The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4, XB1, PC)

[cdj]

While it was rather heavily hinted out when the game was first revealed, today CD Projekt RED confirmed that its upcoming story-driven, open world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will launch on Sony's PlayStation 4 once the game is released in 2014.

“We were thrilled when asked, several months ago, to be one of the developers who were granted early access to the PlayStation 4," said Adam Badowski, head of CD Projekt RED studio. "It was an exciting moment to be invited to be in the company of other legendary developers like Bethesda, EA, LucasArts, Ubisoft or Activision as one of the teams working on titles shipping early in the PlayStation 4's lifecycle. Of course, we couldn't reveal any specifics about this to our fans, even though many journalists and forum members asked about when and how The Witcher might show up on Sony's console. After yesterday's PlayStation Meeting we can finally promise: The Witcher 3 is coming to the PlayStation 4. The new hardware gives us the opportunity to create something great. We are able to work with the new console from its birth and this allows our in-house REDengine 3 to push the graphical limits of what the PlayStation hardware can display. The console is fresh and has some innovative solutions that we're looking forward to using in our game."

“It’s a real pleasure to cooperate with Sony," said Adam Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt SA. "Combining CD Projekt RED’s unique artistic vision and tech with the capabilities of PlayStation 4 will make The Witcher 3 a truly next-gen RPG. With Sony's new hardware and our new engine, there are no limits to what we can create in the process of realizing our vision for Geralt's dark fantasy world."

For those that are unfamiliar with the project, here's an official description:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be the most robust and breathtaking game ever created by CD Projekt RED, combining a free-roaming environment with a non-linear story which makes the game a real RPG fan’s dream come true. Open world exploration is an adventure in itself as the player will gallop through war-ravaged lands, sail misty waters, and track down dangerous beasts for money. An improved combat system will allow players to feel like a real monster hunter, a witcher, who uses his superior senses and fighting skills to survive in a dark fantasy world while he embarks on a quest to save his loved ones.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the final episode of the award-winning RPG series and triumphant finish to the legend of Geralt of Rivia. While the Witcher 3 is the pinnacle to the Witcher series, it is also a standalone story that players new and old will love as they have another chance to live the dangerous life of a witcher. With the capabilities of PlayStation 4 and the next-gen ready REDengine 3, The Witcher 3 will be a truly amazing RPG.

Studio head Adam Badowski summed up, “The Witcher 3 will be released in 2014 simultaneously on all high-end platforms available. We know that our fans are looking forward to that date already, but we want to make it clear that this story is a standalone, and we will be sure introduce newcomers fully to the world so that they don't miss a beat. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will start with an breathtaking opening, which will give many insights to the lore. The game design will allow smooth introduction to new characters and encourage players to discover the vast, living open world of this installment of Geralt’s tale."

Link: http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/47391/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-confirmed-for-ps4

[CLW]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ_G6XiHoUA

[CLW]

Wins IGN's People's Choice Award

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/11/igns-e3-2013-peoples-choice-award

[CLW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GhqY9j9oCc

[CLW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqQ3LeBgGDM

[bdoughty]

Now my most anticipated game...

* This is a new video, even though it looks like the one above from December.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJlkMAZTEPI


http://i.imgur.com/fuF0IIq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ljlk68D.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YWr7FLg.jpg

[bdoughty]

35 minutes of gameplay.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx8kQ4s5hCY

[CLW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5sKolm4cfk

[bdoughty]

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-witcher-3-delayed-again/1100-6424075/

Release date pushed back to May 19, studio confirms.

[CLW]

Game is getting GREAT reviews. Anyone played the previous 2 in the series? Thinking I might pick this up even though open world is typically not my thing.

[JBHuskers]

Game is getting GREAT reviews. Anyone played the previous 2 in the series? Thinking I might pick this up even though open world is typically not my thing.

I have them on PC when they were dirt cheap on Steam. Something I want to do before getting this game. I'm going to wait for it to drop to $30ish though.

[CLW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXfW2LWK3m4

Seems like a pretty deep/interesting story for the 1st 2. After the move and once I get settled in I'll probably pick this one up.

