The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Recensionen är på engelska.

Even though its a massive open world RPG it does not suffer from the usual dull as dishwater quest design and dry characters. Even some of the sidequests packs more heat than what is to be expected from a game of this caliber, even compared to main quests in similar games.

Usually game developers choose one of two routes, quality or quantity.
CD Project Red rejected the limitation and instead chose both, and managed marvelously.

The game is literally packed with content and within every little nook and cranny there is something to explore and experience. The world feels alive and everything you do seems to have an impact, large or small. And if that still doesn't quench your thirst CDPR implemented a full-blown mini-cardgame, gwent, in which you can spend many hours collecting unique cards and beating the masters of the art. It's a lot of fun, plays like a simpler version of Magic The Gathering and will most probably be a big part of your overall experience if you so choose.

Storywise it's a dark fantasy adventure game featuring you as Geralt of Rivia, a witcher, the main protagonist of the game and with you a multitude of rich characters as sidekicks. The story is solid and satisfying throughout but slows down a little through the midgame giving you ample time to hunt down exclusive gear or just roam around with your horse taking on contracts slaying monsters or solving mysteries using your supernatural witcher sense. There is always something to do and the variation is vast.

The graphics are astonishing, especially with the settings cranked up but still manages to be very pleasing in the lower bracket aswell.

As far as the music goes it cannot be given enough praise. The original soundtrack of this game is nothing short of awe-inspiring with my personal favorites being The Fields of Ard Skellig and the combat music playing in the swamps of Velen. The overall sound design and effects are crisp and detailed, it's superb.

The overall mechanics of movement and combat has been up for debate and is usually the first thing that comes to mind when asked about the flaws of the game. I feel the combat only really shines on the higher difficulty settings where the roll and dodge is vital for surviving, aswell as the use of the right potions and spells for that particular foe. You can play it as a simple hack'n'slash but it doesn't feel as rewarding even though it's quite delightful watching Geralt chopping off heads and limbs with ease. Do yourself a favor and play on atleast the normal difficulty unless you really only want to breeze through it absorbing the story and lore. There is definately depth to the combat although it doesn't seem to be at first glance.

The movement feel a bit clumsy at times, especielly the turn-rate on foot and even more so on a horse. Some hidden puzzles require precise movements are you not to get spikes shooting up through your feet which can be a bit tedious getting past, it's clearly not designed to be delicate enough for those obstacles but it's such a small (and optional) part of the game that it doesn't really matter.

Diving and maneuvering underwater aswell as everything involving horses could've been a lot more fluent and gratifying. It's not great, but it works, and honestly it feels like a bit of a nitpick since overall it's such a beautifully crafted experience.

I'm not particularly fond of the method of fast traveling where you have to find a road sign to be able. It forces me to open the map, placing a personal marker and riding there which after a hundred times doesn't feel as immersive as the first few times. I prefer the more classic means of fast travel straight from the map but in the end it's a design choice which I can sort of agree on, even though I'd personally sacrifice this more realistic design choice for a more practical one.

I encountered a few bugs, some gamebreaking but the fixes were easy enough to keep it within acceptable limites, especially for a game of this magnitude. A quick reload of an earlier save and it's fixed. The default option (which is customizable) is 10 minutes between each autosave which prevents you from losing any major progress.

Apart from some minor issues with the movement, UI and a few bugs this game is a masterpiece. I'd give it a ten out of ten if I didn't feel there was some room for improvement, which there always is to be honest. The music, graphics, sound design, quest design and beautifully written characters are that which, for me, stands out the most and is more than enough to incite a purchase. I'd buy it again if I could.

9,5/10