RPG Progress Report

[BoneSnapDeez]

That's not my screenshot btw. But I did "stop talking" right?

I'm on ultima, attempting a complete solo run.

[noiseredux]

I'm like 4 or 5 hrs into Witcher 3. Don't know cuz I have the GOG version and it only shows you hours if you play it thru GOG Galaxy, which I don't cuz the Steam overlay makes for easier screenshots. Anyway...

I like it a lot. I think the writing is great, the visuals incredible. But I don't love it. The combat feels kind of meh to me. Though, Fast asked how it played on a controller. I had no idea. I hadn't considered playing with a controller. I switched to one and combat is better that way (though exploring is worse). But I don't know...

I'm not being negative either. It sounds it, but I'm not. Like, I'm enjoying this game and plan to keep playing a lot. But I just don't love the world. And I just don't really like Geralt right now. I try to play him as a nicer guy than I think he's supposed to be. Maybe it sounds stupid, but I always like playing as "the good guy," and I somewhat feel like I'm forcing Geralt to be what I want him to be. Maybe I'm making that up.

I have only played a few hours of Witcher 1 before this BTW.

At any rate, I can't put my finger on it but as good as the story is... I don't really care. Like, I do as far as the Ciri stuff goes. That's interesting. But there's a lot that I'm just kind of bored with and want to get on with gaming.

Case in point: I recently got to play a flashback as Ciri and it was one of my favorite parts of the game so far. After that I was returned to Geralt's missions and guess what I had to do? I had to go find a goat in the woods and make him follow me with a bell. Ugh.

I can't explain why it's different - but in Skyrim I WANTED to go off and explore and just experience whatever I came across. In this I just don't care, and I want to stick to the main quest and see it through. This feels more linear even if it technically isn't. It feels like there's a specific story whereas in Dragon Age Origins, or Pillars, or Skyrim I felt like there was "a story" but it was mine. Again, probably an illusion in my mind.

Anyway, I'm bitching but I think the game is pretty great and fun and awesome to look at and I want to keep playing. It's just not quite the top tier RPG I expected. Except it kind of is? I don't understand myself either. I'll keep playing and see what happens.

PS: I like it a lot. I'm sorry.

[MrPopo]

You should play the game with Polish vocals. It'll help with understanding Geralt. He's a mercenary who tries to stay neutral in all things but has a streak of nobility that keeps getting him in trouble.

Have you started playing gwent yet?

[noiseredux]

Wait really? Neutral but nobel? Maybe I can connect with him more than I thought.

Yes, I played Gwent within my first hour of the game... and I signed up for the beta.

[Stark]

Wait really? Neutral but nobel? Maybe I can connect with him more than I thought.

Yes, I played Gwent within my first hour of the game... and I signed up for the beta.

Witchers are very mercenary at this point in the history of the world and despised by most humans because of being "freaks" and their general neutrality. Geralt is definitely a rare case of a Witcher getting far more involved than one normally would.

Also, because of the training and the potion heavy regiment they have to endure to become Witchers, their emotions are very muted.

[noiseredux]

You guys are making me like this more. Thanks.

[Xeogred]

I have a friend that has been telling me about Witcher 3 for almost this entire year. We talk games, he's still playing Witcher 3. He name drops it everywhere, jokes about it all the time, we joke about bad games and he reminds me that Witcher 3 is the answer. He reminds me a lot. Then the expansions come out and the cycle repeats. This is all after I had to hear about the game endlessly last year as well.

I'm sure it's great. I'm interested. But it's not the only game in the world. At this rate I don't know if I'll ever play it. I don't plan on telling my friend if and whenever I do get around to it.

I couldn't get into the first two either, so that doesn't help though.

[noiseredux]

the first one did not suck me AT ALL. This one has at least piqued my interest. But, telling you that might push you away further haha.

[MrPopo]

I got into the lore of the series because I enjoyed Geralt's character; I got the sense that he kept wanting to stick to the standard witcher neutrality, but felt compelled to step in to places, all the while being slightly annoyed at himself for doing so. I ended up picking up the novels and they really helped flesh out what was going on in the Witcher 3. The first Witcher stands alone pretty well, same with the second, but the third ends up tying up a lot of plot threads both from the game and the novels. Going back and reading the novels after beating Witcher 3 suddenly made a bunch of references make more sense.

The first book doesn't really tie in with the rest of the series; it's mostly just a bunch of short stories that are retellings of fairy tales that involve Geralt stabbing things (or not stabbing things, as the case may be). The last story does tie in with the greater mythology.

[Xeogred]

It all sounds cool to me. Geralt just being an ant in this massive world and you're not pulling a Mass Effect saving the universe or stopping any wars as one lone man. All the things I've heard about it being pretty grounded and serious is definitely appealing to me.

I joke a little with my post above, but I bet you guys have had a friend like that too that just completely overhypes something, no matter how good it may truly be, anything can be ruined like that. lol, but I'll check it out someday.