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[Aflyingbanana]

Damn what an game. It has been a while since I have felt this much emptiness after finishing a game. After 80 hours I was just so invested to the world and the characters that real life seems kinda boring lol. While awesome game there were some minor complaints:

-They handled romance very poorly. I mean you have to choose between Triss and Yen before even meeting Yen properly. Didn't even know I was doing the final romancing quest for Triss before I got the timer and had to say ''I love you''. Also after that quest they pretty much completely abandoned Triss as far as the plot goes and the rest of the game was all Yen so while I would have nevertheless picked Triss it kinda felt that even the game told you that Yen is the canon choice and Triss option is here just because of previous games/fanservice.

Totally agree on the emptiness part.

I thought the romance was well done. It made you confused, like in real life. You and Yen were always sorta an item and so it was sorta assumed. If you try to play both girls you lose in the end. It's smart and make you choose and keeps you guessing.

 

[zkorejo]

I finally ended this today with all sidequests (excluding Skellige's most wanted because its still bugged, races and cards).

Amazing game. My GOTY for sure. Easily beats MGS V and Bloodborne in my books.

I got the perfect ending with happy ending.

- Ciri is alive and becomes a witcher.
- Witcher lives with Yen (who leaves politics behind)
- Queen Cerys proves to be a great queen of Skellige.
- Emhyr is in complete control of North and frees Temeria.

I couldnt have asked for a better ending. Maybe I could have asked for Vesimir to live but then the story wouldnt have that big of an impact that lit a fire under both Geralt and Ciri to go from defense mode to attack mode.

Amazing journey, amazing conclusion. 10/10.

 

[SuperBanana]

I watched the sad ending on YT. Damn, Geralt is a wreck at the end. That would be a rough ending.

 

[K' Dash]

I watched the sad ending on YT. Damn, Geralt is a wreck at the end. That would be a rough ending.

I got that ending and loved it, it would have been good to get any of the others too, but I really felt Geralts pain, it was amazing that a game made me feel that way.

 

[Yabberwocky]

I don't mind people not liking Yen, but lordy, have you met the guy you're playing as? One of the reasons I really like Geralt and Yen together is that they're both absolute assholes. Geralt needs a World's Biggest Dick mug. (...in more ways than one, judging by all the contented women in the game.)

 

[frontovik]

Has anyone else finished the Hearts of Stone expansion? What are your thoughts on it?

It was great to pick up the game again after finishing it a few months ago. Personally, I thought the expansion was quite fun and the story was as dramatic and thought provoking as the Bloody Baron quest line. Some elements of the story reminded me of a Grain of Truth story from The Last Wish. It's certainly a lesson to be careful of what you wish for.

I only had to restart the final boss fight against O'Dimm once, just as I was starting to lose my patience running around the mansion. It was quite satisfying freeing Olgierd from O'Dimm though.

It's a pity that you can't pursue a romantic relatioinship further with Shani. She was my preferred choice in the original Witcher. Now I hope that someone or CDPR will re-release the original Witcher with the REDengine.

Looking forward to Blood and Wine!

 

[Karl Hawk]

There's also a dialog option where Gaunter O'Dimm (if you side with him at the end of the expansion's main quest) giving Geralt an advice how to avoid the bad Ciri ending (I assume you get that option before you find Ciri in The Isle of Mists).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Sdm3E5cpI

Gotta say, its a pretty cool detail.

Here are the lines:

''There will come a time where she will come to you defeated. Resigned. Find a way to make her laugh'' = Lifting up Ciri's mood with a Snowball fight after the Battle of Kaer Morhen

''There will come a time where one will betray her. Let her vent her rage'' = Letting Ciri thrash Avalla'ch's Lab

''There will come a time where she grieves for a friend. Grieve with her'' = Visiting Skjall's grave with Ciri

''There will come a time where fear will engulf her. Instill courage in her, but do not act on her stead'' = Encouraging Ciri to meet the Lodge sorceresses alone

''And never, ever let her feel as if you sold her out'' = Refusing the money reward from Emperor Emhyr in case you pay a visit with Ciri.

