In the last few days, there hasn’t been much read, seen, or heard from me. What is the reason for that? Of course, it’s “Witcher 3”. I thought it would be a good idea to write a test again, and a little role-playing snack in between can’t hurt, right?
The Entry into the Game World
My name is Geralt, I know nothing…
To start with, I’m going to make myself unpopular: I have not played through Witcher 1 or 2 and have not read any of the books, even though I was strongly recommended to do so. The simple truth is that neither of the games was able to captivate me in the first few hours, which is why my interest in the books was rather low. As a result, I may not have understood every reference to Geralt’s past and had to personally get to know some of the “known” characters.
The Hunt for Ciri
Despite my ignorance, the first hour of the game manages to familiarize me with the most important characters and directly build a connection. While Geralt relaxes in the bathtub, a black-haired beauty lies a few meters away on a lounge chair, reading a book – completely naked. This immediately makes clear what kind of relationship the two have. During the tutorial, I then meet the girl Ciri, who is somewhat of a daughter figure for Geralt – they train together and fool around a lot. Then the world goes black.
Everything before was probably just a dream. Several years have passed since then, and Geralt is searching for Ciri with his loyal Witcher colleague, combing the land for clues.
Open World
One more revelation upfront: I didn’t like Skyrim because of the “Open World” component. The world felt too vast for me, and it didn’t motivate me to turn over every stone twice or ride aimlessly into the wilderness. Was it different with Witcher?
Much to Discover
Even though it’s a phrase that one reads about every game these days: The world of Witcher 3 is packed with things to discover. A small example: In a village, I receive the task of searching for the missing son of an old woman, who hasn’t returned from an outing in the woods. So, I set off, find a corpse with a letter. Only by actually reading the letter do I learn of a hiding place where treasures are stored. So, I interrupt my search for the son, follow the treasure map, and stumble upon a cave infested with monsters. In said cave, I find not only the treasure but also another letter and a key. To cut a long story short: It took nearly two hours (and several game days) before I found the son. Exploring the world is fun, and despite the many discoveries, it doesn’t feel overcrowded, especially since you can cover large distances on horseback.
A Danger Around Every Corner
With the “Open World” come some difficulties that MMO players will still need to get used to. Just because an area is technically the “starting area” doesn’t mean that the dangers are limited. If you indulge your exploratory instincts too often, Geralt, at level 5, might easily stumble upon a huge stone golem that is 10 levels stronger and can take him out with a single blow. This naturally leads to a multitude of dangerous situations and creates incentives to revisit familiar places later in the game to find out what the huge gargoyle or the horde of drowners are guarding. Game mechanics-wise, this is a bit of a dampener, as it takes longer to “fully” complete areas. On the other hand, this is also an expression of the world’s seriousness – why should the creatures be weak “just” because Geralt starts there?
