Overall Impression – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Beyond the countless accolades and praise of critics and gamers alike is an RPG experience that is perfectly crafted for the video game medium. One of the unique features in a video game in terms of narrative is the ability to make choices and experience an array of different outcomes. In essence this makes the experience unique and based on the individual player’s choices. It’s not a new concept; however, The Witcher 3 executed on this basic premise exceptionally well. It’s one of the core reasons this game established such a monumental legacy and occupies a special place in the hearts of those that journey throughout the continent.
This article avoids any direct reference to actual events or plot in the story. However, the mere discussion of a games narrative in general can still impact your experience.
Target Audience
At the very core The Witcher 3 is a choice based narrative experience. Gamers that enjoy a high fantasy setting where their choice can significantly alter the outcome of the narrative should check out this game. It does also include action combat and exploration; however, the defining feature of the game is its well crafted narrative and the numerous choices it presents to its players.
Narrative
The Witcher 3 is one of the most compelling and well written narratives in gaming. But it also goes beyond that. The consequences of your choices can play out in numerous ways and this is also captured within the journey. CD Projekt Red not only crafted an incredible story, they wrote numerous variations of it. This is a daunting task and a reason I believe not many are able to emulate it especially at this level of execution. What makes this even more interesting is that the events of The Witcher 3 are not detailed in the books. Instead the writers built upon this legacy by putting together an original story for the game. There are several factors to why the narrative is such a defining feature and legacy of this game. This includes its ability to capture an audiences attention, deep character driven stories and the exploration of the consequences of the choices that are made.
The stories are captivating. This includes the main story quest as well as side quests. Telling a story that audiences are actually interested in and that holds their attention is something not all games can accomplish. It takes an interesting mix of a charismatic and relatable protagonist that audiences resonate with combined with the right pacing, subject matter and infusion of magical moments that form the intangible aspects of incredible story telling and the Witcher includes all of these elements.
Another critical aspect of what makes this a story that stays with you is the focus on deep character driven narratives. One of the best aspects of the narrative is the interaction among the cast of characters. This allows you to see and experience a character’s personality and motives and how they relate to others. It demonstrates who they are instead of trying to tell us who they are. In this way we see the humanity, flaws and strengths of each character making them relatable. When done right it has powerful effects and draws you into its world.
Characters are interesting with varying personalities. They feel like fully conceived people with histories, culture, and backstories that are all interwoven into who they are. This rich tapestry of thoughtful character design is why fans care so much about what happens to them along the journey. There was a lot of love, care, and attention placed into their creation and how these stories are crafted. You can tell because even the optional storylines are well developed and carefully considered.
There’s a powerful exploration of choices and consequences. This is pivotal and why making a game with actual choice is challenging to do because of the amount of work that is needed to then explore the various outcomes. The Witcher 3 does this incredibly well. Your choices throughout the experience can have a profound impact on those around you and the outcome of the narrative. This is what the gaming genre is uniquely positioned to do by crafting narratives that are unique to each individual gamer. All of these components together push the RPG genre to new heights. Combined with a high level execution in the actual writing and it’s one of the reasons that The Witcher 3 is held in such high esteem.
Gameplay
What makes the core gameplay standout is that you are a Witcher. This means you hunt monsters. In practice, the general gameplay unfolds with you taking the role of Geralt, a monster hunter/detective. You investigate to learn more about the target and then develop a plan to exploit its weakness in order to defeat it. This core premise really makes the game interesting as it plays out like a mystery and unraveling the core components of each monster’s strengths/weaknesses makes for a much easier battle. In essence, hunting monsters becomes akin to solving a puzzle.
The combat itself is adequate. You have melee weapons (ones for monsters and non-monsters), alchemy (potions) as well as Witcher abilities (spells). Combat encounters are more about understanding individual enemy weaknesses rather than just mechanical execution. Sometimes combat or movement can feel clunky. A core part of the experience in this game is the narrative so even with an adequate combat system there’s still an incredible and unique experience when you look at everything the game has to offer as a whole.