[Rudy]

Looking forward to impressions. Would love to know the differences between this and Dragon Age.

[Rudy]

Reading a lot of excellent reviews. People seem to be loving this game although the PC community is bitter about the graphics downgrade. The one complaint I've read is that the crafting and inventory system is complicated and a bit annoying. But many are saying the side stories do a great job of tying into the overall story and world - better than Dragon Age Inquisition. And people also find it more polished with better combat than the previous Witcher games.

[jaymo76]

Q. How do you know you have an awesome wife?

A. You arrive home from work and she gives you a surprise copy of Witcher 3!!!

Freaking awesome!!! Planning to play a bit tonight.

[jaymo76]

Could only play for two hours tonight... but...

1. Visually stunning
2. Highly complex
3. Massive open world

... and... thus far, pretty damn fun! Haven't played Dragon Age but this looks soooo much better. This is less fantasy and more medieval times in a made up realm. I don't need to play this game anymore to say I am going to love it!

[Rudy]

Very cool!

[JBHuskers]

If Elder Scrolls Online isn't out in a couple weeks, I'd probably get this right away, but going to wait a little while.

[steelerfan]

Q. How do you know you have an awesome wife?

A. You arrive home from work and she gives you a surprise copy of Witcher 3!!!

Freaking awesome!!! Planning to play a bit tonight.
:up:

[JeffHCross]

Possible spoiler for in-game content. 601114943551766528

[jaymo76]

Possible spoiler for in-game content. 601114943551766528

Watch Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer review of Witcher3... it's pretty funny.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfjLRuE1CLw

[jaymo76]

I LOVE how choice plays a role in the storyline. Last night I was in a bar. I ended of getting into a fight with soldiers. As a result, later in the mission I arrived at a fort. It was locked and they refused me entrance. I found out online that had I not got into the fight the soldiers would be friendly and the gate would be open. Now I need to explore caves to find a backdoor in.

Also, I must say that the side missions and using Witcher senses are pretty enjoyable. The only downside for me is that I have no clue what I am doing with crafting...

[Rudy]

I LOVE how choice plays a role in the storyline. Last night I was in a bar. I ended of getting into a fight with soldiers. As a result, later in the mission I arrived at a fort. It was locked and they refused me entrance. I found out online that had I not got into the fight the soldiers would be friendly and the gate would be open. Now I need to explore caves to find a backdoor in.

Also, I must say that the side missions and using Witcher senses are pretty enjoyable. The only downside for me is that I have no clue what I am doing with crafting...

That is pretty cool about the bar fight.

[jaymo76]

Word of warning... werewolves are freaking tough!

[jaymo76]

This incredibly awesome game can also be highly frustrating at times. Specifically caves are really difficult. The first cave where you encounter a boss... no word of a lie it took me over two hours to complete. I died a million times and got lost with the map and the riddles. Plus by the time I got to the boss my energy was so low that I was no match until I figured things out.

When you go into LONG MISIONS in the caves make sure to:

1. HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD!!!!!!!!!!
* no food means no replenishment of your health
2. make sure your SILVER sword is sharpened and at 100% effectiveness
3. make sure you have a back-up or two of a high power silver sword
4. try to upgrade your armour to the level of the mission
* I am a level 4 doing a level 5 mission... I got my butt handed to me!!!
5. have multiple bombs constructed and ready for use
6. do not rely on strong attack in the caves as you will not have enough room to launch one
7. if you use a torch it will explode when it meets a gas cloud


I am not good at these types of games so you will all likely do better than me. Take my .02c for what it's worth...

[Rudy]

People are saying if you turn down the sensitivity for both person and camera it helps with the movement. Do you find the movement unrealistic or floaty?

[jaymo76]

People are saying if you turn down the sensitivity for both person and camera it helps with the movement. Do you find the movement unrealistic or floaty?

