The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Review (Jurasim)
ㅤA wonderful and immersive game, probably one of the best I've played in a long time. I had the chance to buy the complete edition of this game at a very low price, but that doesn't mean the game isn't worth every penny even at full price. There's a ton of content in it, from the main story to the two included DLCs, which justifies the price and makes the game worth it; over 400 hours of gameplay without any exaggeration. The game is literally HUGE. I finished the main story plus the first DLC when I already had around 370 hours played, and the second DLC which was also one of the best DLCs I've ever played was so large that I could say it felt like a completely different game in The Witcher series (a mini-sequel), finishing the whole game (including every contract, side quest, place to explore, etc.) in 430 hours without any NG+ or other replays.
ㅤI started this game as a newbie, I would say, not having played the other two games in the series and having no knowledge of the story from the books or the movie. (For someone who has to choose a game from a series for the first time, they will always pick the most recent one for the graphics and other aspects, right?)
I'd say that someone who has no clue about what The Witcher is about won't understand much at the beginning of the game, as I didn't either, since the events in the game follow and are connected to the events in the previous two games (obviously). Everything starts quite abruptly, and some events are presented somewhat summarily in my opinion. I spent about a quarter of my gameplay time on various external websites, researching and getting an idea of what was going on, what events took place before The Witcher 3, who is fighting whom, who is who, etc., and I realized that the entire story is much broader than I had imagined, which made me adore this game along with the innovative mini-game of Gwent that was introduced in the base game; quite intuitive, easy to learn, and straightforward.
ㅤI have to say honestly that I didn't like the first area at the beginning of the game at all, not in terms of design, but in how the actions unfolded and how the conversations between characters played out, giving me the impression of a gloomy, vague, and boring game that was to follow. Because of this, I was on the verge of giving the game a negative review, but I decided to give it another chance and time to see what it's capable of, as progressing in the game only to later realize that I could have made the biggest mistake of my life, despite everyone saying it is an extraordinary game filled with positive reviews.
ㅤAt first, it was hard to understand and get used to the game's mechanics, but in the end, I managed to get the hang of it. The gameplay is great, but there were some aspects that I didn't really like; for instance the combat, which is kind of clunky and leaves a bit to be desired, but over time, you start to get good at it. Despite this, I should be glad, because I've heard from others that the combat is much worse in The Witcher 1 and 2, as well as the movement. Another aspect that's kind of ridiculous is the very low height from which you can fall and die. I mean, seriously, I fell from about 2m - 2.5m and died having full health; and another aspect that wasn't necessarily unpleasant was the bugs encountered throughout the game, one here, one there, but overall nothing very significant that would make the game unplayable.
ㅤThe story is very complex and well-structured, very well designed areas, astonishing soundtracks that blend perfectly with the in-game atmosphere, there are a lot of characters, and the dialogue between them is very well written, the voice acting is excellent, and maybe that's why I shouldn't even have to say it anymore, as many have said it before me, but it's worth mentioning that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a masterpiece, and it's truly one of the most acclaimed RPGs of all time. There's no doubt that I would fully recommend this game and I definitely intend to play the other two games in the series because this game got my full attention and gave me an excellent introduction to The Witcher universe, even if I started with the end.
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