The Witcher 3

[Toonces]

I'm familiar with the Witcher lore, I read a couple of the books.

I guess I'm not making my point very well.  Typically RPGs are panned when they are linear, or have too many crutches to gameplay.  For example, Skyrim was blasted by the hardcore RPG crowd for having objective markers, yet W3 has a nice little mini-map in the corner with the marker on it.

The story, while interesting, is linear.  And the way the game requires you to do each little thing....like when you're investigating something.  You work through each little dialogue piece, and you can't move from one point to the next without doing each part, sometimes in order.  Skyrim has some of this, but you can also screw it up by simply wandering around and poking your nose into things.  I don't want to be more specific because I don't want to give away any spoilers.

I watched an Angry Joe review of the game, and it could be that by playing it on easy mode I'm missing aspects that make this game more special, like having to craft potions and oils in order to survive.  I'm not really a big fan of alchemy mini-games, I'm more of a buy the crap I need in town and carry it with me RPG'er.  Perhaps that's part of the problem?

I guess ultimately this game does so many things that typical RPG'ers bash RPGs for...the anger against the dumbing down of the Elder Scrolls series comes to mind, and W3 feels like an easier version of Skyrim, but where you spend more time watching the story play out in cut scenes than actually doing anything. 

So, like I said initially, I feel like I'm missing something because this game feels very...generic isn't the right word...not special in the way every review makes it out to be.

[Gusington]

It might be because of you settin it to 'easy' - even for me, easy was really easy and I played it on 'normal' which felt perfect. I don't particularly like crafting armor or potions either but I found and bought everything I needed throughout the game world.

I did occasionally feel like there was too much telling and not enough doing, but it never realy became an issue for me because I love the stories. But I see your point.

All that said, I love The Witcher 3 and can't wait to jump back in and finish up the expansions, Heart of Stone and Blood and Wine. I finished the main game a few months ago and was very satisfied and happy. Took me a shorter amount of time to finish than Skyrim + DLC.

And, like in Skyrim, I did stumble around early on in to quests that were way above my stats, and I just saved them for later. It's true that some quests disappear if you choose a certain path, but that didn't occur to often during my campaign. I never felt ripped-off, content wise.

[Toonces]

I may go ahead and crank the difficulty up a notch.  Some of the underlying mechanics of the game annoy me, but it could be that by bypassing many of the gameplay options the game is feeling more on rails than it should.

[Gusington]

I would try that, definitely. I know when I increased the difficulty the combat actually became more fun.

[ghostryder]

The basic design is indeed annoying. Although an improvement the combat is far to console gamey- the GUI is as bad as every other witcher title-even moreso with the added armour and weapon construction. The quest ointers are indeed dumbdowns ala skyrim. There just is no excaping these low points. However if Lore is everything...as I often preach to no end here- then that supersedes the low points because no one does story and lore better. Certainly not Bethseda and even Bioware has slipped into generic story telling in the recent titles they've dumped on us. Warts and all it is the best presented and rich world going-with the most interesting quests--so good one puts up with the above lame issues to experience it.

Gun play should make Cyberpunk 2077 far better-although I quess you could console action the crap out of that as well it will still be better than actiony sword play that just is so rediculous in the witcher series. I'm looking forward to it.

As for easy I don't mind--helps getting past the combat-which there is no way for me to enjoy--but rather tolerate. although it does put on a tamper on things the last thing I want to do is narrow the focus on combat even more by a higher difficulty setting. Keep in mind these guys dumped QTE's on us in this series and they seem to be learning what fans hate--but they never came close on combat sad to say.

[GibbyG]

I like the combat

[Toonces]

Thanks for posting, GR.  You're one of the people I was specifically thinking of when I was discussing hard core RPG"ers who would rail against Witcher 3.  The fact that it gets your seal of approval, despite its flaws, is saying a lot.

Ok, you all have sold me.  I'm going to stick with it.  I mean, I am enjoying the story after all.  But this is no Morrowind.

[Toonces]

And I definitely feel like it was designed with consoles in mind from the start.

[Gusington]

I also like the combat in Witcher 3. And I couldn't for the life of me figure out wtf I was supposed to be doing in the combat in The Witcher 2. Had no issues with the original, but that was a very very different game.

[Con]

Thanks for posting, GR.  You're one of the people I was specifically thinking of when I was discussing hard core RPG"ers who would rail against Witcher 3.  The fact that it gets your seal of approval, despite its flaws, is saying a lot.

Ok, you all have sold me.  I'm going to stick with it.  I mean, I am enjoying the story after all.  But this is no Morrowind.

Ramp up the difficulty (I followed Angry Joes review advice bought a controller for the PC and put it on the second highest difficulty setting).  Wait till you get to the witches...creepiest story and monsters I have ever battled.

[JudgeDredd]

The Witcher 3 is definitely one of the better "all round" open world games I have bought (open world, lots of quests (and not simply boring repeats), great loot and fantastic story).

I don't mind the combat and in fact would say I enjoy it given I'm not too prone to liking sword games (Skyrim didn't really flick my switches at all). Is that because Witcher 3 is dumbed down? I don't know and I can't really say I care considering whatever it is they did with the game tickled my fancy right from the off.

Superb game well worth the full entry price and a steal at anything less imo. You should stick with it. As mentioned, turn the difficulty up a bit. Enjoy the quests. Go rampaging off somewhere on your own between the story to break it up a bit.

[Gusington]

'Purists' say The Witcher 3 is dumbed down, thereby implying that because I love it, I am dumbed down. F'em. If I enjoy it I could care less. And you are correct that purists also said that about Skyrim - they actually screamed it from the rooftops. Until Witcher 3, Skyrim was my top rpg of the last few years.

[ghostryder]

Funny you mention it Gus--I actually like the combat moreso in Skyrim as opposed to the combat in Witcher 3. It feels organic----as an example-creature swings at you---you block with shield---not only do you hear a nice 'thug' as the weapon hits but it knocks you back a bit. It is pretty close to what you'd expect in an actual sword fight.

The witcher on the other hand. Geraldt doing flips and rolls like batman at speeds only seen in a console Mortal Kombat fight. Here the world just ozz's reality and then you go into combat and get instantly ejected out of the reality -- the combat just screams..."Hah! your not in an alternate world--what were you thinking--this is a game!"

Luckily it isn't near as bad as previous titles--on my game mouse I can key a roll or whatnot to a side button---as anyone knows you do not stand and fight ---as you would realistically--in this game--no-you need to jump, roll and run around like spiderman with a firecracker stuck up his butt to suceed here---I don't even think those old corny Bruce Lee movies had this amount of rediculous circus moves--

...and amonst it all there's no sense at all a sword is connecting by sound nor stutter---unlike skyrim whereas your almost sure the game's physics engine is tied to it here it's just cartoon presentation with nary any feedback other than flashes of images going at light speed ---

I mean come on...no one fights like this. They just don't.

To go to such lengths to present a world and then throw this in-- I just shack my head and wonder what in the world were they thinking.

[mirth]

You do understand you're playing a character that has supernatural abilities? When you play Batman are you disappointed by all the cool gadgets and superhuman abilities?

[Gusington]

Yeah I liked the combat because it made me feel like a supernatural badass.