The Combat System
The General Controls
As throughout the game, we look over Geralt’s shoulder during combat. We strike with a left-click, and use the right mouse button to parry. With the space bar, we perform a large dodge roll, with ALT just a small step to the side, to avoid a sword strike. The “Q” key triggers the currently selected sign – a “less harmful” variant of real spells. The tab key can be used at any time to open the quick menu: Here you have access to signs, healing potions, bombs, or the crossbow. But beware! In the quick menu, time does not stand still, but slows down significantly. If you think too long, you might take one or two hits that could quickly lead to death.
Every Enemy Requires Its Own Strategy
Every one of the various enemy types requires a specific strategy to defeat them. While you can still easily overwhelm human enemies with “parry first and then beat them to death”, I need more careful considerations for an earth elemental. A stone giant doesn’t care whether Geralt beats him with his sword or covers him with a fire beam; one or two hits can already mean the end of our adventure. However, through clever combinations of magical signs, even the direst situations can be resolved: An “Yrden” slows down enemies in a certain area, which gives me more time to circle around the enemy and throw a “moon dust” bomb at their back, making them temporarily susceptible to sword strikes.
If you don’t want to experiment for long, you can also just take a look at the bestiary – many enemies are listed there along with their weaknesses and often provide valuable tips. This became clear to me after dying three times to a “nightwraith” and then reading the hint that I shouldn’t fight them at midnight at any cost. “Reading educates” applies here more than ever.
Free Character Development? – Absolutely!
How we shape Geralt is relatively up to us. We can choose between light, medium, and heavy armor. While heavy armor absorbs more damage, it also causes the Witcher to regenerate stamina more slowly, which he needs for casting. But there are many freedoms besides just armor: the talent points you receive either for each level up or by discovering “places of power” can be distributed very freely. Geralt’s magical signs can be upgraded to become almost fully-fledged spells with greater effects. Alternatively, one can also focus on his sword skills and teach him to parry arrows and crossbow bolts. Or we make the Witcher an alchemy junkie who can chug potions continuously and throws bombs left and right. If you are dissatisfied with your play style, it’s not the end of the world: At some merchants, you can get your talent points refunded and try something new.