 

[frontovik]

I wonder what happens if you ask him to grant the other "wishes" besides requesting help for Ciri.

 

[jrcbandit]

I wonder what happens if you ask him to grant the other "wishes" besides requesting help for Ciri.

You get whatever item you wish for, like an alcohol cup that never goes dry. Unlimited potion making is far more valuable than the crappy sword you get for helping Olgierd. Other than other hand, I might feel too guilty and forgo the cool alcohol cup when I continue playing in the next expansion.

 

[Karl Hawk]

I wonder what happens if you ask him to grant the other "wishes" besides requesting help for Ciri.

- A horse saddle with 100 stamina (IIRC, it can also stun any enemies nearby while riding Roach)

- A horn with infinite food (40 vitality regeneration (25 in combat) with 5s effect duration)

- An item with endless supply of hard alcohol (Means you can use it to replenish your potions/bombs whenever you meditate)

- If you ask him to get rich, he'll give you 5000 crowns.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Just beat Hearts of Stone. Damn, I enjoyed the expansion a lot all in all. Great quest variety.

I don't usually reload save files but I had to see both endings. The "game" to find the mirror was amazing, but I'm not sure if I actually prefer the other ending, where Olgried dies. As for the rewards, there will probably be a better or equal saddle in the next expansion, alcohol is never a concern (I've never run out of it) and money is plentiful anyway. The horn might be useful though. Maybe. The sword is certainly useless though.

 

[Moff]

some of the items you can get from him are pretty cool, but of course I chose to save olgierd.
fantastic expansion, at least on par with the best content of the main game, easily worth the money and honestly pretty much the best dlc I have ever played.
loved the story and the characters, especially O'Dimm, well he is basically Satan isn't he? Loved the humble look the gave him. but Shani, Olgierd, vlodimir, the thief dude, Iris were great as well.
It seems so easy how CDPR creates seemingly endless memorable characters.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

some of the items you can get from him are pretty cool, but of course I chose to save olgierd.
fantastic expansion, at least on par with the best content of the main game, easily worth the money and honestly pretty much the best dlc I have ever played.
loved the story and the characters, especially O'Dimm, well he is basically Satan isn't he? Loved the humble look the gave him. but Shani, Olgierd, vlodimir, the thief dude, Iris were great as well.
It seems so easy how CDPR creates seemingly endless memorable characters.

Why is that an "of course"? He's a charming man, but he has lost everything that was dear to him and leads a group of bandits. He's a dangerous man, and a shattered one at that. I can totally see which one would pick either side.

O'Dimm is "Evil Incarnate". There was a book on it in the academy. He's indeed probably a reference to the devil.

 

[Moff]

I wrote of course because I think that's what geralt would do. Olgierd is a good man at heart, but more importantly: O'Dimm is evil incarnate, of course I will try to best him.
I just wish you could find those kickass items in the mirror world, only found the viper silver sword. apparently there's money there, too? I'd love to have the food horn at least.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

Well, finished this tonight.

What a fucking expansion, this is how it should be.

Man, they built O'Dimm up ever so slowly, but with each piece of information we found about him, the more terrifying I find him to be.

Can't fucking wait for B&W.

 

[erawsd]

Well, finished this tonight.

What a fucking expansion, this is how it should be.

Man, they built O'Dimm up ever so slowly, but with each piece of information we found about him, the more terrifying I find him to be.

Can't fucking wait for B&W.

That spoon scene....

 

[Turin Turambar]

Why is that an "of course"? He's a charming man, but he has lost everything that was dear to him and leads a group of bandits. He's a dangerous man, and a shattered one at that. I can totally see which one would pick either side.

O'Dimm is "Evil Incarnate". There was a book on it in the academy. He's indeed probably a reference to the devil.

Yep, he is basically the devil, but there is no "devil" figure in the witcher world, as there is no christianity with the heave / hell concept, therefore they use the "eternal evil incarnate" thing.

