The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine Review (ZipperZbieracz)
Blood and Wine, the ultimate end (excluding some post-ending 10th anniversary video and fanarts) to the story of Geralt of Rivia. This is a 100/100 game, GOTY of 2016 should have been.
Pros:
– The environment is like out of a fairy-tale. Sky in light blue, clean water, mountains around (it's a Sansretour river valley), mount Gorgon, fertile volcnic soil, picturesque vineyards, neo-elven palace and a colorful city beneath, birds singing and the vegetation is blooming, vibrant light-green, with butterflies flying around, peacocks walking around. Beautiful scenery, right as it was described in the books. Looks like southern France. Even though it looks like from a fairy
– The expansion throws a couple of boss fights right after it's beginning. No time to rest and admire the scenery, you jump right into action, investigation, fights. Only after talking with Regis you get a moment to do what you want.
– More references to past Geralt's stories: his Rivian adventures and the Battle of the Bridge, some knight from long past calling him to fight a duel and later dying in the castle off a bruxa, Regis lives and helps you out, the blacksmith talking about some thug Geralt has cut down. Great.
– As always, extremely well made sidequests and main quests. Many endings to sidequests and main quests. The story doesn't always end up like you wanted, as it should be – you don't have control over everything. You can also have a different story ending depending on some clues or minor things you miss out. The story unfolds in an unexpected manner and you base your decisions not based on the contract you are given, but on something Geralt always repeats he never prefers to do, but always (ironically) (both in books and the games) ends up doing: choosing a lesser evil.
– Aerondight is awesome, it's great you can get it back. But it's making it impossible to use a silver sword from a witcher set, something for something.
– Easter eggs, as always. Even easter eggs inside easter eggs, like the Polish Roach voice actor.
– Once again, people look really convincing and natural. The clothing is very colorful, lively and the quality is seen especially in their facial expresssions. Anna and Syanna looking quite alike, that's really good. Anarietta and Syanna look very well. Especially in hoodies. Yennefer and Triss too (in the base game). But that's just my thing…
– Geralt gets a home! Customisable to your will! A house, a base, a vineyard, a greenhouse, a place to welcome his guests. Kaer Morhen is dead, but Corvo Bianco is alive. That's a great finisher to his story. Yen comes along (sorry Triss) and they get a happy ending, the one they could dream of. The story ends in a way that you do not feel emptiness like after Witcher 3, but actually you feel fulfillment, you feel that you end up somewhere well. This is a fantastic way to end his story, it's very well made. It's also good to leave youself a those less important sidequests, as you would have something to do also after the game's end. It also makes more sense, as days pass on and the Beast can still strike his 5th victim.
– Vampires look like extremely dangerous beasts, not some love story humans. Dettlaff 2nd stage? Jaw-dropping at first. Extremely difficult to fight, tense, quick.
– New mutation system is very good, and it's nice it gets trasferred to NG+.
– People treat Geralt as an expert in his witchering trade, not like an unwelcome necessity as usual.
– Beauclair and all Toussaint looks great, a vibrant, clean, colorful, wealthy city/region not tarnished by war.
– Grandmaster Feline armor has a hoodie, looks similar to the armor from Witcher 2. It is also taken off when Geralt wears Professor's spectacles.
Cons:
– Anna Henrietta is described in the books to be… impulsive, rash. Yet in the game she shows a great deal of fast and good decisions which is more visible than her impulsiveness. Though maybe she matured with years?
– Dettlaff 2nd phase is too easy on the 2 hardest difficulties. In my opinion his behaviour on these difficulties should be slightly different: he should not automatically expose himself to attacks after falling to ground on his own, instead the player should knock him down from the air with Igni/Aard/Bomb and then have a chance to attack him on the ground. And the bat swarm should be at least be able to deal reduced damage with Aard/Igni/Alternate Quen used against the bats, but eh.
– The Mutagenerator is given after the game's end, making it of little use.
– Too bad Yen/Triss/Ciri/Dandy comes only after game's end, but alright. Lesser sidequests can be done after the main questline.
– Game leaves the feeling of fulfillment, but the interactions inside Corvo Bianco are not enough. There could be a bit more into it.
– This game ends. Witcher 3 ends! Unacceptable.