Been Playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

  Hello folks, it's time for another "Been Playing". This time I have been playing The Witcher 3, and wow am I absolutely blown away by this game. This is a phenomenal title. A game this good doesn't come around very oft. From the delicious,rich visuals to the nice character progression and yet still to the awesome story of the Witcher 3. This game is sure to please RPG gamers and even some action players as well.

Geralt is back...and needs a shave!

  The graphics in this game are splendid, They may not be the most cutting edge, but the art style and world design more than make up for that. Trees sway in the wind, deer dart and bounce through the dense forests as they are chased by wolves and wild dogs. The rain makes everyone visibly saturated. The world feels remarkably alive and vibrant. The nights seem creepy and still. The ambient sounds help to drive this forward as well. Clashing swords with bandits, as both sides taunt and curse each other. Moments like those make this game feel really polished. The world of The Witcher 3 is also quite large, thankfully, you have your trusty steed, Roach, who is just a whistle away right from the start.

  The character progression is what you would expect from an RPG title. You level up, find and craft new gear and learn traits that help you do more damage or fight more efficiently. No surprises to be found here, and that is a good thing in my book. Why change a formula that works well? No, the real crowning achievement in this game is the story and the feel of the world. It's a bloody, war torn tale, where anyone and everyone is, or could be, out to get you. Your actions,of course, help to drive this along. There are many instances where you are presented with choices, of which none are actually good or bad, they are just simply choices. To me that is awesome, there are no good or evil points to amass, etc. Sometimes you will feel like a hero, sometimes your good intentions will hinder you.

  Now, onward to the gripes I have, because there are some. To start, the game [on PC] does not feel very optimized. The game does run well on lower to medium, settings on a moderate PC, so don't get me wrong. I just think it could perform a little better. On my system, for example, I run around 40-60 fps, and can dip to the mid 30's during crowded scenes on Ultra,(With Nvidia Hair OFF!). Which isn't bad, since my rig is a little older and only slightly more powerful than the Minimum Requirements. But I will say this (and I don't like to compare games to each other...but) Dragon Age: Inquisition's graphics looked better and that game ran smooth as honey, I'm sure that the scenes were not as alive feeling in that game, but still. Another concern of mine is the controls, I play with a game pad and it feels a bit...odd... Like they are not very tight. Almost as if it uses a tile system, Think, Tomb Raider 1 movement, but only about 33% as bad. That can be over looked, however, as with time you get used to it. But other than that, all is gold.

A still screen shot can not convey how alive this world is!

  Everything tallied, this is a game that every RPG, ActionRPG etc. fan should own. I am sure you will be as drawn into this beautiful and deadly world, and it's awesome set of main story and side stories just as much as the guy typing this. Oh, one last thing, this game is kind of tough, despite what I keep seeing others say, it's not as hard as The Witcher 2, but should still give you adequate challenge on default "Normal" difficulty. Ok that's it. Have fun guys, and 'til next time.


Click here
 for some new player tips for this great game!