Apart from the spoon scene, I liked (and with that, I mean it was fucking horrible) what it did to the researcher. He went to him, talked to him, and showed him how to protect from himself, drawing a circle in the floor. Why would he do that? I thought. But then he said: I will kill you the moment you get out of the protection circle. So basically he condemned him to a prison for life because why not.
And some horrible nightmares on top of it because fuck you, too.

 

[indigo-cyclops]

Yea that was one of the best expansions I've played in a long time, and further cemented W3 as my GOTY by a mile. Just can't wait for more.

 

[Ricker]

I started this game when it came out but during the 3 summer months I played like once or twice a week,then finished a few weeks ago...I remember seeing the ''HLAKBR'' thing once but never really saw it after so I forget what this is related to...? I got the second good ending and all,maybe that's it...anyone can explain this briefly to me...

Also I got greedy and tried my luck with both Yennefer and Triss at the same time lol...that backfired

 

[erawsd]

I started this game when it came out but during the 3 summer months I played like once or twice a week,then finished a few weeks ago...I remember seeing the ''HLAKBR'' thing once but never really saw it after so I forget what this is related to...? I got the second good ending and all,maybe that's it...anyone can explain this briefly to me...

Also I got greedy and tried my luck with both Yennefer and Triss at the same time lol...that backfired

Its from the lighthouse flickering when Geralt and Trish are having sex in it. The Mages think that someone is sending a coded message, so they write it down and rack their brains trying to figure out what it means.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

That spoon scene....

Apart from the spoon scene, I liked (and with that, I mean it was fucking horrible) what it did to the researcher. He went to him, talked to him, and showed him how to protect from himself, drawing a circle in the floor. Why would he do that? I thought. But then he said: I will kill you the moment you get out of the protection circle. So basically he condemned him to a prison for life because why not.
And some horrible nightmares on top of it because fuck you, too.

Yeah, those 2 scenes are my favorite, mostly because they instilled in me 2 very different feelings towards O'Dimm.

While the spoon scene made me kind of shocked and disgusted by how brutal he can be, yet remaining nonchalant as if nothing. The scene with the scholar made me shiver, truly fear for my (Geralt's) life. Being the legendary white wolf yet he is clueless before his enemy, and powerless trying to save the scholar's life in vain.

This DLC, may I say, even surpasses the majority of the main game itself. And the main game is already absolutely brilliant.

 

[tallbroski]

I have an annoying bug that fails quest even though I completed it. The quest i am talking about is The Last Wish Quest, its under completed quests but as soon as I collect Uma from the stables its says Last Wish failed. Anyone had this?

Its my second playthrough and I don`t want to continue because I am sure the Last Wish quest affects the ending.

Edit- The Last Wish bug did not affect the ending. I still ended up with Yen.

 

[Moff]

I have an annoying bug that fails quest even though I completed it. The quest i am talking about is The Last Wish Quest, its under completed quests but as soon as I collect Uma from the stables its says Last Wish failed. Anyone had this?

Its my second playthrough and I don`t want to continue because I am sure the Last Wish quest affects the ending.

yes, some quests fail at that point of the main story.
I am pretty sure there was also a warning about that at some point.

finish the last wish first.

edit: nevermind, obviously read it wrong

 

[DerSchniffles]

Just finished this a couple nights ago....man, what an adventure! The ending I got was a bit sad but those were the choices I made...whats his face became ruler and hunted down all the non humans which made me mad (haha, this game really gave me the feels on just about everything) and I too tried being greedy with both Triss and Yenn. Oh well, that it takes 3 to tango quest was hilarious. I figured it would backfire but had a glimmer of hope when they were both in their panties waiting, was like "ha! geralt wins again!" but then the shackled me up and left me until Dandelion came.....I was literally laughing out loud.

a bit OT, but did anyone else notice the low quality sky? My tv is calibrated and when the sky is pure blue or pure black with the moon out, the amount of color banding is insane. I thought it was my calibration for an hour but when trying blu-rays or looking at the blue sky in BF4 I could not for the life of me replicate the problem. NOTHING else has the banding in it except for the Witcher 3....which makes me sad because they did so much with the sky- stars/shooting stars, clouds etc.

