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Its hard to try and summarise a game that has so much depth, because it truly deserves more then just a review for recognition. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has got to be the greatest single player game I've ever experienced.
With so many areas to talk about, I'll first mention about game dialogue. Considering an average novel is between 80,000 and 100,000 words, the script to Witcher 3 accumulates to a 450,000 word goliath. Unbelievable. It required over 950 speaking roles, which reportedly took more than two and a half years to successfully accomplish. What's slightly more incredible then those statistics, is that Witcher 3 makes you feel like you don't want to skip any of it whatsoever, through an amalgamation of whit, thrill, mystery, passion and more. I've never known a game to deliver dialogue so well, but on top of that it's you that gets the choice to control the narrative. You can continue to showcase Geralt as the renowned warrior he is, or you can often show his softer side in certain situations. Another wonderful feat to the game is that co-developer Marcin Iwinski announced that there are 36 possible endings to finish the story - because why not? A truly staggering achievement.
The environment & world to Witcher 3 is out of this world. To put it into perspective, the map is 20% larger than Skyrim. It's also 35 times larger than the map found in Witcher 2. A large map is a good feat on its own, but these stats give CD Projekt Red huge bragging rights. The vast differences in land, regions and towns makes the world so alive and unique, countless and endless ways to enjoy and immerse yourself in a variety of different ways - even just site seeing.
You get to see a lot of the world through the storyline, but stepping away from that and doing side quests & contracts is where you can find yourself in extraordinary circumstances. I can't honestly tell you another game that's genuinely made me want to do everything. Each side quest feels like a mini-storyline, you don't seem to get any that follow a tedious or repetitive nature. On one side of the spectrum you could be fighting the biggest and deadliest creatures that Velen and Skellige have to offer, then on the other side you'll be hunting treasure and solving riddles, balls deep in Nekker swamps.
You'll more then likely reach a few points in the game where you are overburdened with side quests, treasure hunts and contracts. It can sometimes lead to confusion, but the easiest way to clear your Journal is to simply focus and go through each section at a time. I tended to stick to one area and do everything I could before moving on to the next. Obviously due to level restrictions, some of them cannot be completed until Geralt is stronger - which doesn't mean you can't try to do them, it just means that it could be increasingly difficult in doing so. One moment that I will always remember is when I went to fight a Royal Griffin that was 12 levels higher than me. I would spend a long time evading damage and trying to deliver some form of pain, but its almost like the Griffin was laughing at me, all I seemed to do was shave feathers off its back, nothing more. Then in one foul swoop, I'd be dead. Repeat. Dead. Repeat. Dead. ♥♥♥♥. I'm one that embraces difficulty, playing on the hardest setting in this game is fantastic, yet this was a battle that I had to swallow my pride and leave. Go away. Get stronger. Come back, and rip that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bird to pieces. This was great, not many times have I been in a situation where a game would allow me to fight a much higher level, you tend to get games match the enemies strength based on your current level. With this said, I actually much preferred Witcher 3's approach, it created some great and memorable fight scenes where I wouldn't necessarily assume victory. Certain areas are swamped with much higher creatures early on, so returning to them 50+ hours later provided a nice feeling of self accomplishment and power.
Now I remember all those years ago, playing cards in a big Saloon in Red Dead Redemption. Poker, Blackjack, maybe a little bit of Five Finger Fillet or Liar's Dice. These were wonderful times. Now I have a new love, playing Gwent. Gwent is a collectable card game that simulates two armies meeting on the battlefield. "Invented by dwarves and perfected over centuries of tavern table play, Gwent is a game of initial simplicity and ultimate depth, something beloved by both road-weary travellers during long nights around the campfire and elegant nobles looking to liven up dragging dinner parties." I have no idea how much time I've spent playing Gwent in this game, all I can say is that 25 hours into this game I was only at a measly level 3. Gwent immediately took my focus as I attempted to gain recognition throughout Velen. It's a continuous side quest in the game, challenging notable opponents and entering tournaments, not only that but also every merchant is up for a game. I fondly remember building a great deck and coming out of a tournament as the winner, only for a local fishmonger to challenge me, and subsequently smash through any built up confidence I had established. There is also a quest to collect them all, so enjoy your time hunting for all 150 cards spread through the factions of Nilfgaard, Northen Realms, Monsters & Scoia'tael.
I've always enjoyed games that heavily involve fighting, particularly when the mechanisms are right. People share mixed reviews about the mechanisms to Witcher 3 combat, some arguing that Geralt feels particularly stiff and robotic when under attack. I think combat can be pretty tricky in Witcher 3 especially for those unfamiliar with the series (me at first) - many different mechanics in play at any one time. Blocking, parrying, signs, pivots, rolls, variant of sword, etc. Practice makes perfect as they say, and it really does capture some superb fights between all that the world has to throw at you. Sit back and enjoy the dismemberment - Geralt doesn't hold off on his capability to carve through people, creatures and monsters like butter.
16 Free DLC packages also accompany this incredible experience - adding even more into a well-packed game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had the best launch I've ever seen of a game, not to mention their update structure and responsiveness to people's comments early on. From launch there was new DLC every week, patches to address issues and bugs retaining in-game. Free DLC included new armor sets, the ability to visit a barber, new quests, contracts, animations, alternative looks, and not to forget the new game+ mode. Comfortably groundbreaking in every sense of the word, not to mention the magic of both outstanding DLCs "Hearts of Stone" and "Blood & Wine" which are comfortably worth their price.
It is now 7 years on from when Witcher 3 was released and approximately 6 years from when I first wrote this review. I have been impatiently waiting for the remaster update to hit and today is the day that my dream has come true. It was nice to revisit my original screenshots and archived review, so much so that I thought it would be best to reupload (and tweak ever so slightly).
Thanks once more to CDPR and for all of the enjoyment and dedication you've provided us as customers. It's been, for me, the most complete gaming experience I've ever had the pleasure of being part of. Simply the best.