The arrival of The Witcher 4 is beginning to canter over the horizon. So, it would be pertinent to look back on its predecessor: The Witcher 3. Looking back upon the game that marks the final chapter of Geralt’s adventures. The game opens the door for Ciri to step in as The Witcher 4’s main protagonist.
The Witcher 3 is a classic fantasy RPG following the adventures of Geralt, a witcher. It is an expansive game including six regions.
Initial Impressions
Upon the game’s opening, players learn that Geralt is in pursuit of his young apprentice, Cirilla. Unfortunately, The Wild Hunt is pursuing that same apprentice. Due to his responsibility to her and his personal vendetta, he must find and rescue Ciri from the Wild Hunt. His pursuit will take him across the six regions: White Orchard, Velen and Novigrad, Skellige Isles, Kaer Morhen, and Toussiant (the latter being available only through the Blood and Wine expansion).
Despite these vast and beautiful landscapes, Geralt must keep his wits about him. The Wild Hunt is hot on his trail too and wishes to see him have an untimely demise. Due to his Witcher status, this investigation to find Ciri isn’t too much trouble. It also wouldn’t take too long, if Ciri would only stop running.
From the very beginning, The Witcher 3 entices players with an integrated and fresh tutorial section. This section perfectly introduces the characters and their story. Thus, it gives players time to learn the controls and become acquainted with Geralt’s character.
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Giving the game a simple and slow start that is easy for any player to become slowly immersed in. However, it is also very apparent from the start who the set audience for this game was. It is abundantly clear that this game is 18+. It does not try to hide this fact by any means.
Certain presentations of characters allow for this, meaning the developers have given themselves free rein to frequently depict their female characters in minimal clothing. This makes it clear that the game targets “men in desperate need of a girlfriend.” Despite these strange design choices, the story itself is very appealing and interesting, even if the costume and clothing choices seem optional.
Choice and Style
The Witcher 3 tends to lean into the idea of freedom and choice, allowing players to select certain dialogue options and questions to ask characters. With various timed dialogue choices—each linked to special responses—every player can experience something different. However, these choices seem to have a minimal impact on the overall gameplay. Instead, there’s a greater focus on the interactions players have with various characters.
Although some quests offer multiple endings depending on player choices, these are few and far between. With the abundance of quests available across the regions, the choices within these quests often feel obsolete, as many become meaningless while players focus on the main quest.
Infamous Combat
As engaging as the gameplay tries to be, The Witcher 3 has earned an infamous reputation—one it has embraced over the years. Unlike many other popular games, The Witcher 3 has a specific way it wants to be played, which presents a steep learning curve. This curve is especially high for those more accustomed to games like Dragon Age or Skyrim. In The Witcher 3, the combat plays out differently.
When you face your first monster, you’d better hope you paid attention to the tutorials. The combat can often be unforgiving. Players must learn how to play the game, as there’s no improvising in combat. Instead, they must master its mechanics before jumping into action, which is what drives many players away from its otherwise intriguing design and gameplay.
This is quite unfortunate because The Witcher 3 has a lot to offer. The developers poured so much potential into the game, yet many of its fans were left frustrated by the combat. At times, the gameplay feels a bit restricted and stiff, not allowing players to develop their own style of play.
However, there is also something to appreciate about this aspect of the game. The Witcher 3 gives players their class and character, forcing them into a third-person perspective gameplay experience.
Overall, The Witcher 3 offers a unique experience for many gamers. The restriction of fast travel to signposts around the map, rather than to any location, can be a bit frustrating. That said, it’s just another game mechanic that takes time to adjust to. It is by no means a simple game; instead, it caters more to veteran RPG players than to newer players seeking an introduction to the gaming lifestyle. If you’re a newcomer, you might want to gain some experience before diving into this adventure.
Main Takeaways
- Difficult and varied combat
- Expansive open world
- Mildly impactful decisions in quests
- Plenty of side quests
- LOTS of CUTSCENES!