 

[tallbroski]

Did anyone have a hard time with choices in Reason of State quest? I stayed out of it because i completely agreed with Dijkstra points but felt bad knowing Roche and Ves will be killed.

 

[Karl Hawk]

Did anyone have a hard time with choices in Reason of State quest? I stayed out of it because i completely agreed with Dijkstra points but felt bad knowing Roche and Ves will be killed.

I think I was more pissed at the fact that Djikstra thinking he and a couple of his hired thugs can take on a Witcher and two special forces soldiers.

But in any case, I sided with Roche since I don't see Geralt willing to betray his friends (I consider Roche as a friend).

 

[Staf]

$10 for the DLC is a absolute steal. Can't think of a better value from a DLC.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Did anyone have a hard time with choices in Reason of State quest? I stayed out of it because i completely agreed with Dijkstra points but felt bad knowing Roche and Ves will be killed.

No, it was a very easy choice for me.

I like Djikstra when it all comes around, but there's no way that I'm just going to walk away and let him kill two people who have always been by my side; two bros who I have battled alongside. He played Geralt and backstabbed him. That doesn't work for me.

 

[Lanrutcon]

Sided with Satan. Couldn't fault pure evil for acting evil.

Olgierd however...he made his choice way before he had an excuse.

 

[kamandi]

Did anyone have a hard time with choices in Reason of State quest? I stayed out of it because i completely agreed with Dijkstra points but felt bad knowing Roche and Ves will be killed.

Man i didn't notice that this quest must be finished before the end of the main campaign.
Same as Triss statuette quests. I missed all those.

 

[funkystudent]

Finished!

My ending was Geralt and Triss live happy ever after.
Ciri is a Wticher doing witcher things
Nilfgaard win the war because I helped kill Radovid

But from a character perspective I wish I went with Yen and Ciri became the next ruler. Yen seems like the right choice for the character and I only picked Triss because of the relationship from previous games. And the other Ciri ending just seems like the way it probably should have gone.

Also killing radovid didnt seem like a very Witcher thing to do and yet another example of me doing something as the player that didnt fit the character


Great game. Couldnt recommend it more.

Only major gripe is with the Triss / Yen romance stuff and how you late you can commit to Yen versus Triss who you can complete her entire quest line early on.

 

[tallbroski]

Finished!

My ending was Geralt and Triss live happy ever after.
Ciri is a Wticher doing witcher things
Nilfgaard win the war because I helped kill Radovid

But from a character perspective I wish I went with Yen and Ciri became the next ruler. Yen seems like the right choice for the character and I only picked Triss because of the relationship from previous games. And the other Ciri ending just seems like the way it probably should have gone.

Also killing radovid didnt seem like a very Witcher thing to do and yet another example of me doing something as the player that didnt fit the character


Great game. Couldnt recommend it more.

Only major gripe is with the Triss / Yen romance stuff and how you late you can commit to Yen versus Triss who you can complete her entire quest line early on.

Nah I think Ciri being a Witcher is the best ending but its arguably. As for Radovid. you are merely helping in the assassination plot, you are told from the start that someone else will deliver the killing blow. Radovid had to be stopped anyway, its what happens after the assassination that's interesting.

 

[JerkShep]

Just finished Hearts of Stone. I had some issues with the main game, mostly regarding the insipid Act III, the terribly simplified political plot (compared to Assassins of Kings at least) and how the Wild Hunt was handled, but Hearts of Stone is truly amazing, probably my favorite part of the game with the Bloody Baron questline. O'dimm is up there with Letho as the best villain the series ever had, amosphere is top notch and the choices encompass perfectly the "grey" morality that the Witcher games are known for. Even the bosses are vastly improved, the base game really needed more unique enemies. If I have to find some negative points, I'd say the new gameplay mechanics are mostly forgettable, I would have preferred more skill slots to open up build possibilities, the runes are okay but the game didn't really need them.