Yes it can be. The two instances... riding your horse (who is called Roach... so annoying!) and when you jump on something and fall and run off way farther than you should. They are awkward but not horrible. The only thing I really dislike is the size of the writing on the screen. It is too small and very, very hard to read. I am playing on my 39' TV upstairs, not the 40' downstairs but it should not matter. The writing is just too small. You literally need to walk up to your TV to read some messages.

[jaymo76]

Another cool thing about this game.... all the free dlc. I already have 4 in one week.

[jaymo76]

It's pretty neat to watch your beard growing in this game. I finally made it to civilization and got a trim and a shave. Speaking of cities, they only have a few in the game but man do they pop out when you see them. I took an hour just slowly walking through the biggest one. Very cool IMO!

Edit- never participated in graphic video game sex... until last night! :easy: Sadly though, it didn't end well. Knowing what I know now I would have chosen a different outcome. Damn! Some say that in order to win the game you need all the help you can get.

[jaymo76]

I must say that in most games the Side Missions are often fairly pointless and do not tie into the story. That is NOT the case with Witcher 3. You have:

1. Main Missions
2. Secondary Missions
3. Witcher Contracts

All of them feel like they tie together. Last night I did one main mission and about 4 side missions and 2 contracts. I must have taken me across the map and about 2.5 hours to complete. The main quests are crazy long and often involve 7-10 events. Secondary missions are a little shorter but have great storylines. The contracts are quick... haggle for money and then kill a monster or two.

[jaymo76]

Donwloaded the massive 650mb patch... boom! I can finaly read the writing on the screen. Also the game is a little less glitchy with the running of Roach (your horse).

[JBHuskers]

Getting this for my birthday in a little over two months :))

[SCClassof93]

A big thank you to jaymo. Picked this up based on your review and I'm really enjoying it.:up:

[Rudy]

They are patching the movement (an extra option) and adding a better inventory system too.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/07/07/the-witcher-3-patch-1-07-brings-tons-of-welcome-fixes/

[JBHuskers]

A month and a half and I'll be digging into this :nod:

[jaymo76]

A big thank you to jaymo. Picked this up based on your review and I'm really enjoying it.:up:

Nice to hear you like it. It is an awesome game. I think it's my favourite game this year. Once work slows down a bit I will get into this again and try to finish up the main story.

[Rudy]

Any updates on this? Still having fun?

[jaymo76]

Any updates on this? Still having fun?

I'm in the process of recruiting people for the final battle versus the hunt. However, I am working a ton this summer ad haven't played more than an hour for the whole month of JUly. Im on vacation in two weeks and my goal is to finish the game before September.

[SCClassof93]

Level 20, just working on side missions etc.....I like it but i like mlb more

[JBHuskers]

The future continues to look bright for this game with what's coming.

Can't wait to get it next month!

http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/28/9060669/the-witcher-3-new-game-plus-mode-details

[bdoughty]

Going to give this one a second chance. While I am not a big fan of the combat system, I do love the open world games. First time I did not get very far but one thing that I did appreciate was the detail in the sidequests. Not your typical fetch, fetch and then fetch some more.

[JBHuskers]

Good news, I have it. Bad news, not sure when I'll have time to start it :D

[jaymo76]

Good news, I have it. Bad news, not sure when I'll have time to start it :D

You need a lot of time. Book off the weekend to really get into the game! :D

[JBHuskers]

You need a lot of time. Book off the weekend to really get into the game! :D
I know that's why I'm thinking it won't be til the weekend before I start.

[baseballplyrmvp]

I know that's why I'm thinking it won't be til the weekend before I start.

It's a good game JB. You'd like it.

[jaymo76]

Just did a 2 hour side mission tonight. Wow! It was a good one.

[Rudy]

2 hour side mission? And enjoyable? That sounds cool. Almost all side stuff in DAI was short and eventually repetitive. There were a few keeps, caves and of course dragons to slay that were cool. I still have to go back and kill a bunch of dragons. Those fights would last over 20 minutes and you do have to switch between characters to use the potions to make it happen.

[baseballplyrmvp]

Finished this up last night. Was an excellent game,IMO. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a skyrim type of game that has a super long story.

[jaymo76]

Finished this up last night. Was an excellent game,IMO. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a skyrim type of game that has a super long story.

