Witcher 3

[zinfamous]

I recently bought the steam pack on one of the sales and started to play W1. After several hours trying to get past the stupid hound boss fight I got into city whatever. Started exploring a bit and just got bored and forgot about the game. The combat is so incredibly boring, like a "simon says" game with only one color. The idea of left clicking whenever the pointer turned yellow for countless more hours actually put me off gaming for the last couple of months. I'm not even kidding.

So my question is: Should I trudge through W1? Are W2 and W3 the same combat system? Or should I just start with one of the later games and which one?

I never could get into W1, 2 tries and many hours...just couldn't. I also quit in the big city because of "RPG quest/loot/ fatigue" just didn't care any more. Hated W2 first time through. Eventually played it some time later...got into it. Enjoyed it. Good story, but full of derivative nonsense most of it, but still, these are different games.

But I finished that because W3 was looking to be something special, and it really is. It is just so different from the other games. W1 and 2 for the atmosphere, characters, background stories, but those games just aren't as good.

They are all different combat systems to their own end, and W1 is by far the worst.

 

[zinfamous]

It seems like you prefer games like Skyrim, where there's less focused story and more open sandbox. I personally really love the mix of deep story/setting and open worldness that the Witcher 3 offers.

Skyrim actually does have some deep story and well, even better than the W3, imo: setting and atmosphere...but yeah. The really good stuff is diluted by 80% fluff. I kinda like both games equally, but I still think I prefer Skyrim for the world. I was hoping W3 would have the long-promised "real world consequences!!! for player decisions" that we have always hoped for...but alas. Skyrim has many weaknesses, but W3 shares a lot of those.

 

[bystander36]

I prefer Witcher 3 for the story and graphics. I prefer Skyrim for the endless possibilities.

 

[you2]

I actually like w1. I hated it until near act 2; but once I got into it I thought it was very good. It has a charm that w2 and w3 are missing. With witcher 2 I was pissed that they dumb down the controls for consoles but w2 had a tighter story than w1 and w3. w3 is skyrim with a story; it just goes on and on and on.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

One of the reasons the Witcher games are a little slow at the start, and take a few hours to really get interesting is that they are giving you a lot of context and really build the characters history. Their combat is also a bit different than your typical game, so they also give you a little time to get adjusted to it.

I found the game got a lot more interesting around level 8, after you leave White Orchard, but even that wasn't all that bad. RPG's in general tend to be a little less fun at the start due to not having a developed character. Anyways, I found around level 8 to be where it got fun, and level 12-14 when it really got fun.

If you want to skip ahead, do the Main story quests, they give a lot of experience and are more interesting.

And to those who mention how this games quests are so much better than most games, part of it is due to the game being built around a pre-existing novel. That tends to make the story stronger.

I'll probably give it another go, just starting where I left off and push through the silly stuff I left off at so I can get back to punching gryphons in the face. I don't mind sidequests at all, in fact I love it when it's properly fleshing out the story... like the arson quest line in the tutorial revealing some of the racism/tension that exists in the world. I was aware of it from the previous games but I thought that was a great way to reveal the ugly side of the world and its people. Another with the ghost/abandoned town, showing how Geralt preps for an actual fight (as opposed to just facerolling through drowners), I thought that was great too. Didn't have enough emphasis in W1/2 where you could very easily just ignore alchemy completely, even on the hardest difficulty.

It seems like you prefer games like Skyrim, where there's less focused story and more open sandbox. I personally really love the mix of deep story/setting and open worldness that the Witcher 3 offers.

I probably do prefer sandbox games, I'm fairly certain I've put more hours into Morrowind/Obliv/Skyrim than linear RPGs, all combined. I do love storied RPGs though, I spent hours and hours playing NWN, BG series (or BG1 at least, see previous rant about BG2). I think the big thing for me is being held back. W3 starts you in this little tutorial bubble which is fine, does a great job of explaining mechanics, some backstory stuff, starts to propel you forward, then I felt like I ran into a nice boring wall of lame instead of just having a path opened or portal appear or whatever, that just cut me loose in the rest of the world, to go where I see fit. By definition I guess that'd be open world/sandboxy (instead of forcing me to see the next step of the story). I really should just give it another go though and quit being so whiny

 

[bystander36]

I'll probably give it another go, just starting where I left off and push through the silly stuff I left off at so I can get back to punching gryphons in the face. I don't mind sidequests at all, in fact I love it when it's properly fleshing out the story... like the arson quest line in the tutorial revealing some of the racism/tension that exists in the world. I was aware of it from the previous games but I thought that was a great way to reveal the ugly side of the world and its people. Another with the ghost/abandoned town, showing how Geralt preps for an actual fight (as opposed to just facerolling through drowners), I thought that was great too. Didn't have enough emphasis in W1/2 where you could very easily just ignore alchemy completely, even on the hardest difficulty.