 

[tallbroski]

No, it was a very easy choice for me.

I like Djikstra when it all comes around, but there's no way that I'm just going to walk away and let him kill two people who have always been by my side; two bros who I have battled alongside. He played Geralt and backstabbed him. That doesn't work for me.

Ahh I see, It was my first Witcher game so I had only seen Roche/Ves few times up to that point.

I think I was more pissed at the fact that Djikstra thinking he and a couple of his hired thugs can take on a Witcher and two special forces soldiers.

But in any case, I sided with Roche since I don't see Geralt willing to betray his friends (I consider Roche as a friend).

Good point but you can argue that Dijkistra is your friend too, He also helped Triss escape. Don`t get me wrong I think what he did (killing Ves/Roche) was wrong he had good intentions, he wanted to free all the states while Roche was only concerned about a free Tameria.

 

[Pro]

Just finished Hearts of Stone. I had some issues with the main game, mostly regarding the insipid Act III, the terribly simplified political plot (compared to Assassins of Kings at least) and how the Wild Hunt was handled, but Hearts of Stone is truly amazing, probably my favorite part of the game with the Bloody Baron questline. O'dimm is up there with Letho as the best villain the series ever had, amosphere is top notch and the choices encompass perfectly the "grey" morality that the Witcher games are known for. Even the bosses are vastly improved, the base game really needed more unique enemies. If I have to find some negative points, I'd say the new gameplay mechanics are mostly forgettable, I would have preferred more skill slots to open up build possibilities, the runes are okay but the game didn't really need them.

WARNING Hearts of Stone Spoilers.

Finished HoS tonight. Absolutely loved it. Best content in the game easily. It was very good. Agree with you on O'dimm and the atmosphere. Loved the quests in the "Painted World", the creepy Von Everic estate and the wraith boss with the paintings. The Caretaker was so good. Also thought the Wedding was done very well with very unique content. O'dimm basically being The Devil, Satan, Pure Evil, whatever you make him out to be was a great antagonist with pure Satan-istic intentions. Great characters all around.

I do think the weapon and armor enchantments are good. Prepare to spend a ton of gold. Particularly the armor ones. I enchanted the new Viper set with the one that gives it the light armor quality so I can get all my light armor bonuses while still having the higher defense the level 39 Viper set offers. Although my Mastercrafted Feline set still has significantly higher DPS attack. I just think the Viper set looks the best and is still plenty strong with the enchantment.

 

[SomTervo]

Just finished. What a thing.

Geralt and Yen ride off into sunset

Temeria freed, Nilfgaard still doing it's thing

Ciri - Queen of Nilfgaard

That ending for Ciri definitely seemed best from my eyes. The whole thing seemed perfect. She says herself she couldnt keep running from it; that she'd be a good ruler and she can do real good for the world there. Be truly selfless. Fucking amazing. And Geralt pretty much agrees and you even get the choice to say 'we'll meet again in the future'.

Her being a witcher sounds cool and all but it's pretty much a status quo outcome. And there are plenty of other witchers already. She's just nomading around. What's the character justification for that?

Also CAN WE PLEASE FULLY SPOILERTAG ANYTHING ABOUT THE EXPANSIONS THANKS. This is a non-linear story thread with three important sequential stories rolling around in discussion at once!

 

[Hypron]

Just finished the main story. I absolutely loved the game. I did the main quests and all the side quests that are offshoots of the main quest apart from helping Cleaver (I thought I could avoid a bloodshed...).

Even though the mere act of doing some sidequests goes against Geralt's character I still tried to stay true to it for most of my choices — the only thing really out of character I did was participating in Radovid's assassination (and that was very out of character, but I couldn't help myself). In hindsight I probably made a couple others but all were pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

In my ending Ciri survived and became a Witcher. I was really pleased because after having read all the books I think it's the one that best fits her character in my view. What she's been longing for most of her life is being free, and that ending achieves that. I'm not sure I could have handled Ciri dying though. I was feeling super sad before the reveal that she was still alive and well.

