While there’s no reductive morality system, these branching paths will usually hinge on what you determine is the best course of action. That doesn’t mean you’ll have no control over the type of Geralt you want to be: dialogue options sometimes let you choose between being “gruff and to the point”, “gruff and slightly charitable” or “gruff and contemptuous of all mankind”. You can choose not to shave though, which is nice. In other words: character customisation is basically non-existent in The Witcher 3, in a cosmetic sense. You’re a tough guy Witcher and that’s that, and there’s not much satisfaction in seeing him in other, more shiny shades of grey or brown armor. Seems pretty obvious, but you won’t be decking Geralt out in fancy mage gowns or giving him pigtails. There’s plenty of time to branch out later.įor those still warm from the glow of Dragon Age: Inquisition or Dark Souls 2, you may be disappointed to hear that The Witcher 3 is all about Geralt. Thankfully these can be slotted in and out as you desire, but it’s worth specialising early on if you want to make things easier. You start the game with three of these slots, but you’ll get more. The progression system is a bit unusual too-you have a wide range of trees to upgrade, but each tree needs to be equipped. You don’t get XP for merely slaying enemies: you’ll get it for quest progress. You won’t be able to brute force most enemies even if you’re well-levelled: rolling and in some cases parrying will be essential, and besides, levelling in The Witcher 3 is a slow process. Just be wary of your surrounds: the game’s environments are so detailed that you’ll find yourself wedged on decorative objects at times, and it invariably frustrates. It’s not a problem per se, just a learning curve.Ĭombat scenarios vary dramatically, but I found myself rolling around like a fool, mixing up Geralt’s five sign abilities (fire, persuasion, shield, telekinetic blast and a magical trap) with quick sword flourishes. It initially feels unresponsive-and an unpredictable lock-on camera doesn’t help the issue-but once you understand the rhythm of the combat it’ll become second nature. Geralt’s turning circle is tank-like and his movements seamlessly animated, meaning the combat and even exploration can feel a bit syrupy at first. If you’ve poured hours into Dragon Age or Souls games of late, it’ll come as a rude shock. Those familiar with The Witcher 2 will know this, but it’s worth mentioning for everyone else: Geralt is a big, cumbersome, burly old lunk. Just take some rejuvenating raw meat in case you get chewed up a bit, okay? Geralt Is A Heavy Old Lunk While Velen is rife with poverty, crime, miserable people and ravenous wolves, you’ll want to take the time to admire the scenery, and the sunsets in particular are gorgeous. You can sail on small boats along Velen’s wide riverbeds or between the Skellige Isles islands, or you can call upon your (sometimes recalcitrant) steed Roach. You can fast travel from road signs in most major locations, but you can’t just warp from the middle of nowhere. From there you’ll visit another major region called the Skellige Isles. You’ll start out in the relatively serene White Orchard region, but soon move on to Velen where the full extent of The Witcher’s melancholy beauty becomes apparent. You won’t be jumping to and from them at will-legwork is required. None feel “gamey” (and some problems arise there, which I’ll get to later). Mood is where The Witcher 3 really shines: the weather effects, the wind in the trees, the boggy dirt roads and tumbledown cottages… none feel programmed or designed. If that puts you in mind of Dragon Age: Inquisition, then you’re only halfway there: the two major regions of the map feel bigger than those in DA:I, and they’re the most lifelike pastoral open world settings I’ve seen in a video game-and I played it on PS4. It’s a handful of massive sections, with the game’s lore necessitating loading screens due to the distance between each. It’s well known by now, but the Northern Realms isn’t a seamless map like Skyrim.
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