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LTTP: The Witcher 3, or everything a fantasy RPG should be (Mark spoilers)
- Thread starter More_Badass
- Start date
Yeah I was like ok I guess just one more boss or something
after Kaer Morhen
I thought the
Time & Space
More_Badass
Member
I saw a map size comparison of Velen vs Toussaint earlier today. Add that to the long list of reasons I must keep playing
I'm currently at 40 hours, and it's probably my favorite AAA game this gen as well, and easily my favorite RPG. I like my Skyrims and Pillars and Age of Decadences, but I've never been this so engrossed and driven to play an open world RPG like this. I've only been to White Orchard and Velen, and just knowing I still have two massive maps to explore is so exciting.
Got the first two books as well. I need to know more about the world and characters
Callibretto
Member
I don't think the combat is bad. But it's just not enough depth/variety in it for a 100 hour+ rpg. The level up system really limit your character build imo since you have to pick which upgrade you equip.
You mainly stick with sword for the whole game, the added layer of strategy is simply on what oil/potion you use for buff/debuff. But the core combat is the mostly the same through the whole game.
The combat really get kinda boring and mindless after a while.
You mainly stick with sword for the whole game, the added layer of strategy is simply on what oil/potion you use for buff/debuff. But the core combat is the mostly the same through the whole game.
The combat really get kinda boring and mindless after a while.
More_Badass
Member
40 hours, and I'm still really liking the combat. Circling and dodging, parrying, knocking guys down then rolling in for a ground kill, setting groups ablaze, pulling off finishers that send heads and limbs and body parts flying. I must prefer human enemies to monsters
Then again, I'm the guy who really liked Shadow of Mordor because the combat makes you feel powerful
Oublieux
Member
I absolutely love The Witcher 3 but, personally, I also felt that combat was arguably the weakest aspect of the game. My main gripe is that it never quite felt as responsive as it could be (even with alternative movement enabled) for a third person game. From my past experiences, Jade Empire and Dragon's Dogma had combat that hit that note more satisfyingly than The Witcher 3. It's a much more immediate feeling from button input to action on screen.
After deliberating on this, I think this "combat problem" is more a result of The Witcher 3's animation speed and prioritization of animation as a whole. Most frequently, and I'm sure other people have experienced this too, is trying to pick up loot only to awkwardly take a half step more than was needed. Geralt also has moments of jumping in a delayed and unexpected fashion over fences or higher ledges.
This carries over into combat and, although animation cancelling exists, it feels (subjectively) slower in comparison to the aforementioned games.
That being said, I didn't dislike it enough to quit and still enjoyed the game as its world building and quest lines are second to none.
And, yes, Skyrim's combat is a joke. It's glorified whack-a-mole in comparison.
More_Badass
Member
But DD is practically an arcade-y brawler in its combat, and Jade Empire is fast-paced martial arts.
The fighting in those games and W3 are like apples and oranges. Soulslike games is a closer comparison, due to the lock-on, dodging, stamina, slower strikes, etc.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Game looks really good on PS4, damn shame there won't be a Pro patch for it
Evil's Bane
Member
Recently been playing this for the first time and just met the Bloody Baron. When does the game "open up" a bit? Whenever I try to accept side quests from the board it doesn't give me a marker.
Affeinvasion
Member
I never had a problem with the combat because after reading the books, Geralt is kind of a badass at fighting. He does get injured a lot though.
Oublieux
Member
Yeah, it's true that the games I brought up were faster paced, in general, but I tried to draw the comparison more towards the games' animation prioritization and canceling, although I probably didn't emphasize it as well as I could have as I'm on mobile.
I also tried to avoid Dark Souls and its ilk since I have less experience with them, and they have been brought up countless times.
More_Badass
Member
Sounds like a bug. There should be side quests and points of interests to do in White Orchard way before you go to Velen
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Glad to hear that. I never got to finishing the second book because I got caught up with other reading, but I rather enjoyed the first book.
Evil's Bane
Member
Seems like the only thing the game ever picks up is the main quest. May be a bug, but I also tweaked the hud settings a bit to lower the amount of guidance I was getting, so I might have turned something off by mistake. I'll mess around with it when I boot the game up tomorrow.