Otherwise Radovid died and I killed Dijkstra. Getting rid of Radovid is bound to be good for mages and non-humans, that guy was a monster. I was disappointed by Dijkstra though, that was pretty out of character. He's smarter than attacking head-on Geralt accompanied by a few other guys. Especially after he and his soldiers got fucked up really badly by an unarmed Geralt on Thanedd.

Cerys ascended to the throne of Skellige, which was probably the best thing to do since the ending outright says the islands thrive under her rule. I also think it's probably best for her brother after he gets over the initial disappointment of not being king. Speaking of those guys, I'm not sure how I feel about Crach's death. It came out of nowhere and didn't really add anything.

As for Geralt and Yennefer, they got their happy ending. They talked about doing that before but never acted on it. From their point of view it's probably the best and it ends on a very similar note to the books (except they still live in the same dimension).

On another note, one of my favourite parts of the game is the whole ugly baby quest. I really love the dialogue between Geralt and the other Witchers, especially Lambert (his rendition of the "Killing monsters" and some of his other lines really cracked me up).

 

[endlessflood]

Otherwise Radovid died and I killed Dijkstra. Getting rid of Radovid is bound to be good for mages and non-humans, that guy was a monster. I was disappointed by Dijkstra though, that was pretty out of character. He's smarter than attacking head-on Geralt accompanied by a few other guys. Especially after he and his soldiers got fucked up really badly by an unarmed Geralt on Thanedd.

Yeah for a supposed master of spycraft and subterfuge, Dijkstra sure did a great job of announcing his evil plans to the hero. Why not just say that he had affairs of state to discuss with Roche et al and send Geralt away, then wipe them out after he'd left? I guess the answer is that as players we needed both to be given that choice and to see that drama play out, but there must have been a better (and more nuanced) way.

On the subject of Radovid, he posed a direct threat to the only people Geralt really loves, so I don't see his involvement there as too far out of character.

 

[Hypron]

Yeah for a supposed master of spycraft and subterfuge, Dijkstra sure did a great job of announcing his evil plans to the hero. Why not just say that he had affairs of state to discuss with Roche et al and send Geralt away, then wipe them out after he'd left? I guess the answer is that as players we needed both to be given that choice and to see that drama play out, but there must have been a better (and more nuanced) way.

Yeah. The guy managed to survive his palace being flooded by assassins but then throws his life away like that... It was so weird.

They could have extended the quest to make it feel less jarring. Even if they wanted Dijkstra to announce his treason like he did, they could have made him leave instead of join the fight (seeing him use a weapon just felt wrong). Then they could have added some more quest material or simply told us what became of him in the epilogue.

Such a character deserved at least a cutscene death, not what we got there.

On the subject of Radovid, he posed a direct threat to the only people Geralt really loves, so I don't see his involvement there as too far out of character.

Yeah that's what pushed me over the edge when considering whether I should do the quest or not. But at the same time I'd never see Geralt getting involved in a plot to kill a king. I'd just expect him to tell Dijkstra to fuck off.

 

[Flipyap]

Yeah that's what pushed me over the edge when considering whether I should do the quest or not. But at the same time I'd never see Geralt getting involved in a plot to kill a king. I'd just expect him to tell Dijkstra to fuck off.

Getting involved in the plot made sense to me... until it went from fairly low-level assistance in other people's machinations, to leading a regicide parade right through the center of a huge city. I seriously couldn't believe that Geralt was allowed to freely enter Novigrad after that idiotic stunt. It still feels wrong and I'm weirded out every time Geralt casually interacts with Redanian guards after that mission.

 

[Hypron]

Yesterday I was happy to have finished the game but now I feel completely empty I still have lots of sidequests and the DLCs to play but I can't help but feel super depressed that this is the end of Geralt's story. I played the first game in 2007 and read all the books so I grew really attached to all those characters. It's kinda hard to reconcile with the fact this is the end. It's weird I've never been affected by a videogame this way...