Outstanding game! I need to get back into it. I have a few hours left of the main story and literally hundreds of other tasks to complete. Last I played I was sailing through Skellige. Personally I think the best parts of the game occur on the Isles. 100% recommend this title for people on the fence.

[JBHuskers]

I barely scratched the surface on this one. Once I get through Fallout 4 I'll probably get back to it.

[baseballplyrmvp]

Outstanding game! I need to get back into it. I have a few hours left of the main story and literally hundreds of other tasks to complete. Last I played I was sailing through Skellige. Personally I think the best parts of the game occur on the Isles. 100% recommend this title for people on the fence.


My only dislike is that the final 3 bosses do exactly the same thing. You can use the same fighting strategy and the fight is over in 3 minutes. I wish there were more caves to explore, more loot to gain and more exotic weapons. Really seemed like every sword had the same perks

[Rudy]

I am getting this for Christmas. Have the theme in my ps4 and read this primer. I might go hard difficulty. Mistake?

http://kotaku.com/a-beginner-s-guide-to-the-world-of-the-witcher-1704506152

[baseballplyrmvp]

I am getting this for Christmas. Have the theme in my ps4 and read this primer. I might go hard difficulty. Mistake?

http://kotaku.com/a-beginner-s-guide-to-the-world-of-the-witcher-1704506152

That's completely up to you. I will advise you though, to not take on monsters that are higher levels than you. You will die a lot.

[Rudy]

Did you play on Normal?

[baseballplyrmvp]

Did you play on Normal?

Don't know. I just played.

And for the record, that kotaku article is filled with a bunch of useless info. Lol

[Rudy]

I really like the combat from the tutorial early in the game. Not always sure what to do but parrying along with signs is cool. I also really enjoy the cut scenes and story aspect. I can already tell the story and characters are going to be much better than Dragon Age which never impressed me in this area at all.

going to try and kill a griffin. I'm confused a bit about my mini map and exactly what my witcher sense is for other than looting. I'm looting things although the button press isn't always so good here. I do like the alternate controls. No clue about crafting, armour and the other stuff like meditating and sharpening weapons. I guess I will have to buy some food. Hopefully some further tutorials will explain things. I haven't wandered around much or looted a lot. Playing on hard eight now (broken bones).

The game looks really good. Love the fact I got a map, instructions and lore guide with the game.

[baseballplyrmvp]

The first griffin took me forever to kill. I probably died like 25 times.

Your witcher sense becomes more important later in the game when you start doing side quests and performing investigations (crime detective work).

I never touched the crafting swords or armor and did just fine. Most of the crafted stuff was underpowered compared to something new I found.

Meditation replenishes health and your potion supply. (More important later on)

Kill wildlife for food. Deer and wolves especially. Dog tallow doesn't help but raw meat and wolf liver help a lot early on

Sharpening weapons increases your attack power for 15 minutes. Your swords don't have an infinite life. Their attack damage decreases if you don't repair them. Make sure to have a few swords with you if you go into a dungeon or long quest.

Parrying is most useful against human groups. Most monsters will be able to stun you even if you parry, then follow it up with another attack which will drain your health quickly. Better off trying the hack and roll method.

[jaymo76]

Rudy... the real question... which lady will you choose to spend most of your free time with?

Spoiler if you don't want the images...
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/erikkain/files/2014/06/Screenshot-34.png]

[Rudy]

Thanks guys. I haven't met either lady in the game yet. With family in town my gaming has been low. Plus I can't play this game when my kids are awake unless I banish them upstairs which may happen.

[baseballplyrmvp]

Thanks guys. I haven't met either lady in the game yet. With family in town my gaming has been low. Plus I can't play this game when my kids are awake unless I banish them upstairs which may happen.
You'll need to banish them when you get to either of the brothels. Lol

[baseballplyrmvp]

Rudy... the real question... which lady will you choose to spend most of your free time with?

Spoiler if you don't want the images...
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/erikkain/files/2014/06/Screenshot-34.png]


Did you ever get the threesome with Triss and Yen?

