better than in most action RPGs.
People really need to stop comparing every combat system to Souls.

Also, quests are dope as fuck, some of the best designed ones in years, period, but the combat might've soured you on the whole thing. Eh, you don't have to like every game.

But yeah, Gwent is the bomb.

Denton said:
haha, sometimes on GAF I get the feeling that everything not made by From and Platinum is the worst game ever made :)
Click to expand...

Straight up, yes. At least when it comes to combat. This is such a weird phenomenon around here, lol.
 
M

Mar Nosso

Banned
I'm also spoiled on good combat after finally getting into the Souls games via Bloodborne. Simpy can't stand playing as Geralt now. Controls like a tank, feels like early Lara Croft games, and the combat is shit, slow and not responsive enough. Might not stay with it, especially now that I bought Until Dawn and Tearaway Unfolded online, both for great prices: 20 and 15 pounds respectively.
 
Kadin

Kadin

Member
I've been trying to get through this game for a while myself. I jumped in with the expectation that I was just going to love the shit out of like so many other people did but it did not happen... not even close.

As mentioned already, I really hate the horse controls. Doing a few of the races in the game made me hate it even more. I like the idea of the horse being able to stick to a path but so many times it just never worked.

And the quest system, for whatever reason, seems really clunky to me. I'm not sure what I'm missing but it seems like quite a few of the ones I have give me no indication of where to go - not even in a vague direction.

I haven't played in a few months and almost uninstalled it from my X1 to make room for some newer games but I don't want to completely give up... yet.
 
L

LegendX48

Member
You think the quests are horrible? Well... I don't know what to tell you, the quests are like the game's strongest points next to its characters >.>

I'll never understand why so many people have issues with/dislike the combat though, it's fine.

and Gwent is horrible, don't believe the lies!
I don't like card games >.>

edit: Oh, also, be sure to try out the alternate movement controls if the defaults frustrate you, they're much better
 
S

sirap

Member
Count me in as one of those who greatly enjoyed the combat (and this is right after finishing Bloodborne)

I played the game at Blood and Broken Bones, which is quite difficult in the early levels. This forces you to utilize every sign, potion and bomb available, and it really opens up the combat and makes it fun.

Combat becomes even better when you level up your signs, or even unique skills like the ability to deflect arrows back with a perfect parry.

I love this game because I never really felt like a total badass. You're a Witcher, yes, but even the lowliest necrophage can kill you if you're careless. CDProjekt did a great job of instilling the feeling of you not being this all powerful god character (unlike Bethesda or Bioware)
 
S

senahorse

Member
Fletcher said:
I'm kinda the opposite. Love Witcher. Hate souls games.

Pretty much everything about Witcher 3 clicked with me and I find it to easily be the best game released this year.
Click to expand...


This is me, while I don't hate souls games, they don't click with me and I quickly get bored of them.
 
GHG

GHG

Gold Member
Fletcher said:
I'm kinda the opposite. Love Witcher. Hate souls games.

Pretty much everything about Witcher 3 clicked with me and I find it to easily be the best game released this year.
Click to expand...

I agree with you and I like your avatar.

I think we would get along.
 
N

NaDannMaGoGo

Member
BashNasty said:
I feel the same as you after around about 20 hours, OP. The world and characters are pretty solid, but the gameplay is poor.

In videogames, gameplay is king, so Witcher 3 is not for me. It's most likely not for you either.
Click to expand...

Haven't been playing the games myself but that's because the combat alone looks so badly designed and off-putting to me that I'm damn certain I wouldn't enjoy the series' titles. Similar goes for the likes of Skyrim. I just can't stomach badly designed gameplay systems, even if most of everything else is solid or good.
 
E

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
It's got a similar issue as The Witcher 2 in that the combat is a bit rough around the edges, mostly in terms of hitbox consistency both on enemy attacks, your own, and dodges, and the early game is skewered against you as progression slowly skewers it back in your favour until you become an overpowered monster. Obviously, compared to Bloodborne, a game built almost entirely on the backbone of a combat system, a game like Wild Hunt can't hold a candle to that level of combat game design mastery.

Like most CRPGs it's about the sum total of parts. The world, the dialogue, the lore, the quest arcs, making choices, discovering points of interest and surprises, and immersing yourself in the adventure. All of that is really subjective, so you'll either love it or you wont. The idea that WRPGs suck after the Souls series is utterly laughable to me. In one or two specific mechanics, sure. But they're worlds apart in vision, scope, and concept. They're about as comparable as Mario Kart to Gran Turismo; genre similarities only on the surface, the games themselves operating under fundamentally different design from almost top to bottom. Apples and oranges, to put it simply.

That being said, improving your Wild Hunt combat experience involves embracing the versatile tools and abilities at your disposal. Wild Hunt =/= CRPG (or any RPG) where a specific build is required to use magic, melee, or potions. All of these things are immensely useful by default, as this is Geralt's character. Your build choices ultimately supplement abilities, not define them. So if you're having a hard time with combat make sure you're abusing signs and potions, and oils too, especially early game where those buffs can make a huge difference.

But yeah, in the grand scheme of things Wild Hunt is what it is: a massively open world CRPG with a strong focus on narrative and adventure. The combat definitely could use some work (again, those fucking hitboxes), but treating it like Souls/Borne is going to invite in comparisons it'll never, ever be able to live up to. And vice versa, too. Souls/Borne questing linearity and simplicity is borderline non-existent compared to the narrative web of characters and arcs that a good CRPG can provide. Which is understandable given this is a cornerstone of the genre.

Wild Hunt is no only my favourite game of the year, but one of my favourite games ever, warts and all. Coming from Bloodborne, if that tight gameplay focus and loop is what you're after, I can definitely see how it would disappoint. And if you cant shake those expectations and get into what Wild Hunt is all about, then maybe it just isn't for you.

EDIT: Disliking the quests is telling that this probably isn't for you. I fucking adore most of the quests in Wild Hunt.
 
Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Member
Agree with most of what you said. The game is gorgeous, but it's extremely boring and the combat sucks (no, it doesn't matter what difficulty you play it on or what your "build" is either). It's good enough for 30 - 40 hours, but after that just feels like a chore, just to get to the next cutscene. It doesn't help either that the gear is boring as fuck, and feels like it was implemented the way it was "because open world". The majority of it is trash.

Also yeah, Gwent was pretty fun. Until you have most of the cards anyway and can no longer lose.

Karl Hawk said:
One year later:

''The Witcher 3 is one of the worst games ever made''
Click to expand...

Nothing new here. Just about every super hyped/expectation AAA game goes from "GOTY, you're dumb if you don't agree" to "it has many issues" months later.

EatChildren said:
The idea that WRPGs suck after the Souls series is utterly laughable to me. In one or two specific mechanics, sure. But they're worlds apart in vision, scope, and concept. They're about as comparable as Mario Kart to Gran Turismo; genre similarities only on the surface, the games themselves operating under fundamentally different design from almost top to bottom. Apples and oranges, to put it simply.
Click to expand...

The problem isn't just the combat. Sure, it might be silly to compare it to a Souls game, but why does it seems like every damn game has to have such shit awful combat if it's a) not Souls or b) not turn based? It seems like in virtually every single WRPG, combat is an afterthought, yet you spend most of your time fighting. That's the gameplay of these kinds of games, and all of the crafting shit revolves around it too. Even so, the quests aren't compelling enough to warrant such bad combat, and there's not really anywhere interesting to explore. After you've spent at least fifteen minutes in each new country, you've seen pretty much most of what it has to offer in terms of variety. And as boring as Bethesda games can be, at least they have actual dungeons.
 
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