Another aspect that makes the game feel unique is Gwent. It’s a card game that you learn fairly early in the game and can then challenge others you come across. There’s also a quest line that allows you to play in a tournament. What makes this aspect interesting is the ability to challenge players in new areas you visit and the ability to gain and collect new cards. This makes visiting new places and the thrill of finding new cards very appealing to those that enjoy it. The card game itself is surprisingly addictive. It’s easy to pick up with fun and interesting combinations. The card game on its own has already been spun off into its own game – Thonebreaker.
The rest of the gameplay is what you would expect in an open world game. There are vast areas to explore with side quests and various tasks, such as monster contracts, alchemy, treasure hunts, fight club and sailing to name a few. Altogether, there’s a lot of content on offer that can feel overwhelming for those just starting their adventure.
Art & Design
The visual design of The Witcher 3 is stunning. Even though it was released in 2015 it is still one of the most beautifully rendered worlds in gaming. The Witcher 3 is a dark fantasy with Eastern European influences. Inspiration was drawn from folklore as well as real world references to develop a world that feels lived in yet, represents the dark and harsh realities of war, political drama, and monsters that are all present within its settings. Locations are diverse and distinct from mountain ranges and plains to the open seas. Architecture is true to the setting and fits within the world drawing upon classic medieval European structures. Cities are dense and filled with NPCs evoking a feeling like they are full of the hustle of everyday life. One of my favorite settings in all of gaming is also available in the expansion, Blood and Wine, Toussaint. Inspired by Southern France and Italy the colours are vibrant and showstopping. It feels like a walk in paradise. When the developers create a world this stunning it makes you want to be in the game and explore every tiny detail and aspect of the world. It impacts your mood and inspires. The visual design of The Witcher 3 leaves a lasting legacy all on it owns.
Music
The soundtrack to The Witcher 3 sets the emotional tone and atmosphere for the game. With masterfully produced orchestral tracks many of which use Slavic folk instruments to accentuate the dramatic beats of the narrative or the peaceful calm of the surrounding countryside. The beat of drums combined with guttural chants are a call to arms during fight encounters. Each rhythmic melody tells a story as deep as the narrative. There’s a beauty and emotion that is sometimes only channeled through song and The Witcher 3 makes exceptional use of this and intertwines it within the narrative. It’s one of the many reasons why this game is so special.
Challenges
Although this is a generation defining RPG experience there are still some challenges. One of the noticeable challenges is in the form of combat. Combat can feel clunky at times with issues executing certain attack animations on certain terrain and the actual flow and nature of combat can get repetitive and feel a bit lacking in depth. For a game that pushes the narrative boundaries to new heights the same can not be said for the overall combat experience. Instead the combat feels adequate.
Another potential challenge is the sheer volume of content. You can easily get side tracked in completing objectives in the open world that can become repetitive. It is all optional but it can make the game feel quite long and drawn out. Whereas if you stick to the main story quest line, you have a much more focused and well paced adventure. Overall, the challenges that are present in The Witcher 3 are minor and do not detract from the incredible experience that it offers.
Closing Thoughts
The Witcher 3 is a phenomenal story driven action adventure that makes use of the medium by allowing you to craft your own experience and where your choices have dramatic consequences. It’s a demonstration of the power of telling stories through games that are dynamic and uniquely fit the medium that other forms of entertainment can’t touch upon. It’s high level execution in the narrative and overall design make it a game changing entry in the RPG genre that will leave a lasting impression on gamers and developers. The challenges that are present in the game are minor. If you are at all interested in this style of game, you should check out The Witcher 3. It’s a unique experience in gaming that you have to experience to really understand what makes it so special.
The Mission
We are on a mission to transform the way we look at games. Moving beyond labels, genres, and reviews to curating unique and innovative experiences and creating a platform for gamers to discover titles that genuinely resonate with who they are. This is a passion project that started with a simple premise: what if we curated games like a DJ setups a playlist connecting the right vibes with the right audience. As we grow, we want to cover more games and do in-depth features on indie studios that are doing incredible work. We can only get there with your support. If you enjoy our content, please like, share or subscribe. Your support is greatly appreciated and makes a difference.
Interested in other games? Check out our latest articles.
GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch
RELEASE: 2015
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: CD Projekt Red
GENRE/TAGS: PVE, Narrative Driven, Choices Matter, Action RPG, Action Adventure
TARGET AUDIENCE: Gamers that enjoy a narrative focused adventure set within a dark fantasy where choices matter.
Leave a Reply