More_Badass
Member
Oh, that's probably it then
The only settings I disabled were the points of interest showing up on the map and the path to your objective. Game is infinitely more enjoyable that way
The person you quoted was thinknig of a different quest than the one you're thinking of, if you just got the skellige you're not even halfway tbh.
The game REALLY doesn't end when you think it will. You'll be 100% sure when you're finally getting close, before that it's like "Yeah we're in the home stretch - NOPE" over and over.
You're around where I stopped the last year when the game launched, when I picked it back up I figured I probably had about 5-10 hours left if I started ignoring side objectives. 25 hours later I finally beat the game.
More_Badass
Member
I'm talking about Destination: Skellige / In Ciri's Footsteps. The latter is divided between Find out if Ciri is in Velen/Novigrad/Skellige, and seemed like the major overarching storyline
But yeah sounds like I have many many hours to go
Simple Soul
Member
I think the "what is an RPG?" discussions is kinda pointless and often a bit arrogant in a way. The industry and change changed over time. It might be a change for the worse for you, but it still has changed. RPGs in the style of the 90s are few and far in between. More and more developers are going in the direction of more focused protagonists and less blank slate characters. And usually when they do go for blank slate in modern gaming, the quality of writing tends to suffer from it. Personally? I prefer fixed protagonists with the mechanics and choice variety designed around them.
That being said, TW3 still has plenty to improve. CDPR has displayed astonishing (maybe unprecedented?) progress from game to game. I can't recall a franchise that changed so significantly between each game, with 3 entries in it. The jump from each one to the next is crazy. And one of my bigger worries is that after the immense success of TW3, they'll slow down a bit going forward with CP77, while they still have a lot to improve.
To put it briefly, I'd like for the battle to have more development. In TW3, combat 150 hours in didn't feel all that different from combat 15 hours in. I want more ways to solve quests. I want more active abilities. I want more dialogue options. I want the witcher senses to be reconsidered, or at least somehow improved because they ended up being really repetitive and an "on-rails" experience much of the time. Occasionally there was more interesting use of them, where you had to carefully examine an area and pick up all the clues -- and if you didn't, the quest would change (for the worse) due to it, like with the medicine guy at White Orchard. But I feel that was the exception. I also want a much better antagonist, as the friggin' title of the game ended up being one of its more disappointing aspects -- The Wild Hunt. Though since CDPR proved in TW1 and TW2 that it can write compelling villains, I'm not as worried about this part. I want more meaningful loot, while cutting down on the amount of fluff for crafting. Looting I believe should be a fun little event. I know it's difficult to make it mean something, but still. Looting a barrel for the 700th time for a bit more silk and iron isn't interesting, but finding a chance once in a while with some special ingredient or armor is. I won't complain if the former is removed completely somehow.
Anyway, I love the game, I consider it amazing, but CDPR still have a lot to improve. Not necessarily more than other companies mind you, but I like being more critical with them since I see they have crazy talent and a desire to constantly improve. I'll be really happy if all Witcher fans with every line of praise they write about CDPR will add one of criticism so the company will be constantly reminded they need to keep evolving.
That being said, TW3 still has plenty to improve. CDPR has displayed astonishing (maybe unprecedented?) progress from game to game. I can't recall a franchise that changed so significantly between each game, with 3 entries in it. The jump from each one to the next is crazy. And one of my bigger worries is that after the immense success of TW3, they'll slow down a bit going forward with CP77, while they still have a lot to improve.
To put it briefly, I'd like for the battle to have more development. In TW3, combat 150 hours in didn't feel all that different from combat 15 hours in. I want more ways to solve quests. I want more active abilities. I want more dialogue options. I want the witcher senses to be reconsidered, or at least somehow improved because they ended up being really repetitive and an "on-rails" experience much of the time. Occasionally there was more interesting use of them, where you had to carefully examine an area and pick up all the clues -- and if you didn't, the quest would change (for the worse) due to it, like with the medicine guy at White Orchard. But I feel that was the exception. I also want a much better antagonist, as the friggin' title of the game ended up being one of its more disappointing aspects -- The Wild Hunt. Though since CDPR proved in TW1 and TW2 that it can write compelling villains, I'm not as worried about this part. I want more meaningful loot, while cutting down on the amount of fluff for crafting. Looting I believe should be a fun little event. I know it's difficult to make it mean something, but still. Looting a barrel for the 700th time for a bit more silk and iron isn't interesting, but finding a chance once in a while with some special ingredient or armor is. I won't complain if the former is removed completely somehow.