[jaymo76]

Did you ever get the threesome with Triss and Yen?

Sadly no...

I thought that was a dream sequence and never actually occurred? Regardless my choice is Triss. She seems more reliable and trustworthy

[baseballplyrmvp]

Sadly no...

I thought that was a dream sequence and never actually occurred? Regardless my choice is Triss. She seems more reliable and trustworthy

no. It was a joke that yen and Triss play on you. They trick you into thinking you're getting a threesome, then tie you up to the bed and leave. Dandelion then comes in to untie you with you just in your boxers. It's a mean joke. I picked Yen though.

[Rudy]

The one thing that annoys me is the looting button. If you don't hit it as soon as it pops up it disappears right away even though I'm standing right on top of it. Then I have to move around to bring the icon back up. Dragon age was much easier and more forgiving here.

[Rudy]

The cut scenes and story telling is impressive but so far I'm not really feeling this game after 5-6 hours. Part of it is I still don't fully understand all that I have to do. I know I felt a similar way about DAI initially so this can change. I do miss the 4 person party team of DAI a bit. The combat in Witcher could be better. I feel it's too much hit and roll but again I don't have a great feel for everything. I think a better counter system would have really helped. It doesn't work well when you are surrounded. And if I read another review of an RPG game that says you play these games for the story and not the combat I'm going to be pissed. There is no reason not to have great combat in any game.

At the end of the day I think this will be the last RPG game I buy. The endless looting and tedious collecting wears on me. Having to worry about crafting, inventory, looting, repairing weapons all gets over whelming and too time consuming. The Witcher may not have the overly repetitive fetch quests of DAI but the loot button doesn't respond well and makes that action a chore. True action games with RPG elements like Mordor are more up my alley. I hope I get more into Witcher as I play.

[baseballplyrmvp]

You will Rudy. And I totally agree with you on most points. However, the game started out really slow for me too but once you hit about 15-20 hours, you get sucked in that you can't put it down.

Don't worry about crafting new weapons or armor. Waste of time and you get by just fine with the stuff in game. Repairing weapons is also a chore at first but just fast travel back to cities with a blacksmith and you're fine.

The point of the game is to find Ciri. She disappeared after the Wild Hunt went after her. Mild spoiler* but she has elder blood in her which gives her special powers.

[jaymo76]

Agreed on the crafting. I don't do it period. You can find so many excellent weapons that there is no need to craft. Plus, once you get to Skellige, it's a blast. I spend most of my time there.

[Rudy]

I'm just going to focus on doing the main quests and let the game take me along for the ride for now.

[baseballplyrmvp]

I'm just going to focus on doing the main quests and let the game take me along for the ride for now.

You also want to do the side quests. You can make a lot of money and get some good stuff. Gwent is also a fun thing to do too as there is a side mission that pays like 2000 gold if you win.

[jaymo76]

Rudy, have you deal with the 3 witches yet (out in the swamps)? Let me know when you do as I would like to know your results...

[Rudy]

I haven't done many side quests. I took one or two witcher contracts on the board and I think I've done at least one side quest.

#mild spoilers below

Right now I moved past white orchard and found Yennifer. Went to the Bloody Baron and played as Ciri and defeated the Wolf Leader. Back as geralt and am looking for Baron's missing family.

There were two chances for me to play Gwent. Once in the palace with the emporer and once again in a village. Haven't done it yet though. I've heard others say they like it but I didn't want to spend time on it. I know I will have to do more side contracts to earn more money. I don't have much. It's still very early. I think I'm only level 3 or 4. I will report back after meeting the three witches.

[jaymo76]

I would put Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 in the same category of excellence for 2015. They are games that are way out of my comfort level but they have aspects which make them soooo good.

1. Visuals
2. Massive open worlds
3. Lengthy quests
4. Fun side quests
5. Likeable characters, etc.

When all is said and done I will log over 100 hours playing each game.

[baseballplyrmvp]

Yep. Witcher 3 is the best game I've played since skyrim. My only wish is that there'd be more different weapons in it like DAI or skyrim. Every sword seemed to have the same kind of perks. Otherwise, it was a great game.

