CD Projekt Red has made quite a name for themselves after releasing what many consider as the best role-playing game to date. Its breathtaking, marvelous, epic, beautiful, violent, compelling, exciting all at the same time. Too bad it has quite a few flaws of its own. Nonetheless, The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece more than worthy of your time
Story / Mission Design: 9/10
- Based off the popular Polish novel, you role-play as Geralt of Rivia - professional Witcher, womanizer, horseback rider, and moping expert. In this installment, he has lost his adopted daughter Ciri who is on the run from the Wild Hunt, a group of ethereal soldiers after the girl's powerful Elder blood that would allow the Hunt domination on the world
- Plot revolves around Geralt's search for Ciri across four distinct (and massive) locations and eventual fight against the Wild Hunt all the while dealing with complex political strife, pretty damn cool side quests, and a whole lot of wolves
- Game features outstanding choice and consequence mechanics, where effects of decisions don't manifest until hours later in the game. The game world changes permanently based on your choices. The ending is the accumulation of choices you've made
- Every mission is filled with so much well-written story material. Some side quests are integral to the story, they should've been a main quest
- However, while honestly not a con, some missions make the game a bit too stretched out - like that one where Ciri is literally a door away from you but a group of freaking dwarves want you to help them out first
- Missions generally would have you slashing, dodging, Witcher-sensing and mutilating hoards of monstrosities in your way
Characters / Performance: 10/10
- Acting and dialogue delivery worthy of a gaming Oscar... enough said. Special mention: Prescilla's song during a Novigrad-based mission
Visuals / World Design: 10/10
- The environments of Valen, Novigrad and Skellige - especially that later one - and they're individual locales would, hopefully for a brief moment, literally take your breath away. Every inch of the world is a sight to behold
- No one location is reminiscent of another, although traversing cities can get pretty confusing
Gameplay: 9/10
- The hack-and-slash combat isn't merely repeatedly bashing one button until the monster drops dead. Each enemy class has its own set of strategies to best them, such as applying the right oil or using the right sword or using the right spell. And when you get it right, you'll see heads flying all over the place
- Geralt's animations absolutely realistic and reactive of the environment
- When in fight, controls become sort of limited. Geralt sometimes keeps facing the enemy when you try to run; he cannot jump even over small obstacles. Also, for a mutant, he gets killed jumping in unreasonably short falls, which is infuriating at times - like when you're trying to figure out what's that marker on the top of the freaking dilapidated castle
Sheer Entertainment Value: 9/10
- The feeling of story padding, like there's just too much to do and get - and occasional frustration from those freaking wraiths and that deer thing - prevent an absolute fun. Nevertheless, The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece more than worthy of your time