They made a change with the alchemy system in the Witcher 3. In W1/2, alchemy was difficult to use much because it meant you had to constantly replenish your supply, but in W3, you only have to make a potion once to gain use of them for the rest of the game. You just need to meditate for them to replenish. I started off not using potions at the start until I realized they were 1 time recipes. While not realistic, I liked the change.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

They made a change with the alchemy system in the Witcher 3. In W1/2, alchemy was difficult to use much because it meant you had to constantly replenish your supply, but in W3, you only have to make a potion once to gain use of them for the rest of the game. You just need to meditate for them to replenish. I started off not using potions at the start until I realized they were 1 time recipes. While not realistic, I liked the change.

Yeah, I liked that too. I will say I am NOT a fan of the trait (I forget the name) that makes your food buffs last for a half hour instead of seconds. The HP regen that comes with that is pretty gamebreaking.

 

[Stuka87]

I have 150+ hours into Witcher 3, still have more side quests to do (main and all expansions are done). REALLY like it obviously, oh and I play it on the second hardest difficulty. I was doing the very hardest, but got stuck at one spot that I just got fed up with. So knocked it down a notch.

I also really liked Witcher 2, but 3 is far better.

The first one suffers from several issues, but was great for its day. but has not aged all that well.

 

[renz20003]

I played till you kill the griffin or whatever it is. Everything just seemed kinda meh. I own the first two games also and never finished them.

I usually like or at least finish critically acclaimed games but this series is the exception.

 

[pashbe1]

It seems like this is a kind of game that you have to come to at the right time, right frame of mind. I just talked to an old friend of mine, we've been gaming together since the mid 80's, and he finished and loved W1 and W2! I found that shocking since he loves action, hates reading dialogue, is an RTS fiend. That blew me away. Me, I'm gonna give it another shot, from the top. Hope you all have fun.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Witcher 3 inspired me to read the books. Never could finish the first game (combat was too repetitive), went through the second game twice, and the third game I've gone through three NG+ cycles already. After I finished Witcher 3 for the first time, I immediately started ordering the books. So long as the last one gets translated by the estimated date (spring of this year), I shouldn't run out of books and end up having to wait. Been pacing myself which has been difficult since they are hard to put down.

 

[magomago]

I played till you kill the griffin or whatever it is. Everything just seemed kinda meh. I own the first two games also and never finished them.

I usually like or at least finish critically acclaimed games but this series is the exception.

go back and keep going - you just played the bare intro....honestly the game doesn't really start until you get to velen.

 

[Marburg U]

It seems like you prefer games like Skyrim, where there's less focused story and more open sandbox. I personally really love the mix of deep story/setting and open worldness that the Witcher 3 offers.

Or, you could say, that you are more interested in a game where the story is told throughout cut scenes more than anything else.

 

[werepossum]

I just wish these games had a first person option like Bethesda's. I can't get immersed in third person games as a rule. Even with racing or flying games, I want to be in the cockpit. I want to immerse myself in the world and action, not watch a doll experience it. And also, I'm not comfortable playing as anyone whose ass I'd like to stare at for a couple hundred hours. This is why I bought 1 & 2, haven't played them, and never bought 3. I'm waiting for a smooth first person mod.

 

[simas]

Awesome series, all of them. W1 was such a new breath of fresh air when it comes out - grown up (real world) story that is not created for EMO teenagers or pre-teen girls, serious setting, decisions, consequences shades of gray, Geralt girl quests, loved it when it came out. W2 had great settings, even the first city in act ii was amazing story - you are in the place where there are simply no 'good guys", there are elven rebels/terrorists, torturing police, drug addict and drug kingpin head of the city kidnaping its citizens for his own fun, etc. W3 was just bigger and much much better than anything else RPG I played recently, real characters, real stories, and a lot of love put in the game as it shows.

I would love recommendations of other RPGs to play while I wait for Mass Effect Andromeda pricing to become sane and until Kingdom Come Deliverance is released. please?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Awesome series, all of them. W1 was such a new breath of fresh air when it comes out - grown up (real world) story that is not created for EMO teenagers or pre-teen girls, serious setting, decisions, consequences shades of gray, Geralt girl quests, loved it when it came out. W2 had great settings, even the first city in act ii was amazing story - you are in the place where there are simply no 'good guys", there are elven rebels/terrorists, torturing police, drug addict and drug kingpin head of the city kidnaping its citizens for his own fun, etc. W3 was just bigger and much much better than anything else RPG I played recently, real characters, real stories, and a lot of love put in the game as it shows.