Anyway, I love the game, I consider it amazing, but CDPR still have a lot to improve. Not necessarily more than other companies mind you, but I like being more critical with them since I see they have crazy talent and a desire to constantly improve. I'll be really happy if all Witcher fans with every line of praise they write about CDPR will add one of criticism so the company will be constantly reminded they need to keep evolving.
I think TW2 does several things better than TW3. The main story is one I enjoyed more in 2. The antagonist is one of my favorites, even outside the franchise. The two other important secondary characters are also great (Roche and Iorveth). The story has plenty of layers to it with interesting twists, a much more impressive political world (that was sadly greatly simplified in TW3), and one of its best parts is how consequences are handled. TW2 is sort of like a game and a half. There are three chapters. The third is short, the second is long, and the second changes rather dramatically based on a (thought-out) decision you make at the end of 1. Without spoiling too much, you end up interacting with different characters at different sides of a war\map in chapter 2, with different quests. You simply cannot see all the content in one playthrough of this game. I also think that TW2 does shades of grey better than TW3. I found the big decisions in it to be pretty tough, with arguments to be made for either side, while in TW3 I had much fewer dilemmas.
Tinfoilhatsron
Banned
Damn More_Badass, I cannot wait to read about your impressions of the endgame, DLC, and the books at this rate! You should take your time with it. I'm honestly just as impressed as you and the Witcher 3 community on GAF. Loved one and two but felt it had some problems in areas that bugged me. Then 3 came along and I was stunned by how everything came together so nicely. I enjoyed the gameplay, the characters, the story, and the setting. One of my favorite RPGs period.
johnnydrama
Banned
Glad you're enjoying the game, MB. It's easily my favorite game in a long, long time. One of a kind experience. 350+ hours in already, and I plan on revisiting it after finals.
More_Badass
Member
Geralt used to be one ugly bastard
Not everything you pick up from the board gives you a quest a lot is just flavor text. On average there's only 1 or 2 notes that do.
You'll find them in the quest menu.
RespectThySole
Member
Yeah I think I'm going to replay it soon as well.
Just finished up those Brothers At Arms questlings (quietly moving stuff btw) and it feels like the game is starting to wrap up. Then I read your post, and damn, CDPR ain't messing around, I guess.
As for me, its pretty safe to say its the game of the generation (unless cyberpunk 2077 totally blows it out of the water).
I was super excited for Fallout 4 (was a big fan of 3/NV), and I could not play it for more than 10 hours, the world felt so lifeless and uninteresting(yes, I know its a wasteland, but 3 and NV in particular were a joy to explore), the quests seemed to me as taken from a generic mmo, etc, all thanks to this game.
Witcher 3 ruined the rest of the open world games for me, its sidequests are more interesting than skyrims main quest, DA:I, just to name a few. I did spend over 200 hours on this with the base game and its two expansions (couldn't finish blood and wine because my computer died, lost my gog save as well), ended up super satisfied with my purchase and a fantastic wrap up to the witcher trilogy.
If you end up loving this game and its world, I would recommend trying witcher 2, its still a great game, graphics hold up pretty well although it can be janky in some parts. Witcher 1 is a fantastic experience as well, but the combat IS awful in this one (maybe more of a rock/paper/scissors rythm game?), so I dont know if you would like it (although you can get it super cheap on both gog/steam).
Keep on playing and enjoying this masterpiece!
I was super excited for Fallout 4 (was a big fan of 3/NV), and I could not play it for more than 10 hours, the world felt so lifeless and uninteresting(yes, I know its a wasteland, but 3 and NV in particular were a joy to explore), the quests seemed to me as taken from a generic mmo, etc, all thanks to this game.
Witcher 3 ruined the rest of the open world games for me, its sidequests are more interesting than skyrims main quest, DA:I, just to name a few. I did spend over 200 hours on this with the base game and its two expansions (couldn't finish blood and wine because my computer died, lost my gog save as well), ended up super satisfied with my purchase and a fantastic wrap up to the witcher trilogy.