Getting involved in the plot made sense to me... until it went from fairly low-level assistance in other people's machinations, to leading a regicide parade right through the center of a huge city. I seriously couldn't believe that Geralt was allowed to freely enter Novigrad after that idiotic stunt. It still feels wrong and I'm weirded out every time Geralt casually interacts with Redanian guards after that mission.

Yeah it's a bit hard to believe that there were no witnesses. Or maybe everyone hated Radovid's guts and was happy he died. But still, that whole quest line was weird.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

that was sort of my headcanon, too. i still feel a bit unsure because there's a lot of reasons for why I like the other choice, some being why geralt would care to do it and others being simply that I think the Nilfs look cool (though I think I'd much rather witch hunters than nilf legions as a 'faction' in a theoretical Witcher 4). but every time I sort of debate my own subjective preferences, I put that aside and I consider whether or not I think it makes sense... would Geralt have done that, not only in general but specifically in the midst of the urgency to save Ciri from the Wild Hunt? and does it fit the game world afterwards? though that is a bit of a theme in general: a lot of side quests make very little sense to do during the urgency of saving ciri.

i made a new game+ and I tried to approach every event or side quest a lot more like a sort of lawful neutral witcher geralt, but also with the same urgency that he expresses in the main story scenes, and I found myself turning down or ignoring a lot things.

 

[EatChildren]

Getting involved in the plot made sense to me... until it went from fairly low-level assistance in other people's machinations, to leading a regicide parade right through the center of a huge city. I seriously couldn't believe that Geralt was allowed to freely enter Novigrad after that idiotic stunt. It still feels wrong and I'm weirded out every time Geralt casually interacts with Redanian guards after that mission.

Honestly Geralt's whole presence in the world, as the game continues, doesn't make much sense in terms of the free pass you're given. Nilfgaard and the North are at a militarised standstill right on the Pontar, and you can literally just swim back and forth between the two and nobody gives a shit. Swim or hike around border posts. Continually fuck with the Witch hunters, Nilfgaard, and Redania (right to, as you said regicide) and still almost everybody ignores you because whatever.

I know it's like this for gamey reasons so I'm not bothered, but yeah.

 

[Hypron]

that was sort of my headcanon, too. i still feel a bit unsure because there's a lot of reasons for why I like the other choice, some being why geralt would care to do it and others being simply that I think the Nilfs look cool (though I think I'd much rather witch hunters than nilf legions as a 'faction' in a theoretical Witcher 4). but every time I sort of debate my own subjective preferences, I put that aside and I consider whether or not I think it makes sense... would Geralt have done that, not only in general but specifically in the midst of the urgency to save Ciri from the Wild Hunt? and does it fit the game world afterwards? though that is a bit of a theme in general: a lot of side quests make very little sense to do during the urgency of saving ciri.

This is essentially why I did a single side quest (the assassination) after the Kaer Morhen battle. It just didn't feel right to screw around when there were matters way more pressing.

Honestly Geralt's whole presence in the world, as the game continues, doesn't make much sense in terms of the free pass you're given. Nilfgaard and the North are at a militarised standstill right on the Pontar, and you can literally just swim back and forth between the two and nobody gives a shit. Swim or hike around border posts. Continually fuck with the Witch hunters, Nilfgaard, and Redania (right to, as you said regicide) and still almost everybody ignores you because whatever.

I know it's like this for gamey reasons so I'm not bothered, but yeah.

Yeah this definitely contrasts a lot with the depiction of war in the books, where Geralt and his party have to travel in the forests and lay low all the time because of soldier patrols and stuff. But like you said it's done for gamey reasons — the same reasons that justify the maps being so small in comparison with their book description (It took Geralt and co weeks (if not months) to get to Toussaint IIRC whereas I'm sure you'll be able to fast travel to and from there easily in the next dlc), it would be extremely hard if not impossible to get that to work another way.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

Honestly Geralt's whole presence in the world, as the game continues, doesn't make much sense in terms of the free pass you're given. Nilfgaard and the North are at a militarised standstill right on the Pontar, and you can literally just swim back and forth between the two and nobody gives a shit. Swim or hike around border posts. Continually fuck with the Witch hunters, Nilfgaard, and Redania (right to, as you said regicide) and still almost everybody ignores you because whatever.