[Rudy]

The Witcher 3 is probably not for me. RPGs in general probably aren’t my thing either. After 15 hours and almost being Level 8 I’m going to quit. While I like the story and all the cut scenes I’m just not willing to put in 100 hours to play this game and overcome the weak combat and tedious RPG things involved.

The combat just isn’t good imo. When I hear people say you don’t play RPGs for the combat I ask why not? There is no reason not to have good combat, especially if I’m going to be playing this a long time. Witcher 3 doesn’t have a good counter system. When you are fighting more than one person/monster it’s useless. You basically just end up hitting things with your sword and dodging constantly while using a magic sign whenever you can and you wait for it to recharge. So every battle simply felt like magic sign, strike & dodge, strike & dodge, strike & dodge, rinse and repeat. And as your character levels up it appears that this doesn’t change. I don’t see any new cool moves unlocking. Games like Mordor, DAI and Diablo all let you do cool new stuff as you played. DAI let you map 10 different moves to the controller and each class had new stuff too. This game is just whack with your sword and dodge. It’s just not very good.

The RPG stuff is overly tedious. I understand in RPGs you have to loot everything, craft stuff, deal with inventory caps and grind to level up. But this game makes it worse since the Loot/interact button is annoying. I walk up to a bush and as soon as the loot X icon appears by the time I hit it I’m often standing right on top of the bush and the loot icon disappears. Why?! I’m right on top of the thing I’m trying to pick up! Now I have to walk back away from this thing and come back so the icon re-appears. It’s annoying and it happens a lot. Having to worry about repairing my swords and armour is another tedious task I would have greatly preferred an option to turn off. Gritty and realistic? True. Sucking more fun out of the game? Also true. And not being able to fast travel without being at a sign post doesn’t help either.

RPGs are probably not the right genre for me. I was hoping the Witcher 3 would be a great game for me but it’s just too tedious with weak combat and I don’t think I’ll continue.

[jaymo76]

I finally finished Witcher 3 last night and let me say that I loved this game as a play through. Now that I'm done, other than DLC I have no reason to go back and play it as the game reverts to how things were before the final quest. Also, all of the interactive characters are gone so it's just contracts and side quests. The game itself was awesome. However, let me say that the ending sucked!!! I put 100+ hours into this game and don't even get closure with the main characters... wth?

For the record... Ciri ended up as a Witcher and Geralt ended up being alone and penniless. I guess that's what you get for trying to keep both Triss and Yen. I really hoped I would get another chance with Triss. She was the one I wanted.

Overall, I would say this was the second best game of the year, only behind Fallout 4. I will surely buy the DLC expansions at some point.

http://cdn4.dualshockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Triss.jpg
NSFW... In my opinion she is the most likable character.

[Rudy]

Glad you liked it Jaymo. So many people love this game on OS too but I simply didn't enjoy the combat. I couldn't get past some things and sold it after 15 hours. Maybe I will give it another shot some day but probably not.

[jaymo76]

Q. I have the digital backwards compatible copy of Witch 2. Is it a good game? I loved Witcher 3. Will it be tough to play this game as it's from last gen?

[jaymo76]

Bought the season pass for the two DLC. Apparently this is the end of the Witcher video game series...

[bdoughty]

Third time is a charm. I just could not get into Mass Effect and decided to give this one more shot. 20 hours in and I am really enjoying the world and the missions. The combat and controls are still not very good but I have gotten past it and enjoyed the game for what it is.

[Rudy]

Huh. Maybe I will give this another shot down the road. Are you accepting the combat more? I know neither of us cared for it that much before. I got annoyed with having to repair swords and armour. That was tough early on since money is tight.

[souljahbill]

The people on the unofficial "official" Bioware boards keep giving this game bj's so I need to get this and see what the hype is about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bdoughty]

Huh. Maybe I will give this another shot down the road. Are you accepting the combat more? I know neither of us cared for it that much before. I got annoyed with having to repair swords and armour. That was tough early on since money is tight.