I would love recommendations of other RPGs to play while I wait for Mass Effect Andromeda pricing to become sane and until Kingdom Come Deliverance is released. please?

I'm kinda surprised you'd bring up the 'grown-up' stories of W1 with serious settings, then bring up the absolutely absurd, 'screw anything that moves', ridiculously shoved-in (no pun intended) sexy time garbage. That crap alone (which I guess is expected in every iteration of the series now) lowered my opinion of the games/stories by a lot.

I do enjoy the 'no good guys' approach though. Same thing that attracts me to warhammer/40k.

 

[zinfamous]

I just wish these games had a first person option like Bethesda's. I can't get immersed in third person games as a rule. Even with racing or flying games, I want to be in the cockpit. I want to immerse myself in the world and action, not watch a doll experience it. And also, I'm not comfortable playing as anyone whose ass I'd like to stare at for a couple hundred hours. This is why I bought 1 & 2, haven't played them, and never bought 3. I'm waiting for a smooth first person mod.

I'm the opposite. I can't stand first person. First thing with ES and FO is switching out to 3rd person when I play. I especially don't like trying to swat things with a sword in first person.

 

[zinfamous]

I'm kinda surprised you'd bring up the 'grown-up' stories of W1 with serious settings, then bring up the absolutely absurd, 'screw anything that moves', ridiculously shoved-in (no pun intended) sexy time garbage. That crap alone (which I guess is expected in every iteration of the series now) lowered my opinion of the games/stories by a lot.

I do enjoy the 'no good guys' approach though. Same thing that attracts me to warhammer/40k.

This. I felt the game was extremely juvenile because of the nonsense girly cards. Geralt's lecherousness was anything but adult, and was squarely aimed at the pre-teen virgin male crowd, imo. Adult/mature themes has nothing to do with T&A--it's about children being sick or dying, making tough choices between a friend that committed a terrible act and an innocent convict framed for murder. Stuff like that.

That's why I couldn't get very far into W1...it was just nonsense. I avoided it, but I also got a bit burned out with inventory and the questing.

 

[bystander36]

This. I felt the game was extremely juvenile because of the nonsense girly cards. Geralt's lecherousness was anything but adult, and was squarely aimed at the pre-teen virgin male crowd, imo. Adult/mature themes has nothing to do with T&A--it's about children being sick or dying, making tough choices between a friend that committed a terrible act and an innocent convict framed for murder. Stuff like that.

That's why I couldn't get very far into W1...it was just nonsense. I avoided it, but I also got a bit burned out with inventory and the questing.

While it may seem out of place with games, his character is based on a series of novels and that is how the Witchers are.

 

[zinfamous]

While it may seem out of place with games, his character is based on a series of novels and that is how the Witchers are.

Sure, but "collecting" girly cards in W1 is completely juvenile.

I feel that the characterization in W2 and 3 was far more appropriate. I don't mean to imply that lechers aren't "adult," it's how that character is portrayed and, in games, how that mechanic is implemented. W1 makes it a mini-game--a reward in its own right for bagging wenches. W2 and 3 is simply something that you can opt to do, or not. It actually influences the storylines in some ways, and not in a simple pervy way.

 

[Face2Face]

Playing it now with the HD texture mod and Super Turbo Lightning Mod...My god, it's glorious.

 

[werepossum]

I'm the opposite. I can't stand first person. First thing with ES and FO is switching out to 3rd person when I play. I especially don't like trying to swat things with a sword in first person.

Which is why games should always give us the choice of viewpoints.

 

[bystander36]

As far as 1st person vs 3rd person goes. I like both. 1st person does make you feel more immersed, but 3rd person lets you see your characters gear and sweet animations if done well.

 

[zinfamous]

Which is why games should always give us the choice of viewpoints.

Yeah, at least when it's appropriate. Borderlands ended up being one of my favorite series, and I was thoroughly annoyed at first that there was no pan out/3rd person view....but it really wouldn't work. That, and it simply doesn't need it. I guess it just depends on the game.

As far as 1st person vs 3rd person goes. I like both. 1st person does make you feel more immersed, but 3rd person lets you see your characters gear and sweet animations if done well.

and butts. but werepossum doesn't like looking at butts.

 

[werepossum]

Yeah, at least when it's appropriate. Borderlands ended up being one of my favorite series, and I was thoroughly annoyed at first that there was no pan out/3rd person view....but it really wouldn't work. That, and it simply doesn't need it. I guess it just depends on the game.


and butts. but werepossum doesn't like looking at butts.

Actually I do like looking at butts. I like it a lot. But only if they aren't polygonal, and they aren't mine, and I lose interest after a couple minutes. Hey, I'm old.

Find me a thigh cam and we'll talk.