If you end up loving this game and its world, I would recommend trying witcher 2, its still a great game, graphics hold up pretty well although it can be janky in some parts. Witcher 1 is a fantastic experience as well, but the combat IS awful in this one (maybe more of a rock/paper/scissors rythm game?), so I dont know if you would like it (although you can get it super cheap on both gog/steam).
Keep on playing and enjoying this masterpiece!
Yeah, if you're done with Velen + Novigrad, you're around halfway to 2/3rds done. Skellige is huge and it just keeps on going even after it.
Sodding_Gamer
Member
And Dragon Age: Inquisition is laughable.
Honestly don't get the hate about the Witcer 3 combat. I thought it was perfectly serviceable. I have played the game for 120 hours and it never bothered me. Opinions I guess.
Geralt used to be one ugly bastard
I can't believe there was a time where I thought the Witcher 1's graphics were amazing. It looks so dated now lmao.
To be fair I'll probably think the same thing about W3 8 years from now.
Gameplay was too trite, quest structure and world too rigid, main quest a whole lot of nothing.
But some of the world was lovingly and evocatively created (a bit too much perhaps because it was chugging along at 25fps thereabouts on ps4), and while there was a lot of time wasting in the main quest, at least they put in effort.
7/10 for the effort
But some of the world was lovingly and evocatively created (a bit too much perhaps because it was chugging along at 25fps thereabouts on ps4), and while there was a lot of time wasting in the main quest, at least they put in effort.
7/10 for the effort
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Aesthetics wise....sure. Gameplay wise.....hell no. Combat is too crucial and Witcher 3's system is a bore
Really dude? A pacifist run is a requirement to qualify as an RPG now?
I personally waited until I met the level requirement for Skellige
I still to this day haven't cleared Velen. I intend to do it on my 2nd playthrough (with an Ultrawide monitor)
Yeah and then they get to Skellige Islands and realize how much the sailing sucks/was graphically downgraded
They would've noticed already by then. Skellige remains the best part of the game, graphically. Excluding maybe Toussaint, for obvious reasons.
There seems to be a correlation with the beard growth.Geralt used to be one ugly bastard
More_Badass
Member
Just
. Wasn't expecting to have that option
That's my kind of choices
killed Kiera on Fyke Isle, looked online and saw there were myriad ways that her storyline could have continued
That's my kind of choices
More_Badass
Member
My Geralt is a give-no-fucks for-the-greater-good-if-possible kind of witcher
Ultimadrago
Member
Making the decisions, I like it!
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Hearts of Stone has the most amazing mission ever.
I chose the other option,
The one where the ghost takes over Geralt's body, man oh man it was so fun watching Geralt dance.
I chose the other option,
did you get one of those 'mini-ending' videos immediately afterward ? In my case Kiera's storyline continued for a while later and I got her 'ending' much later in the game.
The main HoS quest is the best storyline in the game in my opinion.
you're the monster.
BizzyBum
Member
Hearts of Stone as a whole was some of the best gaming experiences I've ever had the pleasure to play. It's crazy a $10 DLC is better then pretty much any game I've ever played.
Smh
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Yeah, it actually caught me off guard.
The first 'toad' mission was sort of bad .. I thought this might be what the DLC is about, going to the 'arab' looking land and facing the prince's father, but the quests took a complete u-turn.
Looking forward to Blood and Wine mostly for the tech upgrades but other then that, the whole package has been superb so far.
Witcher 3 has no competition in its visual realization of a believable interconnected world. There are games which have much stronger control over tone and atmosphere (the Souls series) or depiction of a single settlement but the scope is totally different here. Skellige has such a great sense of mystery as you trek through its mountains and valleys (because its mostly sparse but contains beautiful imagery with some opportunities for high risk combat due to high level enemies). Then there's of course Velen and how living conditions, professions, industries, stories and geography progresses as you move from south to North towards the big cities. The illusion is not perfect and it often breaks
but it's sublime while it persists. In general I think it would be fair to say that Bethesda games are more dynamic but their mechanics and routines are too overtly artificial to be as believable as TW3. My one complaint in terms of world/level design would be the lack of complex 'dungeons' or separate segmented levels outside (or even in if it could implemented as such) of the overworld which could provide more interesting enemy encounters and exploration possibilities.
especially how they handled the resolution to Radovid's quest.