Money/Repair has not been an issue. I think the key for me was to do everything and see everything in White Orchard before moving forward. It kinda shocked me just how much treasure I missed the first two times. So far I am constantly finding new weapons and armor and just selling the stuff they replace. Also helps to find those weapon/armor repair kits for the longer missions.

Still have a few gripes. Leveling in the early sages takes forever. I was between 4-6 for almost 20 hours. Part of that is I am exploring more and do not complete missions as quickly as some. Also I am playing on foot, screw the horse. Not a fan of limiting XP to missions and contracts. You kill something, XP should be rewarded.

Combat... I just bit the bullet and started reading the beast book and learned what signs and oils to use. It was either that or play hack/slash on the easiest difficulty. The control is still clunky even with the alternate option they added but it works a little better. It is still pretty heavy on rolling around to dodge but I have started putting more thought into each battle and use more parrying and proper signs. My big complaint with Skyrim and Zelda: BOTW were the lack of enemy types and that is not an issue with this game and has added to my newfound appreciation. Plus I am starting to warm to the signs and the oils and seeing how they expand the combat experience. Still not a fan of the simplistic two sword setup and it does not help that early on the crossbow is pretty damn useless, outside of a tool to kill things underwater. I have more of an appreciation of what the devs were trying to do but I really miss using a bow and having a shield.

The quests and exploration are making it a much more enjoyable experience. Simply gave up way to early the first two times. Once you get out of White Orchard there are some really great quests to find right after. Currently doing the Bloody Barron quest which I never got to before and just finished Wandering in the Dark. That was a pretty cool experience due to how much you have to do just to complete it and how long it takes. I had no armor repair kits and my main piece was at 30% with only a couple scraps of food left. The amount of hidden treasure throughout the caves and then tossing you one more side mission and a puzzle before you head out were nice touches.

[Rudy]

I think I finished the Bloody Baron or close to it. I did very little exploring in my only attempt. I seemed to die a lot if I went off the normal path. I'd like more options with the sword other than strike dodge, rinse and repeat until I can use magic again.

[bdoughty]

For anyone who has played the game (otherwise it will be a spoiler) in regards to the Devils Pit.

How long did you search for a key to the locked door or went through every possible Sign/attack to get the door open leading to the obvious cave behind it? I spent at least 45 minutes trying to figure it out before hitting the internet. All to find out it was an unfinished area, with no key but there was a cave system, and much unfinished work thanks to PC modders getting in there. That is a pretty big ass omission that you would think somebody at CDPR would have figured out between release and the two dlc's. Put a wall there or something. Also there is another locked door at the top of the pit which made me think you had to find a way in there first. That is the kinda thing that grinds my gears.

Also all the locked friggin doors in this game. While searching I found out that if it just says "locked" you will never get in that place. It must say "key required" when trying to open it. Could have saved quite a bit of time had I known this.

Now that I think about it what is the deal with the Cave location icons not greying our after you have discovered all the loot. It is really annoying sine they do not have names and you just have to reply on memory.

Just a bunch of little complaints but odd things that really should have been fixed. To the games credit it has not crashed on me once. Bethesda games crash if you stare at it funny and that is before mods.

[Rudy]

This game is 50% off on PS Store if you have PS+. For Canadians it's $33.50 and that is the Complete Edition with all DLC.

[CLW]

Complete Edition is $20 on PSN. Tempted to bite but my backlog is so...... huge right now its not even funny. What do you guys that have played the title think? I know it is supposed to be incredibly long and while that is seen as a huge positive to many gamers I'm not sure I can sink in 100+ hours into a game unless its on the level or better than something like Horizon.

[souljahbill]

If I recall:
Rudy [emoji1475]
Jaymo76 [emoji1474]
Internet [emoji1474]


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[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, I'm looking at grabbing this too. With the Critics' Choice Sale, planning to grab this for $20, Skyrim special edition for $30 and another game for $15.

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[Rudy]

If I recall:
Rudy [emoji1475]
Jaymo76 [emoji1474]
Internet [emoji1474]




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is correct lol