I know it's like this for gamey reasons so I'm not bothered, but yeah.

I was thinking that recently with Crow's Perch. After the Bloody Baron arc just ends, I wanted to intervene with his thugs. But on the other hand, then he just goes on to talk to the sergeant like he never just murdered a dozen guards, and for the rest of the game he frequents the place as a armoursmithing hub. So, I kinda thought I should just mind my own business to sort of fit the game world better.

 

[Steve.1981]

In a fantastic game full of wonderful character moments, I think the scene where Geralt finally finds Ciri was probably my favourite. That moment when everything goes quiet and he stops in the doorway and stares at her, apparently lifeless, lying with her back to him. I literally froze and held my breath.

 

[Flipyap]

Yesterday I was happy to have finished the game but now I feel completely empty I still have lots of sidequests and the DLCs to play but I can't help but feel super depressed that this is the end of Geralt's story. I played the first game in 2007 and read all the books so I grew really attached to all those characters. It's kinda hard to reconcile with the fact this is the end. It's weird I've never been affected by a videogame this way...

It's only the end until it isn't... again.
There isn't anything final about this story, except maybe for the end of Geralt's romantic exploits, but that depends entirely on player choice. Every ending leaves plenty of room for adventures, even if they're smaller in scope than this Wild Hunt ordeal (which would only mean good things because this game was far too "epic" for its own good).
The novels ended on a much more final note and that didn't stop CD Projekt Red from continuing that story, even if it meant rewriting and throwing away some parts.

In a fantastic game full of wonderful character moments, I think the scene where Geralt finally finds Ciri was probably my favourite. That moment when everything goes quiet and he stops in the doorway and stares at her, apparently lifeless, lying with her back to him. I literally froze and held my breath.

It's a cute scene, too bad they kinda sabotaged its emotional impact with the gag referencing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (they're even color coded like the Disney ones). I found it hard to empathize with Geralt's apparent loss when the game itself spoiled Ciri's role in that story with a goofy gimmick.

Plus, the series already had a cooler ironic take on Snow White. If they wanted to reference it again, they should have brought back Renfri instead. I'd be way into that

Spoiler

(have shovel, will travel).

 

[Ultimadrago]

Yeah, I feel they went a bit heavy handed with the reference, but it didn't take away from the moment for me at all. Those dwarves were the last thing on my mind.

 

[Coreda]

Honestly Geralt's whole presence in the world, as the game continues, doesn't make much sense in terms of the free pass you're given. Nilfgaard and the North are at a militarised standstill right on the Pontar, and you can literally just swim back and forth between the two and nobody gives a shit. Swim or hike around border posts. Continually fuck with the Witch hunters, Nilfgaard, and Redania (right to, as you said regicide) and still almost everybody ignores you because whatever.

I know it's like this for gamey reasons so I'm not bothered, but yeah.

There is no real reputation system or tangible consequences for many things in the game. I've perched on rooftops hurling bombs at guards and folk to see what happened, and after a while the NPCs resume their regular state like nothing happened. Mighty accepting bunch.

Will be interesting to see if they develop these aspects in Cyberpunk.

 

[zer0das]

Getting involved in the plot made sense to me... until it went from fairly low-level assistance in other people's machinations, to leading a regicide parade right through the center of a huge city. I seriously couldn't believe that Geralt was allowed to freely enter Novigrad after that idiotic stunt. It still feels wrong and I'm weirded out every time Geralt casually interacts with Redanian guards after that mission.

Novigrad is a free city, Radovid setting up posts there probably didn't make people there too happy. It wouldn't be too surprising if a lot of soldiers hated Radovid and would look the other way if he was assassinated. And the one informer at the border post does establish at least some in his army hate him.

I also figured the long live Radovid line was largely some sort of weird Redanian inside joke about how he was gone finally. They probably could have done a better job with the aftermath, but I imagine they ran out of time.